by Kat | Nov 23, 2016 | General, Making
The phase of Frantic Knitting has arrived – I have some holiday knitting to complete and yesterday Steve added one more item to my list!
So, that means this post is short on photos of things in process.
However, I can share my handspun Squad Mitts – they are for my sister who is not online at all, ever. (Weird, I know!) So, she will not see these here!
I simply love how they turned out and I have some left overs so there will be more pairs in the coming days!
My reading (listening) has been consumed by The Underground Railroad – I am almost done and I simply love this book! The reader is fantastic and the story is so compelling. I think this might be one of the best novels I have read this year and I highly recommend it!
Sadly, today there won’t be much knitting – but lots of cooking instead! Sweet potatoes are currently roasting in the oven and after they are done it is pumpkin pie time! All to get ready for tomorrows feast!
Linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along and wishing you all a successful day of preparation!
by Kat | Nov 15, 2016 | General, In This Moment
A collection of outright craziness – just because!
- I was fortunate to capture an image or two of the Astronomical, Gigantic, Larger-than-life Super-Duper Moon on Sunday night. It took a few shots to figure out exactly what settings to use (or not to use as was the case) on my camera – thanks Steve for your assistance! This was kind of a big deal for me because, the next time the moon will be this close to the earth will be in 2034, at which point in time I will be 74 years old and who knows if I will even care about the moon at that age!
- Because of this excellent post I considered volunteering as and ESL tutor, however in the great state of Pennsylvania – you must either have your teaching certificate or be in school to get your teaching certificate. Result – do not pass go, do not teach ESL, find another option. Boo!
- Trying to figure out a low calorie, yet appealing Thanksgiving feast is proving to be a challenge. Turkey is low calorie! That is until you add in all the other things like stuffing, gravy, etc. Not to mention sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie… The option of blowing my points for the entire MONTH is not very appealing and so really, I am considering calling the entire thing off because, Thanksgiving without those things just seems so un-Thanksgiving-like.
- Someone thought I was crazy for ripping out more than once in my weekend of gauge failure. Really? I knit and rip out often… doesn’t everyone? Now I am concerned that my knitting is not normal. What say you, Gentle Readers…
- I am in a Sunday Book club and we are reading C.S Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. I had read this book about 20 years ago, and as I am re-reading it I am struck by how timely it is for right now – which I think is incredibly curious!
- If you follow Mason Dixon Knitting, then you know about the Great Moby Dick Listen-Along. This got me wondering how many other classics are available in a similar format… Well, per my Google inquiry an incredible amount!! (about 2,000,000 results in 0.60 seconds, if you want to know) You can find some here and even more here and yet even more here. And, that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg!
I think that is enough craziness for one day! Have a good Tuesday!
I wanted to take a brief moment to pay tribute to Gwen Ifill who died yesterday and far, far too soon! I have watched PBS Newshour for such a very long time and I remember that monumental day when she and Judy Woodruff were named co-anchors. It was a banner day for women! I loved Gwen so much – her honesty, her trustworthiness, her amazing brilliance in delivering the news – and for continually challenging me to learn more. She made me more curious every single day.
In her words, she gives us all hope for the future:
“Change comes from listening, learning, caring, and conversation.”
These are words we can all carry with us in the days ahead.
Rest in Peace, Gwen. You will be missed.
by Kat | Oct 25, 2016 | General, Making
It seems that this is going around since the end of 10 on Tuesdays.
I usually plan the previous week what I will post the following week. So, this is what happens when you don’t plan.
I have a case of the Tuesday’s.
However, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and I have not revisited my New Year’s Resolution list so I think it is time for an update.
You can find my original post here and the updates here and here.
Overall I think my resolutions are making a difference in my life.
I know, right?
I am feeling so invigorated by weighing less and moving more! So far I have lost over 30 pounds and I am now very conscious of what I eat and how it is made. Not in a fanatic way, but rather in a more enlightened and realistic way. I am also moving more – and that is something HUGE for me. I am not a lover of exercise, but I am walking and riding the exercise bike. I have not been doing much yoga and I need to change that pattern because the yoga is not only good for my body, it is good for my mind.
Moving the stitching supplies near my desk has not been a success. I am a little disappointed in myself – but only a little. I am still making plenty in my daily life. Do I want to stitch? Yes! So, I need to plan on how that will fit in my life and I need to be realistic that it won’t magically happen this year. I don’t think I can squeeze anything more in (especially if I want to get some things finished for the holidays). Look for this to be revisited in a new and more successful way in 2017.
KonMari is a very good thing, and I think the best thing about it is how it is a continual process. Things that I originally thought I could NEVER get rid of are being revisited. Perhaps, by the end of next year I will be a graduate of the Konmari program! Ha!
Now, to the last and most difficult thing on my resolution list – Gratitude. This continues to be a constant struggle in my life. Am I just an ungrateful person? If I am being completely honest with myself; yes, sometimes… More specifically, I think that it feels awkward to find gratitude in small everyday things. It is not that gratitude is not on my minds – it is part of my daily meditations. Nothing I am currently doing is “sticking” so when I saw this mentioned on Karen’s blog I thought this might be something that could help get me on the path. It has occurred to me that gratitude might not be a solo journey. And, I am kicking this off with Gratitude Week and November will be a month I am immersing myself in the process of gratitude (and since I am going to try to participate in NaBloPoMo again, I will be sure to let you know how it is going!)
I have one final surprising thing to share with you, and it involves a small giveaway as well!
