tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-185068442024-03-18T20:44:00.786-04:00Knit/WitMusings on what is on my knitting needles, on my wheel, and on my mindSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.comBlogger2688125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-80014914888045539132024-03-18T08:29:00.006-04:002024-03-18T08:29:45.008-04:00Faux Vacationing<p>I am happy to report that we have made it to Florida. Our flight was a bit bumpy at times, but Mo was well dosed with Dramamine and suffered no sickness, and we even arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule! It made for a late night, however. We landed around 10, and by the time we got our luggage and drove to my parents' house, it was nearly 11. My mother was waiting with fresh waffles (we didn't eat much of a real dinner at the airport), so we ate and unpacked and it was after midnight by the time we went to bed. I honestly can't remember the last time I was up that late willingly! I will say that the benefit of coming late on a Friday night is that I had a whole weekend to enjoy being here before I have to get back to work today. And let me tell, I did take advantage of it! I slept in, I went for long walks, I went for dips in the pool, I read for pleasure. It's been warm and sunny and delightful.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekZbaWDDTR4N3gSRqFuCHRCwKnUqWMhe7OEZxyIl1249vuj1SiRJmFi3ID3rHrtqt4OWCFTHbisO3cWhbom3SbR5i1UufSgs7n-uSvNwbt6_pDq8TDFRv1tueUiyT8RgTB0j6InqQtrOew0T4l9-D6Es-zSQdGxIPQbu6sKrL8wLQk0jmBw9L/s4032/IMG_6472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekZbaWDDTR4N3gSRqFuCHRCwKnUqWMhe7OEZxyIl1249vuj1SiRJmFi3ID3rHrtqt4OWCFTHbisO3cWhbom3SbR5i1UufSgs7n-uSvNwbt6_pDq8TDFRv1tueUiyT8RgTB0j6InqQtrOew0T4l9-D6Es-zSQdGxIPQbu6sKrL8wLQk0jmBw9L/w300-h400/IMG_6472.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading <i>Brideshead Revisited</i> while dipping my feet in the pool</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I worked on my Hitchhiker a bit at the gate in Pittsburgh and on the plane, adding a couple of teeth, but I've mainly been working on my Bereket the past two days. I'm well into the textured section on the first side, and while it's a lot slower to work than the stockinette, it's quite engaging -- though the bobble/welt rows do take a long time (especially if you read the directions incorrectly and have to rip out and redo a row, as was the case last night).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvQ1b6Y7H-JdPPIVmMn9nerYjVObEKwLznN5M7Azwd7dE_Hr9cFGoZoHS1zNkjGfTPu_uQ4lbwQwEFxsL9mO2K1-dbiaFK2QglS1JIwXcEugOmN4Ztb7H9kEJVXXXScgJLlNYIVX7drGekaDIpVFZ0lS8mTv2jItz3CQLLcbBB845hdvA6m5C/s4032/IMG_6478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvQ1b6Y7H-JdPPIVmMn9nerYjVObEKwLznN5M7Azwd7dE_Hr9cFGoZoHS1zNkjGfTPu_uQ4lbwQwEFxsL9mO2K1-dbiaFK2QglS1JIwXcEugOmN4Ztb7H9kEJVXXXScgJLlNYIVX7drGekaDIpVFZ0lS8mTv2jItz3CQLLcbBB845hdvA6m5C/w400-h300/IMG_6478.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>Today is likely to be busy at work, but I plan to go for a run this morning and I can certainly take my laptop outside on the lanai and enjoy the weather while I work. Hope the week is off to a good start for you!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-67833301381559217682024-03-15T09:21:00.001-04:002024-03-15T09:21:19.974-04:00No Such Thing as a Day Off<p>Good morning and happy Friday, friends! Technically I am on vacation today -- it's spring break week at the university, and staff always get the Friday of spring break week off as a holiday. But I have so much to do today that it may as well be a normal workday. I got up at the normal time to get Mo to a 7:30 orthodontist appointment (fast once she was called back, and she doesn't have to go back for eight weeks), and now I have a list of things to do before I go to pick her and her friend up from school and we head for the airport. I really don't want to come home to a pile of laundry and other chores to do, so yesterday I did a couple of loads of laundry and today I'm doing sheets and towels and cleaning bathrooms. The weather is pretty crummy, gray and rainy, so I'm going to postpone my run until tomorrow, but it should clear up later today.</p><p>That rain did make it hard to take a decent photo, so please excuse this shot of my Bereket in progress:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEMNqTTJvqhNKr79-wGZtBlGiZNvmbXnfL5DmgopIk7LIGbUNYYdbMAk2P4CXZT18GEpPs1_0s6rakHwJ4dAWSHdj99O4MyM5oGZtOzEgXt_wir7G1Jp_2F8RuqtS40c3Uatoo316CvQ9zIjrbDkrGr_4ktIHVemCfKN3oTaTSqssCp4WBikh/s3897/IMG_6468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2830" data-original-width="3897" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEMNqTTJvqhNKr79-wGZtBlGiZNvmbXnfL5DmgopIk7LIGbUNYYdbMAk2P4CXZT18GEpPs1_0s6rakHwJ4dAWSHdj99O4MyM5oGZtOzEgXt_wir7G1Jp_2F8RuqtS40c3Uatoo316CvQ9zIjrbDkrGr_4ktIHVemCfKN3oTaTSqssCp4WBikh/w400-h290/IMG_6468.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've finished the first sleeve section and started working back and forth on the first textured section. I did the first row of what the designer calls bobbles but what I'd call welts, which take a bit of time to do but are really fun to look at. I'm sure I messed up a few, but I don't think you can really tell with the texture of the yarn. This project is coming with me on the trip, as is my Hitchhiker, the new design (not yet cast on), and yarn for a pair of socks just in case. I'm fairly certain that should be sufficient, especially because next week will be a busy one at work.</p><p>And now I'd better get back to my to-do list. I hope you have a great weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday with some progress photos from Florida!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-27770504035210559092024-03-13T07:50:00.004-04:002024-03-13T07:50:41.380-04:00Unraveled, Week 11/2024<p>We are back into spring here in Western Pennsylvania, and this week is moving right along. My appointments went well on Monday (my doctor actually seemed surprised by how many miles I cover every week, so I suppose I'm not the average middle-aged woman in that respect at least?), and I've started to make lists for packing. The trip will be here before I know it! But before then, it's time to link up with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers.</p><p>I have continued to work on my sweater -- which doesn't look all that different, though I'm getting closer to starting the fun textured part -- and on my Hitchhiker, which has grown:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvZ3IokZbue6DU3aZ-uawkJwOf0McnL-oKbAmmRs2H_5iZHDE4CeRv5ufwYOd5S4ZkC3zqLHBVGhy5jTHQqqALvDMbD_2PrZxEtEfPJXK5xecd5JC5_qqdQadT7XptGANqjWdsPurRuErAbHyTYRC5BD0D9ozb8i-3bGABHrdcLmDIdopYnlF/s4032/IMG_6464.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvZ3IokZbue6DU3aZ-uawkJwOf0McnL-oKbAmmRs2H_5iZHDE4CeRv5ufwYOd5S4ZkC3zqLHBVGhy5jTHQqqALvDMbD_2PrZxEtEfPJXK5xecd5JC5_qqdQadT7XptGANqjWdsPurRuErAbHyTYRC5BD0D9ozb8i-3bGABHrdcLmDIdopYnlF/w400-h300/IMG_6464.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I'm still at that point in the shawl where it feels like it'll be done in no time, but I know the rows are soon going to start taking longer. I'm extremely pleased with how the colors are transitioning, and it's also rather exciting that a number of other spinners in the Southern Cross Fibre Ravelry group have started their own SCF handspun Hitchhikers (or other similar shawls). I've never considered myself a trendsetter before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything!</p><p>The shawl and the sweater will both be coming to Florida with me, and I also wound yarn yesterday for a new design project that will involve some stranded colorwork:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpf5u9POsPdRAapZx1qCsvbxfO1dADvmperIDJS48dMfHMS1Cb8TTmbFed1NzkaJDzORTmihQUID0zQgQHeQicMHc7wtLYBesxh3b5xgsMQmWyusZTGFdcInkyA7-4SaOZZFs7Le6lrgmnfyYje81SYQbXyHdt5-EbKYED6p9cFHarpOTISU-/s4032/IMG_6465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpf5u9POsPdRAapZx1qCsvbxfO1dADvmperIDJS48dMfHMS1Cb8TTmbFed1NzkaJDzORTmihQUID0zQgQHeQicMHc7wtLYBesxh3b5xgsMQmWyusZTGFdcInkyA7-4SaOZZFs7Le6lrgmnfyYje81SYQbXyHdt5-EbKYED6p9cFHarpOTISU-/w400-h300/IMG_6465.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>On the left is a very bright self-striping from <a href="https://www.geektasticfibers.com/" target="_blank">Geektastic Fibers</a> in a colorway called Dolly (as it Parton); it was the show colorway at SSK last year. On the right is a tonal from <a href="https://marianatedyarns.com/" target="_blank">Marianated Yarns</a> in the colorway Indigo Bunting. I don't know if I'll be able to cast on before we leave, but at least by next week you'll get a peek at what these are going to become.</p><p>Reading has been a bit of a mixed bag this week. I've finished three books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQ1sD_M4-fnGErCMJ2YGZIGiygzP1NF69qGufk1hPbWmxVIB7BDaUE4eqVRpmdQj0KM2_hqOoh8dcM-CZrAohmm_FxlAe9bD5BB2tm9dmo-gZ4yo2q1Y9hf7OY-lybHvFA7q-Pq2284-4YCY22sIDTptAYUTyUWss7_IvqQFJhdZ3fg9Rm1M8/s634/Screenshot%202024-03-12%20at%206.01.41%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="386" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQ1sD_M4-fnGErCMJ2YGZIGiygzP1NF69qGufk1hPbWmxVIB7BDaUE4eqVRpmdQj0KM2_hqOoh8dcM-CZrAohmm_FxlAe9bD5BB2tm9dmo-gZ4yo2q1Y9hf7OY-lybHvFA7q-Pq2284-4YCY22sIDTptAYUTyUWss7_IvqQFJhdZ3fg9Rm1M8/w122-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-12%20at%206.01.41%20PM.png" width="122" /></a></div>When we left Florida after our December vacation, I came home with a paperback of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33160963-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo" target="_blank">The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</a></i> courtesy of my mother, and I picked it up recently because I wanted something fluffier to read before bed. I'm sure some of you have read this already, as it's not a new release. It was entertaining, but just kind of meh for me. I wasn't terribly impressed by the writing, and I felt a bit like I'd already read parts of the book (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62560783-do-tell?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=OeMeYgJGJ2&rank=4" target="_blank">Do Tell</a></i> has a similar feel and better writing, in my opinion). This is a book that I would have read on the beach or next to a pool a couple of decades ago, and while it was entertaining, it wasn't great. I gave it 3 stars. I will say that my mother didn't want the book back, so I put it in one of the Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood, and it was gone the same day. I hope that helped balance all the good FLL karma I've had a little!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYyyXIJAgCQsvXeuDYfKta2Dil9oaJnGAxErHdnZwTE0tjBcP_ALAkiK8vhpP9H7DYs8Lzfh7xinUDjgq-IXubngGvH3DhxQecw0ivU_kNV57rcbrV13f5jsmOWW5bP6-Lv4OOW03ysVm5ptaSd9RRc6eKgfcNYtBuHcylzRxFm9KH22A-zge/s396/Screenshot%202024-03-12%20at%206.08.12%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYyyXIJAgCQsvXeuDYfKta2Dil9oaJnGAxErHdnZwTE0tjBcP_ALAkiK8vhpP9H7DYs8Lzfh7xinUDjgq-IXubngGvH3DhxQecw0ivU_kNV57rcbrV13f5jsmOWW5bP6-Lv4OOW03ysVm5ptaSd9RRc6eKgfcNYtBuHcylzRxFm9KH22A-zge/w197-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-12%20at%206.08.12%20PM.png" width="197" /></a></div>I can't remember where I heard about <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123941154-unorthodox-love" target="_blank">Unorthodox Love</a></i>, likely a podcast, but I'd had it bookmarked on Hoopla, and when over the weekend I again wanted something fluffy, I decided to give it a try and borrowed the audiobook. The premise -- a modern Orthodox woman, well past her prime in her community, trying to find her soulmate -- sounded promising, and while I'm not typically a romance reader, I occasionally enjoy the escapism of the genre. Unfortunately, this was a case of a so-so book getting absolutely ruined by a terrible narrator. I may be expecting too much, but I would hope that any audiobook reader worth their salt would make sure they're pronouncing unfamiliar words correctly, but this reader clearly didn't and completely botched a lot of Hebrew and Yiddish terms (like "moe hole" for "mohel" and "nish" for "knish"). What's worse, she also did it with English words (pronouncing "psalm" as "puh-salm," for example) and even with at least one character's name, pronouncing it two different ways over the course of just a couple of sentences! I try not to be a book snob, but this was so distracting that it pretty much destroyed any chance of enjoying this book. I gave it 2 stars.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoasPxEj2pQAypLr24cRxwqEIsfTXCI744VAu42DdlfoZMbI8NeDOFT_9k8n6BURx7vif_Au8nCumXlIQD-3Ked6XycLH4ShHuzj_TaqGSAOn9EbslhUPW5SJmkfZ68txDa381Axd6Mdpp4A3u6QzFV3SZ-LjBsMSBTvKbXBT7tGsRp2R_-9t/s614/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%207.35.38%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="372" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoasPxEj2pQAypLr24cRxwqEIsfTXCI744VAu42DdlfoZMbI8NeDOFT_9k8n6BURx7vif_Au8nCumXlIQD-3Ked6XycLH4ShHuzj_TaqGSAOn9EbslhUPW5SJmkfZ68txDa381Axd6Mdpp4A3u6QzFV3SZ-LjBsMSBTvKbXBT7tGsRp2R_-9t/w121-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%207.35.38%20AM.png" width="121" /></a></div>The reason I needed fluffy reads was because of the last book I finished (just before bed last night), and I know those of you who have read it will understand. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39100683-a-little-life" target="_blank">A Little Life</a></i> is a long, emotional book about four college friends and where their lives take them after college. This is a book with <i>all</i> the content warnings, as the story of one of these friends becomes the focus and more and more of his past is revealed. There are sections about abuse and suffering that are incredibly hard to read -- but you are rewarded by many more sections about the incredible love the characters have for each other and how beautifully they take care of each other. This was a book I simultaneously wanted to finish to find out how it would end and never wanted to stop reading; the writing is beautiful and the characters so well developed. It's a book I'm going to be thinking about for a long time. I gave it 5 stars.<div><br /></div><div>I'm once again in that rare situation where I have no books in progress, but that won't last long!</div><div><br /></div><div>What are you making and reading this week?</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-2540063185259347472024-03-11T06:00:00.001-04:002024-03-11T06:00:00.131-04:00Birthday Weekending<p>Thank you all for the birthday wishes on Friday! I was able to get all my typical weekend chores done on Friday, so I was able to relax on Saturday and spend the day doing fun things rather than scrubbing toilets and folding laundry. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great -- it rained pretty much all day on Saturday, and on Sunday, despite the fact that the sky looked clear and it was sunny when I left for a run, there were sudden snow squalls and I came home looking like this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5W0XtHSNNLzC6lhPr6sUFpk8XWfT5LMpMttziFzxJvuggFMN7VbMytTmMUkSQgylBMdiv7Qi0rR1EwXIhPxlz56dYATisEkejD-n0XxlFcwDAOhLtBg0UxdoPuKPM0tnIZjfzQ7g6SHzixYbk3U3kNq3J5WiNZIxuAfu77GVRl8tZxpTynSG/s3088/IMG_6449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5W0XtHSNNLzC6lhPr6sUFpk8XWfT5LMpMttziFzxJvuggFMN7VbMytTmMUkSQgylBMdiv7Qi0rR1EwXIhPxlz56dYATisEkejD-n0XxlFcwDAOhLtBg0UxdoPuKPM0tnIZjfzQ7g6SHzixYbk3U3kNq3J5WiNZIxuAfu77GVRl8tZxpTynSG/w300-h400/IMG_6449.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p>I was soaked and got right into a hot shower! And then I put on wool socks and a wool sweater to warm up.</p><p>So, other than having cake this weekend, my birthday was spent doing things I enjoy. I drank good coffee. I realized we had some eggs to use up, so I baked challah (which is in the freezer now for future shabbats):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wmEDjjuPKddqGzSGdZdFriY7xD3tXF_vtvA-UNqh7r6uLnm_mmeVHcq15byjGrh7uzv6S4Y6L4bRnBB7_TtocrUOyQIjhfGpVLz5uniACSD9zNpa4PeDrPrR-F-v-QYN8F7KKytVaOnd83uJXCOa1ADWvDk9f-SrbSfA-XW-nM1VRndj8ZU0/s4032/IMG_6448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wmEDjjuPKddqGzSGdZdFriY7xD3tXF_vtvA-UNqh7r6uLnm_mmeVHcq15byjGrh7uzv6S4Y6L4bRnBB7_TtocrUOyQIjhfGpVLz5uniACSD9zNpa4PeDrPrR-F-v-QYN8F7KKytVaOnd83uJXCOa1ADWvDk9f-SrbSfA-XW-nM1VRndj8ZU0/w400-h300/IMG_6448.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I read parts of three different books (one on paper, one on audio, and one on Kindle). And I cast on a new sweater in handspun:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x3Ybx7HkDaAZrhO1jiBkWci-5h6q0QW98_Xk7nknYwN1Na9z4Xmft4o2Wp5FFE4iVZVEJglSBGO9FXhy6IbKnKyQGtl5YcAweTCP4f1XSSrcz46ec_vRHbgh-E83LvmerrW-D8R81Os3C1Pa8M8aX3XjxUfUIbbexqCLrWAKMS8fB2JgwZVe/s4032/IMG_6453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x3Ybx7HkDaAZrhO1jiBkWci-5h6q0QW98_Xk7nknYwN1Na9z4Xmft4o2Wp5FFE4iVZVEJglSBGO9FXhy6IbKnKyQGtl5YcAweTCP4f1XSSrcz46ec_vRHbgh-E83LvmerrW-D8R81Os3C1Pa8M8aX3XjxUfUIbbexqCLrWAKMS8fB2JgwZVe/w400-h300/IMG_6453.