realizations

 

We're back to dry, cooler days after two or three of warm and humid; there was plenty of rain, too, including a thunderstorm Saturday. We needed it.

It occurred to me that if I'm having a hard time getting a sweater going on the knitting needles because my cast-ons are a bit tight, I should just cast onto a larger needle - I believe I used to know that. I'm gearing myself up to knit the Ranunculus sweater: I've got yarn - which I've had for years and should really do something with - but can't seem to get going. We'll see. Sometimes at the beginning of a project, I feel I'm all thumbs.

Now that it's cooler I'm letting myself use the oven more. And I suddenly remembered I can actually make the dough and bake one or two dozen, chill the rest and hardly heat up the kitchen at all! This is the kind of thing I've limited myself to all summer - not baking anything that takes more than half an hour. It's worked out well with fish or muffins, but why didn't I think of cookies? I tend to see them as a drawn-out business, having to bake tray after tray, find a place for them to cool away from cats, get something to store them in, etc. It's kind of the way I like to do everything - chipping away at it, a little at a time, here and there. And it's just a good idea to have some dessert-y thing around. 

soaking dry raisins

As Gretchen has mentioned, some Christians celebrated the birthday of the Virgin Mary today. 

Mary is the full flowering of the grace of Jesus Christ. To know her is to know what he has accomplished, what his victory has won. She shows in a singular manner what all of us are called to become...She is the realization of all that he has promised us.

                                                                                                    - Fr. Paul Scalia, from Magnificat

But she doesn't seem to age, according to all those she appears to around the world. ;-)

it fades

 Well, it's the Labor Day weekend, and there was just now a lot of noise outside. I had no idea of Labor Day warranting a firework display, but we had it. Well, I was ironing and too busy to look out the window. I have no doubt poor Annie was hopeful it wouldn't last very long. 

a different day, watching a bug on the ceiling

My little knitting project is coming along now; I had switched to a larger needle size, but switched back, and now I'm ready to decrease and bind off the bear's body. I can hear the katydids out the window, with the tree frogs singing in the background. It's strange to think there are actually frogs in the trees, since I don't anybody who's ever seen them. But they provide background music at nights in late summer.

It fades - this green, this lavish interval,
This time of flowers and fruits,
Of melon ripe along the orchard wall,
Of sun and sails and wrinkled linen suits;
Time when the world seems rather plus than minus
And pollen tickles the allergic sinus.

- Phyllis McGinley

like the Little Red Hen

 Oh, my goodness, what an August we've been having! So unnaturally cool - it actually did not reach seventy on Tuesday!! August, the hardest month to bear (to my mind), so warm and humid, with nights in the eighties sometimes. Not this year! It's been into the fifties at night! 

I really can't believe it; I actually could not stand to wear my summery clothes another day; I dug out some more in-between things. If this sounds like complaining, I'm really not; it's very comfortable. We did have several humid days last week, but it wasn't hot. 

I am reading Miss Read's first Fairacre novel, Village School. The descriptions of the town, the school and church, the neighborhood and children are all so real, even though things have changed so much. I also cast on a few stitches today, to try and make a little knitted bear - isn't it cute? I have a beige yarn, and we'll see how it goes.

Since I heard the owl last week, they've been on my mind. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the library was having an owl program! Yesterday! Yes, there was a Great Horned there.

a relative of the one I heard last week

The woman said that great horned owls are so fierce, even eagles won't mess with them! 

If they settle in our area, the rabbit population will decrease.

Lately, I've had a desire to bake things for the freezer. I've made einkorn pancakes, Irish soda bread muffins and today, blueberry scones - all in the freezer now. It's very nice to have things like this on hand. In case somebody drops by, or we're still hungry after a meal, or need a snack when we'll be out, etc.. Kind of like the Little Red Hen.

cats and things

 I'm working on adapting a new bedskirt to my day bed; I always have to cut off one long edge and attach some of it to a short edge. 

I found it where I get all my bedskirts - on ebay. This one is so pretty with the crocheted lace.

I enjoy reading Christina Rossetti's poetry and admire her gift, but many of them are on the same theme: lost love. I'm in the "lyric poems" section, so maybe things will be different in the other parts. I also have a biography of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and it's way more interesting than I expected it would be. The author seems to be a friend and has nothing bad to say about him, but that doesn't seem to get in the way, since every chapter is full of details for each situation described. I think there are still many in this country who do not know he's running for President. The press hardly mentions him. 

