by Kat | Apr 24, 2017 | General, In This Moment
It was really a great weekend with some must do things and some fun things – good balance is the key in all things, right?
A big high point for the weekend was the first trip of the year to Janoski’s and the local asparagus was in so of course we loaded up! They also loaded us up with some “free for the taking” hyacinths which were still blooming beautifully! I cut the top-heavy ones off to sweeten my office. They will be planted in the garden along with the paperwhites from January. But, that fragrance! It is so heady. I really love it!
The lilac bush has burst into a tiny bit of color, but the most amazing thing is all the new shoots that came up this year! Great job to Steve from snatching it from the trash pile – it took three years of nurturing, but I think it is going to make it!
I started the MDK KAL on Friday and sadly, by Saturday I knew these colors had issues. They aren’t playing well together at all. To my eye, it looks muddy and even though I love both yarns individually, together…. not so much. So, by Sunday Plan B was hatched and wound and cast on. I will be joining Mary on the One-Color Yarn Bus. This is not necessarily a bad thing. This is some of my oldest stash that was procured eons ago at the Michigan Fiber Festival (I think it was the first one I ever attended!) Anyway, the colorway is Basil and I think it will work.
I cannot see the stitch pattern at all in the two color version.
Muddy, even in black and white
We even got a tiny bit of work done in the garden as well and that feels so good! There is plenty more to do, but the work has begun.
How was your weekend?
by Kat | Apr 21, 2017 | General
It took you long enough to get here!
There was a good bit of focus yesterday (although time ran out for stitching, but I will catch up this morning!) It is that time of the year when all the week “things” need to come to a close for the year (choir, meetings, etc.) I am so ready for a break and some time to spend at a less than fevered pitch! However, the end is in sight – choir is almost over for the year and after this weekend “active” resisting will settle down a bit…I hope!
In the horrible blogger category: I know I have been super lax at responding to comments – and I profusely apologize for that! All your comments are deeply appreciated and it is not my intention to not respond to you! Really!
In the Today’s the Day category: MDK’s Spring KAL starts NOW and it is not to late to join in! Really, Colorwash Shawl will be a fun knit! Join me! As you can see, my yarn is all ready to go…cast on will happen shortly!
Andrea Mowry wowed me with Find Your Fade and now Miss Babs has Find Your Fade Sets… yeah. I thought the exact same thing! Then, I saw So Faded and I think I might need to queue this up with one of Miss Babs sets! Amirite? And wait… there is even a So Faded Pint Sized… Cuteness overload!
If you love lopapeysa’s and long to knit them year around, perhaps the Norwegian Lopapeysa is what you need! I really love the colors!
Calling all Miss Marple fans… At the Vicarage and Bluebird Cafe socks are out!
In the free category: Espresso Shot Shortie Socks
Escalator Wrap
And, finally… this showed up in my “Hot Right Now” list on Ravelry. Yeah. I love this so much. And, a billion years ago I taught some beginning knitting classes at a yarn shop in Holland. The shop owner was knitting it… just a few rows a day. She was knitting with Cotton Glace as well. However, it is worked flat, which is just crazy to me – all that color work and purling! Gah! I promise you I could not even begin to understand the significance of that back then (and really, I probably should not have been teaching beginning knitting, lol but that is another story!) Anyways, I still love that sweater but would only knit it if I could figure out how to knit it in the round like Mary Scott Huff did recently. (and her latest episode in the continuing saga of the sweater from flat to round is insane…really, go read) I think it is safe to say that my knitting skills are light years behind hers…see this post for proof positive of that!
And, with that – have a fantastic weekend! I am going to try for one more day of focus and I will see you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Apr 20, 2017 | General, In This Moment
I think I have had something to do every night this week, including tonight!
Add to that, crazy busy days and I can tell you that I am in desperate need of a visit from the Cleaning Fairy…so, I can either wait (in vain) for her to show up, or you have where I am today.
Inspired by Mary’s studiousness this week…
That’s right, today is all about focus!
See you tomorrow with some before and afters! (Oh, and some really good Friday links, AND the kick off to MDK’s KAL!)
P.S. Think Write Thursday will resume next week!
P.P.S. I am in love with my neighbor’s Dogwood Tree, which is more spectacular than usual this year!
by Kat | Apr 19, 2017 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Welcome to Unraveled Wednesday!
I hope you will join us today and share something that you are crafting and something you are reading!