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>This morning I'm headed to the orthodontist first thing to pick up my new/replacement retainer, and later this morning I have my annual check-up at my doctor. And today also starts the countdown to our spring break trip. It's actually a four-day work week for me (it's spring break week, so staff get off Friday for "spring holiday), and our flight is Friday evening, so I've got to start packing! We all know clothing isn't the big decision -- it's what knitting and books to take!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-38848281689653618512024-03-08T06:00:00.002-05:002024-03-08T06:00:00.242-05:00Ending the Week with Smiles<p>Does it feel to anyone else like it's been a very long week? It hasn't even been a particularly busy one, but yet the days have seemed to crawl by and I've been expecting it to be Friday the past couple of mornings when I've woken up. We've finally made it, though, and I thought I'd finish up the week by sharing some happy things.</p><p>First, Mo has a new pair of socks (which she just might need this weekend, when there is yet again snow -- albeit of the nonsticking variety -- in the forecast):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ITFMcsJiWvWrvAlCDX-7JbBTi8BJP9lgivTSVKz2iQwtYbG2zXsWD36MiPdZ7StfhiFKQSha8_5AiyIgEgClQ2wOSIzg3jjOYFjRMGkHhaNv2A-AVMm7W7s2e4lsVSozMoQ9oGFaiGnbxLZ590TvzwenmPd5Lp3OFXy6zd5C8bLv7SWjRV_o/s4032/IMG_6440%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ITFMcsJiWvWrvAlCDX-7JbBTi8BJP9lgivTSVKz2iQwtYbG2zXsWD36MiPdZ7StfhiFKQSha8_5AiyIgEgClQ2wOSIzg3jjOYFjRMGkHhaNv2A-AVMm7W7s2e4lsVSozMoQ9oGFaiGnbxLZ590TvzwenmPd5Lp3OFXy6zd5C8bLv7SWjRV_o/w300-h400/IMG_6440%202.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I didn't do anything special with these -- I didn't even bother trying to get the stripes to match up! They're my usual sock recipe worked over 64 stitches, with a heel flap and gusset and a wedge toe. They are a bit roomy on her for now, which isn't a problem at all, as she only wears her hand-knit socks around the house, but they do give her some space to grow. You can't see the sparkle at all in the photo, unfortunately, but trust me, it's there and it's delightful.</p><p>Another happy thing: playing with handspun. I swatched with my Rambouillet, measured my swatch, gave it a good soak, left it to dry, and measured it again. I was very close on gauge before washing and it changed just a tiny bit (I'm spot on for stitch gauge and off by half a row per inch on row gauge). More importantly, I discovered that this yarn is a delight to work with and creates a lovely fabric, so I'm going to have a very nice sweater out of it. And as the socks were done and I needed another mostly mindless project on the needles, I wound up my most recent skein of handspun and started a Hitchhiker.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQzRCzZqgtRzW54l0hTFgGHiMe-XfpNyq7ref0mlYroc2AZuhlqJNxzUFJ5bbrzTBOuDZ_w9GYeb6E32E27eNr2BJSdntJqxWiLru7wCvGxkpb-QCu16dWKZzKkhj-SbdQ1Qf51FxgXCk4egMW6sOoqrkBlc_YSmSpqZjiHMuqDdC7QXLmFyw/s4032/IMG_6441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQzRCzZqgtRzW54l0hTFgGHiMe-XfpNyq7ref0mlYroc2AZuhlqJNxzUFJ5bbrzTBOuDZ_w9GYeb6E32E27eNr2BJSdntJqxWiLru7wCvGxkpb-QCu16dWKZzKkhj-SbdQ1Qf51FxgXCk4egMW6sOoqrkBlc_YSmSpqZjiHMuqDdC7QXLmFyw/w400-h300/IMG_6441.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you tell it was gloomy outside when I took this photo?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have to admit that I was peer-pressured to start knitting with this handspun by several members of the Southern Cross Fibre Ravelry group, but I don't regret it at all. I've knit a bit more since I took this photo, and I'm getting a lovely subtle rainbow that is making me very happy indeed.</p><p>The next happy thing is something I totally forgot to share on Monday. Last weekend we had a big dinner with some family friends -- friends we've known since the summer before I started first grade and my brother was a newborn. These are friends we've gone on vacation and celebrated holidays with over the years, and now that there are three generations involved, it's harder and harder to find a time when everyone is free. But amazingly we all were last Saturday night, and it was great to see everyone. Most of all, it was great to see my brother and nephew arrive in the coordinating old man-style sweaters I made them:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD67h3jTA8_l_wpHmn1lae-eYGARucq0RLXJJLcpnRXV0KWumlP9vkoeqLXKl76XB3F_T5DWDTr1XrUEJ9XGku4SrXkt9c62XoOS11fouWeUhzRKpVoo8EgWKo_P7SzNMrMLMlJhLK1_VoSm53uqQoKxM8MItUYZs88t_5XijVmV4Rj3gA3nRh/s4032/IMG_6421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD67h3jTA8_l_wpHmn1lae-eYGARucq0RLXJJLcpnRXV0KWumlP9vkoeqLXKl76XB3F_T5DWDTr1XrUEJ9XGku4SrXkt9c62XoOS11fouWeUhzRKpVoo8EgWKo_P7SzNMrMLMlJhLK1_VoSm53uqQoKxM8MItUYZs88t_5XijVmV4Rj3gA3nRh/w300-h400/IMG_6421.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I did stick his hand in his pocket for this photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I hope you appreciate that it took three women making absolute fools of themselves to get my nephew's attention for this photo:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafTBo7vigiy18eQiH9Wzr8h3e6_ihKlonFxFHp-N1OT9TuDITkeWULMoRHOLRk_mo-WKxAXwhcZLTXnkpFpMe2ErMFsHqVl5kYDTolodF2OSVWEhmQv1vwmCMRhx5c5j34KnZcxhjEXunxj9vd2Dn8X_4iQ-z1lyQbqtq-ztX4JA69FkNUEC5/s4032/IMG_9120.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafTBo7vigiy18eQiH9Wzr8h3e6_ihKlonFxFHp-N1OT9TuDITkeWULMoRHOLRk_mo-WKxAXwhcZLTXnkpFpMe2ErMFsHqVl5kYDTolodF2OSVWEhmQv1vwmCMRhx5c5j34KnZcxhjEXunxj9vd2Dn8X_4iQ-z1lyQbqtq-ztX4JA69FkNUEC5/w400-h300/IMG_9120.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>The final happy thing? Tomorrow is my birthday! It's not a big birthday (to be honest, I don't really care so much about turning another year older except that I don't love the next number and am sorry that I will no longer be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_(number)#:~:text=The%20number%2042%20is%2C%20in,period%20of%207.5%20million%20years." target="_blank">the answer to everything</a>). I also told my family that I didn't really want a big to-do, but I like being with them and would like to have cake. Tonight the three of us are going out to one of our favorite restaurants; tomorrow we're having the Mister's side of the family over (except for my brother-in-law, who will be out of town -- presumably to celebrate his half-birthday because he is exactly 6 months older than i); and on Sunday, we'll have an early dinner at my parents' with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. I'm hoping to get some of the household chores done today so that I can have Saturday to myself, and I'll plan to cast on for my new sweater then.</p><p>I hope you have an enjoyable weekend, whatever you have planned -- be sure to eat a piece of cake in my honor!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-58745490071877790852024-03-06T06:30:00.002-05:002024-03-06T06:30:00.135-05:00Unraveled, Week 10/2024We've had a beautiful start to this first full week of March, with decidedly lamb-like weather (sunny and in the low 70s!). I'm worried we'll get another taste of winter this weekend, but for now I'm enjoying seeing things bloom and green up.<div><br /></div><div>It's Wednesday, which means it's time to check in with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers. This week, my primary project has been Mo's neon striped socks, which are nearing completion:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjteRGKDyBMPOvYhQustbnk5NqaG-l48RQFh1ZEjLgExuZ-uQU356SOpA6M3jDtFrFPUwGXsSecWwV9ek7MziEBp-YR-HHnjTvXVsu6_4F1HAO4qJiQKJ7os7FgZRGJtQkLKyQ-LyX2lAlGjGpxsWgqqcLV-yDa0jxZ1WphaQF6Rw0A0Blq5e/s4032/IMG_6436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjteRGKDyBMPOvYhQustbnk5NqaG-l48RQFh1ZEjLgExuZ-uQU356SOpA6M3jDtFrFPUwGXsSecWwV9ek7MziEBp-YR-HHnjTvXVsu6_4F1HAO4qJiQKJ7os7FgZRGJtQkLKyQ-LyX2lAlGjGpxsWgqqcLV-yDa0jxZ1WphaQF6Rw0A0Blq5e/w400-h300/IMG_6436.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>It's nearly impossible to work on these and not feel cheered by the bright colors, and I'm almost hoping she outgrows these quickly so I can inherit them!</div><div><br /></div><div>I also wound some handspun to start swatching for what I hope will be <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bereket" target="_blank">my next sweater</a> (Ravelry link):</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDYnoeuwcLqTRp1291ObSsTCwGA3amxK0rcymvy5qrTJARsWKEEnZnjChkhv4mR1IoQAgNZBF42w0Al7928lNL_C7c0oqgIF-9a60jhtwrHgEkHqI71tpVUsXFIwf_uE5iRi-6pVEm78_8u_9QKOI94gvjyrAtV0DT6OosrAQJpeBsm6Yxjd7/s4032/IMG_6437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDYnoeuwcLqTRp1291ObSsTCwGA3amxK0rcymvy5qrTJARsWKEEnZnjChkhv4mR1IoQAgNZBF42w0Al7928lNL_C7c0oqgIF-9a60jhtwrHgEkHqI71tpVUsXFIwf_uE5iRi-6pVEm78_8u_9QKOI94gvjyrAtV0DT6OosrAQJpeBsm6Yxjd7/w400-h300/IMG_6437.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>This is woolen-spun Rambouillet from half a fleece that I bought at my second, I think, Maryland Sheep and Wool and sent off to a mill to be processed. I hope this photo gives you a sense of how soft and sproingy it is. I have *just enough* yardage for the smallest size of the sweater, so keep your fingers crossed that I can get gauge!</div><div><br /></div><div>While reading has been good this past week, I've only finished two books that were relatively short -- but it's about quality over quantity, right?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxdJFwPlZdDjedQn8aRKvAbutGAMXeAVHpZni_wi6mIJ9Yty9k32iE_VX7X8SbRbfFzZ47VH7Qrj7FA7xlaf3qcN82SQMjnNNM_11oLAXWD0fWq2L7aPVUH-gPItFSuYO6DPryj_rZR8E-ifdk2CXNZZv0DAEZwov0zCyLteTfNnw_ejZHZvK/s606/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20at%204.09.24%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxdJFwPlZdDjedQn8aRKvAbutGAMXeAVHpZni_wi6mIJ9Yty9k32iE_VX7X8SbRbfFzZ47VH7Qrj7FA7xlaf3qcN82SQMjnNNM_11oLAXWD0fWq2L7aPVUH-gPItFSuYO6DPryj_rZR8E-ifdk2CXNZZv0DAEZwov0zCyLteTfNnw_ejZHZvK/w132-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20at%204.09.24%20PM.png" width="132" /></a></div><div>I purchased a Kindle copy of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62328661-rough-sleepers" target="_blank">Rough Sleepers</a></i> recently when it was a daily deal and wanted to read it now because Tracy Kidder is this month's speaker in the series I'm subscribed to. Even though it deals with difficult subject matter, it was an easy read, which I suppose speaks to the skill of the writer. This book is largely about Jim O'Connell, a Boston physician who has dedicated his career to helping the unhoused. But in giving the complete picture, this book also shows how easy it can be to become unhoused and how difficult it can be to get out of it. The so-called "rough sleepers" referred to in the title are those who more often than not are sleeping on the streets in all weather, often for years or decades, and who faced unimaginable obstacles health and housing. While it brings a strong sense of humanity to the individuals who are profiled, it also shines a light on the bureaucracies and systems that stand in the way of housing all people. If you enjoyed <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61358638-poverty-by-america?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_11" target="_blank">Poverty, by America</a></i>, this would be an excellent next read. I gave it 4 stars.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRGS1z02ei1-DTWlcCP5NBB77WLyMWJtPSIxC_9lUn0woqk2RkNJZMmoNJo18CoEPZvlaG1CKfQarfiFGEw7qdBToNwBCl6VTrVSJHg1aihzfbQmRupBmsm-cHGH8OXJBiEfgD_CwZLIbSFrsrBDv5Sv_2LhPsPCfh_nPLRUlt7X7gTMI-ubT/s530/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20at%204.17.06%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="398" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRGS1z02ei1-DTWlcCP5NBB77WLyMWJtPSIxC_9lUn0woqk2RkNJZMmoNJo18CoEPZvlaG1CKfQarfiFGEw7qdBToNwBCl6VTrVSJHg1aihzfbQmRupBmsm-cHGH8OXJBiEfgD_CwZLIbSFrsrBDv5Sv_2LhPsPCfh_nPLRUlt7X7gTMI-ubT/w150-h200/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20at%204.17.06%20PM.png" width="150" /></a></div>I can't remember where I heard about <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53968574-plunder" target="_blank">Plunder</a></i>, but I picked it to read next on audio because it was the first book in my Libby "to read" list that was available without a wait. It's very difficult to describe this book. It's a memoir, certainly, about the author's efforts to reclaim property in Poland that belonged to his grandfather's family, nearly all of whom were murdered in the Holocaust, but it's also about treasure hunting, about myth versus memory, and about the occasional absurdity in the process (such as the author's struggles to have his great-grandparents declared dead without any definitive evidence that they were killed, even though they'd be something like 140 years old if they were still living). I was grateful that I listened to this book, both for the pronunciation of Polish and because it's kind of meandering; some reviewers have noted that editing was sorely needed. That said, I saw some distinct parallels between the author's detailed history of those who search for buried Nazi treasure and his own search for information on his grandfather's family and their former home. There's a lot of complicated thought about what we believe and why, whether it's related to the myth of a gold train that the Nazis hid in a mined mountain or the story of how a distant relative escaped from a concentration camp near the end of the war. This is a book that will make you think hard and might leave you feeling things are unresolved, but I found it to be really well done. I gave it 4 stars as well.<div><br /></div><div>I am currently reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22822858-a-little-life?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4l43p1DAXd&rank=1" target="_blank">A Little Life</a></i>, which I have been meaning to read for a long time and which I am completely savoring, and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33160963-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo" target="_blank">The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</a></i>, which is my mostly mindless bedtime reading.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, at <a href="https://caroleknits.net/" target="_blank">Carole</a>'s request, here is a selfie with my much-improved smile:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtXqVjrBVwfSHb3vaAiQ6yUM-shYu_6PcF4X3XtqRfLpTH6jGSXnpveyf4_u1_llQGCvkN-4gVgQYmLgDJe6-SbAT5xhxoWnuaRsIPUS_2W7sqpGSkOk_5YRMKr72a8pWk46xJ3HHVAWt54Gcqtn4ZH68vfCZKYfzOpVGRIuw2NJvk1BAUiDW/s3088/IMG_6435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtXqVjrBVwfSHb3vaAiQ6yUM-shYu_6PcF4X3XtqRfLpTH6jGSXnpveyf4_u1_llQGCvkN-4gVgQYmLgDJe6-SbAT5xhxoWnuaRsIPUS_2W7sqpGSkOk_5YRMKr72a8pWk46xJ3HHVAWt54Gcqtn4ZH68vfCZKYfzOpVGRIuw2NJvk1BAUiDW/w300-h400/IMG_6435.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>This isn't final -- what I have now is just a temporary, but I'll go back at the beginning of April for the permanent veneer, which should be a better match and look more like the original tooth. I'm obviously feeling much better about things now, though!</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-80794644117683974542024-03-04T08:12:00.003-05:002024-03-04T08:12:33.345-05:00Figuring Out What's Next<p>Good morning, friends! I'll admit I'm a little bleary this morning after a not-great night of sleeping (first there was snoring, then there were loud neighbors outside very early), but I've got a big mug of coffee with my second cup in it and am as ready as I can be to start a new week.</p><p>I ended up spending quite a lot of the weekend cleaning and organizing. My closet was the main target. For too many years, I'd been shoving stuff into the back corner -- things that needed to be dry cleaned or hand washed or given away -- and I promptly forgot about them. It was like a black hole. But aside from the fact that I couldn't see what was in there, I also knew that I'd had some issues with m*ths and knew there were some (store-bought) sweaters in there that I didn't want to continue to attract the buggers. I've also been on a <a href="https://www.thredup.com/" target="_blank">ThredUP</a> kick lately and have been trying to clear out clothes I no longer wear or that no longer fits. I did find several sweaters that had been eaten and general yuckiness. But I also pulled everything out off the floor of the closet, vacuumed, and reorganized. Now I can see everything that's in there, I've got a box ready to send off, two bags went to textile recycling, and I have a pile of things to hand wash before I decide if they will stay or go.</p><p>That clean-out was badly needed, but because I was so focused on that, I didn't spend as much time as I'd hoped on crafting or on deciding what to cast on next. I did, however, pull out several options for sweaters, so now I just have to make a decision. Here are the options:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-iEmlWlXktMPVXEo20OBZY6vs6iTvYw-lV_xUmlRL-XBWy6LWZu7FpmceM4DApqZLzu52rI1szJe0Gzd79lLV_iTmt9r-961K0Vn2M-FrJQz69C-5igMhrArqJVtAuG_I4b-dPqKmA_wj-36W98BJHKEg925xn7d6Sf8pUKvplo8Oqg4wr-I/s4032/IMG_6428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-iEmlWlXktMPVXEo20OBZY6vs6iTvYw-lV_xUmlRL-XBWy6LWZu7FpmceM4DApqZLzu52rI1szJe0Gzd79lLV_iTmt9r-961K0Vn2M-FrJQz69C-5igMhrArqJVtAuG_I4b-dPqKmA_wj-36W98BJHKEg925xn7d6Sf8pUKvplo8Oqg4wr-I/w400-h300/IMG_6428.