It's so cold this week, that the iced bushes from Tuesday's storm still sparkle in the sun. And tomorrow another inch or two will fall - not ice, just snow. 

I just finished a charming children's book I've always wanted to read, called "Whittington", by Alan Armstrong. 

This is the cover; you can tell why it intrigued me - the cat. Not to mention the fellow in his Renaissance garb. Well, turns out it was a Newberry honor book, and worthy of the recognition, a very enjoyable story about the life of Dick Whittington and his cat, legendary figures to British schoolchildren, I guess. Of course, it's fictional; Dick Whittington was a real mayor of London back then, but there is a cat in the story who is the real person of interest. However, the author found that Mr. Whittington did not come from a poor background; it seems his story got mixed up with a poor boy's and the cat may have been his. I don't know, but this book was well-written, going back and forth from our age to the fourteenth century. 

Another important cat, our Annie. I actually managed to get a fairly nice portrait of her, a very pretty girl.

And I'm still with the Chesterton Christmas book. It's supposed to be for Advent, but since I received it at Christmas, I am reading it now.

The world will never starve for want of wonders, 
but only for want of wonder.

- G.K. Chesterton

plugging along

I am still reading the naturalist's journal of his time in North Carolina, still going through the Adams/Jefferson letters. In between, I am re-reading Elizabeth Goudge's Gentian Hill, which is in terrible shape and coming apart.

The cover, anyway, gives no idea of what's within the pages. I ordered a new one.

With the Literary Life podcast, we've got Kidnapped, which is quite an exciting adventure. Our library copy has illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. Where are the authors like Stevenson today?

Meanwhile, my dress is coming along slowly, and now I have to understitch the bodice facing, which I like to do by hand. 

This was in Magnificat a few days ago -

Forth in the peace of Christ we go;
Christ to the world with joy we bring;
Christ in our minds, Christ on our lips,
Christ in our hearts, the world's true King.

It sounds cheerful, and encouraging. I like it! 

it's summer

 Well, the humidity is way up, and it feels like summer, all of a sudden. Because yesterday it was down in the sixties. 

I have a new thermometer outside my window, with a humidity needle. I'm not sure the percentage of humidity interests me, just the feeling of it. My energy levels decline as it goes up. But yesterday it felt drier and I made good progress on my linen dress. I like the way it's looking, except that I didn't line up the back center seams: for the top and the bottom, since the dress has a horizontal seam in the back.

I ripped out part of it, hoping I could shift things and correct it, but it didn't work. Blast! I don't want to re-do the seam; I'll leave it and learn from it, hopefully, but I won't cry over it. Speaking of crying, though, I could sometimes cry over things like this:

Cats who play on bedsheets. 

I am also trying really hard to move along with my summer quilting project, and have been picking it up while listening to podcasts or whatever. I've got a few colors of embroidery floss: pale yellow, deep gold, taupe, off-white. Whatever suits my fancy, and I sometimes put them close, other times further apart.

And, when the time comes to bind it, I think the blue linen of the dress will go very nicely, and there is plenty of it.

I finished the Isabella Stewart Gardner book.

For supper, we had a tuna sandwich recipe I haven't made for a few years, but it seemed special for Mid-Summer's Eve. Right now I hear baby birds chucking outside and robins laughing. It's good.

"I have a naturalist's love for the road that winds from Muskrat Pond to the borders of Big Oak Woods. In June, the poet's month, I follow it for two miles southward, past fields white with elderberry and Queen Anne's lace and trumpet creeper in scarlet flower. Cardinals and mockingbirds sing from the roadside thickets and bluebirds warble softly from the sky. In the early morning, when the dew sparkles on the grass, I hear the wild, sweet singing of the field sparrows and the first daylight calls of the quail."

                                    -  John K. Terres, From Laurel Hill to Siler's Bog

finis

 I am finally done with these hand warmers; well, I have to weave in the yarn ends on one of them. But, that's it! A very late Christmas present, just in time for the warm weather.

Easter Thursday

The morning kindles all the sky,
The heavens resound with anthems high,
The shining angels as they speed,
Proclaim, "The Lord is risen indeed!"

I found a new podcast, from First Things, and today they're speaking to a Lutheran pastor. One of this week's sponsors is an online music station called Lutheran Public Radio, and they are playing music for the 50 days of Easter, going up to Pentecost. It seems to be traditional hymns and classical-type music, and I'm going to tune in now and then.

