Unraveled, Week 46/2024

In starting this post, I looked back at my Unraveled post from last week and realized I made a pretty funny typo that no one caught -- I labeled last week as week 55 of 2024! I know this year is going by quickly, but I have yet to live through a year with 55 weeks! The irony of a proofreader missing her own typo is not lost on me, but I've always said that I'm a much better proofreader than typist.

Typos aside, it is Wednesday, and that means it's time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers. Today is an exciting day because by the time the day is done, I will have a finished sweater!

I finished up the colorwork last night, and now all that's left is the cuff (which I very well may be able to knock out during my morning meeting) and weaving in ends. I did use DPNs for the second sleeve's colorwork, and as I was putting them away, I had a moment of panic. I thought I was using US 6 needles, but do you see the problem?

This set of DPNs was in our goodie bags from the TwinSet Summer Retreat and presumably was a bulk Amazon purchase. You get what you pay for! Fortunately, I think being unused to working with DPNs and a concerted effort to keep my work loose was enough to counteract the wrong needle size, as the sleeves seem to be the same width. The sleeves were never going to be tight in any case, and I expect they'll relax quite a bit when I block the sweater. I will also be relabeling those DPNs!

My other main focus has been the current spinning project. I finished up the second bobbin of singles on Monday, and yesterday I started plying.

I still haven't tried my Lendrum to see if I can treadle with my boot, but regardless I'd need to use the miniSpinner because I need the capacity of its very large bobbins. Even with the electric wheel, though, plying is going to be a multi-day event. I didn't weigh any of the fiber bundles before spinning; they were supposed to be 10 g each for a total of 240 g, but Lisa is often generous in her portioning, so I expect I've got a bit more than that. 240 g is about 8.5 oz., and that would never fit on one of my Lendrum bobbins in any case. I've got one of those meetings I have to attend but that isn't really useful to me this afternoon, so that time will be spent plying (along with more time today, if work allows), so maybe this'll be done by the end of the week. I'm not even thinking about how long it will take to skein up!

After zero finishes last week, I've finished three books since then:

This Strange Eventful History was the last book I'd wanted to read from this year's Booker Prize longlist, and while it wasn't my least favorite of the 10 I read, it was definitely toward the bottom of the list. This is a multigenerational family story, starting in 1940 and spanning countries and continents over seven decades. The point of view changes with each chapter, offering different perspectives on the members of this family and what happens to them. I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but the middle dragged a lot, and there was a pretty dramatic revelation in the epilogue that kind of ruined my opinion of one of the major story lines. I will say that I did learn some new things about French colonialism, so it wasn't a waste, but I was a bit disappointed in it overall. I gave it 3 stars.

My favorite book of last year was North Woods, and I so enjoyed Daniel Mason's writing that I bought his entire backlist from Thriftbooks. Those books have been sitting on my shelf for months, and I decided to finally dig into them. I started with his first novel, The Piano Tuner, which is set in the 1880s and follows Edgar Drake as he is sent by the British military to rural Burma to tune the piano that was sent there to a British military doctor. The circumstances are all very mysterious -- how much power does this doctor hold that he could get the military to send not only a grand piano to the jungle but then a piano tuner to fix it? There's a lot in this book about the complicated political situation in Burma and British colonialism, but there's also much about the power of music and its ability to transcend nationalities, cultures, and languages. It was a pretty slow read, even though it's not a very long book; events unfold at a measured pace until the last 20 or so pages, when they speed up rapidly. I gave it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

As a teenager, I was obsessed with competitive figure skating and my favorite movie was The Cutting Edge, so when I read the description of The Favorites, it seemed right up my alley. We start toward the end of the story with the release of a no-holds-barred documentary about the controversial ice dancing couple of Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. Then we go back in time to learn their story and follow their rise in the international ice dancing world, with transcripts from the documentary interspersed between the chapters. It's a love story on the one hand, but it's also a story about elite athletes who will do whatever it takes to be the best. There is a lot of drama -- changing partners, coaches pitting teams against each other, sex, secrets, sabotage. It's fast paced and entertaining, not unlike a TV expose. And it's a bit of fanfic, in the sense that in the world of Shaw and Rocha, the Americans are regularly dominating ice dancing. If you're a fan of the sport and want a fun romp, you might enjoy it. I gave it 3 stars. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review. This book will be published January 14, 2025.

