Greetings dear Unravelers and Happy First Wednesday of August!
First, thank you all so much for the tips you shared last week about weaving in cotton ends. I begin that process soon but for now my focus is on Blanket No. Two, which is underway… barely, but I have started it.
I ordered some Knitpicks Swish DK for the trio of Welcome to the Flock sweaters. My goal is to get this blanket done and then give myself a bit of a blanket break while I knit a “flock” of baby sweaters! Then it will be back to blanket knitting for Heidi’s baby. I really am enjoying baby knitting… which is a good thing! Ha!
As you can see, I did finally get my clothesline installed. Yes, with a single line… which is quite… inefficient. Was this what I asked for? Not in any way, shape, or form… this is what I described to the gentleman who installed it. So imagine my surprise that when the gentleman installer asked Steve for clarification on what I wanted and between the two of them they determined that I did not need more than one line. A decision made by a person who has never done laundry in all the years I have known him determined himself to be a “clothesline expert.” Has this been a point of contention in my house since its installation?? Yes it has… A very big point of contention that I am not over yet.
I knit this blanket using the Purl Soho prescribed color order… Blanket No Two is going to have a different line up!
In an effort to distract myself… I have been diligently researching the plethora of medicare choices so I am ready to sign up when October rolls around. It is a. lot. And it feels very much like I have been launched into an advanced calculus class and I don’t even have all my multiplication tables memorized! (at least that is the analogy that seemed to fit best for me!) I feel like there should be a worksheet that you can fill out which would direct you to the option that would best fit your answers… perhaps somewhere one exists but I have yet to find it.
As for the reading… I want to talk about a new book I finished this week (well, not really new, but newly translated from Italian to English) The Letter Carrier by Francesca Giannone. It was so, so good. The writing immersed me completely in Salento, Italy… and I fell in love with Anna, The Letter Carrier. It is a story about life… and so much more. It is about making a new home and trying to not be “the outsider” any longer. It is about returning home after being away for a long time. It is about family and friends who become family. It is about what you share and what you hold secret and how those things can alter your life. It is about making a difference in the community you live in. It is about love and loss. It is about being independent… yet still being a part of someone else and trying to find the balance between those two things. It really was the most beautiful story I have read in a very long time and it is one that will stay with me. If you are looking for the perfect book for August… try The Letter Carrier!
Finally… a bit of news that falls firmly into the delightful category. As a long time listener to The Slowdown podcast… I was over the moon to discover that the new host has been revealed…Maggie Smith will settle into the seat and will be sharing a poem every weekday beginning on August 18! If you have not been a Slowdown listener, you might want to become one because Maggie. Smith!!
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I love the completed blanket and the newly started one! They look so soft, squishy, and textured. I do not love the clothesline, though! I have three lines like you suggested and there are some times that even they aren’t enough. I have to laugh that two men conferred and this is what they came up. I hope this can be corrected somehow. I’m excited about Maggie Smith and The Slowdown. She also has a new book of poetry being published in March 2026. It’s entitled A Suit or a Suitcase in case you want to request it on NetGalley.
I am frustrated on your behalf about the clothesline. Did they not think to ask you what you wanted? Grr. But the blanket looks fantastic! Thanks for the book recommendation, too. It sounds right up my alley.
I love the colors!! The blanket is super adorable. I am enjoying the baby making things and am excited I’m near the end. Then it’s Christmas knitting for the grands!
Such a good thing that you are enjoying the baby knitting! With three on the way…your needles will need to be flying. The finished blanket is gorgeous and the 2nd one looks like it is off to a good start. I’m anxious to see the Flock sweaters. Oh man, I would be so very annoyed over the clothesline situation – especially after you told “the guy” what you wanted. Grrrrr. I have two very long lines and that is not always enough. Last week I put myself in the queue for The Letter Carrier (#26) – looking forward to getting that one. And yesterday I picked up a Bruno book only to find I had already read it! LOL
I’d be pissed about the clothesline, too. I don’t get how you were left out of the decision process. Grrrr. As for the Medicare, have you contacted your local Council on Aging? They usually have a SHINE expert available who can really help with understanding options and help you to make the right decision. And it’s FREE.
Could the gents not ask you about the clothesline?!! I’d be frustrated too. We have a free state agency called SHIP that provides insurance and Medicare information. We found them to be quite helpful.
The baby blanket look wonderful. These babes will be wrapped in your handmade love. And The Letter Carrier is going onto my TBR list. It sounds like a book I would enjoy. And what’s not to like about Italy as a setting?
I hope that clothesline situation is schedule to be corrected!! That would not stand. If the guy had a photo… what exactly was the question??
I am wondering what you could give advice on something to return the complement.. the next car perhaps. Love the blanket, and looking forward to all those baby clothes.