I picked up another Brother Cadfael mystery, because Cadfael and most of the monks are good company, and I love the Middle Ages. I am also knitting a pair of hand warmers for a co-worker. For Christmas. No, not next Christmas, but the recent one. It has not taken me four months to knit two mitts, but I have had more setbacks of all kinds for this project - well, I could never begin to relate, but it's been strange. Anyway, I ended up buying her something else so I could continue knitting in some sort of peace. 

I'm almost finished! Just in time for the warm weather. (It was around ninety today, and will be again tomorrow!)

Monday projects

 

This thing is almost done; it may serve as a cat mat. We will see. Meanwhile, I'm trying to do my state income taxes, and the mending pile gets higher.

getting somewhere

 My knitting project is looking like a sunset, the ends are getting used up, and I'm not sure if I'll felt it after all. A few more rows and then we'll see.

reading and knitting

 I felt like knitting, using up leftover yarn, but couldn't settle on a plan. So, I'm just doing it, with the ends of the wool I've used for the hand warmers. I'll most likely felt it. And then figure out what to do with the result. 

I've got a library book called Soldier of the American Revolution - it's got lots of photos. This part really surprised me:

"During the Revolution, American soldiers were the most literate soldiers in the world. At the beginning of the war, the army was almost entirely recruited in New England, where approximately 80 percent of adults could read as compared to less than 40 percent in England. The unusual practice of teaching reading to boys and girls from every level of society probably found its origins in Puritanism that promoted individual Bible study. " 

I am amazed. It goes on to say  "Reading and writing were taught separately, the former often without the latter. Of the people that could read printed material, only a small percentage could write and read cursive text. These were typically wealthy landowners, merchants, clerks, clergymen, or others whose occupations required correspondence or record keeping. An important part of penmanship consisted in mastering the art of carving goose or turkey quills."

Interesting; they could read but not necessarily write. 

knitting and reading

My knitting is about twenty two inches long now,but the ball of yarn seems as huge as ever. I can't possibly keep going until it's used up - there's too much of it; the resulting bag would be bigger than anything I could find a use for. I've been thinking about types of handles but can't decide on anything.

I've been reading the most fabulous book about John and Abigail Adams, by Irving Stone. It's old, from my father's book shelf. He loved Irving Stone, and I can finally see why. This is a novel, but history; it's like living through everything with them - just fantastic!

I also am following along with a podcast about Shakespeare's As You Like It, so I'm reading that again, and just finished one on C. S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. I've read almost none of his work - never read the Narnia series! And, a little at a time of Mike's book, which amazes me, as does his blog - he knows so much about his country. Was he a history teacher? Or is it a hobby of his? He's a mystery, but a nice fellow.

Joining Ginny for yarnalong. 

knit and listen

I knit while listening to podcasts - make something while I'm (hopefully) being formed into something.

trying to leave winter behind

Where I live, April is supposed to be when spring begins to show itself. And it does; there are spring-flowering bulbs, shrubs and beautiful trees which bloom. But the warmer temperatures are what everybody is longing for, and this year we are still waiting. Today, it was very lovely and relatively warm, but that's just one day. I've heard the weatherman say more than once lately that the temperatures have been twenty degrees colder than they're supposed to be! So I'm saving my high hopes for May.

My brother's seedlings are still in the kitchen, struggling for the sunlight, but it feels too cold and is too cloudy to set up the greenhouse outdoors. It just doesn't feel right.

we've actually had flurries a couple of times lately!

I've been taking it easy for a few days, since I had a painful foot on Tuesday and actually had to go to the ER. It improved the next day but I've been keeping it propped up a lot to prevent a recurrence. This morning, Dolly surprised me by coming into my room - she poked around in the closet and then went behind my day bed, walking along the baseboard heater, behind my nightstand, around and out. She then sped out of the room, presumably excited at doing something she hasn't done in years. Boring stuff I suppose, but this was a Big Deal - she hasn't been coming into my bedroom since Sweetie came here, which I feel very badly about. But, our Dolly had a birthday this week - 17! - and maybe she's changing things up. I hope it continues!

The last couple of knitting projects I began ended up in nothing, but I tried another one yesterday. I have a large ball of wool, bulky weight, and decided to use it up for a bag. It's called the Aspen Bag, and I like it. My yarn is sort of a purply berry color and I'm supposed to use size 15 needles. I knitted eight rows but found the result to be looser than the photo. If I continued on that way, the bag wouldn't be suitable for anything heavier than holding pieces of paper. The directions don't mention any gauge and I always seem to knit the proper gauge except when using the large needles like 13 and 15 - I have a harder time keeping my tension with those sizes. So, I ripped it out and will try it with size 11s. If it looks right, I'll take a picture. It's not a felted bag, nor is it lined, so it's got to be snugly made or it'll stretch and sag. 

