Unraveled Wednesday: 5/14/25

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers with a bit of negative progress. I spied a couple of odd mistakes way back near the start of this color and briefly thought about dropping down to fix the stitches, but decided that Unraveling was safer and certainly fitting for Unraveled Wednesday.

There is still the question of what prompted me to randomly purl a couple of stitches in the middle of miles of garter stitch, but I don't have the answer to that perplexing dilemma. I'm once again knitting forward with the Lapislazuli, and I hope to move on to the penultimate blue next week. It looks almost exactly like the photo I posted last week, and it's raining once again, so I didn't throw the Hitchhiker in the lawn for another photo today.

Vicki has maintained that the Hitchhiker is "electric", which I agree with and is one of the reasons I love Wollmeise and their saturated colors. I mentioned something about changing its name to the Electric Hitchhiker and Vicki came up with a much better name:

 

So, that's officially the name now. Thanks, Vicki!

I finished one book this week and even though it feels a bit dramatic to say that I've just finished the best book I'll read this year, I'm so sure that is true that I can also say The Names by Florence Knapp is among the best books I'll ever read. 

We are introduced to Cora in the Prologue as she makes her way to the registrar's office to register her son's birth in October 1987. She is accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter Maia, and along the way they discuss names for the baby. Maia suggests Bear; Cora is partial to Julian, and then there are the instructions from Cora's husband, "We have Gordon for a boy." Gordon is his name and his father's name, but there are inklings already:

Cora has never liked the name Gordon. The way it starts with a splintering sound that makes her think of cracked boiled sweets, and then ends with a thud like someone slamming down a sports bag.

This choice of what to name the baby unfolds into three parallel narratives—Bear, Julian, and Gordon—each exploring the profound impact of that single decision over 35 years, with chapters advancing in seven-year intervals. 

Florence Knapp’s storytelling is both innovative and emotionally resonant. Her prose is richly layered, delving into themes of domestic abuse, resilience, and the intricate ties of family. The structure allows for a deep exploration of how small choices can ripple through time, affecting not just the individual but everyone around them. The author's premise struck me as a simple yet ingenious idea, and her execution of that idea is perfect. I was struck by Knapp’s ability to maintain the essence of her characters across divergent timelines. Each version of the son’s life is distinct yet interconnected, offering insights into identity and the enduring effects of trauma. I was initially a little hesitant as I had just finished Nesting and wasn't sure I could read another book about spousal abuse, but this book is about so much more.

Another thing that I greatly enjoyed about the book was the description of artistic details that the author wrote. There are references to artwork, jewelry making, paper artistry, and tesselated wood constructions. There is a reference to the poem "Empty Nest" by Carol Ann Duffy. In case you get a little lost as a reader as to whether you are reading about Bear, Julian, or Gordon, there are delightfully simple yet grounding illustrations by Sam Scales at the head of each chapter. Florence Knapp talks about all of the artists that inspired her in the Author's Note, which I thought was a real bonus.

The Names is a poignant, beautifully written novel that stays with you long after the final page. I greatly admire the prose and craft of writing a book like this; it's really three incredible books in one. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and the complexities of life’s choices, and I'm sure it's one of the best books I'll ever read.

What are you making and reading this week?