For me this week, it has been a quiet week on the knitting front! I have a sweater that got unraveled and knitting has begun again – but just barely. I am making it slightly smaller and going with the increases/decreases every 6 rows. And, really, I am not ripping it out again! This will be a lovely sweater for the fall/winter but as that weather has departed from us – there is not a burning desire to finish it.
Really, I’d rather cast on all the things… wouldn’t you? I am cruising along on my Air Soft Shawl – I got another repeat done last night. And, later today I will wind the winning yarn combination (#1 if you are wondering!!) and get ready to cast on with those MDK girls (and Mary) on Friday! If you are joining in, please let me know! I would love for us to cheer each other on!
On the reading front… I am kind of in a “reading slog” and I am not sure what to do about it. (Okay, what I’d really like to do is read something else, but I think I need to finish the book I am reading for NetGalley…) However, if you are a Department Q devotee there is a new book available for pre-order, sadly it won’t be out until September, but I am so excited for it I almost can’t wait!!
But, what are you crafting or reading today?
[inlinkz_linkup id=710429 mode=1]
by Kat | Apr 18, 2017 | General, In This Moment
Updates and thoughts for a Tuesday.
- Colonoscopy’s have changed dramatically since my last one… not the actual colonoscopy part (nor the prep, oy vey!) but the meds they give you to “twilight” you out have…and for the better! Also, can I just say that the staff at the UPMC South Hills location were amazing – from start to finish. With these amazing improvements in medication, there was NO NAPPING needed! Really, I felt like I do when I wake up in the morning and I was out of “recovery” and in the car in about 15 minutes. I felt so great afterwards that we did a ton of yard work when we got home. Oh, and no scary news from the colonoscopy, which with a family history of colorectal cancer is about the best thing ever.
- Yesterday morning I hit a milestone in my dieting journey – I have now lost 50 lbs. I know, it is such a good thing. I have a bit more to go (okay, actually more than a bit… lol) but hitting that milestone feels so good! I have way more energy and generally feel better not lugging all that added weight around! However, this is the most curious thing ever – my cholesterol numbers were much better before losing all this weight. The good ones were way high, and the bad ones were way low. Now, it is almost the exact opposite. Yeah. So apparently, reducing fat from your diet is not all it’s cracked up to be!
- Because by now you are probably sick of hearing about my health and diet updates… I have added in the third color to the Air Soft Shawl (aka Brambling) and I am still loving this process! Today, I will be pulling out the remainder of the KSH stash to find some additional colors to add in. If you have not tried intarsia or knitting with Kid Silk Haze – this seriously is the project for you! No yarn overs, no long-ass rows, and super clear and easy instructions. It looks far more intimidating that it is – really. Take it from someone who HATES knitting with KSH – I love how it looks, but knitting lace with it is horrendous, imo! However, in this project, I am LOVING IT!
- This week begins action #7 – We Belong Together. This is part of the Women’s March ongoing initiative since January 21
– and this one is really awesome, I think. Because, well, we do belong together! It is part of the Kids Week of Action and it is asking us all to “unite with children and families across the country…commit to making communities a welcoming place for all”. So.much.yes! If you want more information about this, you can find it here.
- Speaking of resisting…apparently Representative Murphy does not know how to schedule a town hall, nor does he understand the importance of doing so. However, we don’t want him to fail at this, so we have taken it upon ourselves to help him organize one! That’s right – tomorrow night in Bethel Park the constituents of Rep. Murphy have gotten a venue, advertised it, and all that is left for him to do is show up and talk with us! Rep. Murphy, if you are reading this (hahaha) you will see that we are not paid, but rather volunteers and your REAL constituents! Do I think he will show up? Nope, not a chance! However, I do hope the press will!
- Because all things MDK are all the rage – there is a KAL starting Friday for KK’s Colorwash Scarf in MDK’s Field Guide #3 – I have tossed my stash and found three potential options. Now, please help me choose! (Also, no comment on having 3 possible colorway choices in my stash – be glad I did not come with 6, which I thought about! LOL) Here are my color choices… please let me know which you like best!
Choice 1: Fleece Artist Trail Socks in Spruce with Sokkusu O in Into the Darkness
Choice 2: BMFA Socks That Rock Mill End (unknown colorway) with Sockhiogheny
Choice 3: Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in Sitka and Grouse (a lighter and darker version of the same colors?)
And, that is enough random for a Tuesday, don’t you think? What is on your agenda today?
P.S. I would like to extend a cordial invitation to you all to join my Lipsburgh Facebook Group! Really, I would love to have you! If you want to know more about LipSense or the SeneGence opportunity, just ask me!