At the moment, I'm only reading one book -- Ina Garten's memoir, which I am about halfway through and am enjoying immensely!

The rest of the week is going to bring some big changes: Molly is getting her braces off tomorrow, and there's snow in the forecast! That means I'd better get my needles moving to get this sweater done and ready to be worn!

Scenes from a Weekend

Monday morning hit hard today -- I'm not sure why I still find it hard to all asleep on Sunday nights still, but I guess the so-called Sunday Scaries are a real thing. Coffee is helping, as is the fact that I don't have to go anywhere today (I may be annoyed sometimes with being stuck inside due to my foot, but it occasionally comes in handy as a good excuse).

We had a pretty relaxing weekend, and the highlight was definitely meeting my niece. They came home from the hospital on Saturday, so we took dinner to them that evening knowing how exhausted all of them would be. Of course, it was all a big ruse to be able to snuggle with a baby.

Friends, meet Lily Pearl. She is perfect and adorable. She weighed exactly the same as Molly when they left the hospital -- 6 lbs. 10 oz. -- and it's hard to believe my giant teenager was ever that small. That's a newborn-sized outfit she's wearing, so you can tell how petite she is. I'm sure she'll fill out quickly, as babies do, but we're all treasuring this stage that passes all too quickly.

I spent most of my crafting time this weekend spinning, working on my holiday set from Fibernymph Dye Works. I hope to finish up the second bobbin of singles today -- I am halfway through the second repeat of the colors. It really all depends on work and how busy things get. Once again you get a black and white photo. I don't think anyone who reads this blog has one of these sets, but you never know.

And of course there was work on my sweater. As of last night, I was about a quarter inch short of the length I need before I start the colorwork on the second sleeve, so it's highly likely that will get started tonight.

I think I am going to try DPNs for the colorwork this time. I got so frustrated fighting with a shorter circular needle on the first sleeve that it was making me cranky. I don't love DPNs, but it's worth a try. And I think I can put up with them for 32 rounds! Even if it takes me every evening this week to finish up this second sleeve, the sweater will for sure be done in time for Thanksgiving. And as the weather is supposed to get chilly at the end of the week (highs in the 30s), a new sweater will be very welcome.

Have a good start to you week!

Good News

Happy Friday, friends -- we made it! It's been a calmer week at work, thank goodness, but it still feels like it's been a long one.

Yesterday, in particular, felt long because all day I was awaiting word from my brother and sister-in-law. They got the call from the hospital at 4:45 a.m. (which was early, but not outrageously so), and at a little after 6 last night, we received word that my niece had been born! I don't have explicit permission to post photos yet, but I expect I'll have some to share after we meet her. Despite measuring quite large at my sister-in-law's doctor's appointment last week, she was a very respectable 7 lbs. 3 oz., most of which seems to be in her cheeks. Everyone is happy and healthy, and we're all looking forward to meeting her. My parents are watching my nephew, and my mother reported that when they told him he had a sister, he "smiled and moved on to dinosaurs." Typical!

The other good news this week is that thanks to the quick work of my tech editor, I was able to publish my sock pattern this morning!

I've called it Oh My Cod, inspired by the fish tail-like lace pattern and also a joke among the moderators of the Indie Giftalong on Ravelry, of which I am one (and so is my tech editor). It all started when our leader was typing notes using a keyboard that sticks on a couple of keys and suddenly the fish-related puns were flying. I'd been struggling to come up with a name for this pattern prior to this, but as always the perfect name came along at the right time. I know a number of you expressed interest in this pattern before, so I wanted to let you know that it's out now on Ravelry and Payhip.

