Friday Finishes

Technically, today is the first full day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, but it sure doesn't feel like it here. A front came through yesterday, bringing rain and wind, and this morning it's back in the 30s. Brrr! At least the sun is out.

I spent my day off yesterday finishing up both of my active projects. I had a little bit of plying left to do on the skein of handspun, so I took care of that right after breakfast and then wound off the skein after my workout. Thanks to the temperature dropping and the heat coming back on, the finished yarn is dry this morning.

As I hoped, it's a fingering weight (mostly; like any handspun, there's some variation) and measuring about 416 yards. It's also very bouncy and stretchy, which is pretty typical for Targhee. And I've already pulled out fiber for the next spin, which I'll probably spin the same way:

The lighting isn't great, but can you tell I was in a particular mood when I ordered these?

Yesterday's other finish was my sister-in-law's socks, which required just a bit more knitting on the foot and the toe to get done.

I'm very happy with how these turned out, and I can't imagine my sister-in-law won't be anything but thrilled with them (she's incredibly knitworthy). These will be getting a wash and then will be packed away until her birthday in September.

Of course I couldn't leave my needles empty after I finished the socks, so I have started my niece's Emotional Support Chicken:

I'm really enjoying how this yarn is becoming feathers! I'm also interested to see how big the chicken ends up being given that I'm using fingering weight yarn and size 2/2.75 mm needles.

On tap for today, other than the usual stuff (working out, cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry), are haircuts for both of us. My hairdresser always jokes that I only manage to get in to see her once a year, but Molly has informed me that we were last there in May, so it's been less than a year this time! I need to chop a couple of inches off -- I'm at that stage where my hair is getting caught in everything -- and Molly's hoping for some layers that will show off her curls. Tomorrow, we have an appointment to apply for her new passport. She got her first one back in 2019, when we were planning to travel abroad in 2020, but it's since expired. We've decided that we're finally going to take that trip next spring, probably right after the end of the school year, so we're getting all our ducks in a row now. I'm also looking forward to sleeping in the next two days; even though I've taken two days off from work, I've still gotten up with my usual alarm.

Here's hoping it's a good weekend for all of you!

Unraveled, Week 20/2025

It's really Wednesday today, so that means it's time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers! I'm kicking off this Unraveled Wednesday with two bobbins of singles that are ready to be plied:

I've got two meetings this morning, one of which I expect to last for a full hour, so I'll make a good start on getting through all the singles. I may have overdone it a bit yesterday trying to finish up the second bobbin, because my right wrist was hurting a bit last night. All is well this morning, though, and plying is a lot easier on my body than spinning singles, so I'm hopeful I'll have a finished skein to share with you on Friday.

I'm also making good progress on the socks and am in the home stretch on the second one after finishing the gusset decreases on it last night.

Reading has picked up a bit after a busy workweek last week. I've got three finishes to share today.

First up was my reread of The Secret History in preparation for the Read With Us discussion next week. According to Goodreads, I first read this back in 2016. I found I remembered a fair amount of it but not how it wrapped up. And my opinion of the book didn't change much on this revisit. The writing is absolutely fantastic, but the characters are pretty much all horrible people. I'd say it takes real skill as a writer to get your reader to root for people to get away with murder, but that's really what happens with this book. This time around, I was really struck by how Donna Tartt manages to make the story feel like it takes place much longer ago than it does. There are plenty of cultural indications that it takes place in the 1980s, but it feels like it could be the '50s in many ways. The way the characters speak and behave feels like they're out of a different era, which I suppose is fitting for a group studying the classics. In any case, I loved the writing but got an icky feeling throughout much of the book. I gave it, again, 4 stars.

