by Kat | Jan 8, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Sometimes the best thing about a weekend is the surprise extension of it on Monday morning. That’s right, Steve’s office is closed today because if you have days on end of at or below zero-degree weather, when it rains and instantly freezes creating a ginormous disaster of ice.
That puts Monday in the win column an even nicer treat after the quiet weekend we had.
I read lots. It felt so good to just sit and do not much but that.
I also did some knitting. I was really not happy with the ribbing on Treysta, so I ripped it out and did the same thing as the neckline (a rolled edge knit with a much smaller needle) This looks much better to my eye and in trying it on, it feels much better than the loose ribbing. I think I need to put ribbing on the list of things that I need to work on improving this year.
The weekend might have included more than one of Lidia’s An Italian in Manhattan. Oh.my.gosh. These are so good! And, they are super simple to make:
An Italian in Manhattan, ala Lidia Bastianich:
First off, Lidia says to put your glasses in the freezer at least 15 minutes before you plan on sipping this delightful concoction. She is right, it is an absolutely necessary step!
**Please note, this makes 1 cocktail**
- 2 ounces whiskey (we used Crown)
- 1-ounce Cinzano Rosso vermouth (we did not have this in the house, but I did have Martini & Rossi and that worked just fine)
- ½ ounce Averna (or other Italian amaro) **amaro is in the Campari family, it is the much darker cousin
- 2 amarena cherries in syrup, drained (I found the cutest little jars of these at my local Trader Joe’s)
In a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes, combine the whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Averna. Stir to combine. Strain into the chilled glass, drop in the cherries, and serve.
I would add: repeat as necessary, just because.
And, so now on with my Monday that is a continuation of the weekend. I hope you are warm and dry wherever you are!
by Kat | Jan 5, 2018 | General
I have been slowly plugging away at my Treysta, and Sleeve No. One is almost done! Sleeve No. Two should go faster, because I was smart and kept track of all my rows! Maybe by this time next week, a new sweater will be born!
I am glad it is the weekend and a bit of persistence will pay off there too! I got a new Lidia cookbook for Christmas and there is a cocktail (or ten) in there with my name on it. Perhaps a bit of a weekend celebration do-over is in order!
Now, how about some links to get the weekend started?
Shaila mittens were released last September but the pattern was not available for download until this week. Included is an excellent video on yarn dominance, in case you want to do some stranded knitting this year!
Staying in the stranded knitting theme, Setesdalish… oh my gosh!
Or, perhaps Vintersol
All of these are truly wonderful examples of stranded knitting!
Not up for stranded knitting? Perhaps just knitting a sweater is on your list this year. Both Margene and Mary give rave reviews for sweaters designed by Elizabeth Doherty and she has a new pattern out: Archer, knit with The Woolen Rabbit Airy.
Kate Davies also has a new pattern out today: Carbeth I love the simple lines of this sweater and the construction!
And, finally, PBSNewsHour is joining forces with the NYT’s and together they have started Now Read This! The first book is one that deeply moved me last year, Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing. At the end of the month there will be a Q&A with her! This should be so much fun!
That is all I have for this first Friday in January! Stay warm this weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Jan 4, 2018 | General, Making
December 31st, I completed my last stitching, in the last month of my year long project. I have to confess, it was most bittersweet. I felt both an incredible sense of accomplishment coupled with an intense melancholy at the ending of this epic project.
Yesterday morning I began the process of steaming each sampler, readying them for assembly in their final destination of 3 separate wall-hangings.
I apologize in advance for this photo heavy post, but here is my Year of Stitching in review:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Which brings me to this year’s project… I began this on the first day of winter, December 21, and my idea was to do a square each day. But, it was lacking… so much. In my review of last years pieces, I was reminded how much I like the puzzle-like quality of some of the pieces best of all. BUT, rather than take out the stitching I had started, my idea will be to work this in by stitching around it. The past two days have seen this addition, and what better than two days of crazy clear blue skies and sunshine! After yesterday’s running stitches, I felt a sense of ease and rightness come over me and I knew I was on the right path. The other thing I am going to give myself some leeway on this year will be the option to stitch for longer than 15-20 minutes. This also feels very good and really just makes sense to me. After all, I am much more comfortable with the stitching process than I was at this time last year. So, less fussing and more stitching.