Speaking of the Giftalong, I also wanted to mention that it kicks off next Thursday (11/21) at 5 p.m. This the 12th year, amazingly. The first week is a massive pattern sale in which the hundreds of participating designers (we have more than 200 this year) put 10-20 of their patterns on sale for 25% off. I've been participating in this event as a designer since the first year and as a moderator for almost as long, and as it's about to suck up a lot of my time, I'm extra glad that I was able to release the sock pattern before it starts. I know many of you aren't the type to get involved in this event, but if you've had your eye on some patterns, it might be worth it to peruse those that are on sale next week.

In a small effort to make the world a better place, I've got my fifth blood donation of the year scheduled this afternoon (keep your fingers crossed that my hemoglobin is high enough!), and then Molly and I will have a girls' evening tonight, as the Mister is going to the Dave Matthews Band concert with his brother and a friend. We have no plans for the weekend other than snuggling our new niece/cousin when she comes home from the hospital!

I hope you have a relaxing weekend full of good things!

Unraveled, Week 45/2024

Wednesday again, already? Time to join Kat and the Unravelers!

I join you this week halfway through my stay on Sleeve Island:

I did not particularly enjoy the part of my stay that involved colorwork done using magic loop with 32 inch needles, but those were the only ones I had in the correct diameter so I made the best of a less-than-ideal situation. I also ended up cutting the colorwork short because I wanted the sleeves to coordinate with the body. The pattern called for corrugated ribbing and applied I-cord on the sleeves, but I opted for 1x1 rib in the main color. I have no idea why the sleeve cuffs and the bottom of the body would be different, but the nice thing about making your own garments is that you get to be the boss of your knitting. In picking up for the second sleeve, I also discovered where I went wrong with the stitch count in the first one: I apparently did not do a very good job at reading the pick-up instructions and thus had two fewer stitches than I should have from the very beginning. But because I'm not about to rip back the first sleeve, I'm replicating that mistake in the second sleeve, and as it's just a matter of doing one less set of decreases, it's really not a big deal. The sleeve is roomy enough for me without those two extra stitches.

I've done a fair amount of spinning the past couple of days and am nearly 3/4 of the way through my first bobbin of singles:

While I don't want to spoil anyone's enjoyment of the colors, I will say that they do flow very nicely from one day to the next. I am spinning the entire set as a two-ply fractal, so for this first bobbin, I am spinning half of each portion of fiber in order. For the second bobbin, I'll split the fiber in half again and go through the whole sequence twice. (To simplify that, imagine I had only two colors, A and B. One ply would be spun AB, while the other would be spun ABAB.) As I was watching the colors progress from one day to the next, I briefly pondered spinning the second bobbin to match the first, but I think a fractal will be much more exciting.

With all the anxiety of the election making it hard for me to concentrate plus a lot of work last week, I haven't finished a single book! I am getting closer on finishing the two I'm in the middle of, though. I was delighted to watch the awarding of the 2024 Booker Prize yesterday to my pick from the shortlist, Orbital. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it! It's a short book, only about 200 pages, but it packs a real punch.

We're also officially on baby watch here! My sister-in-law is going to be induced, though we don't know exactly when -- she's only been told that she'll get a call "sometime on Thursday" with a two-hour window in which to report to the hospital. That means anytime from midnight to 11:59 p.m. tomorrow. I had no idea that scheduling an induction was like scheduling a repair person to come to your house! Of course, once she's induced, we have no idea how long the process will take. My parents will be watching my nephew while all this is happening, and so the plans for the end of the week/weekend are all up in the air. Perhaps by Friday I'll have news to share!

Getting Back to Joy

First, I want to thank all of you who left such lovely comments on my post on Friday. It's always encouraging to know that there are others who feel as you do and are likewise committed to making things better. I'm sure there may be some of you reading who don't agree with me politically, and I hope you won't stop reading because of my views. I hate how divided this country has become, and I would like us to get back to a place where we can disagree but still find common ground. Jane has said this much better than I have; I'd encourage you to go read her post if you haven't already.

It was a restful weekend here. We had no plans whatsoever, so it was a good opportunity to recharge and recenter. Saturday was moderately busy for me as I had bathrooms to clean and laundry to do (these days, that means laundry to fold -- Molly and the Mister take care of carrying it up and down the stairs). But yesterday was a gloomy, rainy day, so it was a good day to read, watch football, and start a puzzle with Molly -- we're once again doing a puzzle exchange for the holidays and need to put ours together before we split it into daily pieces and send it off.