After being with those terrible people for weeks, I needed something lighter. I'd say I'm the last person to read The Thursday Murder Club, but judging from how long the wait list is at my library, clearly there are a lot of people behind me. I was in that wait list for a while until the book popped up as a Kindle deal, and I took advantage -- $1.99 was worth it not to have to wait months! I'm sure many of you have read this by now, but if you haven't, I'd recommend it. It follows a group of friends in a British retirement community who get together to solve murders. They started with old cases, but soon there are several murders related to their community and they are on the case. Murder isn't particularly funny, of course, but this is a lighthearted take on it. And it's also a heartwarming look at how people with very different backgrounds can find commonalities and how individuals who most people would discount because of their age can find that they still have agency. I very much enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars.

When I was in need of something to listen to late last week, I borrowed The Plot via Hoopla. I'd heard mixed reviews of it, but I thought a mystery/thriller would make for good reading while cleaning the bathroom and folding laundry. Jacob Finch Bonner is a struggling novelist teaching at a low-residency MFA program when he comes across an arrogant student who claims he has a plot for a novel that is guaranteed to be huge success, and when Jacob hears the plot, he realizes the student is right. When the student's book hasn't materialized years later, Jacob learns that it's because the student has died -- and that means that plot is up for grabs. So Jacob uses the plot and writes a book that does indeed become a huge success. But then the messages and social media posts and letters start coming from an anonymous source claiming that he stole the book and threatening to expose him. The story is interspersed with excerpts from the book that Jacob writes using the plot, and eventually the big twist that is behind its success is revealed -- as is the reason how the person sending the messages knows where Jacob got the plot. This book was entertaining enough, but I saw the plot twists coming (both in the book and in the book-within-the-book). I also didn't much care for Jacob as a character and was annoyed with him for quite a bit. I think the author was trying to raise some bigger questions about writing and whether anyone can own an idea, but it all seemed a bit overwrought. I gave it 3 stars.

I am currently reading Leila Mottley's forthcoming second novel, The Girls Who Grew Big. 

What are you making and reading this week?

A Week with Two Wednesdays?

It's Monday, but it's also kind of Wednesday for me because I'm taking this Thursday and Friday off (when I went to check my time off accruals last week, I found I had reached the maximum on my vacation time, so I can't earn any more unless I use some). If, given a three-day week, this Wednesday is my Friday, then this Monday is my Wednesday, right?

We had a very relaxing weekend, I think in part because Molly is now on spring break for a couple of weeks, so we didn't have much of a sense of urgency. And the weather was pretty crummy both days, with rain on and off and even a brief hailstorm on Sunday! The Mister and I had to go to the bank to sign some documents on Saturday morning, and then Molly and I went to Costco (yes, I know, but we were in and out in less than an hour, if you can believe it!). We stayed in on Saturday night, had snacks for dinner, and watched 50 First Dates, and yesterday we had dinner with my parents, my brother, and his family. This morning I'll be going back and forth to campus to go see my doctor for my annual physical and then to donate blood. But it will be nice not to have to do the school pickup in the afternoon! Molly does have to write a research paper for history over break, but she's also making sure to catch up on her sleep and get plenty of down time.

I did a fair amount of knitting over the weekend and so am more than 50% done with my sister-in-law's socks:

The heel on the completed sock looks a little wonky, but I think that's just because it was folded up in my project bag and I didn't really smooth it out when I put it down to take this photo. These are just my usual vanilla sock recipe -- 68 stitches, heel flap and gusset, wedge toe. They're exactly the same as the socks I make for myself, just shorter (her feet are a 3/4" shorter than mine!). I'm well on my way on the second sock, so these should be finished soon and then will be washed and put away for later in the year.

I'll admit I was feeling a little bored with just the one project going, so I started a new spinning project. I pulled out another braid of FatCatKnits fiber from years ago but wasn't sure how to spin it, so I posted a photo of it on Instagram with a poll. Overwhelmingly the votes were in favor of a fractal, so I split it up exactly as I did the last spin -- one bobbin in two strips, one bobbin in four. I finished the first bobbin yesterday afternoon.

