Wonder (with some knitting thrown in for free)

The Oxbow by Thomas Cole
via

I see now the Hudson River School's inspiration.  We've driven the stretch of I-95 past Manhattan more times than I can count in the past two years, and the sky is always changing, always an expanse atop the steel and glass and concrete.  It takes a lot of imagination to picture the highway before the refineries and teeming cars, but a visit to the Met or to an overlook on the Palisades can help.  Little M and I spent a delightful hour looking far out, over and across the Hudson this spring.  The view, the clouds...breathtaking.  We hoped to see a peregrine falcon, but were disappointed. (By the bird's absence, not the view.)

This season has been one for the birds--Baltimore Oriole song resounded in the woods during May and June.  I still hear the occasional peep from one, but they've fallen silent now that the busy work of nesting and raising their families is over.  We had a sweet Carolina wren pair nest in our mailbox, to the consternation of our mail carrier.  They tolerated us peeping at them from the front door several times a day, and I know Mr. and Mrs. Wren were anxious for their five chicks to fledge and escape our loving attention.

Other warblers inundated our woods and trails, too.  From our back porch, Merlin identified several lifers for me.  On our morning walks we see a wild turkey flock near our favorite trail.  At first it was just the toms, but the other day I saw a hen with her chicks.  She drove them into the tall grass when she saw me coming.  A magnolia warbler flew into our dining room window one early morning, and, while stunned, allowed me to carry it to the nearest bush.  Carrying that tiny, delicate life in my hand has been the highlight of my spring nature study.  

I've finally figured out how to transfer photos from my computer to the blog (we've had some issues), so you're getting a dump of finished objects!  I am sticking to my goal of using up all my yarn in the next few years.  Here's the bullet point version:

pattern: Field Sweater by Camilla Vad

yarn: Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair held together 

color: dusty olive

notes: no mods except needle size for gauge

pattern: Beret no. 1 by My Favourite Things Knitwear

yarn: Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair held together

color: dusty olive

notes: Used up leftovers from field sweater.  For Z, who wears berets well.

pattern: Kumiko Socks By Yucca

yarn:  Viola (Sock no. 12, no. 8, no. 3, and raspberry red) 

            Biscotte ( Bis-sock Bisque)

notes: Loved the construction!  Once I got into a rhythm, these worked up quickly.

pattern: top down vanilla sock (my own) on 64 sts

yarn: Regia 4-ply Design Line by Arne and Carlos

color: summer night

notes: Size 0/ 2mm needles, as per usual.  I adore self-striping/patterned sock yarns--they knit up so fast!  I really like how rustic and warm the Regia lines are.

pattern: The Traveler Shell by Andrea Mowry

yarn: Nutiden and Knitting for Olive Soft Silk Mohair held together

color: Tappa and powder

notes:  This vest gave me a lot of trouble, starting with the color of the yarn, which was more weird green than cream.  I bought a ton of the Nutiden, so you'll see it again.  The pink mohair really helped to tint it better, but there may be over dying in the future for the rest of what I bought.   The vest grew considerably when blocked; I cut out a few inches and grafted the sweater back together.  I'm still thinking about ripping out and re-knitting the bind-off of the neckband/front.  It's too tight and uncomfortable.  Still, this was meant to be a house sweater for the colder months, and it has done the job well!

Whew!  I know there are more FO photos buried somewhere, but that's enough for the present, don't you think?! Now that I have a better way to retrieve photos, I'm hoping to post more, and especially about our travels.  

What is filling you with wonder this summer?  What are you making?