The highlight of Saturday was the arrival of my Fibernymph Dye Works Holiday Countdown set. I wasn't going to order one this year (because we've established that I don't need more yarn or fiber), but then Lisa announced that this one would be her last ever and I gave in. I ordered a spinning set, so I have 24 bags of fiber bundles to spin. The theme this year is the Mystery of Color; each day's bag has information about color theory, and some of them have information about particular colors. Though some people will be knitting or spinning this set as an Advent calendar, I wasn't going to wait. It's been a while since I spun anything, mainly because I wasn't sure if I could spin with my boot, so I got out my Hansen miniSpinner, which I haven't used in probably a year or more. I did have some singles on the bobbin that was on it, so I started by winding those off and plying them back on themselves. Now I have a fluffy little 44-yard skein of purple yarn:

U.S. quarter for scale

My spinning set-up isn't very elegant, but it works. Because I'm using the folding snack table that I used to use for my miniSpinner for my work computer now, I've got it sitting on the folding chair that I've been using to elevate my foot and to sit in for my workouts.

In black and white so I don't spoil anyone's surprise!

There was also a fair amount of knitting done on my sweater over the weekend, though there was also some ripping back when I discovered that I had decreased two more stitches than I needed to on my first sleeve. I'm not sure how that happened, but it's been fixed and I'm now a dozen rounds into the sleeve colorwork. As you can see, I've decided to make the arms match the body.

It looks like I will have plenty of the main color yarn to complete the sleeves -- that was my main worry in going up a size -- and I'll have likely most of the contrast yarn left to do something else with. I'm thinking some sort of shawl or scarf because this fiber blend is so lovely against the skin.

Last week was very busy and stressful aside from the election, but I finished a big project on Friday and I'm hoping that translates to a quieter week this week. The Booker Prize winner will be announced tomorrow, and I have one last title from the longlist that I'd like to finish before then, if possible (I've got about 200 pages left to read). I hope it is a gentle Monday for us all.

What Comes Next

It's been several days, and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I've gone through a whole range of emotions. I've been surprised that I haven't been as emotional as I was after 2016, but I think that's also because I wasn't as surprised that Americans would choose this outcome again. Not surprised -- but definitely disappointed. I'm disappointed that the majority of those who voted would choose a convicted felon who encouraged his supporters to overthrow the government and who had said he would be a dictator over an exceptionally well-qualified candidate who happens to a woman. I'm disappointed that so many voters would choose hatred and fear of others and in many cases would vote against their own self-interests. I'm disappointed that so many seem to have accepted the narrative (which, let's face it, was basically propaganda) that we're in the worst economic situation ever and that we're being overrun by dangerous criminals coming through wide-open borders without bothering or perhaps knowing how to check the facts. Mostly I'm disappointed that this country really hasn't come very far in terms of equality and equal opportunity in its 248 years.

But then I watched the vice president's concession speech on Wednesday. I was amazed at her composure and her ability to smile and say she was still hopeful. I was inspired by her words, particularly to the younger people who were so excited by her candidacy. If you didn't watch it, I encourage you to, especially if your heart is still hurting. She reminded me that the United States is all of us -- that it is our ongoing commitment to each other and to the Constitution that makes us a country. And given what we might face in the next four years, those of us who value our freedoms and our rights can't just throw in the towel and give in to despair.

I'll admit I am scared about what the future might bring. I already have fewer rights than I had four years ago, and we all may very well lose more. But I am not letting the prospect of what might happen take away my joy in the right now. I will continue to find happiness in the things that I love, beauty in the world around me, and contentment from being with family and friends. I know that as an educated white woman who is financial fairly secure, my day-to-day life is less precarious than those of immigrants, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and others who face discrimination and additional barriers, so I can use the privilege I have to help them. I can donate my time and money to causes that lift people up. I can be a good neighbor in my community and spread kindness to others. And I can take consolation in the fact that there are many others out there who I think will join me in these efforts.

