Let the rain sing you a lullaby. — Langston Hughes
We had a delicious taste of spring in Pittsburgh this week…warm temperatures, sunshine, and yes… some rain. It pattered on the roof all night and reminded me how lovely it is to be tucked into bed when it rains. It is the perfect invitation for sleep! Overnight my grass was suddenly green and it smelled so good outside! In the hushed winter world there are not any smells…but spring rains bring a smell overload!
And what could be more hopeful that the changing of the seasons. The forsythia bushes have taken on a yellowish-green hue as they wake from their winters nap. The maple tree in the front yard has been waiting patiently all winter for the right moment for its buds to open…and her wait is almost over. Those buds are a lovely red that looks even redder against a blue sky!
But this gives me such hope!
Last night President Biden gave me so much hope and I will gladly encourage everyone to get vaccinated when it’s your turn! (and in case you missed him last night…here you go!)
It makes me happy to hear about friends that I have worried about getting vaccinated. It makes me happy that Steve’s mom got her first shot this week! It makes me happy to hear about YOU getting vaccinated. And it makes me very happy to think about celebrating freedom from this virus on the 4th of July. And it will make me extraordinarily happy when it is finally my turn! Sometimes the best hope of all comes in a little glass vial.
Have a great weekend everyone! See you all back here on Monday!
When confronted with a birthday in a week I will remember that a book can be a really good present, too. — Stephanie Pearl McPhee, At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much
I finally began those socks again… and this time I decided to use a toe up sock pattern… sort of. I will do increases until they are wide enough for Steve’s feet and then knit on. Fortunately he does not like tall socks, so once I get to the heel all the hard work will be done! That is if I get through the fiddly bit of the toe! Ha! I need to get them done because a birthday book would not be at all appreciated, lol!
However, what I am focused on is a sweater! Yes, I am back on Sleeve Island again this week. This time I am knitting away on Purl String sleeves. This sweater will be the perfect thing for spring so the urge to get it done is strong. However complicated the knitting of the sleeves are… there are decreases every X rounds, and something else happening every Y rounds. Which means there is lots of counting… sigh.
A priest has been murdered and, of course, there are a collection of suspects. DI Strafford (Sinjin) begins the task of unwinding the lies and alibis… but does that lead to the killer? An excellent and well-told story.
I don’t remember what directed me to read this book but I am so glad I did! If you need something to take your mind off Pandemic Times… this.is.the.book! The Life and Times of Ignatius J. Reilly are something to behold. I laughed… lots. The characters in the book are just magnificent – I loved the fallibility of them! I hate to say this, but boy… I have one or two of these characters in my life! I highly recommend this glorious book!
I read this book after I watched the Netflix series, but that did not diminish this story at all. It is brilliantly crafted, it pulls you in from the opening sentence and carries you along to the very last page. I know less than nothing about chess but that did not diminish the story either. I loved all the bits with Beth strategizing. I fell in love with Beth and all her faults! If you have not read this book, you should…now!
Yet another Brown book that I need to purchase so I can re-read parts as needed. I especially loved the parts on allowing oneself to be happy… to find joy… to live. I highly recommend this book!
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But February made me shiver… — Don Mclean, American Pie
As I put this look back together Don Mclean’s song kept echoing in my head. A melancholy song for a melancholy month… a month of some hard emotional lifting. A month that the weather, miraculously, matched my mood.
But as I look back, I see glimmers of hope… increasing daylight, a gift of flowers that remind me how very much I am loved, a brilliant young poet who speaks to my heart, not one but two finished objects, and a wee doggy who is simply the best companion – especially on the hard days. Oh, and the snowdrops closed out the month, gently reminding me that these melancholy days are not permanent.
“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”
― Pablo Neruda
This week hope began to leap forward in a most glorious manner! My little snowdrops have come up and while their little flowers are not open, these hardy little flowers are the most pleasant bits of green in a very brown garden! Mine look very similar to the image above. No open blooms yet…they are waiting for a warmer day! (Which might happen here next week… 70’s are in the forecast!!)
And how about the hope that the COVID-19 vaccines are giving? When I listened to President Biden on Tuesday, I burst into tears at his news. Tears of hope. Tears of joy. In that moment I thought of all of us who have been unable to physically see our families during this pandemic… it has been so hard and seeing that light growing so much brighter at the end of this very long tunnel was exactly what I needed.
