Greetings dearest Unraveler’s!
March… yes, yes, yes! It rained yesterday… such soft, tender rain. It was delightful! This week we are leaping into temps in the 70’s… which is insane to me… just insane. My poor snowdrops will soon be over at these temps… sigh. But…
My DAFFS are going to have A YEAR!
Yes, those 10 Colossal Daffodil bulbs I planted a mere 3 years ago have a whopping 30 buds emerging! I am over the moon with this… and I would like to thank Carole for showing her braided daffodil greens last year. I did that and if that is the reason behind this bloom-athon, you can bet that I’ll be doing that again this year! But, this is not a gardening post… so let’s get to the making!
It is moving along. I actually let my second attempt at the Waffle Sweater sit quietly since I finished those short rows… partly because I was having a bit of disgust with it… partly so I could just let my maths simmer in my brain for a bit. I am happy to report that I picked it up again on Monday night and I think my increase plan is absolutely the right work around! That helps remove all traces of that disgust and I am back in knit mode to finish this sweater! I know that there will be plenty of days to wear this before it needs to be packed away for the summer!
I also started a sock… from a Miss Babs Sock Blank. I have never knit anything from sock blanks but I have to tell you, unraveling that blank, dividing the two strands, and winding two balls of yarn in increments was not a task that was… easy. However, it worked well to sit down and do this whilst watching a very moving movie on Netflix. (I highly recommend the movie I watched, The Swedish Connection. It was so, so, so good!) But despite the slowness of all that unraveling and winding… sock one is off to the races and I love everything about it! I went back to a much loved pattern, Carole’s Picot Edge Socks, which is exactly what this yarn needed to show the beauty of the dye… say hello to my Sakura Socks!
Cherry Blossom Socks!
The reading this week… mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! So good! I finished Bernd Heinrich’s Mind of the Raven… and have a new love for corvids and wish I saw ravens in my corner of the world. If you are a birder, I think you’d love this in-depth look at ravens. I listened.
Next, a new release by Allegra Goodman… This is Not About Us. I loved it. Really, really, loved it. It is a story about people, in particular an extended family and their relationships with each other. It starts with the death of one family member, and slowly evolves from there. These are not perfect people… they have problems, issues, opinions, struggles, desires… and this book really highlights how sometimes the messiest life is the best thing ever. It felt so good to be nestled in amongst these very real people. (One might say that I fit in perfectly, lol!) Anyways, I did not want the book to end… at all and I highly recommend it.
On a side note, I am phasing out my use of Goodreads. I have merged over, almost completely, to The Storygraph. It is really a nice interface and I love supporting something other than the dude from Amazon.
And with that, there you have my making and reading highlights for the week! What about you? What does your March making and reading look like?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
We may be thousands of miles apart but when Spring arrives down here we share that same thrill of watching the leaves of Daffodils break through the soil, seeing the buds form then open and know that the season has really changed. The other yellow herald of Spring are the different species of Wattles (Acacias) (Australia’s national floral emblem) that bloom just about everywhere.
Now I have to go and research ‘sock blanks’ a term I’ve never heard before ….mind you I’ve never knit a sock before either😊
I’m thrilled for you and your daffodils! I’m also glad that you have picked up your Waffle Pullover once again. I hope you can feel pride and joy at a challenge well met rather than disgust. Those socks are stunning and what a good week you’ve had in reading. I’m going to have to check out Storygraph. I don’t know if I’m up to switching over, but there is that guy who I don’t really want to support (any more than I already do).
Your Sakura sock start is gorgeous Kat. What lovely yarn!! And such good news about your Waffle – glad you are back on track with that. There are no green shoots poking up around here (or at least none that I have noticed), but I’m thrilled for you with your daffodils! The Swedish Connection looks quite good – I’ll have to see if Fletch can be pulled away from Maine Cabin Masters or Oak Island for a little change of pace – lol. So glad you enjoyed Bernd Heinrich’s book – he’s such an excellent nature writer. I’m in the queue for Allegra Goodman’s latest…hopefully not too long a wait.
I am so glad that your sweater is moving in the right direction. And three cheers for daffodils coming up! I’ve been keeping my eye on my small patch and was just thinking that I should plant some more, particularly as the rose bushes have been dying off. Carole’s pattern is just perfect for showing off that beautiful yarn.
Oh, I’m so happy to hear you’re embracing the Waffle Pullover once again. I think you’re going to love it . . . once those yoke increases are working for you. The colors you’re using are divine. And the sock is so charming. Love the spring pinks! I’ve checked out Storygraph before, but like Bonny, I’m not sure I’m up for switching to it. (Yet.) I am, though, deep into my own “detangling” from the Amazon mess . . . and cutting ties in many other (and probably slightly more lucrative for that jerk) ways.
The pink sock is so pretty. I think I’ll have to pay attention to the daffodil braiding — we have some coming up but fewer each year, though our crocus our blooming. I put the Swedish Connection on my list, thanks!
Oh, that’s going to be a lovely pair of socks!!
I was just wondering about an alternative to Goodreads… thanks! I’ll be checking out The Storygraph.
Your Waffle is going to be lovely with those colours. And what great news about the daffs!
I’m curious about sock blanks, and particularly dying my own… but I really don’t need another hobby 😁
I don’t know if braiding the daffodil leaves makes for stronger and healthier plants but if it works for you that’s awesome! And that’s a great pink sock you’ve got going there, too.
I am happy to hear your Waffle Sweater is back on track. The color combination is very pretty. The pink sock looks like Spring. Hooray for Daffodils. They do shout Spring.
I can’t wait for you to share a pic of your daffs. The ones the squirrel didn’t eat in my garden are in bloom with tulips very close. I love the way my tulips here seem to multiply. I have a garden more suited to them than daffs.