The bottom line is that while I am not especially full of hope right now, I am not hopeless. Having any hope right now feels a bit like an act of bravery and resistance -- and doesn't that seem like a very good thing in these dark times?

So my friends, as we head into this weekend, please know that you are not alone in feeling all the feelings. Please be gentle with yourselves and take the time you need to process, mourn, whatever. But I hope that soon you will feel up to joining me in doing whatever small things we can to make this world a better place.

Unraveled, Week 44/2024

Hi, friends. I'm getting this post ready to go on Tuesday evening, as I know I won't be sleeping much and am likely to be very groggy on Wednesday morning. The Mister worked from home on Tuesday and was able to take me to the polls shortly after they opened. I waited in line about half an hour to vote -- and was voter number 47 in my precinct! I was wearing my "Madam President" t-shirt, my pearls, and my Chucks (well, one of them).

I will say that I was very encouraged by the turnout -- it reminded me a lot of 2008. I only hope that there was this enthusiasm everywhere! I expect we won't know the outcome for several days yet, so I'm trying to keep myself busy and as distracted as possible.

Edit: I woke up, looked at the news, and am in complete shock. I truly don't know what to say.

It's Wednesday, so it's time to link up with Kat and the Unravelers. Here's where the WIPs stand at the moment:

I spent Monday evening getting through the heel of the striped socks and then binding off the rest of my sweater body. Yesterday I was focused on the new sock design; I've written up a draft of the pattern but am still struggling to come up with a name. And I've also wound yarn for the sleeves of the sweater, including dividing the remaining main color yarn. I think I am leaning toward making the colorwork on the sleeves match the body and then finding something else to do with the rest of the contrast yarn -- it certainly won't go to waste!

I have finished another two books in the past week:

A small group of us have been exploring past winners of the Women's Prize for Fiction this year, and on Saturday we gathered on Zoom to discuss the 2015 winner, How to Be Both. This is a really unusual book, not least because it's made up of two stories and the order in which they appear depends on the particular edition of the book you have. I had a paperback in which I got the "camera" story first and the "eyes" story second. I don't want to say too much about the book because I think it's best to go into it not knowing much. I will say that while I was frequently a little puzzled, I thought it was really cleverly done. This is a book that I think I could easily read again, perhaps more than once, and get more out of. I gave it 4 stars.

I think many of you know that Molly and I recently finished watching the entirety of Gilmore Girls, so you will probably not be surprised to hear that I was interested in learning more about Kelly Bishop, aka Emily Gilmore, when I heard that she had a memoir coming out. To be honest, I didn't know much about her at all, so I found her story to be absolutely fascinating. First of all, she is nothing like her perhaps most well-known character. Did you know that before she became an actor, she was a dancer on stage, or that she originated the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line and won a Tony for it? Bishop narrates the audiobook, and I think hearing the story in her voice made it that much more enjoyable. It's a quick listen, too. I gave it 4 stars.

I'm currently reading This Strange Eventful History on Kindle and The Piano Tuner on paper, though I'm not making much headway on either (gee, it's almost like I have other things on my mind).

That's all from me today. If you need me, I'll be trying not to check the news constantly and likely pretending to work. Hang in there, friends, and remember to breathe and hydrate!

How I Spent My Weekend

It is the first Monday of Standard Time, and I'm guessing a lot of you are still messed up over the time change. I know there's a lot of to-do about staying in Daylight Saving Time, but I'm in the camp that believes Standard Time is better. Regardless, it's the switching back and forth the gets on my nerves, and I'm thankful that yesterday was a lazy day even without factoring in a broken foot so that I could adjust a little easier.

So, how did I spend my weekend? Let's just say it looked like a lot of this:

We had tickets to go see the musical & Juliet on Saturday afternoon, and I was really looking forward to seeing it with Molly, but even if someone had driven us there, it would have been a lot of walking and too great a risk of someone stomping on my foot, so my father took her instead (my mother had a hair appointment she wasn't able to move or else she would have gone). Molly loved it, and while I'm sorry I couldn't go with her, it was nice to have a Saturday afternoon to myself without errands to run or chores to do. I was also supposed to go with the Mister to his high school reunion that night, but he went on his own and Molly and I had macaroni and cheese and watched Only Murders in the Building.

