It has been a very warm week here in Pittsburgh… I enjoy summer, but 90+ degree weather dripping with humidity…not so much. Hibernating in my house with the AC is not my favorite way to spend summer. But all that warm weather has made my gardens just explode! I am picking an over-flowing handful of beans every night, which means my 8 bean plants are producing way more than we can eat! Which means I will be blanching some beans to freeze! This is an incredible unexpected boon from my little garden!
This week I also made a delicious Clafoutis! (Nothing says summer like Clafoutis does!) I will generally pass up cherry pie, but Clafoutis…never! I love channeling my inner Julia Child while making it as well! Bon Appétit!
I am hesitant to post Ravelry links right now. I hope that fixes happen SOON to make it accessible for everyone. (although I did come across this on Twitter, which might help if you are having issues!) All that aside… I had so much fun looking at all the little boy sweater links that you shared on Wednesday! I will be ordering some yarn and whipping a few of them up! Thank you all!
Speaking of Twitter, this week was full of good things there!
First up, Romi shared this bit of information that I did not know! Again, Pittsburgh!! (and the episode IS very good!)
You all: you must listen to this! Another piece of Black history I just learned: the first paramedics in the US were in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, and they redefined the role of the police. Both incredibly inspiring and frustrating in the erasure. But wow! This episode! https://t.co/XWn3UFZMyd
Next, some Brexit Hilarity thanks to a new account I stumbled across! RS Archer is a must follow!! Hi.lar.i.ous! (also, why aren’t my neighbors that funny??)
That is all I have for this week! Have a good weekend everyone and I will see you all back here next week!
I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do. — James Baldwin
Happy Juneteenth, everyone.
Today I will spend the day thinking about how meaningful this day is for Black Americans…and how far White America thinks we have come…but has not. And how I can do better.
Now let’s get on with the finds!
Need some listening suggestions? I got you this week!
But so did this… because Ansel. Ummm, yeah. It is lovely and it would be the perfect yarn for a sweater. Seriously… you need this in your knitting life. Now!
I know some of you have been doing a flurry of dishcloth knitting… but what about some potholder love?
This week, oh boy. It was so hard. So damned hard. And so full of just horrific news… each day seemed to be trying to outdo the day before. I struggled this week to find a single thing for my gratitude list, much less a list of them. But here we are at another Friday and I will try and share some things that were, for me, beacons of hope in a very dark week.
Tiny Treasures:
Sometimes all you need is a letter to brighten you day. This week there were some incredible letters that filled me with hope. First up, Emerson – a letter writing devotee. (it’s a long thread, but a very worthy read!)
Sometimes, just one letter is all it takes to make a difference. Dennis Ruhnke wrote a letter with a huge impact.
‘My life is forever changed’ — The man who sent his family’s last N95 mask to New York just got an honorary degree from Kansas State pic.twitter.com/Aq3f6HFsZt
This week I am thankful that I live in the world with Emerson and Dennis (okay, and Kansas State as well!!)
Gather near and listen!
Something on my bucket list was to be in the gallery of the Supreme Court. This is one of those “gosh, I wish I could do that” things that my realistic mind knew would never happen. Enter the coronavirus, and with it the LIVE STREAMING of the Supreme Court! In my wildest dreams, I never imagined being able to hear Justice Ginsburg arguing for women’s rights LIVE, from her hospital bed. Yes, that is right – if you had doubts about her superwoman powers, doubt no longer! She might be small, but she is fiercely mighty! (Here is the LIVE STREAM link and here is the archived audio from Wednesday’s argument of Little Sisters of the Pour Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania)
Inspired Singing:
I don’t know about you, but when I am having a blue day – some music (that I can sing along with) helps. One thing I have loved is watching artists perfect together apart. This especially made me smile. And, a new word… CONFINATION.