I have long loved Kay and Ann of Mason Dixon fame! I have read their blog for years and I am so thrilled with their new venture! When they announced Stripes some months ago I, of course, ordered one! Now enter that stellar organization – the US Postal Service…suffice it to say that my mail carrier thinks that mail delivery is a contact sport – things often arrive looking as if they were in a soccer game and got kicked around a bit. Thus, arrived my precious little copy of Stripes – battered and bruised. I did not want or ask for a new copy of Stripes. I just wanted to let Ann and Kay know that perhaps a padded mailer was a good idea (especially knowing my mail carrier) and in the future I would be willing to pay more for shipping with one! Imagine my surprise when a new copy arrived last week, including a hand-written note from Ann that might have brought a tear or two to my eye, and I want to pay it forward! If you would like that copy of MDK’s Field Guide No. 1 – Stripes, please leave a comment below and I will announce a winner next Tuesday and send it off to the winner (in a padded mailer! lol)
Thank you, Ann and Kay, I am so grateful to you both for a million and one reasons!
by Kat | Aug 25, 2016 | General, Making
This post may be painful for some of you, and I understand that, believe me I do.
However, for me, as I did a serious reality check it became painfully clear that the number of knitted accessories I own far exceed the wearable day factor in any given year. Add to that my closet size and the idea of Knit-Konmari blossomed, thanks to Vicki.
I have two sweaters I wear with great regularity – they are going to the Soak Spa today. One vest will be joining them – it brightens my day considerably that my weight loss has improved its appeal and wear-ability tremendously!
However, one poor sad vest is in desperate need of some cosmetic surgery – in actuality, I wish it was 2 inches longer and I may be able to make this happen, however the colors would not be the same. So, here is my dilemma – take out the neck and sleeve bindings, remove about 2 inches from each side, and then knit some additional length to the bottom of the front and back, re-seam the sides, and then reknit the bindings in the new bottom colors? Thoughts? Additional ideas? Better ideas? I loved this vest, however the current fit makes it very sad.
Likewise, the Custom Fit sweater no longer is custom fit. Maybe it can become a Cardigan? But it needs the deletion of some fabric to fit again. I still have a good bit of the yarn I used, so I could modify it. (Perhaps doing something really out there and make it a cardigan with a nice shawl collar – idea thanks to someone sharing this on Slack) I have a good bit of leftover yarn (1.5 skeins!!) This might work, yes? Different or better ideas and suggestions are welcome!
Now, on to the Plethora of Knitted Accessories…
Keeper’s on their way to join The Sweaters at the Spa:
- Handspun shawls
- All Kirsten Kapur Designs
- My work horse shawl – Donegal Tweed Boneyard FTW
- Citron Grand
- Tales from the Isle of Purbeck
- My Rare Gem Pincha
- Aestlight
- Jen Lucas Mystery Shawl (that was just finished)
- Noro Clapotis
- Honey Cowls
The Land of Uncertainty:
- Litchfield – love the colors, but this is not easy to wear.
- Lion and Lamb Clapotis – this feels too big when I wear it, unless it is really cold out
- Beautiful – again, love the colors, but ease of wear is an issue.
Not Making the Grade, or Re-homing, recycling, re-purposing FTW:
- Luciole – I loved the pattern, but it is too small to wear so I frogged it yesterday, see above – yes I ripped the entire thing out. It was really quite painless. Now the yarn can become something new!
- Stripe Study – awkward design that I find unwearable. I am not sure if I will frog this or not…
- Echoes of Color – I like this but it is way too big, again making it unwearable.
- Color Affection – great colors, but not very wearable, and the knitting is not fabulous.
- Knit Night
- Saroyan
- Too big cowls
- Greyhound
This was a good exercise for me, although I am ashamed by the excess I found in pulling out all my hand knits. It was also a great wake up call the next time I want to knit a shawl – do I really need it or am I just bored and want a new project to knit.
Where are you in your knitting journey, Gentle Reader. Are you in need of some Knit-KonMari?
by Kat | May 25, 2016 | General, Making
Wednesday’s are for knitting, reading, and Ginny’s Yarn Along.
In the completion column:
Mink River and Morwenstowe Socks are both DONE!
I loved Mink River, it was the best book and honestly, I was so sad to finish it. I simply fell in love with the townspeople and I wanted to spend more time with them! It was a book that made me want to move where they are – to be part of that special place. I gave it 5 stars and will absolutely look for more books by Brian Doyle.
Morwenstowe socks – are finished as well! I will absolutely knit them again, however, without the “Princess Sole”. I had some issues with ladders in the purl stitches which resulted in a weird gap in the fabric. I do not think it will be noticeable when worn, but to avoid this problem I will just knit them in stockinette. And, I just love the bird’s-eye heels!
That leaves me to share with you what I am knitting and reading today. I am still working on Pincha and the feathers are slowly growing and I am over halfway through Ann Cleeves White Nights. I expect to be finished with this before the end of the week and waiting in the wings is The Goldfinch.
And, because I don’t have enough WIP’s already – I cast on Carole’s Picot Edge Socks last night and I think I found the trick for sock knitting. Self-striping sock yarn…Seriously, I did not want to stop knitting. I kept telling myself that I would just knit to the next color change and kept knitting until Steve asked when was I going to turn the light out – I was nice, I only knit to the next color and stopped. Really. I did.
And, yes I agree, how weird is it that the colors match so well! I seriously bought these yarns years apart from different retailers!
However, Gentle Reader, there are two things I want to know today: what are your plans for the upcoming weekend and what are you reading next!
P.S. There is still plenty of time to join me in the inaugural knit whatever you want AsKatKnits Summer KAL – you can find all the details here.