In a recent podcast of Speaking with Joy, Joy Clarkson said something that I thought was delightful:   "Snow is kind of the reward for how cold it is."  At least, I'm sure I would find it delightful in December, January, February - maybe even March! But April - no. 

diversion while mending

Had to mend another hole in my colorful wool scarf this evening. Meanwhile, the little Orphan had spied the switchplate on my wall, and was jumping up to try and get it. Even while I heard myself screech, "What ARE you doing??" it was a strange sort of entertainment.

Thankfully she can't jump high enough.

mending a favorite scarf

My beloved multi-colored Garnet Hill wool scarf has a hole. It's crocheted with fine yarn and for a month I've been putting off trying to repair it.

What was holding me back was the thought of trying to crochet it back together with a very small metal hook - I'm not a great crocheter. But after looking at it, an embroidery needle will do the trick and that doesn't scare me at all. And it just so happens that I've got yarn in a very close color!

dizzy inside, sparkly out

The weather has been terrific this week, but my sinuses are terrible, so I'm inside for the most part, with a stuffed head but of course the windows are open anyway - who could resist? Yesterday after having a cup of tea (green tea!) I became off-balance for the rest of the day, almost dizzy.  No tea now for a while. (is tea related to ragweed?) But I still appreciate the beauty of these perfect days. There is a difference between a breezy summer day and a breezy autumn day. The rustling of the trees sounds different. And the sparkle in the air when the sun is out is only there at this time of year.

I'm not sure that sparkle is quite the right word, since it also seems like one is looking through a very thin veil of something which makes it slightly less clear, but more glimmery. And maybe you think I've got an overactive imagination.

I figured out how I'll do my quilting on this thing, finally. I don't think I'll change my mind anymore after this; the third time is the charm. I'm happy with it, but more stitching will have to come out (again).

getting back to my projects

I had started quilting on this project a couple of months ago and then left it, but today decided to rip it out and begin again differently. Then I turned around and found that it was occupied by somebody.

It matches her yellow eyes.

finis

I was going to have to make dinner after work today, as there were no leftovers - oh, how I depend on leftovers! Anyway, the prediction was snow with ice to follow, and so the library closed at twelve thirty - how convenient! I had plenty of time to make dinner, and even get a doze in beforehand.

Snow outside, a short day at work, a nap - all contribute to that feeling of hygge which is getting so much attention these days. Debra gave me this book for Christmas and I finished it the other day. Different from others I've seen on the subject, less wordy - more hyggelig, I guess you could say! Very pleasant.

I decided to finish working on my jacket repair. That may be a funny way of putting it, but I wasn't able to finish sewing it. I just could not get the needle in that last section; I couldn't make stitches hold there or figure a way to secure it, so I just decided to be done. And I put a safety pin in that last space to keep it secure. And I'm leaving it that way. I am tired of not being able to wear this coat.

But I already have another jacket repair awaiting me: my brother's favorite has a pocket that's wearing out. I can easily make a pocket, but I'm not sure he how much picking at this jacket he wants me to do. If I can just crudely attach it in some way that'll hold, without getting heavily involved in picking seams apart, that will be preferable to all parties.

I'm liking these vases of evergreens

fixing a jacket

My beloved, two-dollar, washable parka needs repair and I'm having a heck of a time trying to finish it up. There's a flap across the back, and underneath this flap is where the lower section is sewn to a piece of lining. Well, it tore away all across and I've been working on it.

I first bound the lining edge with some bias tape, zigzagging it along to secure it better, then turning it under and whipstitching it on the other side. Now, I've been using a back stitch to re-attach the under piece back onto the lining.

I have been going from right to left, knowing that when I got near the end it was going to be really hard to get a grip on it to finish - oh, did I mention that it's got a filling, not down, but fiberfill - anyway, because of that the lining isn't hanging free at the bottom for me to reach under and get a proper grip on it. If you don't sew, or haven't ever looked at the way your coats are constructed you might not  know what I'm talking about, but I am wishing this last section could just be glued together and be done with it!

I guess I'm just complaining here. I don't think anybody's going to give me a better solution. I'd better get back to work.