Friday Birthdays Are The Best:
Finally, today is my Sam’s 28th birthday. He, thankfully, must work today. (that was not a guarantee earlier this week when he learned that his work was laying off 10% of the workforce) A solo birthday at home might not be the best thing ever – I sent off a care package and we will FaceTime later today where we will be together, apart.
That is all I have for this week; I hope your Friday is full of some shining moments that make your weekend glow with happiness! See you all back here next week!
Sweet May hath come to love us, flowers, trees, their blossoms don; And through the blue heavens above us, the very clouds move on. — Heinrich Heine
While March was eons long, April has just sprinted on by – hasn’t it? I guess when each day is the same as the last, at first they seem to drag and then they pick up speed!
May, I hope you do come to love us with more sunny days, mild weather, and some patio happy hours!
I spent more time this week outside with the big camera, practicing more! Better? Maybe not so much, but I enjoyed every moment and was inspired to keep trying! And May ushers in Macro May!! Look for more photos during the month! We had a very rainy April (only 12 days without any precipitation) but grey days are perfect for taking photos! And getting outdoors after the rain and capturing it dripping off the lilacs made the volumes of rain *almost* worth it! Ha!!
I don’t know how many of you use Nextdoor (I use the app on my phone), but over the last week or so there has been an uptick in people women in my neighborhood trying to find a hairdresser who would break the rules to cut and/or color their hair. I was happy to see that these posts have been met with no success (or at least no one openly offers in the post to provide these services). And then Julia Farwell-Clay posted this on IG! I just want to ROAR with her with my own Badger-striped hair!
And The Poetry of Home is just the inspiration I needed to gather some yarn bits to start Susan B. Anderson’s Little House pattern that Kym highlighted this week. My plan is to make one for each of my children with a little Pandemic Tag on it, but I think I will also include the words of a poem too! (FYI, Little House pattern is currently discounted…so if you are thinking about it, don’t think too much longer!)
Mary is a voracious knitter and I think I found her next sweater to devour! And the Ravelry Hive Mind must all be of the same thought because this sweater from 2017 is in my “Hot Right Now Top 20”!
I feel like I need to get a blackboard and write the day, date, month, etc. on it to help me remember what day it is! Yesterday felt like Wednesday – although, I am not sure Wednesday’s “feel” like anything, my brain was convinced it was. Today does not have a Friday vibe, but I am hoping the cocktail hour later today will fix that problem!
Third Time is the Charm?
Remember when I was all “this week’s charts are so much easier?” I am eating my words today…for the third time. I am going to try to “fix” my problem, but I am not holding out much hope of getting that to work. Which will mean I will be ripping back this section for the third time. My first mistake? I did not pay close attention to the chart rows with and without dashes – so I missed a row that was knit on the wrong side. Knitting this in one color, that row of purl bumps was crucial to seeing the detail of the pattern. So, RIPPPPPPP! And yesterday when I was almost done with the chart, I discovered that I dropped a couple of decrease stitches. Which, as you can see, sticks out like a sore thumb. Of course, this is in one of the “stitch clusters” or in my case… a stitch clusterfuck. One (good??) thing though…this has helped me with is my ability to rip out and pick up stitches like a professional! Sigh.
Grandmotherly Knitting
Two babies, means double the baby knitting!! I would really like to knit a couple of blankets (think Yarn Harlot baby blanket inspiration) and have begun looking for patterns, but have not found anything on Ravelry that is saying “knit me!” Perhaps all I need is a lace dictionary, yarn, and needles! If you have baby blanket suggestions, I welcome them!
Inspiring Poetry
These days I am more grateful that ever for the balm that poetry brings. It settles my mind and soothes my soul. This morning’s Writer’s Almanac was exceptional, and I hope you find beauty in Longfellow’s words, too!
Fri-nally!
Those flowers from last week truly are the gift that has kept on giving. I only pulled the gerbera daisy from the bunch, and now the lilies are opening! That makes me so happy! I hope your weekend is full of things that bring happiness to you!
