Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Unraveled Wednesday: 9/6/23

I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers today with a finished Captain Ahab Hitchhiker. 


I wasn't sure that I liked the dark brown at the end while I was knitting it, but when I look at it overall, I do like the transition from blue to green to brown - very much. I don't know that I would have named it Captain Ahab, and I wish I could ask the dyers at Wollmeise what was on their minds when they dyed this. 

I have the same question about my next Wollmeise roll. This one is called Yoga and is shades of brown to green. I've unraveled it, soaked it, and it's all wound, ready to cast on the next Hitchhiker. I'm going to have plenty of time in the car over the next week and yet another Hitchhiker is perfect for car knitting. I'm not sure I like the brown blobs you can see in the unrolled photo, but the only way to tell is to cast on and see what it looks like knit up. 



We're leaving tomorrow to visit John's sister and her husband again. He and John will work on my BiL's TR4 again, and the four of us will also be heading to Benezette/Saint Mary's to hopefully see some of Pennsylvania's elk herd in person. 

I finished two books last week and both of them were a bit surprising. The Art Thief was about the world's most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser. He is thought to have stolen more than 300 objects and works of art from museums and churches. He managed this by choosing mainly small paintings and items that were easy to carry out, and with the help of his girlfriend as a lookout. Breitwieser didn't steal for financial gain but kept everything in his apartment's attic. He said he appreciated the items more and kept them in better condition than the museums had, and seemed to use this reasoning to justify his lack of impulse control. Breitwieser had no remorse and saw himself as an "art liberator". He got caught when he and his girlfriend returned to wipe away his fingerprints. He stated that he had always meant to return the objects, but magnifying his crimes, his mother threw some of them in a canal and also burned others. He only spent a few years in jail, and this seemed far too little for what was really the loss of far too many works of art. 

The second surprise was The Lost TicketRom-com and chick lit are two of my least favorite genres, so I can't quite explain why I borrowed this one, but the pleasant, uplifting story that wasn't overly saccharine sweet proved to be the perfect read for someone in the depths of dark grumpiness and anger at most humans. It's a story about friendship, hardships, parenthood (what to do and what not to do), growing old, and how not to judge a book (or people) by what's on the outside.

What are you making and reading this week? (I'll be back next week, hopefully with a few elk photos!)

10 comments:

  1. I just love the colors of your Captain Ahab Hitchhiker, Bonny. It's just perfectly moody-broody! And I think the brown blotches in your new roll will add a really interesting dimension to your next Hitchhiker. I tend to really like blotches like that in hand-dyed yarn. I hope you'll be pleased with your results. (But not really getting the "yoga" connection. At all.) I am intrigued by The Art Thief! I love books about "missing paintings" and art theft, generally, so this sounds right up my alley! Enjoy your time with your brother- and sister-in-law. I can't wait to see your elk photos!!!

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  2. I love the finished Hitchhiker! I can totally see it as a wooden ship on stormy seas. I'm sure the brown blotches in the next one will be less apparent when knit up in a shawl than in the blank.

    I picked up and looked at The Art Thief when I was at Parnassus Books and thought it sounded like an interesting read, but I didn't buy it at the time because because I didn't want more weight added to my suitcase, so I'll have check at my library. It makes me think of the documentary series on Netflix about the art robbery at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

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  3. I also love your finished Captain Ahab Hitchhiker! It is stunning, Bonny! And I am with Sarah... a wooden ship on a stormy sea is what I see as well! The Art Thief sounds interesting! Have fun on your visit with John's brother and I can't wait to see what you share from your Elk Trek!

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  4. Captain Ahab is beautiful Bonny! I love the moodiness of it. I don't get the yoga name for your next sock blank, but am curious to see it knit up. I've had The Art Thief on my TBR list (I read a review of it before it was published). I'll be trying to get that from my library in a few weeks. Like Sarah, it reminded me of the Gardner Museum theft (which was really well done on Netflix). Fingers crossed you have a lovely weekend away and get to see lots of elk!

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  5. I love the color changes in your Captain Ahab Hitchhiker and I agree with Sarah, it reminds me of a stormy sea. I can't wait to see how your Yoga sock blank knits up!
    I recently read The Art Thief and I could hardly believe that this was non-fiction! I finished my re-read of Seven Moons last night and I got so much more out of it this time, but I'm sure there is still a lot I missed. It is an amazing book!

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    1. Thanks, Debbie! I can see a wooden whaling ship in the colors. I have cast on Yoga and have just a few teeth knit, so I'll see how that one turns out.

      I was surprised that I hadn't heard of Stéphane Breitwieser before I read the book. It also didn't seem like any of the participants paid their "debt to society" for such huge losses. I am very much looking forward to our discussion of Seven Moons!

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  6. I love the dark brown at the end!! Gorgeous!

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  7. I am with you on being anti-rom-com and chick lit. But sometimes we need a break from thinking. I recently finished a book (Red, White, and Royal Blue) that had zero social worth, but it was hilarious and perfect for when the world is clearly headed somewhere in a handbasket.

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  8. Yay for that finished HH and for all the upcoming time to work on another one! Best wishes for safe travels and good elk sightings. (also, well-done romance is often just the thing when you need your faith in humanity restored via some witty banter and an assured happy ending. I'm glad you found that book!)

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  9. Captain Ahab came out beautifully. I like the brown on the end. It will be interesting to see how the next roll knits up. Who knows those brown pops might just make the hitchhiker.

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