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Sorry for not taking them out of the bags, but I'm being extra careful given what I found in the closet yesterday. These are all sweater possibilities -- four of the five options are handspun, and I have patterns in mind for all but one of them. I just have to decide how mindless or mindful of a knit I want to do next.</p><p>In the meantime, I did find time to ply a skein of handspun this weekend:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHYr6CDNI-ppraJfDy54QhY3jSiae9KjvBYKtfObmpUk_jrU4qH4AEm2zqivOUvGxEDncsy1txxR7QLaVNNMzjnFlFvKHFooQZLju-C-lDu2CuH0hUAVlgBtynn7Md-kySVvolDgKkSKpwmHc4m96NG0zyqdqhIe24i0VjbjZrVS4gFKGlK69/s4032/IMG_6427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHYr6CDNI-ppraJfDy54QhY3jSiae9KjvBYKtfObmpUk_jrU4qH4AEm2zqivOUvGxEDncsy1txxR7QLaVNNMzjnFlFvKHFooQZLju-C-lDu2CuH0hUAVlgBtynn7Md-kySVvolDgKkSKpwmHc4m96NG0zyqdqhIe24i0VjbjZrVS4gFKGlK69/w400-h300/IMG_6427.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>This is Island Sunset on grey Merino from Southern Cross Fibre (the grey base is what gives the color that tweedy look). I chain-plied it and ended up with approximately 438 yards of fingering. And I love this! I have no idea what I'll do with it, but this seems to want to become a shawl of some sort -- at some point.</p><p>The first order of business for today, however, is going to the dentist to get my tooth fixed! Then I hope to get out for a run because it's sunny and beautiful outside and we might match or even break a record high today! Oh, and of course there's work, which I suppose is important, too.</p><p>Have a good one, friends!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-50194944003151333642024-03-01T08:08:00.003-05:002024-03-01T08:08:08.757-05:00Yikes -- Stripes!<p>As promised, and thanks to the rain moving out and the sun coming back yesterday, I have a finished sweater to share with you today!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYBL0j1p3t_3jOa_dxW_3Y6zDU-ysnGVKvl3v_myi6tBuiuU9A_vRubIhLgdiGW7-adEpan2s0ZBb8kxo5UyODF4VoleFlHeCCRLfUZVsrtQwAmgFcuvydLR5rwd5X5xJr0bHM4yYNdR-cNiVvrb6AQCajtLGtSQOEKC8Ik4eaTkpEKOguMJI/s3011/IMG_6411.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3011" data-original-width="1897" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYBL0j1p3t_3jOa_dxW_3Y6zDU-ysnGVKvl3v_myi6tBuiuU9A_vRubIhLgdiGW7-adEpan2s0ZBb8kxo5UyODF4VoleFlHeCCRLfUZVsrtQwAmgFcuvydLR5rwd5X5xJr0bHM4yYNdR-cNiVvrb6AQCajtLGtSQOEKC8Ik4eaTkpEKOguMJI/w253-h400/IMG_6411.JPG" width="253" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bruises and cuts have healed, but my tooth isn't fixed yet, hence the tooth-less smile.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="https://www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/stripes?category=sweater" target="_blank">STRIPES!</a> by Andrea Mowry, size 2/37" bust</div><div><b>Yarn:</b> <a href="https://www.fibernymphdyeworks.com/" target="_blank">Fibernymph Dye Works</a> Ridgetop Fingering (80% Romney/20% Falkland) in Robin's Egg Blue, Peacock Blue, Wisp, and Soot (my best guesses of the colorways); 2.45 skeins/980 yards used<br /><b>Needles:</b> US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 3 (3.25 mm)<br /><b>Started/Completed: </b>January 31/February 27</div><div><br />Despite the amount of work required in a pattern that changes colors every eight rounds, this knit was a delight. I think after the heavy patterning and slow growth of the last sweater, I got a lot of gratification from seeing this one grow so quickly. I am quite thankful for deciding early on to weave in ends as I went; when I trimmed my yarn tails after blocking, I decided to count as I went and got up to <b>120</b> ends woven in. Facing that many at the end surely would have done me in! But doing it two or four at a time took only a few extra minutes every once in a while and wasn't particularly onerous.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpCBpGIrQGhChZUZ4Wbu8nw8GpKvqkLIYkUN28QO3sw_MfNMeORFGFWMK2LJsJpfeVrP96Z54kY6zC5EXBs3hetXSWtgxJ1Su6saU6JeZ97Ve7iCcyRKlhohsr7eyeHervGfI0nfpl9wSHsc9cQcQMzt9LyZqYYw-r1AXuK-xb-MZ-s_DKjyO/s3334/IMG_6412.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3334" data-original-width="2364" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPpCBpGIrQGhChZUZ4Wbu8nw8GpKvqkLIYkUN28QO3sw_MfNMeORFGFWMK2LJsJpfeVrP96Z54kY6zC5EXBs3hetXSWtgxJ1Su6saU6JeZ97Ve7iCcyRKlhohsr7eyeHervGfI0nfpl9wSHsc9cQcQMzt9LyZqYYw-r1AXuK-xb-MZ-s_DKjyO/w284-h400/IMG_6412.JPG" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div>As you can see, the fit on this sweater is just about perfect. I've found in the last several years that I really like to wear fingering weight sweaters with minimal positive ease. I always wear my sweaters with a tee underneath, so the thin layer of wool is just perfect for around the house. This is now my third sweater in this yarn, and it will be my last, as the base is now discontinued. I bought the four skeins that went into this sweater last spring at the <a href="https://fayettecofiberfestival.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Fayette County Fiber Festival</a> as a total impulse purchase. Lisa told me that her custom-milled Ridgetop bases were being discontinued and what was in her booth was the last of it, so I snapped up a bag that had these four shades in it. I knew they were colors I gravitate toward in general and that I like the yarn, so even without a plan in mind I didn't feel too guilty about the purchase. They ended up being just perfect for this sweater. The yarn itself is on the more rustic, "toothy" side, but in my experience, it softens up quite a bit with wash and wear. And I know it does wear well.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp3Hvi-V1Uy8CVoOCnjxWPGmCB_Ub_su8R_Vk9mlUkN9VoqnNt5uNtZ_JyP_u9gchpSqr6Hk7ku6fhQqpycZEFVeVDp4y4ecYvXNfqF-0NrUji3r_J-ysWK6iEceiSUDwwpz0BtgTHZEWzFpyS9MFYuXwkn6yK8kfbeBBGCuImXh2D06_UFH0/s3241/IMG_6409.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3241" data-original-width="2126" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp3Hvi-V1Uy8CVoOCnjxWPGmCB_Ub_su8R_Vk9mlUkN9VoqnNt5uNtZ_JyP_u9gchpSqr6Hk7ku6fhQqpycZEFVeVDp4y4ecYvXNfqF-0NrUji3r_J-ysWK6iEceiSUDwwpz0BtgTHZEWzFpyS9MFYuXwkn6yK8kfbeBBGCuImXh2D06_UFH0/w263-h400/IMG_6409.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div>If you look closely at this photo, you'll probably be able to see the beginning-of-round jog on the stripes. I didn't bother trying to hide it because I don't think anyone is really going to be looking that closely at my back. There's some general wonkiness in some of the stitches anyway because of the slight stiffness of the yarn, so I think it all kinds of blends in.</div><div><br /></div><div>My only modification to the pattern, if you can even call it that, was to work a provisional long-tail cast-on for the underarm stitches. I held a piece of waste yarn (which formed the thumb strand) alongside my working yarn, and this meant that when I was ready to start the sleeves, I had live stitches rather than having to pick them up from a cast-on edge. I'm not sure it really makes a difference, but I thought I'd try it and was quite happy with how well it worked.</div><div><br /></div><div>I mentioned on Wednesday that Mo has asked me to knit her one (though hers will be a cropped length), and once I've had a little break from weaving in all those ends, I will. I plan to use these two skeins of fingering from <a href="https://strandeddyeworks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Stranded Dyeworks</a> that I picked up at SSK last summer -- and I'm glad I did, because Jude just closed up shop. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPCd-CkbhfhpySvnMQeo-yz_2farupgKxbJD6a4IhOaoCAOAdOnGEZGZdZUC5fQk_-1fphzxxy8L7uKH3ipWgwpbBD8QTBIqApA9PkcY7UwKg5rvQek8NsZBDcGhA2zaQ7JI1B8XEzqlabuFMwetWYj7RH43OAoB7_z2UqIbslOc2YLb2q_vi/s4032/IMG_6414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPCd-CkbhfhpySvnMQeo-yz_2farupgKxbJD6a4IhOaoCAOAdOnGEZGZdZUC5fQk_-1fphzxxy8L7uKH3ipWgwpbBD8QTBIqApA9PkcY7UwKg5rvQek8NsZBDcGhA2zaQ7JI1B8XEzqlabuFMwetWYj7RH43OAoB7_z2UqIbslOc2YLb2q_vi/w400-h300/IMG_6414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm still working on her bright socks and have a spin in progress, but I'm pondering what to start next because I feel a bit off without a bigger project going. I really feel like 2024 is going to be a year of sweaters, and I have several possibilities, so I'll likely spend some time this weekend pulling out yarn and deciding.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hope you have a great end to your week -- especially <a href="https://thethreadedlane.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vera</a>, who as of today is officially retired! And a high five to anyone for whom the title of this post reminds you of advertising from the '90s!</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-41364517149481283402024-02-28T08:48:00.004-05:002024-02-28T08:49:24.793-05:00Unraveled, Week 9/2024<p>Happy Hump Day, friends! It's the last Wednesday in February, and we woke up to lightning and thunder. By this evening, we may have snow. And we had some surprise snow over the weekend as well, after which it was in the mid-60s the past couple of days. I know we often have False Springs in Western Pennsylvania, but it feels like we've had half a dozen of them already this year. I don't love winter but would accept its sticking around, but I have to say that this constant up and down is wreaking havoc on my sinuses!</p><p>But enough about the weather -- it's time to join up with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers! I'm happy to share that my STRIPES! sweater is done! But as I just blocked it yesterday afternoon, there hasn't yet been an opportunity to take modeled photos, so you'll have to wait until Friday to see it. I'm very happy with how it turned out, and Mo has admired it so much that she's asked me to knit her one using two skeins of yarn I bought for her at SSK last summer. I told her I'd be happy to do so, but I need a little break from knitting stripes for the moment. In the meantime, I am working on her socks:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP48NktpE7j-PU_lOI5kcabDVdK9HHTzpCBdqNXIpyZlaFa3jrnqBGBaeFcpao06V5oVlTAjF_pj4yJAcAoW5HpIYxwvmJH_6cCsfpXuWAzMOwn4T3iMKVMEX7Rl3O1GfgINYS1imkIlGlU-IYWmW9CFlpdH9wSGzm3YRqsiBdrINR6dRCnT1/s4032/IMG_6399.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP48NktpE7j-PU_lOI5kcabDVdK9HHTzpCBdqNXIpyZlaFa3jrnqBGBaeFcpao06V5oVlTAjF_pj4yJAcAoW5HpIYxwvmJH_6cCsfpXuWAzMOwn4T3iMKVMEX7Rl3O1GfgINYS1imkIlGlU-IYWmW9CFlpdH9wSGzm3YRqsiBdrINR6dRCnT1/w400-h300/IMG_6399.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I'm making this pair to be a little large on her at the moment, with the anticipation that her feet will grow a bit more. Conveniently, if they end up being too small for her at some point, they just happen to be my size! I've just started the second sock so I'll have it to take to my board meeting tonight.</p><p>I've also returned to my spinning, though with less sense of urgency. I learned on Monday that David of <a href="https://shop.southerncrossfibre.com/" target="_blank">Southern Cross Fibre</a> is retiring, and March's shipment will be the last from the club. So the shipments I have in my stash, plus the two that will soon be on their way to me, will be the last. It's sad news for sure, but I cannot begrudge anyone their retirement, and I know David has had some health struggles in the last several years that have made keeping up with his dyeing more difficult. Although I will miss his fiber quite a lot, there is still plenty of fiber to spin in my stash. What I'm currently working on is the August 2023 club shipment, Island Sunset on grey Merino. It's nearly impossible to capture in the darkness of the storm we're having right now, but the grey base makes for such amazing depth of color.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomPMjYhEy3nDIMrnmPqRg-ko3Sa1FlIKDx1eaVeEZHHYvR3YYQT3464gegaRk8Y-Jfy4AfTX2npSRYsmmVvjJxCc01w21ggJfqv5ZHMxDF9g9_bZZQ36JVeTojHIPl827RPoLb9tYeqMk42clj3qe9RiwtU583LWeCxh8op09QyEI1ThXjVcU/s4032/IMG_6400.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomPMjYhEy3nDIMrnmPqRg-ko3Sa1FlIKDx1eaVeEZHHYvR3YYQT3464gegaRk8Y-Jfy4AfTX2npSRYsmmVvjJxCc01w21ggJfqv5ZHMxDF9g9_bZZQ36JVeTojHIPl827RPoLb9tYeqMk42clj3qe9RiwtU583LWeCxh8op09QyEI1ThXjVcU/w400-h300/IMG_6400.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>Reading has again been quite good this past week. I've finished three books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47bacXaHBMPuABEsi-kO_Vn4oEXW3ddv-krMWWbQO7vEUAG1KfuDKqBT_ra5C-xHwUTzNXkFE3jnJUQVuf5cqI9-I7USsuBHh77GSo7rGCsc53zVBUdaCe0wYz9PlGM_X77GYUsI9VzWL8dH2DHm8Cg1qwOuW9Ilmue231pLdUOHmm1URjd7j/s568/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%206.53.11%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47bacXaHBMPuABEsi-kO_Vn4oEXW3ddv-krMWWbQO7vEUAG1KfuDKqBT_ra5C-xHwUTzNXkFE3jnJUQVuf5cqI9-I7USsuBHh77GSo7rGCsc53zVBUdaCe0wYz9PlGM_X77GYUsI9VzWL8dH2DHm8Cg1qwOuW9Ilmue231pLdUOHmm1URjd7j/w137-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%206.53.11%20AM.png" width="137" /></a></div>After exploring, in depth, the works of Louise Erdrich and Barbara Kingsolver, the little group hosted by <a href="https://mere-et-filles.com/" target="_blank">Mary</a> is moving on this year to back list winners of the Women's Prize for Fiction. First up is the 1998 winner, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/823915.Larry_s_Party" target="_blank">Larry's Party</a></i> by Carol Shields. This is an interesting book because there's not really a plot. Instead, it's almost like a series of stories about the main character at different points in his life. I had some feelings about the fact that a book about a white man was awarded the Women's Prize (and I'm sure it will be a prime topic of discussion when we meet this Saturday), but I did really enjoy the writing, and now I am interested to read more of Carol Shields's work. There are some truly laugh-out-loud moments in this book and some heartwarming parts, too. I gave it 4 stars.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwSKu0KLr8y7jSPW__v1Aoht9GEl4V5lp7G_cCCUmFQGbYJzloSZFvF5RkDTHTUe6zsaOE3bux8WHAcj_o2IIYngWvhbeRbDukatcPTX0HqXBZ5EU3vvQw9D5mcYdxy8ueTNT2tvIBK91Pg-JBSFAJ5bI-jZHGztVOZ12JRyjWG2vURSufw6-/s390/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%206.53.25%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwSKu0KLr8y7jSPW__v1Aoht9GEl4V5lp7G_cCCUmFQGbYJzloSZFvF5RkDTHTUe6zsaOE3bux8WHAcj_o2IIYngWvhbeRbDukatcPTX0HqXBZ5EU3vvQw9D5mcYdxy8ueTNT2tvIBK91Pg-JBSFAJ5bI-jZHGztVOZ12JRyjWG2vURSufw6-/w199-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%206.53.25%20AM.png" width="199" /></a></div>I was in need of an audiobook to listen to over the weekend and Hoopla is giving me grief again (it's not recognizing my account), so I went to Libby and borrowed the first audiobook in my "to read" list that was available. I'd heard of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60570488-run-towards-the-danger" target="_blank">Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory</a></i> from Sara Hildreth of <a href="https://fictionmattersbooks.com/" target="_blank">Fiction Matters</a>, I believe. It's a collection of essays that I'd put in the category of memoir. You may or may not be familiar with Sarah Polley, who I first knew from the series <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098900/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_38_act" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Road to Avonlea</a>. She's also an award-winning director and screenwriter and a political activist. Her essays deal with a lot of trauma, from the difficulties in being a child actor and the death of her mother when she was young to dealing with sexual assault and the long-term consequences of a concussion. They're well written and thoughtful, though certainly not for everyone. I gave the book 4 stars.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKdzgA4gYMGT5uobUYIs27pidS8ftYH1B9FE9Z5b3Wvwu2TQGrAHRC9EVqmbAaoCI9lbF8_5eKjfO0UUr-6YOSb0z49a0b5HYUKHdm_Ix71pVzx-YSj1Ph1uJatleODHue-__PhjntNMIEU7Gp0Nk0yTvN0SLkNMi99-vz8ZQKXSCLY4aV7wJ/s628/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%206.53.37%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="382" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKdzgA4gYMGT5uobUYIs27pidS8ftYH1B9FE9Z5b3Wvwu2TQGrAHRC9EVqmbAaoCI9lbF8_5eKjfO0UUr-6YOSb0z49a0b5HYUKHdm_Ix71pVzx-YSj1Ph1uJatleODHue-__PhjntNMIEU7Gp0Nk0yTvN0SLkNMi99-vz8ZQKXSCLY4aV7wJ/w122-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-28%20at%206.53.37%20AM.png" width="122" /></a></div>Finally, last night before bed, I finished <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56585300-the-custom-of-the-country" target="_blank">The Custom of the Country</a></i>, just in time to listen to the <a href="https://novelpairings.com/" target="_blank">Novel Pairings</a> episode on it that dropped yesterday. This novel follows the ambitious Undine Spragg, who is unfailing in her desire and determination to move up in society but who finds herself wanting more each time she achieves what she believes to be her aim. The book takes aim at American society of the time and, I think, provides a pretty convincing case that money can buy many things but can't guarantee happiness. This was an excellent book to be reading as I've been watching <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4406178/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520gilded" target="_blank">The Gilded Age</a></i> on HBO. I enjoyed it, and I'm really looking forward to hearing what Sara and Chelsea have to say about it. I gave it 4 stars.