The fiber base this time is superwash Targhee, which will plump up a bit when washed, but all the same I am spinning my singles a little finer than the last time and aiming for two-ply fingering. We'll see what happens.

And should I get bored with the sock knitting, I've already decided what to cast on next, using this yarn:

If the yarn on the right looks familiar, it's because it's the leftovers from Molly's socks. I thought it would be perfect for a chicken. Yes, you read that correctly! I think my niece needs her own Emotional Support Chicken, but she's only four months old, so I'm making a little one. I pulled out some happy mini skeins that I can use for contrast, and I think a little chick can easily be finished in time for Passover/Easter, don't you think? I've really been enjoying using up as much yarn as I can when I pull a skein out of the stash, so I'll be happy to use the remainder of Molly's skein for something else.

I hope your week is off to a good start. See you back here for the real Wednesday!

All Good Things

Friends, the news continues to be horrible, so I thought I would use this post as a reason to share good things. (I'm also doing it because I have a dearth of fibery content to share, so yes, it's a bit of a cop-out.)

Good Thing #1:
I successfully went for my first run since breaking my foot on Monday! I took it slow (about a 10-minute mile pace) and my foot did fine, but it's clear my legs are not used to this type of exercise. This is probably the first time that I had to stop and walk not because I needed to catch my breath but because my legs and knees were yelling at me. I've been feeling it all week, but today the aching seems to be gone, so I'll be going out to run again this morning. I also bought myself another pair of running shoes earlier this week (I got an email from Zappos about a sale on Hokas), so I am all ready to resume my regular runs, albeit perhaps not three times a week for a while yet.

Good Thing #2:
While I was out on that run on Monday, I ran into a neighbor I haven't seen in a while because I haven't been outside much in the past several months. I usually see her out with her dogs Max and Star. This time, Max wasn't with her, and though I didn't ask, I presume he has crossed the rainbow bridge (he was an elderly Westie). But this time Star was accompanied by a tiny, fluffy puppy, who looked like some sort of Doodle. He is six months old and very friendly, and his name is BAGEL!

Good Thing #3:
Speaking of dogs, if you're a fan of them and you need a little pick-me-up, take a few minutes to watch these videos of dogs' reunions with their owners. Have some tissues handy!

Good Thing #4:
Today's day is 3/14 -- which means it's Pi(e) Day! I totally forgot about it until Molly reminded me this morning, but it's a perfectly good excuse to eat some pie. You know, if you needed one.

Good Thing #5:
We have had a week of amazing weather here in Pittsburgh. It's been sunny and warmer than average -- we might even hit 80ºF today! I'm not ruling out the possibility of more snow (we've had it in April before), and there are highs in the 40s in the five-day forecast, but it sure seems like spring has arrived. Case in point: I saw crocus flowers on my way to the office yesterday:

I also spotted at least one daffodil bud in my yard, so it appears we'll have some flowers soon. If that's not a reason for celebration, I don't know what is.

I hope you've got some good things in your life right now, and if not, I hope you can at least be happy about the fact that it's almost the weekend. Enjoy it, friends!

Unraveled, Week 11/2025

It is Wednesday -- already and again! Time to join up with Kat and the Unravelers!

As work is entering a busy cycle, there's been less time to craft and read during the day, so I don't have a lot to share. But I do have a finished hat, which you saw the brim of on Monday. Once I finished up the brioche, it flew pretty quickly.

There is no pattern for this, as it's just a basic beanie. I cast on 88 stitches with two colors of Knit Picks Chroma Twist on US 3/3.25 mm needles and worked in two-color brioche until I didn't have enough of the lighter color (Sandpiper) to do another round. Then I switched over to US 5/3.75 mm needles and knit until the hat measured 6 inches (about 15.5 cm) and did basic swirled decreases at eight points. I still have a bit of the darker color (Cousteau) of yarn left and could have made it a little longer, but I wasn't in the mood to play yarn chicken. This will get a bath and then will be added to the bags of charity hats, and perhaps Molly will use the leftovers in one of her many scrappy crochet projects.