As always, if you want to start your own year long stitching project, I would be happy to help you get started! Just leave a comment and I will help you begin!
by Kat | Jan 3, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
There was a bit of unraveling here this week. I had started this sweater earlier least year and I was uncertain on what size to make because well, a sweater knit with 14″ of positive ease? So, I cast on with a more moderate amount of ease and began knitting.
Now, let’s talk for a brief moment about knitting with dark brown yarn, shall we? And, this pattern… it seems like the perfect storm for making a mistake and never even realizing it until, oh let’s say, several repeats later… Um, yeah. So, I tried to ladder back, with cabling…and dark brown yarn…
Right, so now you see the unraveling bit. But, before I unraveled, I tried on the sweater thus far, I did have a good bit of the yoke completed. Enough to make the determination that a little more ease than I planned would be better.
So, adjustments made, and I re-cast on Monday night. This will be a bright light knit, but I feel more confident about where this pattern is going now.
I also finished a book to start off the New Year! I read The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. It was a quick and easy read. There were some “ah-ha” moments and some things that made me laugh, and I realized that in all those trips to my mother-in-law’s house with candles, Kringle, Æbleskivers, and great company were the best hygge training a girl could ask for. Sadly, I see clearly that I live with a hyggehater, so everything that I want to do puts me in direct opposition to what Steve wants to do. Case in point, twinkle lights no longer turn on. Candles? He complains that I am about to set the house on fire. And, don’t even get me started on lamp light in rooms! Anyways, if you want a quick and simple plan for inserting some hygge into your life, this book gives you some great ideas. I am on the waitlist for Wiking’s The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World’s Happiest People. I am looking forward to reading it as well!
I am currently slowly reading Manhattan Beach, but I need to get moving on this as it is due back to the library soon! I just started listening to my first Read Harder Challenge book, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann.
What are you reading and making to start the new year? If you wrote a post for Unraveled Wednesday, please leave your link! Thank you!
by Kat | Jan 2, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Did you miss me? I sure missed you all!
My plans to end 2017 did not include falling off the blogging map! I did have some rather nice posts planned to close out the year. However, they were only plans in my head and not plans in the form of ready to go blog posts.
Sickness and that lack of preplanning made for very quiet days at Casa delKatKnits as 2017 ended. A HUGE thank you to those who messaged me asking if I was alright! Yes, I am back among the land of the living…barely, but absolutely on the upswing!
In my absentia, besides sleeping an inordinate amount of time, I managed to finish my epic yearlong stitching project. I am stitching away on my new stitching project with mixed feelings. I have not taken any stitches out, but I am not feeling much love for this project in its current state. I spent some time meditating yesterday while I untrimmed the tree and I think I have figured out a way ahead and I am excited to stitch today, so I hope I might be on the right path. More on both projects later this week!
I also managed to finish the body of Treysta and I am working on sleeve one! This was accomplished while binge-watching Strange Things on Netflix. Sometimes, mindless, in the round knitting and unbelievable television are the best companions for the sickly!
Reading absolutely won in 2017, because I only managed to finish 15 projects last year…5 hats, a pair of mitts, a pair of socks, 3 shawls, a necklace, and 4 sweaters. Not a lot of knitting for me for an entire year. I hope to rectify that this year.
There are parts of me that would like a bit of a do-over for some things last week, most especially NYE. Steve found a recipe for Milk Street Kitchen’s version of a French 75. I was determined to not be a total party pooper NYE and I did make us a drink to have with the homemade soup, but it was just not quite right and would have been ever so much better with some actual celebratory eats! Perhaps this weekend we can make them again – this time with more fitting accoutrements…(and perhaps even pictures!)
Now, I have an insanely long, sort of out of control, catch-all list from hell that has my name burned on the top of it. I better get to it before I self-destruct! Doing laundry is tops on the list as I am almost out of clean jammies. Perhaps getting dressed might also be a good idea today!
See you back here tomorrow for some Unraveling!
P.S. To the brilliant commentor who quickly saw my ginormous math mistake, thank you! You won the day and are absolute proof that finishing blog posts that include math while deathly ill is not the smartest thing ever. But, thanks to her genius skills, I was even happier to find out that my reading success was even MORE successful!