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I now find myself reading ... nothing! I've got to pick my next book to read, which I expect I'll be doing later today.</div><div><br /></div><div>What are you making and reading this week?<br /><div><div><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-11309811822094664752024-02-26T08:24:00.001-05:002024-02-26T08:24:13.085-05:00Better in 2024: February<p>Here we are on the final Monday of February, a month I can always count on to fly by. And while this particular February hasn't gone as I expected (hello, running accident!), it certainly has gone by quickly. Even though it feels like I just revealed my One Little Word for 2024, it's already time to check in with my word for another month. Thanks to <a href="https://youronewordblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Carolyn</a> for hosting our monthly link-ups!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJB1Zs37gurCuZQts_t1ObYpwX6ywfhQCekpMt4oOAi6b0rxbUzFI04jBhFP7dwfdOBl3rs-0jFc-I4qNxKqefTJOACBnja99b8nbTGio07AA_9MfMajlKGNfKqOJ01v4zBUVedjmOXzyjUoR3no0dqOCu1Qzq5x-2Um7HJjuOvk1aQAyH2kTf/s400/Better.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJB1Zs37gurCuZQts_t1ObYpwX6ywfhQCekpMt4oOAi6b0rxbUzFI04jBhFP7dwfdOBl3rs-0jFc-I4qNxKqefTJOACBnja99b8nbTGio07AA_9MfMajlKGNfKqOJ01v4zBUVedjmOXzyjUoR3no0dqOCu1Qzq5x-2Um7HJjuOvk1aQAyH2kTf/w400-h200/Better.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>When I chose Better as my OLW, I wasn't thinking about it applying to physical health, but this month, it very much did. Even though I didn't do much to actively get better from my injuries, I've certainly been monitoring my progress. And I've been amazed at how quickly the human body can heal. If you look at my face today, two weeks after my accident, you might not even notice -- what's left of the scrapes and bruises doesn't look all that different from my usual splotchy skin.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYoPfGpSnDr3_O1K57POXEufmRv7YBW4wnHH8YX5WgyPzaAubQ0U3wyu0GFMWLwyhhpN_kCzVnf5CFqRO9kCMwQhnwMCM4ZOFrzqXc1aBsjG4U8cLtk2kujHAZPHpleDzOIRyidF7OkFZu-IndSmmUnn5IiPJ87NUxYY8M_fkFE4EcrJr8TCU/s3088/IMG_6391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYoPfGpSnDr3_O1K57POXEufmRv7YBW4wnHH8YX5WgyPzaAubQ0U3wyu0GFMWLwyhhpN_kCzVnf5CFqRO9kCMwQhnwMCM4ZOFrzqXc1aBsjG4U8cLtk2kujHAZPHpleDzOIRyidF7OkFZu-IndSmmUnn5IiPJ87NUxYY8M_fkFE4EcrJr8TCU/w300-h400/IMG_6391.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p>That red spot below my eye? That's all that remains of my black eye. And I'm going to be calling the dentist this morning to schedule my appointment to get my tooth fixed (I tried doing that on Friday, but the office was closed).</p><p>While the physical healing has been happening, I've also been focused on being better about paying attention while I am out running and walking. It may be mere coincidence, but the stretch of sidewalk where I had my accident was being leveled last week -- I wasn't going to sue the homeowners, but it's possible they realized that the uneven sidewalk was a bit of a hazard after I fell. There are still plenty of places to trip out there, though, so I am taking my time and watching where I step, keeping in mind that while I'm exercising for my long-term health, I also need to be better about looking out for my immediate safety.</p><p>Time to get to work. See you back here on Wednesday!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-64317702646938844312024-02-23T08:22:00.001-05:002024-02-23T08:22:02.116-05:00Let's Wrap It Up<p>Happy Friday, dear readers -- it's been a long week! And it was an early morning for me, as I was off to the orthodontist shortly after 7 so they could look at my broken retainer/night guard and scan me for a replacement. I will say that the nice thing about such an early appointment is that I was able to find a parking space easily, right out front, and I didn't have to wait. And I was even home before the Mister and Mo had left for work and school! It has been a long week, and I'm very happy to see it come to an end today.</p><p>My sweater is continuing to move along at a good pace. I tried to take a modeled photo of it for you (because my face has healed enough at this point that I'm willing to show it on camera now), but between the dim light this morning and my general lack of skill in taking selfies, it did not go well. So you'll have to settle for a photo of it on Matilda:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cej8MkzUiubCNIy1FT2B6bUbmW8oiF6C2XCweIkyRNs9niOh22t59CL6F14Ku4v0Sz5Elw0-ozCLc5kaqpJI6kQ9oKKawAq7ssQpjYIun3gHl0ekKNx0aYs1K6yhVWVZEQcHgILVtUVcr4an27_dQG3TZouw_Ui_lWcfGb-TAZjg1cfP0jRi/s4032/IMG_6381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cej8MkzUiubCNIy1FT2B6bUbmW8oiF6C2XCweIkyRNs9niOh22t59CL6F14Ku4v0Sz5Elw0-ozCLc5kaqpJI6kQ9oKKawAq7ssQpjYIun3gHl0ekKNx0aYs1K6yhVWVZEQcHgILVtUVcr4an27_dQG3TZouw_Ui_lWcfGb-TAZjg1cfP0jRi/w300-h400/IMG_6381.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>My first sleeve is pretty much halfway done, and I am completely tickled that it appears that the stripe sequence will work out perfectly to result in the cuff in light blue to match the collar and the hem! Whereas I went through the sequence three times on the body, it'll be four times on the sleeves. I'm still weaving in ends as I go, which does slow my progress down a bit but is something I know I'll thank myself for doing when I get to the end.</p><p>Although I'd like to get this sweater done by the end of the month and probably should really focus on it to do that, I felt I needed to get another spinning project going, particularly as the most recent club shipment just arrived. So I've started in on the shipment from last August, Island Sunset on grey Merino:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC3a1TbXigzQsKj8qtB_ZAKVAu-wu6xUVhfXXkOTVWGodAMRmqoR3iyb6_6KFWVYPC8rQXG2dLe34lOPLYiGcFU52aSP9zVL2_c-eAeioqVsO03gv8vOer06eCopaSngw2RCLX82NJKNnA0vUQjeHGHwi_D64cGs1-rMofqmio3K_YBUc8XcR/s4032/IMG_6382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKC3a1TbXigzQsKj8qtB_ZAKVAu-wu6xUVhfXXkOTVWGodAMRmqoR3iyb6_6KFWVYPC8rQXG2dLe34lOPLYiGcFU52aSP9zVL2_c-eAeioqVsO03gv8vOer06eCopaSngw2RCLX82NJKNnA0vUQjeHGHwi_D64cGs1-rMofqmio3K_YBUc8XcR/w400-h300/IMG_6382.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I love how the gray base fiber add such depth to the dyed colors! I've split the fiber into strips lengthwise and am spinning them one after another to chain-ply the resulting singles and end up with a self-striping yarn. I didn't do a great job of splitting and ended up with three strips rather than the four I was aiming for, but that's okay. I decided to put the biggest of the three in the middle, so I'll end up with slightly longer/bigger stripes in the middle of the skein and narrower stripes at the beginning and end.</p><p>I'm hoping for a calm last day of the work week and a productive weekend of sleeve knitting. Happy Friday!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-24003169772055272982024-02-21T07:40:00.001-05:002024-02-21T07:40:09.934-05:00Unraveled, Week 8/2024<p>I know that February is a short month, but I feel like I've missed a week somewhere. At least I know what day of the week it is! It's Wednesday, which means it's time to link up with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers.</p><p>As I'd hoped, I was able to ply my latest singles on Monday, and the heat is still on enough that I could leave it on the radiator overnight to be dry by yesterday morning. This skein ended up more or less as I'd expected:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fAmiF7UDy_CYvhdqS2_-5jVhv2DeoAVBZjSfVLtoG18siQiz6pLq7pqXmqcoFz-yYaChGvAKg0Cm-k5mZhGxldx9_j87le0HBD0fKXZYC4lH6fZ7Isg9eeiTXIYQjuanqQRnciYU9M_D8O-faAoerb6KtYRpXJrHd1FXyBDypSzRkShFyuYq/s1440/AE3D270E-AF4C-480E-A896-6D1ED414B1ED.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fAmiF7UDy_CYvhdqS2_-5jVhv2DeoAVBZjSfVLtoG18siQiz6pLq7pqXmqcoFz-yYaChGvAKg0Cm-k5mZhGxldx9_j87le0HBD0fKXZYC4lH6fZ7Isg9eeiTXIYQjuanqQRnciYU9M_D8O-faAoerb6KtYRpXJrHd1FXyBDypSzRkShFyuYq/w400-h300/AE3D270E-AF4C-480E-A896-6D1ED414B1ED.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>The finished yarn is in the heavy fingering range and approximately 357 yards. I do like how the blues and grays ended up pretty evenly distributed. I'd hoped for a little more yardage, but clearly I wasn't spinning as fine as I thought. I've already pulled out the fiber for my next spin but haven't yet decided how I want to spin it, so I haven't started on it just yet.</p><p>And check out my progress on my sweater!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEy-uiP2oEzRoOJvmgNKJzrBa0SGQItQLN_NWz0Jd414EfWczQKHuHGYO_FTgxeG9nSeiQLo14bG1VPYSaIaRZqlPvmmafI3S8FPhw0HOeCw1M_hQBktFfNsd-Ys_T97vnAb1i1BYkdz1KLIzWgw_Ow8h13kcQBfsHbErmA8gozEMz1Dm4sAz/s4032/IMG_6375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEy-uiP2oEzRoOJvmgNKJzrBa0SGQItQLN_NWz0Jd414EfWczQKHuHGYO_FTgxeG9nSeiQLo14bG1VPYSaIaRZqlPvmmafI3S8FPhw0HOeCw1M_hQBktFfNsd-Ys_T97vnAb1i1BYkdz1KLIzWgw_Ow8h13kcQBfsHbErmA8gozEMz1Dm4sAz/w300-h400/IMG_6375.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>I tried it on again yesterday while I was almost done with the 12th stripe to verify that it was long enough and was satisfied with the length. Now it's on to the sleeves!</p><p>It's been a very good week of reading here.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cpLs9RSNXT9DYvjStdQCMQbtK_U2KGMjGGqYZ437SCDFvqhL5RVL2uRRFUduW02lQCaVwSZqLx8IDKkMNDvfVoiYCi70DnosKm2HQGKjXV9X7U09wPUXChrIb-ujXfbBTLZLwHKEdQPjKpr8_NbU-2OQiTveUy0LN-HFFPk0SK5rc1KWnUab/s592/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20at%205.05.24%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="386" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cpLs9RSNXT9DYvjStdQCMQbtK_U2KGMjGGqYZ437SCDFvqhL5RVL2uRRFUduW02lQCaVwSZqLx8IDKkMNDvfVoiYCi70DnosKm2HQGKjXV9X7U09wPUXChrIb-ujXfbBTLZLwHKEdQPjKpr8_NbU-2OQiTveUy0LN-HFFPk0SK5rc1KWnUab/w131-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20at%205.05.24%20PM.png" width="131" /></a></div><p>I have a feeling that several of you who are on NetGalley also downloaded <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190118193-real-americans" target="_blank">Real Americans</a></i> when it was available (no approval required) for a limited time. This is a family saga spanning three generations told by three different characters at three points in time. Each character's section reveals a bit more about this family and their struggles, but there are themes that run through all three: the parent who wants the best for their child but struggles with how involved in that child's life to get, the repercussions of the decisions a parent makes with regard to their child, and the many facets of identity and how they play a role in fitting in (or not) in a given society. While there were some strands of the plot I wanted more of, I really enjoyed this book and think it would make for great discussions because of some of the moral and ethical questions it raises. I gave it 4 stars.<br /><i>I received this book from NetGalley and Knopf in return for an honest review. This book will be published May 30, 2024.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjTtcGvLK_SFKr8OUYHsf_H1TOf_lifc3LZ83S4Lp0oGOpyOl-P5UFoZwcgef2MC0OCRG54PGDvII0-p0CfMQ1f1xoXZTm06Cz7TtXO-wK3iJ5aFkcBhlix1NW6DQDY2srF628B9Cj0jxO5630eHYowEYuhpPOVp2Dvzq0SAfHAOejPTo2aR6/s598/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20at%205.27.47%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="384" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjTtcGvLK_SFKr8OUYHsf_H1TOf_lifc3LZ83S4Lp0oGOpyOl-P5UFoZwcgef2MC0OCRG54PGDvII0-p0CfMQ1f1xoXZTm06Cz7TtXO-wK3iJ5aFkcBhlix1NW6DQDY2srF628B9Cj0jxO5630eHYowEYuhpPOVp2Dvzq0SAfHAOejPTo2aR6/w128-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20at%205.27.47%20PM.png" width="128" /></a></div>I am late to the party on this one -- like more than a decade late! -- but I so enjoyed Kate Atkinson's recent collection of short stories that I finally decided to read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30200089-life-after-life" target="_blank">Life After Life</a></i>. Though I missed this one when it first came out, it had been on my radar for a quite a while, so I'd bought it on Kindle when it was a daily deal several months ago. Now I wish I'd read it sooner because I simply adored this book! The premise is an interesting one: Ursula Todd is born and dies and is born again, repeatedly, and in each life things go a little differently. It's a bit like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, except that there are no choices to be made. I think what I loved most about this book wasn't the creative structure of it but rather the vivid portrait it paints of life in England in the first half of the 20th century and the beautiful family relationships it portrays. It's a long book but went quickly, and I'll admit I didn't want it to end when it was over. I gave it 5 stars.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHF6dekKaVd4xWvK0hK87XgJYQNiA6HBhouR_aGMdoDXt4tJLF8GBqqCH5gYi0cTDdjET6uoaBjIfwh7QiYc__VYZ5xHXbXseQKiRBayx1K11YJtOMWh1RwH6sJymBf5El37tNwxF6lR3Ygzz5iZAAq1WvhlUr76HEFaxrtBP9e7Iltg4nmWy/s386/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20at%205.34.59%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="386" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHF6dekKaVd4xWvK0hK87XgJYQNiA6HBhouR_aGMdoDXt4tJLF8GBqqCH5gYi0cTDdjET6uoaBjIfwh7QiYc__VYZ5xHXbXseQKiRBayx1K11YJtOMWh1RwH6sJymBf5El37tNwxF6lR3Ygzz5iZAAq1WvhlUr76HEFaxrtBP9e7Iltg4nmWy/w200-h196/Screenshot%202024-02-20%20at%205.34.59%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></div><div>Finally I treated myself to a little light murder mystery. I'd read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075854-magpie-murders" target="_blank">Magpie Murders</a></i> a couple of years ago and had been meaning to get to the sequel, so when I was in need of an audiobook over the weekend, I decided now was the time for <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55966651-moonflower-murders" target="_blank">Moonflower Murders</a></i>. As with the previous book, this mystery contains a separate book within it, so it's kind of like getting two novels in one. While I can see the very strong influences of other mystery writers (and certainly Atticus Pünd feels very much like Hercule Poirot to me), this one hit the same sweet spot for me as Masterpiece Mystery shows do -- and, in fact, I was rather tickled by the fact that the audio is read by two of the actors who starred in the Masterpiece dramatization of <i>Magpie Murders</i>! I gave this one 4 stars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm trying to finish up <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/823915.Larry_s_Party" target="_blank">Larry's Party</a></i> and deciding what my next ebook will be.</div><div><br /></div><div>What are you making and reading this week?</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-3993594750973739562024-02-19T08:17:00.001-05:002024-02-19T08:17:07.103-05:00Let's Not Have a Repeat<p>Good Monday morning, friends! I'm feeling fairly chipper this morning, but I'm also hoping that this Monday is not in any way like the last one. I am healing and looking much better, but I was also awakened at 4 a.m. yesterday by the realization that my retainer/night guard had broken in two, so I'm feeling a bit like I still have some bad karma related to my teeth. Calling my orthodontist is on top of my to-do list today!</p><p>The weekend was very quiet and relaxing, which was what I desperately needed. There was a lot of baking. I made challah on Friday, of course, and then I made cookies just because on Saturday and Mo and I make pumpkin bread/muffins yesterday because she'd been craving them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpclGyCnYnUM-3ae-XElXRVnAnliOUWiW3g_3tl4HBmsv9OTngBT0HbZ6sgqaq9kCijo1pHQ2h87OPTBOXK4OBS0HFMm_DcUav7P90mfvgRIbhyVpOSsX3ItcuTDZQ3Wmr7MyvA8mNlVPPqi0Grw4h6qwRkK8IU_3-WQMov2c2cgXyyNHUHE2/s2048/8474DF59-C92B-4446-8971-884A9F20347C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZpclGyCnYnUM-3ae-XElXRVnAnliOUWiW3g_3tl4HBmsv9OTngBT0HbZ6sgqaq9kCijo1pHQ2h87OPTBOXK4OBS0HFMm_DcUav7P90mfvgRIbhyVpOSsX3ItcuTDZQ3Wmr7MyvA8mNlVPPqi0Grw4h6qwRkK8IU_3-WQMov2c2cgXyyNHUHE2/w400-h400/8474DF59-C92B-4446-8971-884A9F20347C.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>The cookies were made using <a href="https://www.jessfuel.com/2012/12/24/12-days-of-christmas-cookies-hot-cocoa-cookies/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, though I made a half recipe, omitted the marshmallows, and used half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips that I found at Trader Joe's recently. They are amazing! I also made chicken soup from scratch yesterday for dinner, so needless to say that house smelled pretty good all weekend.