I'm still working on my sister-in-law's socks and have gotten to the heel. I'm pondering what to cast on next -- one WIP doesn't usually do it for me if it's not especially engaging, but maybe I should just focus on these socks in the interest of getting them done quickly. We shall see.

I've only finished one book in the past week, but when it's a five-star read, that seems like enough. And I have Bonny to thank for putting it on my radar.

The Correspondent is a book of letters. Sybil Van Antwerp, a 70-something woman who lives alone, spends regular hours at her desk taking care of her correspondence, just as she has done her whole life. She writes to her brother and her best friend. She writes to former colleagues and acquaintances she met through her career as a lawyer and judicial clerk. She writes to a teenage boy who has shared his secret troubles and fears with her and with whom she has shared some of her own secrets. She writes to authors whose books she has enjoyed, including Ann Patchett and Larry McMurtry. She has a regular correspondence with Joan Didion. And she writes, regularly and continuously, to someone who is unnamed and unknown until the very end. Though all these letters, we get a complete view of her life's struggles and triumphs, from her early years as an adopted child who felt so unlike her peers at school; to the loss of one of her children and her subsequent divorce; to the struggles in her later life to maintain a relationship with her daughter and her diagnosis of a degenerative eye condition that will eventually take her sight. Though the letters she writes and the letters she receives, we learn about her regrets and the things she blames herself for, and we are able to see how even a woman in her 70s who has had a long, satisfying life can still learn new things, can find ways to right the wrongs, and can find new ways to experience joy. It's a beautiful, quiet novel -- one that will likely make you want to write a letter! I gave it 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. It will be published April 29, 2025. And Goodreads has a giveaway for a hard copy open right now, if you're interested! Just click on the link above and you should see the giveaway on the left.

I'm getting very close to the end of The Secret History and am pondering what lighthearted or funny book I can read next as a palate cleanser.

What are you making and reading this week?

In Which I Complete Another Trip Around the Sun

Good morning, friends. I hope you've all sufficiently recovered from the time change. While I enjoyed the later sunset time, I would have been happy to wait another month for it to occur naturally and had that hour of sleep instead. I suppose the best thing I can say for changing the clocks is that at least we don't do it on a Monday morning!

Yesterday was, of course, my birthday, and it was probably also the most relaxing part of the weekend. Our plans for Friday night went a bit haywire: We had the table set, the food waiting, and the water glasses filled and my in-laws had arrived, but my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and nephews hadn't shown. When the Mister called his brother to find out where they were, they were wondering where we were because they had apparently cooked dinner at their place. So we all loaded up in the car and went there, and dinner was good, but it was not the quiet night at home I was hoping for. I think what says it all is that my birthday cake -- a chocolate almond torte -- got smushed in the refrigerator and ended up saying "Hapy day h!"

Fortunately the rest of the weekend's plans went ahead as scheduled. Molly and I thoroughly enjoyed Kimberly Akimbo on Saturday afternoon (did you know that they figured out a way to ice skate on the stage as part of the show?), and then the three of us had a nice dinner out. On Sunday morning, my brother and my nephew stopped by to drop off a gift, and then Molly and the Mister and I went for a fancy brunch at one of our favorite local restaurants -- including a pear cardamom mimosa! I took the opportunity to wear my vest again.

Photo taken by the Mister, which is why he's not in it

After some wet snow fell on Friday night, the sun was out all weekend, and it was warm enough yesterday afternoon (low 50s) to take a walk in just a sweatshirt:

That sweatshirt was my birthday present from my brother and his family. It's from my local bookstore -- the neon whale is above their cafe and is named August Whale-son in honor of one of Pittsburgh's literary native sons.

While most of the weekend seemed to be spent eating, there was some knitting as well. As many of you predicted, my needles didn't stay empty for long. I pulled out some leftovers from the two hats I test knit this year and combined them for a charity hat, and I also started a new pair of socks for my sister-in-law so I'd have something to knit at the show.

