Unraveled, Week 10/2021

Thank you for all the birthday wishes yesterday! A number of family members and friends who I talked to yesterday asked if I was doing anything special to celebrate, and really the honest answer is that there isn't much you can do on a Tuesday in a pandemic when you're working! But in contrast to the typical weather I usually have to deal with on my birthday (gray and snowy), it was a gorgeous sunny day here yesterday, and we reached a high in the low 60s, so I had a lovely walk. I also FaceTimed with my parents (shortly before they left for my mom's appointment to get her second dose of the vaccine!) and with my brother-in-law and nephew, who now can say our names and identify us! And in addition to the wines I shared in yesterday's post, I was thoroughly spoiled by my family with some really thoughtful gifts, including a couple of Akerworks bobbins for my wheel and a beautiful flower arrangement that was delivered midday. Sadly I did not get the puppy I asked for, but the Mister ordered me my second choice of gift: an Akerworks Super Skeiner that is currently in production.

I also got yarn in the mail -- not a birthday present, but a happy coincidence that it arrived when it did!

The skein on the left actually arrived Monday as part of a prize package from A Hundred Ravens that I won in the Down Cellar Studio Pigskin Party; sadly the mug that was also in the package did not survive (just as well -- we have no more room for mugs in our cabinet). The other two skeins from Fibernymph Dye Works were prizes from last year's Monthly Makes program. The one in the middle is the colorway I got to choose for participating in the second half of the year -- it's the Scrabble-inspired That's Not Even a Word! I had a skein of this colorway previously and used it for a baby gift, only to regret not keeping it for myself. The skein on the right is the special colorway that Lisa created for those of us who participated in the program all 12 months. It's called Keep On Going, and she says it was inspired by how her fiber crafts kept her and so many of us going during such difficult times last year. I absolutely love it!

It's Wednesday, so it's time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers and chat a bit about WIPs and reading.

When I finished Rainbow's sweater, I officially gave myself permission to cast on one for me, and I have to say that it's really satisfying to knit something in bulky yarn after knitting a large sweater in fingering. This is my Ramona Cardigan in my own handspun. I cast on Saturday night (kind of late, actually, as we'd had my birthday celebration that night and didn't get Rainbow to bed until around 9) and am already several inches below the underarm. I know it looks pretty tiny here, but it's (a) stockinette, (b) unblocked, and (c) on a 32-inch needle because it's not a size I usually knit with (US 9/5.5 mm) and the only one I had that wasn't an interchangeable needle was this old Susan Bates pair.

This was all knit with the first skein of yarn, which was the smallest of the three, so I think that despite my concern that I was going to cut it close on yarn, I should be just fine.

While I was waiting for my swatch for the sweater to dry, I also cast on another marled scrappy hat for charity, which I should be able to finish up today (I've just started the decreases) after largely ignoring it for several days.

I used up the rest of a partial skein of Murky Depths Deep Sock and am now using what's left of a skein of of Knit Picks Hawthorne. The variegated yarn is from a local-ish indie dyer who flounced from Ravelry after the you-know-who ban, so I'm not supporting her anymore. I'd used part of the skein to knit Rainbow a hat several years ago, so it felt right to use what was left for a charity knit.

Reading has been pretty good the past week, and I've added two more books to my Read shelf:

I was interested in reading Barbara Kingsolver's 2018 novel Unsheltered since listening to an interview with her about it a few weeks ago. Though I've really enjoyed her books in the past, I didn't read this when it first came out because a lot of friends didn't like it and I assumed I wouldn't either. But I'm glad I gave it a try now, because I really enjoyed it. Yes, she makes some pretty strong political statements, but they're statements I happen to agree with, on the one hand, and the writing is simply gorgeous. I really appreciate that she was able to build two parallel narratives that really worked so well together and that had their basis in the life of a real person. I gave it 4 stars.

I had bookmarked The Reason You're Alive after both Patty and Bonny recommended it, so I decided to give it a try while I was waiting for my next library hold. This is one of those books that you think you will absolutely hate if you read the description but is really worth giving it a read. It's a first-person narrative by a Vietnam vet who is a steak-eating, gun-toting Republican trying to come to grips with his life after having surgery to remove a brain tumor. He's someone I thought I would hate, but the more I read, the more I warmed to him. It's a very quick read (I got through it in less than 24 hours on a work day) and has a hopeful ending, though be forewarned that it deals with some serious stuff and has some very adult language. I gave it 3 stars.

I am currently rereading The Awakening, which I'm fairly certain I read in high school but have no real memories of, thanks to the podcast Novel Pairings -- Mary has been raving about it, so I subscribed and have been listening from the beginning. I hope to finish it today, because last night I got a notification that my hold for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is up and it's ready for me!

I think that's more than enough from me for today! I'd love to hear what you're knitting and reading this week in the comments!