Finally, I leave you with this… since winter solstice way back on December 21 we have gained almost 2 hours and 14 minutes of daylight. (at least here in Pittsburgh!)
Have a good weekend all… it is Get the Taxes Done Weekend here. Wish me luck, lol! See you all back here on Monday!
“SABLE- A common knitting acronym that stands for Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.”
― Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much
This week I present my new favorite sweater! It was a long time in the making, but wow do I like it! I like it so much that I have plans to make another.
I have this vintage skein of yarn from Briar Rose Fibers (thanks to being a premier SABLE member) and once I find some mohair to go with it, I will be knitting a second sweater! (if you all have color suggestions for me, I will gladly take them!)
Anyways, back to my sweater…the fit is really lovely, but next time I will knit 2 more repeats of the “pine cones” before beginning the bottom ribbing as I’d like an option with a bit more length. The sleeves are long and I am surprised how much I like them this length! I only did 7 sets of sleeve decreases (versus the 10 the pattern called for) and for me that was just perfect. I worried about how it would fit at the shoulders, but it sits perfectly and there is no slipping or sliding off! The pattern is incredibly well written and it is easy to follow. I highly recommend Ririko’s Evening Dew Cardigan.
On top of all of that, I managed to spin up a bit of fiber and I finished the yarn from last week. Sarah was right…a soak helped, but some bits still need a bit more twist, so I will run this through my wheel again. The other skein is Warm Woolen Mittens I (sorry, no longer available on their site) from HipStrings and I just love how it turned out!
I have yet to re-cast on those socks… and I need to get going on that pronto! But….
This lovely little diversion arrived this week from Lisa at Fibernymph Dye Works… my first installment in the Backyard Birdwatchers Club! This is chickadee (with a small bit of contrasting fiber dyed to match their speckled eggs!) and it is just gorgeous. It is BFL and I can’t wait to spin this up!
The reading was so good this week… and there was so much of it! Insomnia is good for something…oy.
I think this book is a simplified version of Marie Kondo – minus the joy. The author immediately suggests not reading the book cover to cover (perhaps her best suggestion, lol) but rather pick and choose the areas you want to work on. I did not find many useful suggestions, but she does make some suggestions that are helpful (perhaps not so much helpful, but insightful.)
Archive 17 by Sam Eastland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It felt good to get back to Inspector Pekkala and this book takes him back to Siberia to uncover a mystery and find the Tsar’s hidden gold stash for Stalin. There are some unexpected twists and turns, but Pekkala prevails… sort of. I won’t give any of the story away, but it is a fun read!
Vera and a murder…what’s not to love? This latest installment in the Vera series does not disappoint. I have so enjoyed watching the development of characters as this series has progressed. I highly recommend this series!
Whew… that was a lot of stuff for a post! What about you? How was your week?
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It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. — Charles Dickens
Welcome March! I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival!
It seems Dickens and I have the same vision of March… it can be glorious in the sunshine (when the sun shines here in Pittsburgh), but in the shade you’d think winter was still here!
While we had all kinds of melting in the last week of February here in Pittsburgh, I have memories of the “Mud Season” that Michigan does so very well in the spring. We have a tiny version here… our ground must thaw more quickly so it is only a Brief Interlude of Mud in Pittsburgh. This is not something I miss about Michigan, lol. Despite that melting, we will still have some very chilly days… perfect weather for a sleeveless tunic with a sweater!
Your wild winds always, always take me back to my earliest reading days with Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup with Rice. I remember walking home from the bus stop reciting it on blustery days with my arms out for balance as the wind pushed me along. I just loved reciting the “blowing once, blowing twice, blowing chicken soup with rice” part the best.
March makes my thoughts turn to my garden and how it might grow this year. I love looking through seed catalogs and at garden images on Pinterest! This year my goal is to certify my backyard!
March also brings a time change and Pi-day (March 14th), St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th), and March Madness begins March 18th. Oh..and the Knitter’s Pattern Party begins March 29!
But the best thing of all that you bring is SPRING on March 20th. I am hoping for a Lion and Lamb month… and I am so ready!