I didn't manage to get the full cuff of the sock knit before the show started and couldn't see enough in the low light to measure it, but I got close enough to an inch. Somehow I dropped a stitch but also created one when I switched over from ribbing to stockinette, so I had to get out my fix-it tool in the intermission to ladder down and pick it back up. I also had no idea how the yarn was going to stripe, so that was a fun surprise when the lights came up. This is a OOAK Fibernymph Dye Works self-striper on a superwash merino base that has sections of natural dark fiber. It's not as tightly plied as the Bounce base I usually use, so it's a little splitty, but I do love the colors and I think my sister-in-law will as well. I'll likely put these away for her birthday in September. The hat is just basic two-color brioche for the brim, which I knit until I ran out of the color I had less of, and the rest will be plain stockinette. I think both of these projects will be handy this week, as I'm expecting a magazine project to come in and will have a lot of reading to do.

It may be Monday, but it's supposed to be another beautiful day here and there are signs of spring arriving. Let's hope we can make the most of it!

Weekending Early

Today is my "spring break" at work; the students are off for spring break all this week, so staff get this one day off. Years ago, it was referred to as Great Americans Day, at least according to my former boss. A quick Google search didn't turn up anything useful, so maybe he was pulling our legs. Regardless, I'm happy to have the day off from work, even if I had to get up at the usual time to get Molly to school. (That just means I'm appreciating more of the day, right?)

Speaking of Molly, she has some brand-new socks to wear, which is a good thing because it snowed again yesterday. It didn't stick anywhere but on grassy surfaces, but it was cold and blew in my eyes the whole way into the office yesterday morning. Yuck.

These were knit with Fibernymph Dye Works Mountain Tweed BFL in the colorway Signature Series: Neutrals. I used 62 g of yarn or about 271 yards. They haven't been blocked, obviously, and may not be -- she may want to wear them right away. She asked for slightly shorter legs (4.5 inches), so they knit up a lot faster than I was anticipating. And I'm happy to be done with the neutrals!

At the other end of the color spectrum is the yarn I plied earlier this week, which is a welcome pop of bright color. This was Polwarth from FatCatKnits in the colorway Flamingo, but it made me think early '90s and Miami Beach (or maybe Miami Vice?).

I think I mentioned that I split the fiber up to be a fractal, which essentially means that both plies follow the same color progression but at different rates. For this particular skein, I found when I pulled the braid apart that I could fold it in half and the two sides matched up, so I broke it in half at the fold, then split one piece into two lengthwise and split the other into four lengthwise. There's a lot of barberpoling but also a fair number of spots where the colors of the two plies line up. Some people might think this yarn was overplied, but I love this round, bouncy look. After washing and drying, the yarn looks to be about sport weight on average, and I estimate its length to be about 276 yards. I have no clue what to do with it and probably will just stick it back in the stash for now, but it was great fun to spin.

The weekend ahead is my birthday weekend. The number is unexciting and I'm not expecting any big gifts, but I am looking forward to eating several meals that I do not have to cook myself. Tonight the Mister's side of the family is coming over for pizza, and tomorrow the three of us will go out after Molly and I see Kimberly Akimbo. My actual birthday is Sunday, so we're going to go for a fancy brunch at one of the places we go to for dinner a lot but for which I've never gone for brunch. I'm a bit annoyed that I will get one less hour of sleep that night, but maybe I'll make up for it by sleeping in. I've reached that stage in life where the only reason I really look forward to a birthday is because it's a chance to be with my loved ones for a happy occasion. This year I'm especially happy to be in better shape physically after two pretty traumatic injuries last year, and given the current political situation, I'm also feeling very thankful to be gainfully employed and not struggling to make ends me. I know I'm very lucky, and I'm hopeful that there will be many more trips around the sun ahead of me. In honor of my birthday, I hope you'll all treat yourself to a little something special this weekend!