Monthly Recap: August

August: the gradual slowing of time, the dwindling of sunlight throughout balmy evenings, the sky streaked with pink and tangerine; quiet, basking, August. Also, next-to-no knitting August...

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Anybody else find it difficult to knit through 30+ degree (Celsius) heat? That was definitely the case when we got a heat wave this month. I stuck to the two (still) ongoing projects leftover from last month:

The Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder - Perhaps my favourite sock pattern ever, and a perfect project for using up my leftover Grenouille Co.Kyoko's House. I love how the magenta, copper, and navy variegations play across this texture! I paired this yarn with the tomato-red mini skein from the HueLoco Barnevelder sock set (part of their Backyard Chicken collection). I was very excited to finally get through to the toe of the second sock... only to realize that I had knit the foot too short! They languish now, waiting to be frogged back a bit and reworked.

The All About that Brioche Shawl by Lisa Hannes - The last of two gift shawls is finished! I knit both shawls out of Briggs & Little Sport and picked colours that I thought matched my profs' styles. The brioche stripes on this shawl are so plump and plush! I love shawl knitting, since it is generally repetitive and meditative, but also offers a sense of accomplishment for finishing a larger garment.

And that is it for knitting wips! Such a shock! But I have plenty of projects waiting to be cast on, including some new designs I have rattling around my brain... which brings me to another bit of news, a stash-quisition, if you will:

My friend Nataly, whom I met at Knit City last October, offered to send me some of her gorgeous yarn (she owns and operates Blush Yarns out of British Columbia) for my upcoming designs! I was absolutely speechless at her kind offer, and even more so when the yarn arrived in my mailbox. They are STUN.NING. I had literal heart-eyes when I opened the package. Nataly dyed up the purple and blue skein especially for me, and surprised me with the addition of the orange and rust skein. I am so excited to start in on these projects!

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I my reading history for August just barely surpasses my knitting, coming in at only 2 (complete) books; not nearly as impressive as the long list from my last post.

A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence - I finished up this novella and really enjoyed it! I'm excited to read more by Laurence, since she has proven herself to be one of my favourite writers.

She Wants It: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy by Jill Soloway - I came across this book while checking in a tower of returned books one day at work, and was struck not only by the catchy design but by the title. I expected a feminist critique regarding sexuality, careers, institutions, you name it; and while it did engage with a few of those themes, I found She Wants It to be more of a memoir than critical essay. I was, in all truth, a bit disappointed: the discussions, though frank, felt topical, and to me the entire narrative felt steeped in privilege which was rarely addressed. If, like me, you were hoping for something with a bit more grit, I would suggest turning instead to Rebecca Solnit, Reni Eddo-Lodge, or Lindy West.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck - This "classic" was recommended to me as one of those books one must read; the story sounded interesting and I am typically fond of novels set in the early 20th century. It was engaging in parts, and overall an enjoyable read, though I found Buck dragged the story on longer than was perhaps needed (there was quite a bit of repetition which made the pace lag). I also felt a bit hesitant to read a story about a Chinese family when it was written by a white woman; although someone argued that since Buck spent most of her youth in China, she ought to understand the culture and filial structures of the time, I was inclined to disagree. Buck herself is quoted, in the supplementary materials added to my edition, as recognizing her book "made distress": "I was able to infuriate an astonishingly large number of people" (361). I think the novel offers an opportunity to question what Western society considers canonical in literature, and analyze which voices are lifted as genius and which are ignored.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I started this novel right at the tail end of August, and am already over halfway through! Alcott's writing is beautiful in its simplicity. I've also already cried more times than I could count over this endearing tale!

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A short recap this time, for a month which passed by in the blink of an eye. Hopefully September proves more productive in these areas than this last summer month has.

As always, you can follow along with my knitting updates on Instagram and Ravelry, and follow my reading process on Goodreads! Want a brain break? Check out the Knit Ewe Up YouTube account, where you'll find process videos backed by chill Lofi tunes!