</p><p>Having a warm, sweet-smelling house felt very appropriate given that we woke up to about half a foot of snow on Saturday morning! This was predicted, though they'd said 3-5 inches, and luckily it was light, fluffy snow that didn't really stick around much on the roads, so it caused minimal disruption. Much of the day was sunny, though still cold, and occasionally the wind picked up and blew the snow around. When I came downstairs Saturday evening, I was treated to this sight out the back of the house, which faces west (please excuse the dirty windows):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzPSH69Mm1ZsbVzrtlyW5K_n6Ow2UxUHaF9CmR_wCBjz-O4vtJV51pLQTGc3F8NvqZBTDpWnVm0rZg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>Though some of the weekend was spent doing the usual household chores, I also got quite a bit of crafting done. For one thing, I've finished the singles on my latest handspun project, so I'm ready to ply today:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQmZxx-Y8610Nkxg4fm-xE7QlBeHfg2sN-s1VMKxpH3R4dURB1CglPm9PYnln47rky7RgM-QgJHO6jYNeLODLbrYAsfuf_zQ0uc95A131BwGBrJUA_JPHmtpEO7mJfZtMDsGMIVaNA-9BqGmpBog5y_iE0UBkIIEBTfO9R90NwUNW4FaihXFa/s3314/ADA57D88-082A-4889-B9EB-6B7CAECACCBB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3314" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQmZxx-Y8610Nkxg4fm-xE7QlBeHfg2sN-s1VMKxpH3R4dURB1CglPm9PYnln47rky7RgM-QgJHO6jYNeLODLbrYAsfuf_zQ0uc95A131BwGBrJUA_JPHmtpEO7mJfZtMDsGMIVaNA-9BqGmpBog5y_iE0UBkIIEBTfO9R90NwUNW4FaihXFa/w365-h400/ADA57D88-082A-4889-B9EB-6B7CAECACCBB.JPG" width="365" /></a></div><p>And I also worked quite a bit on my sweater while the soup was simmering yesterday afternoon and am now closing in on the end of the body:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqr4oaqMfhdToGdiEfj8LyExdV-EpiWLFjqbLtQs9zY5WJp7qCPgRp4KlP6vsdRe6kAq-Jmc3Ty0RFHY96S-qq6gRKx9s3MC6PRSoj7g-ltaCXQ9Ui8RvTiz_x_oy1DAJJ-0P6UkOkhp51r9qVdbo7D1F2LFrKduKtVtnW48t5GIce1erzdQ5r/s4032/IMG_6366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqr4oaqMfhdToGdiEfj8LyExdV-EpiWLFjqbLtQs9zY5WJp7qCPgRp4KlP6vsdRe6kAq-Jmc3Ty0RFHY96S-qq6gRKx9s3MC6PRSoj7g-ltaCXQ9Ui8RvTiz_x_oy1DAJJ-0P6UkOkhp51r9qVdbo7D1F2LFrKduKtVtnW48t5GIce1erzdQ5r/w400-h300/IMG_6366.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've got a long to-do list today aside from anything that comes up at work, so I'd better get started! Have a good one, and I'll see you back here on Wednesday.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-2789321878499593182024-02-16T08:34:00.001-05:002024-02-16T08:34:30.298-05:00Week's End<p>I want to start off by thanking all of you for your comments on Wednesday's post about my accident. I really appreciate your concern and your well wishes! I am definitely improving every day; the scratches are healing and shrinking, the bruises are diminishing, and the sore spots are getting less so. I will have to wait a bit until my smile looks normal; once my lip fully heals, I'll go back to the dentist for a veneer to cover the broken tooth. But the dentist was able to smooth the rough edges of the tooth, so at least it feels less awkward in my mouth now, and I'm more or less able to eat normally. I imagine I'll have some pain and sensitivity in the front teeth for a while, but I'll take it given how much worse things could have ended up. I may even attempt a run today -- don't worry, I'll take it slow and be extra careful!</p><p>I am very happy that it's finally Friday -- needless to say, it's been a long week! Mo is home with me today and Monday, as her second trimester ended yesterday and the teachers have in-service days. Even though I'm still working, it feels a bit like a break to me, too, because I get a couple of days off from getting her out of bed and out the door in the morning.</p><p>I have been slowly and steadily working on my STRIPES! this week, and at least according to the pattern, I'm now more than halfway through the stockinette portion of the body.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY_eb48DBivhFJ3d66NBN6XtB6HTvbLsaMxI3lCHqOnKdHrdf_g2LO4Tj-qKBKD5y3Ro4JG7RO36yAhijRqpLwU2z_bSrifZ8-mZ9dGRtxm_wg5d_lc4OR2FBQNC_27d6OdkDKZhb0lRqnpdO5ic0cgYeZZB2I5ZEE0Kff7nXF2GfkzUuXcxA/s4032/IMG_6350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY_eb48DBivhFJ3d66NBN6XtB6HTvbLsaMxI3lCHqOnKdHrdf_g2LO4Tj-qKBKD5y3Ro4JG7RO36yAhijRqpLwU2z_bSrifZ8-mZ9dGRtxm_wg5d_lc4OR2FBQNC_27d6OdkDKZhb0lRqnpdO5ic0cgYeZZB2I5ZEE0Kff7nXF2GfkzUuXcxA/w300-h400/IMG_6350.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>The pattern says to work for 12 inches below the underarm, and the math works out really well for me because each of my stripes is an inch wide, so with a four-color stripe sequence, that works out to three repeats. I'm currently on the seventh stripe (which you can't really see because the bottom is curling up). What is also pleasing me is that, assuming I don't want to add any additional length to the body, I'll be doing the ribbing at the bottom in the light blue, which will match the collar.</p><p>I'm also still working on my color-coordinated spinning, and I'm nearly finished with my second bobbin of singles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9852SOMThudpBzf9Te6XnRwkfdfAUsB2laqDLNOSYn6zzubs3hEf9oCXOUtRa68vyAlrFz6o8w9cijIXOvkhMG6npgbK7anyYG4bjpgyavcMXuyCmQCmRui1J1OII-zpfdU308uNz0EOWwC_Qgu26IhVI4BdAtZAabV4FlZibM0zDFAfj2MqW/s4032/IMG_6351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9852SOMThudpBzf9Te6XnRwkfdfAUsB2laqDLNOSYn6zzubs3hEf9oCXOUtRa68vyAlrFz6o8w9cijIXOvkhMG6npgbK7anyYG4bjpgyavcMXuyCmQCmRui1J1OII-zpfdU308uNz0EOWwC_Qgu26IhVI4BdAtZAabV4FlZibM0zDFAfj2MqW/w400-h300/IMG_6351.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>My next club shipment arrived earlier this week, so I'm trying to hurry up a little on this so I can fit one more spin in this month.</p><p>In a happy note, my parents came home from Florida earlier this week in order to get their taxes organized and spend some time with the family, so tonight we will have our usual Friday night dinner. Mo and I plan to bake challah later to take with us. We're supposed to get some snow tonight (I know!), so I predict it will be a cozy weekend spent mostly indoors.</p><p>Whatever you have planned this weekend, I hope it's a good one!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-27318847127022607712024-02-14T08:53:00.001-05:002024-02-14T08:53:27.421-05:00Unraveled, Week 7/2024<p>Oh friends, it seems I was a bit too enthusiastic about how my Monday was shaping up when last I posted and karma felt the need to bite me.</p><p>After I hit post and sat through my daily morning meeting, I went out for a run. It was cold again, but the sun was out and I was feeling good. Just as I was nearing the 3-mile mark, I took my eyes off the sidewalk to look at one of the cute neighborhood dogs -- and promptly tripped on the sidewalk and went flying into it face first. I will spare you all a photo of my poor mangled face; suffice it to say it's not pretty. I've scraped up much of one side of it, required a couple of stitches in my upper lip for a gash, have a black eye, and broke off a pretty sizable piece of one of my top incisors. I also keep discovering new sort places and bruises on various other parts of my body. But I am very thankful it was not worse. I didn't lose consciousness or break any bones (aside from my poor tooth). The woman walking the dog immediately came to help me. The Mister was able to leave work right away to take me to urgent care and, while I was getting stitched up, called my dentist to get me in for an emergency appointment this morning. The scrapes are starting to heal and the swelling is going down, but I'm going to look like I just came out of a boxing match for a while. I'm posting all this not to gain sympathy (really, I'm okay, more annoyed at myself than anything) but because some of you may see me on a Zoom in the next several weeks and I wanted you to be prepared!</p><p>But now back to the usual business -- it's Wednesday, which means it's time to check in with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers!</p><p>Aside from the loss of time spent sitting and waiting at urgent care (for which I was very thankful for the Kindle app on my phone!), this injury has not affected my crafting. I have mainly been spinning the past couple of days and have a finished bobbin of singles to show for it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkcRlc2svzOrMwsXc2eU973L46lxw95IxILb8WrBwgAFeYlkZbrsHdM4L9ybWEAXyaCAO8QEOSN3yCAbdpGaN2PRcqYOI8IioeaBg-IJgeHK0RIEHUip-4PvBeNtTT9CZN975EY4RV372HTJWwtYlozwsbJxVSYrAQpHacHiGv3w95rSFQaPt/s4032/IMG_6347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkcRlc2svzOrMwsXc2eU973L46lxw95IxILb8WrBwgAFeYlkZbrsHdM4L9ybWEAXyaCAO8QEOSN3yCAbdpGaN2PRcqYOI8IioeaBg-IJgeHK0RIEHUip-4PvBeNtTT9CZN975EY4RV372HTJWwtYlozwsbJxVSYrAQpHacHiGv3w95rSFQaPt/w400-h300/IMG_6347.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've added a bit to my sweater as well, though it doesn't look all that different from the last time you saw it. Reading, though, has been quite good in the past week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUo492mdYYwTMpjPueLtaAMlhDh1uf47kW46gYQrlTmqbcxnog13YGtroAd2pUWJ7FYaM5fzAyb9Yuxu841fspKb6sRwzNDcb_y9bq2QlasfaDibEEnpzc2xEHoCP8OoRVUH-h0_fw3ln1hPpTr4DGHTWveHQwxoyL0PTryb5ygd8mYqIfCk4m/s600/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%208.46.23%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="378" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUo492mdYYwTMpjPueLtaAMlhDh1uf47kW46gYQrlTmqbcxnog13YGtroAd2pUWJ7FYaM5fzAyb9Yuxu841fspKb6sRwzNDcb_y9bq2QlasfaDibEEnpzc2xEHoCP8OoRVUH-h0_fw3ln1hPpTr4DGHTWveHQwxoyL0PTryb5ygd8mYqIfCk4m/w126-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%208.46.23%20PM.png" width="126" /></a></div>I can't remember exactly when I heard about <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62084507-in-memoriam" target="_blank">In Memoriam</a></i>, but I'd had it on hold at the library and read it in two days after I got it. This a story about two young men who meet and fall in love at a British boarding school and whose lives are torn apart by World War I. But it's about much more than that. It's about the unbelievable horrors of war and about the effects of being a soldier on the psyche. It's about the bonds of friendship formed among young people. It's about a search for identity -- nationality, sexuality, purpose in life -- in the midst of one of the greatest tragedies the world has ever seen. I'll admit I wasn't blown away by the writing, but it's a good story decently told, and I enjoyed it, despite the difficult subject matter. I gave it 4 stars.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk3PDk0-mU9cpliXYCTnNwkqB6_iaZUSh3eR3QUS3wdOzyL0lQ4rNsiRjirjkXzQu4J2sPH-dHfzZtBoyXSWIjySHK8cHpXY2HipB3gtlbnLxZh2GdjCtH9xcDVQmnLbA-bPx63vOQ1PKBRTw_AfpueH_FuOkPMI9s5ZpUDmdUGVQDvpCf8L9/s610/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%208.53.45%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="394" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk3PDk0-mU9cpliXYCTnNwkqB6_iaZUSh3eR3QUS3wdOzyL0lQ4rNsiRjirjkXzQu4J2sPH-dHfzZtBoyXSWIjySHK8cHpXY2HipB3gtlbnLxZh2GdjCtH9xcDVQmnLbA-bPx63vOQ1PKBRTw_AfpueH_FuOkPMI9s5ZpUDmdUGVQDvpCf8L9/w129-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20at%208.53.45%20PM.png" width="129" /></a></div>I had requested <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186508520-the-berlin-letters" target="_blank">The Berlin Letters</a></i> via NetGalley after reading the synopsis and read it quite quickly after I received approval. This is a story that takes place in two timelines. In the prologue, we see the beginning of what will become the Berlin Wall, as a toddler Luisa is quickly passed over the barbed wire to her grandparents on the western side by her mother. We meet Luisa again in Washington, D.C. in the late 1980s. Having flunked out of CIA operative school, she is now working for the agency as a codebreaker because of her natural talent for the subject -- a talent that was encouraged by her recently deceased grandfather. When a coworker comes to her for help with the letters referred to by the title, Luisa notices a small mark on a letter that she knows she has seen before, and she goes looking through her grandparents' house in search of some clue her grandfather left her. She had been told her parents had died when she was young and that was why her grandparents had raised her, but suddenly she's not so sure they had always told her the truth. She soon finds evidence to suggest that not only was her grandfather known to the CIA, but her father is still alive -- and she may be the only one who can save him from an infamous Stasi prison. This is an entertaining and tense ride through the repressive years of the DDR, with the constant threat of surveillance, betrayal, and "accidental" deaths. I have no idea if the codebreaking details were accurate, but they felt well researched. The writing isn't great, but it's entertaining enough and certainly kept me reading. I gave it 4 stars.<div><i>I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Muse. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book will be published March 5, 2024.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvq21n8cKRb2Xx5QdpyMzqoSfpLL8cC0QQTsWh4H0f5UhfghQEiXJ3ipJylVZshz9Fs_3yQ9vIZH2tv6_l_eAFsCHwy1tKaT0jbCuuD6Yte7T-ST_XKELwT997Z1sZBPC8iJho2wKhLWf0BTb84tMvUQg5V4-7zh1wwFBJp9vRkkUnQwFy6Z2/s394/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%208.37.12%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="392" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvq21n8cKRb2Xx5QdpyMzqoSfpLL8cC0QQTsWh4H0f5UhfghQEiXJ3ipJylVZshz9Fs_3yQ9vIZH2tv6_l_eAFsCHwy1tKaT0jbCuuD6Yte7T-ST_XKELwT997Z1sZBPC8iJho2wKhLWf0BTb84tMvUQg5V4-7zh1wwFBJp9vRkkUnQwFy6Z2/w199-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%208.37.12%20AM.png" width="199" /></a></div>Finally, I listened to <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205454724-erasure" target="_blank">Erasure</a></i>, the 2001 novel on which the recent movie <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23561236/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_q_american%2520fiction" target="_blank">American Fiction</a> </i>is based. Thelonious "Monk" Ellison is a novelist whose novels are critically acclaimed but commercially failures. When his most recent manuscript is rejected by more than a dozen publishers and yet a book that he sees as a sell-out stereotype called <i>We's Lives in Da Ghetto</i> becomes a huge success, he decides he can do better and writes his own satirical novel of what white America thinks life is like for a Black man. Naturally, it becomes the next big thing, bringing Monk fame and fortune even as he as ashamed of selling out. At the same time, he is dealing with challenges and tragedies in his personal life. The book is brilliantly written, but I think I missed out on a lot because I listened rather than read with my eyes. There are some seemingly unrelated interludes that I didn't really understand, and the entirety of the book Monk writes (which is included as part of the book) made me really uncomfortable, though I realized that was the point. I gave it 3 stars.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm nearly finished with another ARC, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190118193-real-americans" target="_blank">Real Americans</a></i>, and I've also just started <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/823915.Larry_s_Party" target="_blank">Larry's Party</a></i> as part of next in-depth book study that <a href="https://mere-et-filles.com/" target="_blank">Mary</a> is hosting -- this next year, we're focusing on backlist Women's Prize winners.</div><div><br /></div><div>What are you making and reading this week?</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-6810368934988653132024-02-12T08:37:00.003-05:002024-02-12T08:37:38.148-05:00Monday Again<p>Unlike last weekend, I felt like this weekend needed another day. I think this is probably because I didn't get as much sleep as I probably needed, but such is life. It was still a good weekend overall, in large part due to time spent with friends and family. Mo and I played mahjongg with a couple of friends on Saturday afternoon -- her first time playing without me looking over her shoulder and advising her, and she even won a hand! -- and we had some other friends over for dinner Saturday night. Then we were up early yesterday morning to meet my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew for breakfast, now that he is eating real food. Mo got in some cuddle time:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix42l70LwasSzRLImPTn86411AQoRag15OEzrKw4GqRmX_bQ4rheEyhEOuSSnz2KuHAlv1_IPShM1cFI0GFWatLcs3uJoIDRXCqVd3B23zbuG-uFYdkZ8ulycWOlUSdSgBKoUMujjQj8sR5ASxmM3igQgoVYcqLLMZP4Zrit5ZOlbebXpl7hFR/s4032/IMG_6332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix42l70LwasSzRLImPTn86411AQoRag15OEzrKw4GqRmX_bQ4rheEyhEOuSSnz2KuHAlv1_IPShM1cFI0GFWatLcs3uJoIDRXCqVd3B23zbuG-uFYdkZ8ulycWOlUSdSgBKoUMujjQj8sR5ASxmM3igQgoVYcqLLMZP4Zrit5ZOlbebXpl7hFR/w300-h400/IMG_6332.