Yarns: Scrappy Shawl and "1776"

     My Scrappy Bias Shawl calls to me often with its beautiful colors.  A simple rhythmic knit done in various Hawthorne Fingering Yarns.  I raided a bit of a beautiful blue and grey yarn intended for the West Bluff Shawl I have set aside, but I couldn't resist, just a bit.  I'm also eying the purple from that shawl.  Temptation, but I'm getting a pretty result and I can order more if I come up short for the West Bluff.

     I'm still in the grip of reading "1776" by David McCullough.  I even take the risk of taking it into the bath with me at night (it's survived, so far).  For a history book, this is exciting!   Of course, it probably helps that these details of battles and personalities are new to me.  I've come through Boston which the British held during 1775 (from originally coming in 1768) and I was thrilled at Knox's adventures that winter at age 25 to plan and then go get the cannons (all 119,900 pounds of them) from Ticonderoga and get them all down to Albany (through Old Saratoga where I used to live) and over the Berkshire Mountains.  The heavy snow and deep cold helped but Knox had to wheedle and plead to get his caravan to go through those mountains.  Boston is evacuated of the British after a bombardment from the cannons and because a mighty storm came the evening the British was going to try and attack Dorchester Heights where the cannon were.  The British were unable to sail their ships against the wind and by morning Howe changed his mind and ordered an evacuation.

Note - Knox actually used Horses, details in this blog - No Ox for Knox?

     How the vagarities of weather play in the Revolutionary War is interesting.  One almost wonders if God is sending messages (the Colonist's wondered).  In "1776' a large mid-portion of the book is devoted to the fortifying of New York City by George Washington's forces, their defeat on Long Island and a heroic overnight evacuation of all troops from Long Island.  Weather plays a very dramatic part.  The very night that Washington is warned that the British will attack at any moment a huge black cloud comes in and hovers over the city.  People describe it as swirling in place.  Never has the city seen a storm of that magnatude.  One Colonist wonders are there magnetic powers pulling from all the arms in the city ( I haven't a clue if this is possible).  But the lightning is tremendous, arcing for 3 hours over the city, hitting often and a whole group of officers is electrocuted at once.  By morning, the sky is perfectly blue.  The British started their attack.

Details - American Minute 

permission by vwww.AmericanMinute.com

     When Washington is trying to silently evacuate ever soldier out of Long Island, practically under the Britsh armies' noses during the night by every boat they could find, he runs out of time. The sun is about to come up, a good portion of the troops haven't crossed over the water and a thick fog descends. One where you couldn't see 6 ft. in front of you.  One person during that time said he thought he saw Washington waiting at the wharf stairs for all to leave (he wasn't sure).  Everyone got out, the heavy fog lifted an hour later, but was never on the New York side.  Strange but also marvelous.

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