Yesterday we all slept in a little and had a leisurely breakfast, and I did some knitting and watched some podcasts while the Mister did the grocery shopping. In the afternoon, while Molly did homework, I worked on the sock pattern (the actual pattern writing part) and then we baked another apple cider donut cake with the cider that was left. The one we made on Friday tasted good but came out of the pan in two pieces, so I wanted to give this one a try, especially because more than one person recommended it on Friday. The verdict is that the Smitten Kitchen cake takes longer but is a more sophisticated cake (not as sweet). I think it would be a good recipe for Rosh Hashanah, actually, because it reminded me a bit of honey cake. I neglected to take a photo before we dug into it, but mine ended up looking quite a lot like the one in the recipe, although a bit taller.

As you can see from the photo above, there was a lot of knitting on my sweater this weekend, and I've actually just about finished the body -- I just have to finish binding off the back!

I guess I was a bit of an overachiever in spinning the contrast color, because when I completed the colorwork, I hadn't even gotten to the first shift in color. Molly suggested that when I do the sleeves, I work from the other end of the gradient, and I'm toying with that idea. I'm not sure if having the sleeves and the body be different will look good or weird. Thoughts? I have a while before I have to decide, but I'm pondering.

I am hoping that work calms down a bit last week. With all the foot drama last week, I also had a very large (nearly 80 pages) and very high-profile annual report to review, plus December graduation lists started coming in. At least I know that this week I don't have to worry about commuting to the office or picking Molly up from school, so that gives me a little extra time. And I will be able to knit through two additional meetings this week!

Tomorrow's the big day -- please make sure you get to the polls if you haven't voted already! I know it'll likely be several days before we know the results, but at least all the ads and text messages will stop. I will be voting in person tomorrow, either by getting a ride or getting out the crutches, and I'll be spending the rest of the day feeling (as I saw someone post on Instagram) nauseously optimistic.

Friday, Finally

Thank you all for your good wishes for my healing yesterday. The orthopedist couldn't have been nicer (my mother actually sees him for her arthritic knee!), and he told me that I should have my foot in the boot pretty much all the time. I can take it off to bathe, but that's about it. So no driving for me until I see him again in five weeks, which is a major bummer. The Mister dug out the crutches I used when I got that bad sprain many years ago, and I'll use them when I have to go longer distances. The doctor said that given that I'm generally physically active, I don't smoke, and I'm not diabetic, he expects the foot to heal quite well. I just have to stay off it as much as possible and let it heal. And that's likely to be the hardest part.

While this is a major bummer and a big inconvenience, the timing has worked out well, if it had to happen. Right now is a particularly busy time at work, so I'd be sitting at a computer for most of the day anyway. My boss has already told me not to worry about coming into the office until I'm healed, so I don't have to worry about that (and now I'll get bonus knitting time during my biweekly team meetings). And because my niece is due to arrive soon, my parents took only a brief trip down to Florida and now are back, so they'll be able to help out while I can't drive. I've also decided to use this opportunity to work on my upper-body strength and do some focused workouts to build up those muscles. I miss running and walking outside, but I'll do what I can from indoors.

Today I am hoping for a better day. Molly is home (it's an in-service day at her school), so we'll be baking an apple cider donut cake to take to family dinner tonight. I'm hoping to finish up a big, high-profile project for work. And we'll have that family dinner again, so I'll get snuggles from my nephew and my favorite puppy. This too shall pass.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos. First, the sum total of my bell pepper harvest from this year:

I may have grown only one pepper, but I can tell you that it was delicious! We had it on our salad at dinner on Wednesday night.

Second, something to make you laugh. When I fell on Sunday, I also managed to break the case of my phone, so I ordered some new ones. I'm always amused by the poor English translation on the packaging of products, and I thought you'd appreciate this one:

Click to embiggen so you can read the smaller print!

Be careful out there, friends, and have the best weekend available to you. And don't forget that we turn the clocks back to Standard Time on Sunday!