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p><br />Then we had snacks for dinner last night for the Super Bowl -- cheese and crackers, Buffalo chicken dip, raw veggies, and homemade soft pretzels:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2hknS-_4QBfz8DQytndZAOeS965seV6aoVEu-PpvHy9Duc1pSGaCOwJAI-Zq8FmKyLZUjyTKLK8yBrIDMmOALty2nThRkk119q1BZcxAbSZeyZT0uA0E5S_y6r1wq64A0DmsqKioEsrfSJKqnkfxFcyfU9ZPGsxy663XXFB-k2PDo3aI1J84/s4032/IMG_6337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2hknS-_4QBfz8DQytndZAOeS965seV6aoVEu-PpvHy9Duc1pSGaCOwJAI-Zq8FmKyLZUjyTKLK8yBrIDMmOALty2nThRkk119q1BZcxAbSZeyZT0uA0E5S_y6r1wq64A0DmsqKioEsrfSJKqnkfxFcyfU9ZPGsxy663XXFB-k2PDo3aI1J84/w300-h400/IMG_6337.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Mo's been wanting to make these for a while, and they were actually much easier than I expected. We'll definitely be making them again, though we have some adjustments in mind. We watched most of the game but turned it off after regulation ended; I was just not that invested in it to see who won! But Mo was very happy with the result this morning, and anything that gets her up and out of bed on time on a Monday morning is a win for me!</p><p>I got a fair amount of knitting done on my sweater over the weekend, and I did confirm that it fits! I'm now in the easy part, the body, where I just have to knit straight until it's time to do the ribbing at the hem.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwC53ao5CRH0E3-ADFWeZ051iZ8lAIhzt53QyKE-H05s-KY4_XSFzG8eNBD3h7cfvlIBzLunSg1wXzx3hHM9RSEB29-2I_6oKB5LAaAC0hFugiMvadO6jmNLG0Oc6QZzZTQRrjLZblMz7ZWnkAJR_gRxK6QeMxc9jzOyuFuuJVMJ-JxL4f6ue-/s4032/IMG_6339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwC53ao5CRH0E3-ADFWeZ051iZ8lAIhzt53QyKE-H05s-KY4_XSFzG8eNBD3h7cfvlIBzLunSg1wXzx3hHM9RSEB29-2I_6oKB5LAaAC0hFugiMvadO6jmNLG0Oc6QZzZTQRrjLZblMz7ZWnkAJR_gRxK6QeMxc9jzOyuFuuJVMJ-JxL4f6ue-/w300-h400/IMG_6339.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Each of my stripes is an inch wide, and the pattern calls for working until the body is 12 inches long, so that means three repeats of my four-color sequence. Knowing that is nice because I won't constantly be measuring my knitting -- I can just count stripes! I've also been weaving in my ends as I go, which does slow me down a little but is something I know I'll really appreciate when I get to the end.</p><p>In another instance of all my projects matching each other, unintentionally, I'm going to be starting my next spinning project today with this fiber:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02D0bi2m7et4NPTnoeoaDYDMxebUobgoRWiemWfqBQUwkn7z5HZHWtyu4p5WY9uMynXQAGqpJ2lG1aWXUVtiyu84WZ7KyjU_c4H0rsQEoKhCcVWrbAeWx39hScTX-vyvxGWrPYmHsR3AR2Kz7xdd-kHjp8CEWp47PbNvnRuqHaUPBMnnryjnf/s3411/IMG_6340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="3411" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02D0bi2m7et4NPTnoeoaDYDMxebUobgoRWiemWfqBQUwkn7z5HZHWtyu4p5WY9uMynXQAGqpJ2lG1aWXUVtiyu84WZ7KyjU_c4H0rsQEoKhCcVWrbAeWx39hScTX-vyvxGWrPYmHsR3AR2Kz7xdd-kHjp8CEWp47PbNvnRuqHaUPBMnnryjnf/w400-h348/IMG_6340.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>This is the other Tour de Fleece prize colorway from last year. It's called Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, and it's the same Silky Merino base as my last spin. I'll be spinning another three-ply fingering with it.</p><p>Today I am hoping for a calm day. I've got a few loads of laundry to do and a load of socks to hand wash, and I'm sure I will need a cat nap later this afternoon. I hope your Monday is off to an okay start and treats you gently!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-35423815951439146542024-02-09T08:40:00.002-05:002024-02-09T08:40:42.841-05:00I Can Buy Myself Flowers<p>Yes, if you're wondering, I have had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7KNmW9a75Y" target="_blank">that Miley Cyrus song</a> in my head quite a bit this past week after watching the Grammys on Sunday. But I used it for the title of this post because the skein of handspun I finished yesterday makes me think of my favorite early spring flowers, daffodils. I haven't seen any blooming yet, but there are lots of them coming up in my neighborhood, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time. And they immediately came to mind as I was plying this yarn and seeing the green of the stems, the yellow of the blooms, and the brown of the earth.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTtQ_K2KNAKU30cNs7v4VGr7I-O_Hhdcw18GAmVq9KFISXFBk1EON-u-KfQUmPPp4r-hFzp3k07WOe6zmRpg5oNawB0Lt_FbeWpk1TPY26-2Z4gxFc0nq87Gp7DtcOpzxIDLFJU-N64ttZ4e2CM9Q8k8gJnsgwIBoGXvoixCZhSN1l9ext3En/s4032/IMG_6320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTtQ_K2KNAKU30cNs7v4VGr7I-O_Hhdcw18GAmVq9KFISXFBk1EON-u-KfQUmPPp4r-hFzp3k07WOe6zmRpg5oNawB0Lt_FbeWpk1TPY26-2Z4gxFc0nq87Gp7DtcOpzxIDLFJU-N64ttZ4e2CM9Q8k8gJnsgwIBoGXvoixCZhSN1l9ext3En/w400-h300/IMG_6320.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This was spun from one of the Southern Cross Fibre Tour de Fleece prize colorways from last year called Bordeaux. It's a delightful 85% Merino/15% silk blend -- it really drafts so easily. I've got about 432 yards of three-ply fingering, and I didn't even use all the singles. One bobbin ran out, and when I tried to bracelet-ply from one of the remaining bobbins, it got all tangled up and I decided to just cut my losses.<div><br /></div><div>Now that this is done, my focus for the moment is my sweater, which is getting very close to the body/arms divide. I did my final increase round last night, which is why it's looking so bunched up on the needles.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1V3Rf-q-9-slhfnP5lP2mTHaT4BUFuXKEpkSLmH4ddOnrTIvoY9KGiYIXjiztvSo7amb6VrVO0K6PD9_-5yn-dzpRZIaOJcKwwSvhIb1JpOYZRpezT-UHly_YtfQ2eO8xpAj2AXjNzCWwfeob_flV_623ELOkswdpUSVg1baIznKkfl9rUIh/s4032/IMG_6319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1V3Rf-q-9-slhfnP5lP2mTHaT4BUFuXKEpkSLmH4ddOnrTIvoY9KGiYIXjiztvSo7amb6VrVO0K6PD9_-5yn-dzpRZIaOJcKwwSvhIb1JpOYZRpezT-UHly_YtfQ2eO8xpAj2AXjNzCWwfeob_flV_623ELOkswdpUSVg1baIznKkfl9rUIh/w400-h300/IMG_6319.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><p>At some point I'll get out another long circular needle and transfer half the stitches over so I can try it on, but I'm not terribly concerned about it not fitting. I've worked with this yarn before and am confident in my gauge, so all should be well.</p><p>This weekend I'm having my mahj group over to play and we're planning to make snacks for dinner on Sunday while we watch the Super Bowl (I'm not terribly invested in the game itself, but Mo naturally is because of the whole Taylor Swift thing). I am trying to enjoy the unseasonably mild weather we're having this week -- I won't need a coat for my run today! -- before the snow is due to come back next week. Here's hoping you have a relaxing weekend planned!</p></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-31672381117463613722024-02-07T08:17:00.008-05:002024-02-07T08:17:39.731-05:00Unraveled, Week 6/2024<p>Good morning and happy Wednesday, friends! I am drinking all the coffee this morning after not sleeping very well last night (<i>someone</i> was snoring and kept me awake). But I'm awake enough to check in with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers.</p><p>So far this week I've mainly been focused on spinning (and reading!), and I'm hoping to finish my third and final bobbin of singles for this spin today. I actually did all of the second bobbin on Monday, in large part because I was so focused on finishing up a book that I spent most of the day and evening at my wheel. Assuming I finish up this bobbin today, I'll be plying tomorrow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGNkLdcVUkG9tD4SPLQI7R5VmxafUt17F3BZwnzG-8wMLcqpD05cBbbVaX9Xm23mLxF1fiSyURKV7_enf1q2RVO_dAidZt4uSZEItNPWpGagFgXYU2H3HNVKYVfP5Ch4P5M_DLNsOvTb-DkJZtyzVZeZVEdov_7rTj1uOtz80-PkNTKHvRIbF/s4032/IMG_6307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGNkLdcVUkG9tD4SPLQI7R5VmxafUt17F3BZwnzG-8wMLcqpD05cBbbVaX9Xm23mLxF1fiSyURKV7_enf1q2RVO_dAidZt4uSZEItNPWpGagFgXYU2H3HNVKYVfP5Ch4P5M_DLNsOvTb-DkJZtyzVZeZVEdov_7rTj1uOtz80-PkNTKHvRIbF/w400-h300/IMG_6307.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>My STRIPES! doesn't look very different from the last time you saw it, and that's because it isn't. I added a few rounds last night but otherwise haven't given it much attention. I'll give it more love once the spinning project is done.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDULw_Kk38xkGFKQXKduq3qirm1Zy9lixmvUI0D7TS_cUaey_Oq_W68YqzISuUZh7zRErpvt9iDek2XFqfUkC6Q4dMITOhkNzfFUBWlT3eo3LsZIxuVNu17Bw_gOPZkGtY4it1DTTSrPATmEzWj9KLQETdORB4uzK8lIqbA0q6g_c9dAkHUEpz/s4032/IMG_6308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDULw_Kk38xkGFKQXKduq3qirm1Zy9lixmvUI0D7TS_cUaey_Oq_W68YqzISuUZh7zRErpvt9iDek2XFqfUkC6Q4dMITOhkNzfFUBWlT3eo3LsZIxuVNu17Bw_gOPZkGtY4it1DTTSrPATmEzWj9KLQETdORB4uzK8lIqbA0q6g_c9dAkHUEpz/w400-h300/IMG_6308.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>Reading has been quite good this week. I've finished three books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUbJ4Br3jgsIe4kIGV5_HijedyDpgp1RZ0xn9-6zB8MEaU331sYrtR6ifQfvBc7oKf7F9NpwdpOSR_PO6gxl_bHlGzqhMKUxpkT97y1P6L-4JAggbKPrCJXF2UZ2ZQVOvWwgMuxE6GCr6qRYLMy-NlxN7bAH3pyCAfWWSL75p3igOcgUy35W2/s600/Screenshot%202024-02-07%20at%207.31.42%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="394" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUbJ4Br3jgsIe4kIGV5_HijedyDpgp1RZ0xn9-6zB8MEaU331sYrtR6ifQfvBc7oKf7F9NpwdpOSR_PO6gxl_bHlGzqhMKUxpkT97y1P6L-4JAggbKPrCJXF2UZ2ZQVOvWwgMuxE6GCr6qRYLMy-NlxN7bAH3pyCAfWWSL75p3igOcgUy35W2/w131-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-07%20at%207.31.42%20AM.png" width="131" /></a></div><p>After everyone seemed to be reading and talking about it, I gave in to the buzz and borrowed <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63219094-fourth-wing" target="_blank">Fourth Wing</a> </i>from the library. I know some of you have read it, and I'm guessing that even if you have no interest, you've seen it in book circles. This is a fantasy romance involving magic and dragons and quite a lot of death. It seemed like a mashup of Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, the Divergent series, and books by Anne McCaffery. Is it fine literature? No, not in the least. Is it entertaining? Very. It's a pretty big book (600+ pages), but it moves fast -- and it ends with a cliffhanger, so yes, I've got the sequel on hold already. If you're thinking of reading it, I'll note that the romance is very open door, so if that's not your thing, you'll probably want to skip this one. I gave it 4 stars.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFzUPxxSlyDjDE6IBtjn0951WB8ZKn8mQSObha9u32jP1eaQ5MTeGMTF6bz1SJpx__rHMtFofP3Lu40CYw4QonERGJ5vtLtLlzO-XoDLFtwxbvXVTMjaQfBzkEFnnTSYbEnFGNJtwyTwARzmOMnvA3eG_cV9IPh5cWQXDgLtfmJjRMtcC-0O6/s612/Screenshot%202024-02-07%20at%207.39.52%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="396" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFzUPxxSlyDjDE6IBtjn0951WB8ZKn8mQSObha9u32jP1eaQ5MTeGMTF6bz1SJpx__rHMtFofP3Lu40CYw4QonERGJ5vtLtLlzO-XoDLFtwxbvXVTMjaQfBzkEFnnTSYbEnFGNJtwyTwARzmOMnvA3eG_cV9IPh5cWQXDgLtfmJjRMtcC-0O6/w129-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-07%20at%207.39.52%20AM.png" width="129" /></a></div>After finishing <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i>, I decided I wanted to reread a book on my shelf from high school that seemed like it would be a good pairing. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2264223.July_s_People" target="_blank">July's People</a></i> was backlist even when I read it 25+ years ago. This short but powerful novel is set in apartheid-era South Africa and imagines an alternate history in which Black South Africans rise up to take control. The white Smales family is forced to flee their home and taken by their servant, July, to safety in his home village. The sudden uprooting and complete reversal of roles causes the Smaleses to examine their supposedly liberal views on race and class. In rereading this book, I was both amazed that I'd read such a difficult book in high school and thankful that I still had my notes from class in my copy. I gave this one 4 stars as well.<div><br /></div><div><br />The third book I finished this week was <i>The Three Musketeers</i>, which I'd been listening to on <a href="https://craftlit.com/" target="_blank">CraftLit</a> since last May. I was unexcited by it and gave it 2 stars.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm currently reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62084507-in-memoriam" target="_blank">In Memoriam</a></i> and am about a quarter of the way through after starting yesterday. I'm sure I'll be starting something else soon, too, because having only one book going at a time has become rare for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope your Wednesday is off to a good start. What are you making and reading this week?</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-5165086841820949492024-02-05T08:20:00.000-05:002024-02-05T08:20:03.993-05:00A Weekend of Progress<p>Did anyone else wake up this morning thinking it was Sunday? Just me? All I can say is thank goodness for coffee! I slept pretty well last night, but when my alarm went off this morning, I think I was still in the middle of a dream because I was very confused.</p><p>The good news is that it was a good weekend that enabled me to get a lot done, so I don't feel like I needed another day. Saturday morning I took an online class with Roy Clemes of <a href="https://clemes.com/" target="_blank">Clemes & Clemes</a> through the <a href="https://sheepandwool.org/winterfest-2024/" target="_blank">Maryland Sheep & Wool Winterfest</a>. It was all about using a drum carder to prep fiber for spinning, something I've long wanted to do better. I bought a drum carder used several years ago and have used it several times but never really figured out how to use it to its full advantage. It was a really useful class and I've got several pages of notes to help me the next time I get my carder out. I also got the cuff of the new sock knit while I was in the class so I was ready to cruise down the leg while we were at <i>My Fair Lady</i> in the afternoon.</p><p>The show was quite enjoyable and also productive:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NS7yAAAw36QCtOuhyphenhyphen8kR5K5B8JDnxAkBTVTWSfqktrZL0ZCAuQ5cw0sD3eG0A4hT-GIvLqn9LjvJCk9tVC4gbtMyj072t9PKUQAHWTCZvCaRpI7OTX0W4WlFIhs1Sp6NxVoOJx8QCBiPBNW5Qkdyu6BlQZFLRtCMI_DMsL45ENWLiVVvTJsy/s4032/IMG_6299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NS7yAAAw36QCtOuhyphenhyphen8kR5K5B8JDnxAkBTVTWSfqktrZL0ZCAuQ5cw0sD3eG0A4hT-GIvLqn9LjvJCk9tVC4gbtMyj072t9PKUQAHWTCZvCaRpI7OTX0W4WlFIhs1Sp6NxVoOJx8QCBiPBNW5Qkdyu6BlQZFLRtCMI_DMsL45ENWLiVVvTJsy/w400-h300/IMG_6299.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I'm not sure you can really tell in this photo, but the yarn is sparkly, which just takes these neon colors to another level. These are going to be some extremely cheerful socks!</p><p>My main focus this weekend was my STRIPES! sweater. I clearly was not paying enough attention to the pattern and had made several mistakes, so after I finished up the sock cuff, I pulled it off the needles and ripped back to the collar to start over. I'm back on track now and have just one more set of increases to do, but for now I'm in the point where I just knit straight until I reach a particular measurement. I'm trying to be good about weaving in ends as I go so that I don't have a million to do at the end.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lpFYtb32sKXnniuNQTVcgh-SSon4BeHHCLkkwclGeBmx3UmviJQ3FRw4U5epEN90JuWRKjpE9DgBv876ueEVNfNUjiPjV-o2EUmZBhlgT012mNif59-IfIhpvgm1nz1rguNhTV-t1fY5zk5m0uSqOfRmmoukIxcin0OgU0ftgFyaHdIPPiyX/s4020/IMG_6301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2968" data-original-width="4020" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lpFYtb32sKXnniuNQTVcgh-SSon4BeHHCLkkwclGeBmx3UmviJQ3FRw4U5epEN90JuWRKjpE9DgBv876ueEVNfNUjiPjV-o2EUmZBhlgT012mNif59-IfIhpvgm1nz1rguNhTV-t1fY5zk5m0uSqOfRmmoukIxcin0OgU0ftgFyaHdIPPiyX/w400-h295/IMG_6301.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I also finished up the first bobbin of singles for my current spin, and I'll be working on the next two this week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6zVcWPUzzEr8w3VAgk3HwSx9TwkwR49MFIuEniOsgMpO-XNwL9hccEIGtQXQTFJE4v1Hk-ZctZ-j5PYwzomwE5N1mMVGziMchBJyCZQ7DiTkH1W6aA9AB20mYpTRcNe9qq_yhEt9Iak_03Hq03ETDhRYJoR7WTk9u5UoWDNJoaqkZs8_xLXP/s4032/IMG_6300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6zVcWPUzzEr8w3VAgk3HwSx9TwkwR49MFIuEniOsgMpO-XNwL9hccEIGtQXQTFJE4v1Hk-ZctZ-j5PYwzomwE5N1mMVGziMchBJyCZQ7DiTkH1W6aA9AB20mYpTRcNe9qq_yhEt9Iak_03Hq03ETDhRYJoR7WTk9u5UoWDNJoaqkZs8_xLXP/w400-h300/IMG_6300.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I'm hoping it'll be a calm week as far as work is concerned. I've got some reading I really want to do and of course lots of crafting! It's also supposed to be milder and dry most of the week (no rain in the forecast until Friday), so I plan to get some good outdoor workouts in.