Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Unraveled Wednesday: 1/4/23

I'm happy to join Kat and fellow Unravelers with a fitting beginning for the first Unraveled Wednesday of 2023. 


In my quest to "begin as I meant to go on", I knit on this Hitchhiker during my wild New Year's Eve celebration (two White Claws and too many cookies!) but noticed something a little disturbing when I looked at it in the light of day. I bought the skeins at The Loopy Ewe, and the multicolored one was a discounted "Less Than Perfect" skein. It looked like several of the plies were broken in several places, so I ripped it out, put the blue section back on the needles, and resumed knitting again past the broken ply section. I didn't notice this when I was winding the skein so I hope it's the only "less than perfect "place.

I'm also working on the headband section of the 1898 hat for me. Our temperatures are near 60 degrees for the next few days, dropping into the 40s after that, but still not seasonably cold enough to need something to cover my ears. I know it's still winter and I'm going to wish I had this lovely alpaca yarn covering my ears, so I need to get going on this.

I had put Signal Fires on hold at the library because I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and their relationships. So a re-read of that terrific book was my first finish for this year. It was even better the second time around. I'm also reading Remote Sympathy but it's quite a powerful book so I need an occasional break. When I do, I've also been reading We All Want Impossible Things

While I'm talking about books, this is just a friendly reminder that our Read With Us discussion of The Marriage Portrait will be taking place next Wednesday, January 11th (instead of our usual Tuesday). Kym, Carole, and I will each post a question or two on our blogs that day, and then we'll have a Zoom discussion (always fun and something I look forward to!) that same evening at 7:00 pm eastern time. Please let one of us know if you would like to attend the Zoom meet-up (if you haven't already) and we'll make sure you get an invitation. I'm looking forward to a fun, educational, and rousing discussion!

What are you making and reading this week?

11 comments:

  1. Oh dear -- I hope the Hitchhiker behaves itself now! And I'll keep my fingers crossed that the imperfect parts in that skein are limited to the area you already found.

    We're also having unseasonably warm weather here (my husband went for his run in shorts this morning!), but the cold will return soon enough, and when it does, you'll be thankful for your headband.

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  2. I confess, I gasped when I saw that first picture! Noooooo! I, with Sarah, hope that is the only imperfect bit of that skein!

    This weather here is quite insane. I have Snowdrops all popping up and they are all loaded with buds.

    I am on the waitlist for Signal Fires... I can't wait! But!! In the interim I was just approved for Allende's new book on Netgalley: The Wind Knows My Name! A new Allende book in January might be the best thing ever! :)

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  3. Oh dear! so sorry about that imperfect skein. I hope the balance of it is just perfect. Your headband looks interesting. I used one a lot in TX (so glad I decided to pack it at the last minute!!). I had some unravelling (due to Covid Fog Brain) but am hopefully back on track now. Trying to finish The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett.

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  4. I hope that was the only imperfect part of the skein!
    I loved Signal Fires and it is one I plan to read again. I do look forward to our discussion of the Marriage Portrait!

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    1. It was a discounted skein, so I did expect some knots or something. It bothers me that I didn't find this while I hand-wound the yarn, and the possibility of bugs chomping on it is in the back of my mind, but I couldn't find any other evidence, so I'll keep knitting (with my fingers crossed).

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  5. That stinks about the skein and I hope it's all perfectly plied from this point forward. Sadly, I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity to wear a hat to keep your ears warm. I feel like I read The Marriage Portrait a decade ago and I need to go back and look it over again before next week.

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  6. I think The Marriage Portrait was like Hamnet, an imperfectly perfect book, but for some reason I had a little trouble reading it. I think that it was just my state of mind. While renovating the house for my brother, his son died suddenly and unexpectedly, (which was devastating for all of us), then we had arctic weather, and my husband developed dementia. You know, life. But it was a lot of life in a very short period of time. It made it very difficult to focus on reading. I may go back and read it again; it was a great book. And I just got an email from the library that Signal Fires is waiting for me. Hooray! The weather here, if any indication, has begun to return to normal seasonal weather, so I predict that hat will be needed before too long. On the bright side, it is sunny with a beautiful blue sky, and that always makes me hopeful. And I hope you don't encounter any more lurking problems with that skein! I so look forward to your book reviews, Bonny. Keep me posted.

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  7. what a bummer about that yarn!! If I have little breakages I assume my cat did it :)

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  8. Well darn, I'm sorry that yarn had a bad few yards. I have to say, since I've been spinning I have a better understanding of how that can happen to yarn. Although commercial yarn should not have those flaws. I do want to read Signal Fires. I think I let Kym know but I'd like to join the discussion of The Marriage Portrait. I read it awhile back so it's not completely fresh in my mind but if all goes well, I'd like to attend.

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  9. Your New Year's Eve sounds more exciting than mine! (and I do hope you don't encounter any more "less than perfect bits" in that yarn) ... I just got my copy of Signal Fires back from Katie and look forward to re-reading it this year. One of my first finishes for 2023 was a re-read of Shrines of Gaiety - with my eyes instead of my ears - and I enjoyed it even more this time around. Re-reading has been a joy for me lately!

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  10. So sorry you found an unworkable-flaw in your yarn. That is always such a drag . . . Here's to flaw-free knitting going forward. And I'm re-reading The Marriage Portrait right now. (I really need this re-fresh. . . ) XO

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