Greetings Unravelers!
The sewing is going well! Uniform top #1 is done! I do need to make some alterations to the pattern when I make another one, but I think they will be easy alterations. I love how clear and concise the instructions are! I did do some modifications – I did flat felled seams, and made a slight adjustment to the tunic pieces in how they are hemmed. There will be more of this top in my future!
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- As you can see, the shoulders are just a bit big
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- I should have blended pattern sizes
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- But, it works!
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- I really love the detail on the split tunic
The knitting grows on my Lucinda sweater, as you can see in the above photo!
Things I discovered: I much prefer knitting with 100% wool yarn. I am finding it hard to keep an even tension with the silk-wool combination of this yarn. There are some spots where my stitches are quite different (read looser!) but I am not unraveling to fix them. I also had to do some “pre-planning” about weaving in ends. Silk-wool does not full together, so spit splicing was not an option. Also, this sweater is knit wrong-side-out…so weaving in ends on the purl side (or the right side) is not an option either. My solution? I am knitting about 6-8 stitches with the old ball and the new ball held together. I will leave a bit of a tail on the inside, and I think this will work. I can’t see the areas held double when I look at the fabric, so I hope I am good!
Now, let’s do a bit of a reading review, shall we? All in all, it was a very good month. I finished 16 books! Yikes! That was not planned, but rather I had a “it poured” moment from the library with holds that came through. I don’t think May will end with that volume of books read, but we shall see – and the end of the month brings Summer Book Bingo! Out of the 16, there were 4 books I gave 5-star reviews to, 8 books got 4-star reviews and I’d say that makes a darn good month of reading!
My finishes:
Home Fires by Kamila Shamsie. I liked this book very much and gave it 4-stars. There is so much to think about in this book and Kamila does a great job of sharing the story of Muslim immigrants. I highly recommend.
The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian was, imo, horrid. At 1-star, and I found it to be a colossal waste of reading time. You can read my review here, but be warned, it has spoilers. A blog friend felt bad about my review and suggested I try another Bohjalian novel (she suggested The Double Bind). Surprisingly there is a long wait list at the library, and the reviews are very mixed on it on Goodreads, so I am having a bit of a debate about reading this with myself.
Bring Me Back is B.A. Paris’ latest novel and I received a copy from NetGalley for review. I was disappointed in this, her third novel, and I gave it just 2-stars and I do not recommend. You can read my review here, and again – it contains spoilers.
On a brighter note, I also finished Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, which I loved! 4-stars and I highly recommend this short but lovely novel!
And, finally I listened to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. This year is the 60th anniversary of the book and somehow, I had managed to avoid reading this until now. I loved it, it is brilliantly written. If you have not read this, I recommend listening to it. It is short, but riveting!
I have 2 long audiobooks that will close out the Library Waiting List Bonanza: Amor Towles Rules of Civility and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. I am over half way through listening to The Rules of Civility and so far, so very good!
I am reading another Net Galley book: Ohio a novel, by Stephen Markley. I have just begun reading it and don’t really have a feel for it yet.
And, finally, I started Russian Roulette by Michael Isikoff and David Corn as well. This is due back to the library next week, so I need to get going on it!
There you have it… my entirely Unraveled Wednesday!
What was good in your April and what are you hoping May holds for you?
If you are joining along, please leave your link and thank you!
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I suspect that much of the unevenness you’re getting with the yarn will work itself out with blocking and wearing. It looks like it’s a rather textured yarn, and in my experience, that’s just the way they are.
I continue to be impressed by how much reading you accomplish! I wish I had more hours in the day to read for pleasure.
Blocking! It will all come out in the blocking! 🙂
(I’m never happy with the results of my not-wool knitting – and I think silk is particularly difficult – but blocking always helps.)
Your tunic looks great.
You read like a machine, Kat! 😉
I love the split in the tunic as well, such a lovely detail 🙂 I also love the super sunny day you took the photos on!!
I love your tunic, and echo others’ thoughts about the wool-silk; that will block out! I think your reading for April looks like my reading for the year so far. You must share your secret about how you manage to read so much!
Your tunic turned out beautifully! I’m still nervous about even starting. and yay for the progress on Lucinda. What you described about joining yarn is exactly what I do (since I knit with lots of yarn that doesn’t spit splice) – and hopefully you can embrace the texture of the silk. It’s one of my favorite fibers to knit with (and wear)! I’m having a real mixed bag with reading right now, too. sigh… I need a 5-star book SOON!
I love the detail on that split side too! And as Kym said…you are a machine! And pay no attention to the DB doubters on Goodreads! 🙂
I agree with others – blocking is the answer. It has improved many of my projects and smoothed out a multitude of uneven knitting. Some yarns just show more texture than others. The tunic looks great. I gave up on sewing garments, they just never fit well and I haven’t the patience to make muslins.
The tunis is fab! And WOW that’s a lot of reading. I really like Chris Bohjahlian and have met him a couple of times at library conferences. If you’ve never read Midwives I’d recommend that for sure.
Love that tunic, and I’m sure the next one will be even better with your tweaks!
Your tunic looks great to me! We’re all perfectionists with our own work. You know I was just talking about Fahrenheit 451 (a new movie out) and I remember it as one of my favorites in required reading in HS. I’ll have to revisit it. I’m still stuck in Longmire’s land and loving it!
The tunic looks like something you’ll wear often. It’s a classic style and fits better than you think. I’m half way through Home Fires and find it ok. April wasn’t my best reading month. My book group has read a couple of Bohjalian, but we found they were not our favorites. I doubt I’ll read another of his. I love Shipping News (I’ve read it twice). I’m also dying for a good 5 star read!
Congrats on your tunic! Learning from our experiences is one of the best perks of sewing/stitching/knitting/ our creative endeavors…I know!
Totally impressed with your “recent reads” for the month…you go girl!
Cheers~
PS. I started a new title (teaser – I’ll share Wed May 9) that I thought was fiction —surprise, it’s a memoir…