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-79640579455793096902024-02-02T08:56:00.001-05:002024-02-02T08:56:40.219-05:00A Finish and Several StartsHappy Friday, friends! Our friend Phil predicted an early spring this morning, but it's still quite gloomy outside (though the weather report this morning said there would be sunshine coming this weekend). All that is to say please excuse the photos in this post, as natural light is scarce.<div><br /></div><div>I'm happy to tell you that I finished my Mas Vida shawl on Wednesday, though not without some drama.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLmdM0NZcXLn3nRd0DwT7v1w_SF6qkcU20U0ZykDArj5tnMlMvyCYp4vzXo_XRvgNv0RahAdNEcAUFjEYfu3qmOfGHB2JM3mFsANm5d_WkgEZlSzDPQ5vl9vrYRdh9pGLbJbfDQCiYfNYBoYuEgai0KxJvj352K0LrxZyIQJI8frBWxADwYBt/s4032/IMG_6287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLmdM0NZcXLn3nRd0DwT7v1w_SF6qkcU20U0ZykDArj5tnMlMvyCYp4vzXo_XRvgNv0RahAdNEcAUFjEYfu3qmOfGHB2JM3mFsANm5d_WkgEZlSzDPQ5vl9vrYRdh9pGLbJbfDQCiYfNYBoYuEgai0KxJvj352K0LrxZyIQJI8frBWxADwYBt/w300-h400/IMG_6287.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>Though I though I'd followed the pattern exactly, I found that I had to fudge things a bit at the end, so clearly I miscounted somewhere. I don't think it's obvious unless you go looking for it closely, but if you do compare the ends, you'll see they don't quite match up:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAahkyrRFqpUrgto2cH9nwPlD3fLAFonVS3nL56mAVoqhLrJn2Z1eRsce0uXLVlcs_djlxdlMsCgCUCfUzpvH-HktM7lRjQi1Z1NrrNKAmCPXrW41mQMD9QcOln9QSkins0Zo70mg7tyTLKHGjQogG1mBOYofflu11E-UqI39hwJfiUP_NlqXr/s4032/IMG_6288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAahkyrRFqpUrgto2cH9nwPlD3fLAFonVS3nL56mAVoqhLrJn2Z1eRsce0uXLVlcs_djlxdlMsCgCUCfUzpvH-HktM7lRjQi1Z1NrrNKAmCPXrW41mQMD9QcOln9QSkins0Zo70mg7tyTLKHGjQogG1mBOYofflu11E-UqI39hwJfiUP_NlqXr/w300-h400/IMG_6288.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>I ended up using just a bit more than 400 yards of the skein, and the finished shawl (after gentle blocking) is about 66 inches wide along the top edge. I will definitely be knitting this pattern again, but the next time I do, I'll make sure I count correctly!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that my lingering WIPs from 2023 are taken care of, I've cast on All The Things! Well, a couple things, anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HCOZb38d5sXjeAusS-ar_6nz_pqPR6EZOyVf_GvzAhw643Im7NoQxaUwfU4hOgGLu3xZE-mWBXax6gjBa48WpssV8h65-chOSk1xEWyX4aj_XJS4yRKUQjUn2qJ7PIMevSmoggqdGRncNjKr9cA947Dlty3BLfmI9EBMkac-XXL_e8SEy-Jl/s4032/IMG_6289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HCOZb38d5sXjeAusS-ar_6nz_pqPR6EZOyVf_GvzAhw643Im7NoQxaUwfU4hOgGLu3xZE-mWBXax6gjBa48WpssV8h65-chOSk1xEWyX4aj_XJS4yRKUQjUn2qJ7PIMevSmoggqdGRncNjKr9cA947Dlty3BLfmI9EBMkac-XXL_e8SEy-Jl/w400-h300/IMG_6289.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>On the left is the collar and a teeny bit of the yoke on my <a href="https://www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/stripes?category=sweater" target="_blank">Stripes!</a> sweater, and on the right is a pair of socks I've just cast on for Mo so that I can have some knitting for the show tomorrow afternoon. It's not easy to tell from the photo, but that yarn is sparkly in addition to being in neon colors!</div><div><br /></div><div>I have also started a new spinning project:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGgnMvUkvu986pznGPvLWLZYLLin9FOdotMQMOwQc59u9hbROHHdPvX7dBYC2nl3P6QkAcP01wmbKq1PNPwfDeSXaQrJ3NIoxQRg-LshqPug9AnrRJU0_Ju6U2qRO7M6mkXwui8q3HoKYlLWGyrXKfQ9NcwUB2wypzGxCrwuCK-bdz9wpYcoe/s4032/IMG_6290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGgnMvUkvu986pznGPvLWLZYLLin9FOdotMQMOwQc59u9hbROHHdPvX7dBYC2nl3P6QkAcP01wmbKq1PNPwfDeSXaQrJ3NIoxQRg-LshqPug9AnrRJU0_Ju6U2qRO7M6mkXwui8q3HoKYlLWGyrXKfQ9NcwUB2wypzGxCrwuCK-bdz9wpYcoe/w400-h300/IMG_6290.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>This is one of the Tour de Fleece prize colorways from last year from Southern Cross. It's called Bordeaux, and it's shades of greens, yellows, and browns on a lovely 85% Merino/15% silk base. I'm spinning a traditional three ply with this, my comfort zone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, friends, I've got a work meeting to get to, so that's all from me today. Have a great end to your week and a relaxing weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday with some updates!</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-38971800546477524782024-01-31T08:47:00.004-05:002024-01-31T08:47:49.830-05:00Unraveled, Week 5/2024<p>We have <i>finally</i> made it to the end of January, which feels as though it's lasted a year. I'm not all that excited for February, but at least it's shorter and brings chocolate! It's Wednesday, which means it's time to link up with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers, and this week I have two finishes to share.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uFSmAd692yIRv82Usg88nhKb2OUA_zV3Z6vlmwBHnu_LY81-WlG-hNt0Jm6c4PrjgUOMEjYGUNx15fCUaScE5-YA3vs2cD3O-7rjlo5ZJixaAIeKjyIjo6uymgShhKwtWOUHLhakzMTa9mbWO1h2tq-ZnBYdOo4xds5KGWS_-pnhjNK9OLTj/s3033/B7EF7C09-C657-4B2F-BA1C-B7E4C1E56C4A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3033" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uFSmAd692yIRv82Usg88nhKb2OUA_zV3Z6vlmwBHnu_LY81-WlG-hNt0Jm6c4PrjgUOMEjYGUNx15fCUaScE5-YA3vs2cD3O-7rjlo5ZJixaAIeKjyIjo6uymgShhKwtWOUHLhakzMTa9mbWO1h2tq-ZnBYdOo4xds5KGWS_-pnhjNK9OLTj/w399-h400/B7EF7C09-C657-4B2F-BA1C-B7E4C1E56C4A.JPG" width="399" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>On Sunday I finished up my first pair of socks for the year, and they're for me! I used my usual top-down heel-flap-and-gusset recipe and the custom-dyed yarn from <a href="https://www.fibernymphdyeworks.com/" target="_blank">Lisa</a> that I won last year. The tweed base was a bit of a change for me, but I like it! I haven't worn them yet, as they went right into a load of socks I had ready to wash (mainly because the blue was crocking a bit on my fingers as I was knitting them, so I wanted to wash out any excess dye), but they'll be going into my regular rotation.</p><p>I also finished up my second spin of the year:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2IGTV6YSX5CicR0GfwAFDxbEbHIBxoGJoZlXhPRvmAWXUtL66-hhHLfqgPLHBmhlYiXMSdsWj6V6SyDS-AAiqmGC-d9scIg_6JdDAspOlPc3n3j6s4edDXLmvsp4QwQZ2Ffjy_2qk6ALY8oQ8u4LEFl08UEOimUD2OdiHcaDBGYi2KyVT68R/s4032/IMG_6276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2IGTV6YSX5CicR0GfwAFDxbEbHIBxoGJoZlXhPRvmAWXUtL66-hhHLfqgPLHBmhlYiXMSdsWj6V6SyDS-AAiqmGC-d9scIg_6JdDAspOlPc3n3j6s4edDXLmvsp4QwQZ2Ffjy_2qk6ALY8oQ8u4LEFl08UEOimUD2OdiHcaDBGYi2KyVT68R/w300-h400/IMG_6276.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p>This colorway is called Bloom, and it's even more saturated in real life than it appears here -- my camera just would not do the colors justice no matter how many adjustments I tried. This is a 70% superfine merino/30% silk blend, so it's unbelievably soft. I ended up with approximately 386 yards of chain-plied fingering that just screams "Mardi Gras" to me. This was last July's club shipment, so I'm getting closer to being caught up!</p><p>In the "getting closer to being done" category, I'm quickly approaching the end of my Mas Vida shawl:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUwn82-WlSpMdEdUSWcrqvOs71vExCI7hriCr__W-0Xf-CKHq_JO77IxBRPCPXiu3FQ9_JeTcD8F5B0W5v8mQa47BMpeTRtFNTI4Xk1BcYhoYPjZcklq3M4IQ-H9BJ0_xUuMw0KsKp59pQOUPFhPWLCn5mpvX7WyeYkPHwGlXgmvieRoqDV9g/s4032/IMG_6283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUwn82-WlSpMdEdUSWcrqvOs71vExCI7hriCr__W-0Xf-CKHq_JO77IxBRPCPXiu3FQ9_JeTcD8F5B0W5v8mQa47BMpeTRtFNTI4Xk1BcYhoYPjZcklq3M4IQ-H9BJ0_xUuMw0KsKp59pQOUPFhPWLCn5mpvX7WyeYkPHwGlXgmvieRoqDV9g/w400-h300/IMG_6283.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've folded it in half here so you can see how much (or, rather, how little) I have left to knit. The rows are much shorter and thus are taking much less time, so I expect this will be done very soon.</p><p>Reading has been quite good this past week. I've finished three books.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLpLtKvfxB8qlf3BrPPlJUEhtU5eNMpabty7kFQ57SVPk7lJZ8H0Q7ju5GDagDS1C4A4iOvWPM8QcPVROUbF6RjCnOa5dKYQ0Kr66W17lDr0SC1WJR-QS04tRQ9SY8pWPB73xhOjRsqnLzk7zSTBRsWDN7ZH0mWVgfkyjSvVLQVMDLRzwLcuD/s586/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.28.22%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLpLtKvfxB8qlf3BrPPlJUEhtU5eNMpabty7kFQ57SVPk7lJZ8H0Q7ju5GDagDS1C4A4iOvWPM8QcPVROUbF6RjCnOa5dKYQ0Kr66W17lDr0SC1WJR-QS04tRQ9SY8pWPB73xhOjRsqnLzk7zSTBRsWDN7ZH0mWVgfkyjSvVLQVMDLRzwLcuD/w133-h200/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.28.22%20AM.png" width="133" /></a></div><p>By now you all know that the next <a href="https://dancingattheedge.com/read-with-us/" target="_blank">Read With Us</a> selection is <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77266.The_Poisonwood_Bible" target="_blank">The Poisonwood Bible</a></i>, but I was actually already reading it as the final book in the <a href="https://mere-et-filles.com/kingsolver-along/" target="_blank">Kingsolver-along that Mary has been hosting</a>. Unfortunately I'm going to miss the discussion this Saturday (Mo and I have tickets to see <i>My Fair Lady</i>), but that wasn't going to stop me from reading the book, which I first read more than two decades ago, probably around 2000, based on the fact that I had a paperback. I remembered loving it when I read it but very few details, so it was almost like a new book to me on this reread. Of course, now I'm in a very different place of life and am a mother, so this hit me in very different ways this time around, though I was surprised that was affected me the most was not the big family tragedy (no spoilers; if you've read it, you'll know what I'm referring to) but the tragedy of what happened to the new democracy of the Congo and, more generally, to African nations in their efforts to throw off the shackles of colonial rule. I still loved it this time around, and I once again gave it 5 stars.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjqZWYNZjBDDgAmoc-Me_0c4ow6jkBeOuL5cDfF-7leBNoZ_hKm_tB6d2S6Go6_QtBmkSmz0ou-GcllA99n3uCdB7f68W_8JDdCgLvhWNU0wOLAykVEMWYSUqPbAmZtz7cq4S_O2W6rEvqPNnX_zOgPzJS6bCdhoXy2oPEYDbUF8Jtfm_egIz/s400/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.35.43%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="394" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjqZWYNZjBDDgAmoc-Me_0c4ow6jkBeOuL5cDfF-7leBNoZ_hKm_tB6d2S6Go6_QtBmkSmz0ou-GcllA99n3uCdB7f68W_8JDdCgLvhWNU0wOLAykVEMWYSUqPbAmZtz7cq4S_O2W6rEvqPNnX_zOgPzJS6bCdhoXy2oPEYDbUF8Jtfm_egIz/w197-h200/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.35.43%20AM.png" width="197" /></a></div>My next finish was a little more academic in nature. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151615530-monsters" target="_blank">Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma</a></i> is nonfiction, a combination of memoir, essay, and art criticism in which the author wrestles with how to deal with art (be it literature, film, fine art, or anything else) when the creator behind it proves to be problematic. Think of the Harry Potter series and J.K. Rowling or the films of Roman Polanski and Woody Allen. Is it possible to divorce the art from the artist? Is it okay to still enjoy the art when we don't like its creator? The book doesn't really answer the questions but explores them in depth, with specific examples of so-called monsters and the works they've created. This is a book I would have liked to have read with my eyes, but it was only available on audio from my library. It's a book that I think would be really great to read and discuss in a class. I gave it 4 stars.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj596979nSYq8eV83UFW1arw1Wgr-gjQcwvLi_eh4Y403FIjG8Qrcy_BsevdsIXvTt18bMf_37Bgii9EKSx6CENOO0q32zq_pxLvXI6zEXq96wp8Rh_KC62sJmyBEqA8fkRDpX7AdIZOZiKNJrOZZjc6ymSmP9lmjuqHsxtIG7qJUjOYCRpnOCA/s588/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.40.53%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj596979nSYq8eV83UFW1arw1Wgr-gjQcwvLi_eh4Y403FIjG8Qrcy_BsevdsIXvTt18bMf_37Bgii9EKSx6CENOO0q32zq_pxLvXI6zEXq96wp8Rh_KC62sJmyBEqA8fkRDpX7AdIZOZiKNJrOZZjc6ymSmP9lmjuqHsxtIG7qJUjOYCRpnOCA/w133-h200/Screenshot%202024-01-31%20at%208.40.53%20AM.png" width="133" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>My final finish for the week was <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77265006-the-wren-the-wren" target="_blank">The Wren, the Wren</a></i>, which was a buzzy book from last fall. At its center are a mother and daughter whose lives are still bearing the scars left by their father and grandfather, respectively, a famous poet who walked out on his family when the mother was still a young teenager and whose poetry pops up throughout their lives. I liked the writing, but throughout this book I felt like there was something I just wasn't getting, and it didn't feel like a cohesive story to me. That may have been the point, for all I know. I gave it 3 stars.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I am currently reading an old book from high school (that was already an older book at the time), <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2264223.July_s_People" target="_blank">July's People</a></i>, which feels like a good pairing for <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i>, and I also finally got <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137223946-absolution" target="_blank">Absolution</a></i> from the library yesterday and am hoping work cooperates to allow me to finish it today -- so good!</div><div><br /></div><div>What are you making and reading this week?</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-28706689923090358152024-01-29T07:34:00.001-05:002024-01-29T07:34:15.654-05:00One Little Word 2024<p>It's the final Monday of the month (hallelujah, January is almost over!), and that means it's time to check in on my One Little Word. In this case, it's also time to share my word! At this time last month, I was panicking a bit because I didn't yet know what my word would be. I haven't been picking a word for that long, and it seems like it always takes me until the last days of the previous year to figure out what the focus will be for the new year. And with the exception of 2020, it always seems to come to me while I'm on a long walk in Florida. This year was no exception. I was out on one my last walks of the year and was weighing several options when something different occurred to me, and I realized at once that it was my word.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIK4CJV-O7LY9Ph2jSPKQFQEEV014Wn1JywTK2QVQ9tpi1p_uP8jK9S6p1WzHF7pXKZdsL0liKV5xmGYIX0SUmFOcOqe2n0_qLyAA82wnYe0JUEpqywvc36U7Ocjerlx3fv7Mx0GhMLbQS75kmH3TZ5INtW2zEQ5nBTJozMfuUx7iNDEZBze9Z/s400/Better.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIK4CJV-O7LY9Ph2jSPKQFQEEV014Wn1JywTK2QVQ9tpi1p_uP8jK9S6p1WzHF7pXKZdsL0liKV5xmGYIX0SUmFOcOqe2n0_qLyAA82wnYe0JUEpqywvc36U7Ocjerlx3fv7Mx0GhMLbQS75kmH3TZ5INtW2zEQ5nBTJozMfuUx7iNDEZBze9Z/w400-h200/Better.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>My One Little Word for 2024 is <b>Better</b>. I've realized in reflecting on my purpose in engaging in this whole practice since the beginning was to focus on improving myself and my life. I've chosen words that help me to focus my attention, manage how I spend my time and energy, and prioritize certain practices or activities. So for this year, it feels right to focus more generally in improvement. I love that Better doesn't mean perfection, and I love that it can be an adjective, an adverb, and a verb. I hope that over the course of this year, I can do and be Better in all aspects of my life, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-73401733223622972662024-01-26T08:14:00.001-05:002024-01-26T08:14:04.504-05:00Quite a Contrast<p>At this time last week, it was snowing and cold. Mo had a snow day, and the Mister had come home early from a work trip to avoid having to drive in the storm. This morning, it is 62ºF and the sun is starting to peek out. When I go for my run later, I won't have to wear a coat, hat, or gloves to stay warm. This is unusual for January but not unwelcome!</p><p>I haven't made a ton of progress on my shawl since pulling it out again, but the pattern repeat came back to me right away and it's something I can work on without having to think too much. And of course now that I'm decreasing, the rows are getting shorter and will thus go faster.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86EQl0RowV9xawy4yQUpnGGnJVDqTHRULdmobmUqXyhvKFEzRfoA2wjBxd2opjbMtJqvsIVqAnivx9LzCvjKIZqLDBPWZTgp1KVeQ-f-ZWUHuEREx459B4oaoCBNDpgIpk_thaFgaGBARXrzX7RfB8elPU1r6g64LwE4kL4t0UOURGJPwk6YL/s3877/IMG_6266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2839" data-original-width="3877" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86EQl0RowV9xawy4yQUpnGGnJVDqTHRULdmobmUqXyhvKFEzRfoA2wjBxd2opjbMtJqvsIVqAnivx9LzCvjKIZqLDBPWZTgp1KVeQ-f-ZWUHuEREx459B4oaoCBNDpgIpk_thaFgaGBARXrzX7RfB8elPU1r6g64LwE4kL4t0UOURGJPwk6YL/w400-h293/IMG_6266.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I've also made some progress on my current spinning project, working on it during the never-ending work meetings. I'm now almost at the end of the third (of four) strip of fiber, so I expect my singles will finished up soon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYldXuw1hYtrfwgL2rxULxJSTSPLX8gcCTGhoNR8uhNibgoXiSE0nNutSgkj1-Jh-en671-eJPooVtqOsd0QJDekXQdxCfPSn6kOjEpltK9_PVP8vYYYBPAtCA9TyQafLqUdn-n50SRoM9ipexzhqIB3eH-fFBXqJAkIKvTPl8BAkPpLbByhDn/s4032/IMG_6267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYldXuw1hYtrfwgL2rxULxJSTSPLX8gcCTGhoNR8uhNibgoXiSE0nNutSgkj1-Jh-en671-eJPooVtqOsd0QJDekXQdxCfPSn6kOjEpltK9_PVP8vYYYBPAtCA9TyQafLqUdn-n50SRoM9ipexzhqIB3eH-fFBXqJAkIKvTPl8BAkPpLbByhDn/w400-h300/IMG_6267.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>We've got a very calm weekend ahead, which I'm very much thankful for (as is Mo; she intends to sleep as late as she possibly can tomorrow). The only plans I have at this point are to get together with some friends to play mahjongg tomorrow afternoon. I hope your weekend is equally restful!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-22921252338401345632024-01-24T09:04:00.001-05:002024-01-24T09:04:13.141-05:00Unraveled, Week 4/2024<p>Greetings from a very gloomy Wednesday morning here in Pittsburgh. The good news is that we finally got above freezing after a stretch of frigid weather. The bad news is that rain is in the forecast for the foreseeable future, so there's not much sun to be seen.</p><p>It's Wednesday, so that means it's time to link up with <a href="http://askatknits.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> and the Unravelers and give you an update on my making and reading. I've decided that after my success with the sweater, I should give the same sort of attention to my other WIPs from 2023, so I pulled out this shawl:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2uVGejSMe7UBZcOLYjEgOeS77o-GQCad99cq2RZ-RzvJEOgzVoJBi5hvSTRzT58ubgrl-wPnbUkjcLVUnafDoPMcfdPIzPQ8S-ZRLoYOEYPSRTW05Xf1K7jLOXDl54BaFD6lVKzXLm0TKaba23UKNpPYH6TCrkRmYILUzrhg3_jvhDObwbmr/s4027/IMG_6261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2773" data-original-width="4027" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2uVGejSMe7UBZcOLYjEgOeS77o-GQCad99cq2RZ-RzvJEOgzVoJBi5hvSTRzT58ubgrl-wPnbUkjcLVUnafDoPMcfdPIzPQ8S-ZRLoYOEYPSRTW05Xf1K7jLOXDl54BaFD6lVKzXLm0TKaba23UKNpPYH6TCrkRmYILUzrhg3_jvhDObwbmr/w400-h275/IMG_6261.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>This is my <a href="https://www.downcellarstudio.com/designs/masvida/" target="_blank">Mas Vida</a> shawl, which I cast on way back in June and thought I would whip up in no time. I got a lot of it knit when I was in Nashville in July and then it just sat. Last night I pulled it out again, added a few repeats, and finally got to the point where I will stop increasing and start decreasing. I'm using some really lovely yarn (a merino/cashmere/silk from <a href="https://www.fibernymphdyeworks.com/" target="_blank">Fibernymph Dye Works</a>) that will be a delight to have around my neck, so I think I have sufficient motivation to get this done soon.</p><p>I've also got a new spin going, the July 2023 Southern Cross Fibre club shipment. It's called Bloom and is on a decadent 70% superfine Merino/30% mulberry silk base. I've decided to do a chain-ply, so I split the fiber into four narrow strips that I'm spinning in succession. The lack of light won't cooperate to allow me to share a decent photo of the singles, but here is the fiber:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIcy8ZOAQSMGZQOMvt22NjOX2oO9x0aMg7LJIw18Y0SxKJZD3n15t5bgyLntKW7jqxyfIRosq9ERB4GNWSWp4xV83gU_XuRMm4A4gBq9TzOY0OfCoh47kD9jBLJ8m0d30IKhQuwLJsE_egI8cbL6Q-x864YIhQr6S86w7Shs5GECJhyphenhyphen7hnJp1/s4032/IMG_6255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIcy8ZOAQSMGZQOMvt22NjOX2oO9x0aMg7LJIw18Y0SxKJZD3n15t5bgyLntKW7jqxyfIRosq9ERB4GNWSWp4xV83gU_XuRMm4A4gBq9TzOY0OfCoh47kD9jBLJ8m0d30IKhQuwLJsE_egI8cbL6Q-x864YIhQr6S86w7Shs5GECJhyphenhyphen7hnJp1/w400-h300/IMG_6255.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>In keeping with last year's trend of a high percentage of audiobooks, I've finished two in the last week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f7NKvR9IJKbhe1Dt5g5rZWFI_MpVbWCBrL0VR3x_SE2VgxDIpWzQhHilKzwkLiZFzeQ2nIRHMjmhlBDTs_PO2jvZ2WdnM9Rc17KEZEwkOxerUs4XskRYGxeAukw677vJMI4C5hStc2Bj-v59jx3xk4fYG-Kfz3ySDvFEI59EJivX7qALRQO0/s402/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%208.48.49%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f7NKvR9IJKbhe1Dt5g5rZWFI_MpVbWCBrL0VR3x_SE2VgxDIpWzQhHilKzwkLiZFzeQ2nIRHMjmhlBDTs_PO2jvZ2WdnM9Rc17KEZEwkOxerUs4XskRYGxeAukw677vJMI4C5hStc2Bj-v59jx3xk4fYG-Kfz3ySDvFEI59EJivX7qALRQO0/w194-h200/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%208.48.49%20AM.png" width="194" /></a></div>The first of these is <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205423127-family-family" target="_blank">Family Family</a></i>, which was just published yesterday. If there's an overarching theme of this book, it's that families come in so many different forms and can be created in so many different ways, and no one form or one way is inherently the "right" way. There are so many assumptions about adoption, many of them involving implied trauma, and this book sets out to show that's not always the case.<div><div><br />The story is told in alternating timelines, one in near-present day and one one in the main character's past, slowly working toward the present. India Allwood is an a teenager aspiring to life as a professional actress when she finds herself pregnant, ultimately deciding that placing her child for adoption will allow someone else's dreams of being a parent come true. In the present, she has just found herself in the middle of a controversy over comments she has make about her most recent role, in which she's a mother who was so traumatized by giving up a child for adoption that she's become addicted to drugs. As we learn more about India's past, we learn more about why she signed on for the role in the first place, why she was dissatisfied with the message it sent, and how complicated families can be -- whether they're biological or adoptive. I gave it 4 stars.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>I received an audio ARC of this book from MacMillan Audio/Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley in return for an honest review.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5E35NFPmtFVvDV3HIZNaI9Cs_3jQ6P_6ctgaVLy5flmdlwq0kTFcntbYdAa_wHwUqZbF7k8olkco-DhR9sopVYyrpJ4L3-qcFbTVmXFGEPGhAI26bPwK4kYlq431Lulqpc4ehIiwglqqB-N0l8RVLIvaZD5irWYrfFYPE0VHauNqv_rB4z8h/s394/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%208.55.41%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="394" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5E35NFPmtFVvDV3HIZNaI9Cs_3jQ6P_6ctgaVLy5flmdlwq0kTFcntbYdAa_wHwUqZbF7k8olkco-DhR9sopVYyrpJ4L3-qcFbTVmXFGEPGhAI26bPwK4kYlq431Lulqpc4ehIiwglqqB-N0l8RVLIvaZD5irWYrfFYPE0VHauNqv_rB4z8h/w200-h199/Screenshot%202024-01-24%20at%208.55.41%20AM.png" width="200" /></a></div><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71449268-brotherless-night" target="_blank">Brotherless Night</a></i> was a recommendation from Kat during the Read With Us discussion of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57224204-the-seven-moons-of-maali-almeida?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gCnM2mrhSy&rank=1" target="_blank">The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida</a></i>. Like <i>Seven Moons</i>, it takes place during the long civil war in Sri Lanka, though this novel is much less experimental in its storytelling. It is told by Sashi, a teenager aspiring to become a doctor when the story opens, and follows her through the next decade or so. She tells us this story from later in life as though it were a memoir, and we learn about the tragedies and struggles to befall her Tamil family, including her four brothers. It is a heartbreaking story and a reminder that war is a tragedy on all sides, with blame and atrocities to be found everywhere. I appreciated the audio in helping me with pronunciations, but I also found it a little tricky to keep track of all the characters, and the narrator also had a somewhat strange habit of phrasing things such that she seemed to put a period in the middle of sentences that tripped me up a bit. But overall, I found it to be a really powerful and impactful read. I gave it 4 stars.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am still working my way through <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i>, though I'm more than halfway through now, and I've just started another audiobook, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151615530-monsters">Monsters</a></i>.<br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>What are you making and reading this week?</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18506844.post-47122536655286229192024-01-22T08:34:00.003-05:002024-01-22T08:34:44.733-05:00Well Worth the Wait<p>As promised, I have a finished sweater to share with you this morning!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTMzzZWJ212tTQV1KDDWS0g81X-68fad9RyObKJlO4zfkvXvWMiWE5bPiYhOaBahcAjlrGr4zq57mYs0IYrUS-KvdWEpVjScSN3umK4fpIvl784-wz1keS2m91c8GUPK53kHBVSDAenKUUzdQg83LHWG5LwT7mCD5iPUEaKaarJmmSAurNGL8/s1800/B03BAF06-F8FA-4BEA-8442-443853F1608B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTMzzZWJ212tTQV1KDDWS0g81X-68fad9RyObKJlO4zfkvXvWMiWE5bPiYhOaBahcAjlrGr4zq57mYs0IYrUS-KvdWEpVjScSN3umK4fpIvl784-wz1keS2m91c8GUPK53kHBVSDAenKUUzdQg83LHWG5LwT7mCD5iPUEaKaarJmmSAurNGL8/w320-h400/B03BAF06-F8FA-4BEA-8442-443853F1608B.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>Pattern: </b><a href="https://www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/birch-pullover?category=sweater" target="_blank">Birch Pullover</a> by Andrea Mowry, size 2 (38 in./96.5 cm bust)<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Dusty Tree Dyeworks Root Fingering (100% superwash American Merino), 4.47 skeins/1788 yds.<br /><b>Needles: </b>US 3/3.25 mm<br /><b>Started/Completed:</b> March 19, 2023/January 18, 2024<br /></p><p>To say I'm thrilled with how this sweater turned out would be an understatement. I am now kicking myself for letting it sit in a project bag for so many months when I could have been wearing it all fall. It fits perfectly, with just the right amount of positive ease to feel like a cozy sweatshirt-type garment but not so much that it feels sloppy. And between the bounciness of the yarn and the thickness of the half fisherman's rib stitch, the fabric is incredibly cozy.</p><p>The yarn I used is from a local <i>very</i> small-batch dyer who started out <a href="https://www.dustytree.com/" target="_blank">making soap</a> and branched into yarn because she's also a knitter. I've been using Rebecca's soap for years and have used her yarn a number of times before, including for <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-sky-in-the-stream" target="_blank">one of my shawl designs</a> (Ravelry link), but this was the first time I'd used multiple skeins for a garment. Because she dyes in such small batches, she has no colorways and thus every skein is one of a kind. So when I picked up the five skeins I used for this sweater, they were all similar but not the same, and I arranged them in a lightest-to-darkest gradient:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGwN6QipcHJqOq4JlW-ancOpvpjT0eHGlwmLMnJen0j0szrDUTsqVgIxkavKEmHSf9xIXHddTKgdvGncdnmjSLJu6qQlKprdvtiEeG0pIjLs8MxOuPxZdizN_4W9RNs8Ud0n-4_ftMQp7dvt6bCtiyMoKd9c71FEWBCA65xn-ioifR0f7yWSG/s290/IMG_4573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="272" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGwN6QipcHJqOq4JlW-ancOpvpjT0eHGlwmLMnJen0j0szrDUTsqVgIxkavKEmHSf9xIXHddTKgdvGncdnmjSLJu6qQlKprdvtiEeG0pIjLs8MxOuPxZdizN_4W9RNs8Ud0n-4_ftMQp7dvt6bCtiyMoKd9c71FEWBCA65xn-ioifR0f7yWSG/s1600/IMG_4573.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><p>As I knit the sweater and got to the end of one skein, I began alternating skeins every round to incorporate the new one. I also wound off about 30% of each skein once I started the body so that I'd be able to match, more or less, the body and the sleeves. If you enlarge the photo above, you'll see that the ends of the sleeves are darker than the bottom of the body; I didn't end up using the fifth/darkest skein at all on the body but did need it for the sleeves, but as the sleeves are actually longer than the body, I think that makes perfect sense and works quite well. The color matching wasn't perfect, but I don't think that really matters or that you can really tell because all the skeins had enough variation in color and the texture of the stitch pattern masks it well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-PNSjVryTA4PzTMYRNu_5jFJ-O0S7_CebKf4Mrg4bj4gw785_207E6YMTHQ1UQpwcMdW-tg8UPyj4jzv_zMwIORbXdvam4-6r06_ZIffu5slA9qSIqOHvJIJGOAj0gEzspZhIWyuyuQ_KXWBDYC6Jbs0uFjxCVjJ2-8QFIGdIjHjKIFf5k7Q/s1800/022495AB-65C1-4FC2-8224-B4763560D99D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-PNSjVryTA4PzTMYRNu_5jFJ-O0S7_CebKf4Mrg4bj4gw785_207E6YMTHQ1UQpwcMdW-tg8UPyj4jzv_zMwIORbXdvam4-6r06_ZIffu5slA9qSIqOHvJIJGOAj0gEzspZhIWyuyuQ_KXWBDYC6Jbs0uFjxCVjJ2-8QFIGdIjHjKIFf5k7Q/w320-h400/022495AB-65C1-4FC2-8224-B4763560D99D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The color is most accurate in the top photo, but here's detail of the side and one sleeve. I really like how the raglan increases are incorporated into the stitch pattern. Another nice touch is the tubular cast-on for the neckline and bind-offs for the body and sleeve cuffs:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqon37kq1-oWfjsN5RhdziDd7L0rfHQLoargatSLC3l9ONWOA8Tjj-gdXER5d2SMoBJSJJfaCs_HoA4Z3mFxpRckpPtzKdL2dV7kL35pFebQKjFktQzd420aEIwWxHPBcgTiNpE9z0vIjHecnGio_MVK9IGYNQEHdWTx6NW70QLTRQ-vl-Uua0/s1795/92F336A7-8062-4234-84F7-5A86CFA44FF8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1795" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqon37kq1-oWfjsN5RhdziDd7L0rfHQLoargatSLC3l9ONWOA8Tjj-gdXER5d2SMoBJSJJfaCs_HoA4Z3mFxpRckpPtzKdL2dV7kL35pFebQKjFktQzd420aEIwWxHPBcgTiNpE9z0vIjHecnGio_MVK9IGYNQEHdWTx6NW70QLTRQ-vl-Uua0/w321-h400/92F336A7-8062-4234-84F7-5A86CFA44FF8.JPG" width="321" /></a></div><p>Aside from my color management, the only modification I made to the pattern was to work two extra decreases on my sleeves, mainly because I have ridiculously tiny wrists and didn't want my cuffs to be gaping. And though this stitch pattern makes for a dense row gauge and thus not an especially fast knit, the cast-on and bind-off dates aren't really an accurate representation of how long it took me to knit. I looked at the calendar and figured out exactly how long it took me: 14 days last March (to knit the yoke to the sleeve/body separation), 15 days in December (to complete the body), and 18 days in January (to knit the sleeves -- while also working on other projects). The total time is 47 days, or about a month and a half. When you consider that I was working full time except for those days in December, that's still pretty impressive.</p><p>I had such a positive experience with this pattern that I'm going to do <a href="https://www.dreareneeknits.com/shop/stripes?category=sweater" target="_blank">another Andrea Mowry pattern</a> for my next one, and I've already swatched and wound my yarn and will be casting on soon:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGIpebH2Z7ugea3yd2fZqMuo6Qm1vPiVs0J5ES4nGDt8qHtsQBlErIdUvCkjuX6j7BWxErjm8JDe4ZnHzCL59oKoA215CllldSD7u77qAhoK73AOoFH4VGKJFW1ZlMQBnkxYZY9DX_rxVUbIv5TP6vbLLW1a61U-kZHRpVHjUHR2AFzTprGNG/s4012/IMG_6254%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2845" data-original-width="4012" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGIpebH2Z7ugea3yd2fZqMuo6Qm1vPiVs0J5ES4nGDt8qHtsQBlErIdUvCkjuX6j7BWxErjm8JDe4ZnHzCL59oKoA215CllldSD7u77qAhoK73AOoFH4VGKJFW1ZlMQBnkxYZY9DX_rxVUbIv5TP6vbLLW1a61U-kZHRpVHjUHR2AFzTprGNG/w400-h284/IMG_6254%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The orange yarn is the same base, leftover from another sweater</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I also promised you an update on Mo's competition over the weekend. I had hoped to have big, exciting news of a win, but her team missed out on first place by <b>one point</b>. The team that took home the trophy is the same one as last year, from a big suburban district (the one where I taught in my former professional life, actually) and with something like 36 team members compared to the 10 on Mo's team. Even discounting my admitted bias, I think her team had a much better presentation. She thinks the deciding factor was the essay; the other team won the special award for the best essay, so that would make sense. But her team won three special awards, including Students' Choice and one from a national professional engineers' association, so they have a lot to be proud of. And we also don't have to worry about getting her to Washington, D.C., in February!</p><p>It's still quite cold here this morning, but we're supposed to get above freezing today and be much warmer (though with rain in the forecast) this week! I'm going to attempt to go for a run -- my first since last Monday -- this morning, but we'll see how I manage with some sidewalks still covered in snow. I hope you all have a good start to your week!</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05434256661615289001noreply@blogger.com13