Kat | As Kat Knits

Fiber Friday: In Search of a Yellow Jersey

by Kat | Jul 8, 2016 | General

yel·low jer·sey

noun

(in a cycling race involving stages, especially the Tour de France) a yellow jersey worn by the overall leader in a cycle race, at the end of any one day, and ultimately presented to the winner.

I have been spinning up a storm in week one of the Tour. I have spun up the Columbia rolags, the Merino/Yak roving, and the Gotland roving. I am working through the vintage batts, and I have to tell you, while I was skeptical about how this would look at the start, I am LOVING how this looks spun up!

Still to come: Montadale top and Coopworth roving.

I am not sure how much time I will get to spin this weekend, and day one of “rest” comes on Monday.

The next rest day is July 19, but there is plenty of time yet to spin.

Let’s talk about spinning and plying for a minute. I think that I have been in a real spinning rut – same kind of yarn spun every time had pretty much been my modus operandi. However, I broke out of that shell significantly over the last year in the Sheepspot Fiber Club. I tried new things, spun fibers differently, and generally learned that not all fiber should be spun the same way. While, in theory this might make sense – it did not to me. I had my preferred rhythm and drafting method – don’t move my cheese, right?

Well, it moved and I found I liked it in the new spot!

I envisioned this Merino/Yak spun in a worsted weight yarn that would be soft and squishy, like the fiber was. I think I nailed it. I wish you could feel how soft it is. I have not set the twist yet, because I think I am going to re-ply, it could be better and more uniform.

That gets me to plying…that was truly my log jam in spinning. I can spin a nice single, however plying is a hit and miss prospect for me. More misses than hits. I have tried plying with Scotch Tension, but it really is awkward for me. The take up is sometimes too hard, and I think that does not allow enough twist into the yarns.

But, I watched a couple of videos last week that really were huge “aha” moments for me. One by Rachel Smith, aka welfordpurls (which will be available to the public in a couple of weeks) and one by Sasha Torres, aka Sheepspot.

So, I sat down at my wheel and left it in double drive and tried the things that Rachel and Sasha talked about. And, guess what…THEY WORKED!! I am so excited by this, you just cannot imagine and it has really spurred me to finish up the spinning project for my sweater. I have the singles spun, but I have been holding off because of my inept plying abilities! I will definitely be plying those singles up ASAP. The fear has been vanquished!

Update on TTL MKAL – I finished clue #4 – I know! YES! I have not started clue #5 but I am sure I will at some time this weekend.

All in all, it was a fantastic week in fiber!

Friday Linkage:

Planned pooling is brilliant.
Baby-sized Rose City Rollers
Want a Shetland Adventure?
The second pattern for Sight is Life has been released, and wow!
This is just too cute!
Interesting heel techniques can be found here and here
The perfect sweater for a biker

That’s all I have for this week, I have miles to go in search of that elusive yellow jersey!! Have a fantastic weekend! See you back here on Monday!

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An Update, More or Less

by Kat | Jul 7, 2016 | General, In This Moment, Making

The first half of the year is behind us, and I thought it was a good time to check in with this post and see how I am doing on the things I want to do less and the things I want to do more.

Starting off with the weighing less and moving more – there is indeed less of me (almost 20 pounds less of me), which means there has been more moving. This is such a good thing and I am enjoying wearing clothes that did not fit (or did not fit well)! I have more energy, and feel better about myself.

This also means that the focus on healthier eating is definitely in the win column.

I am sorry to say that hand stitching has fallen by the wayside, which makes me sad – especially seeing the beautiful stitching that Bonnie Sennott does each day. I am going to get back on track with this by adding stitching to my daily calendar and I also moved my stitching to my desk – so it is visible to me. I am hoping that the combination of these things will help.

However, in spite of the lack of stitching, there has been lots of making in the first half of the year!

I am feeling much more organized, but there are still some places in my life that need a bit of Kon-Mari. I am not sure that will happen yet this summer, but maybe if there are a couple of good rainy days it might get started! It is not easy to work in the basement when it is so glorious outside.

Now the hard part – the complaining/gratitude balance in my life. As you know, I have struggled with this. It seems that being grateful is a difficult process, at least for me. So, I started a daily gratitude page in my journal. I am just writing a simple word or phrase about something I am grateful for that day. It does not happen every day, but it is happening more than it did! I am not sure this is eliminating the complaining in my life, but it is causing me to stop and think.

Did you make resolutions this year? How are you doing on them?

Holiday Hangover

by Kat | Jul 6, 2016 | General, Making

Trying to get back into the rhythm of the week after a long weekend has not been easy this week. I am off my game, seriously behind, and today I am determined to get this train back on track.

It is a new day – a do over, as it were.

So, with list in hand – I am on a mission to get things done today.

Included on the list is to finish clue four on the TTL MKAL.

But, before I can do that there is a kitchen and a bathroom on my list.

Oh, and laundry.

Good thing I have something excellent in my ears today – The Summer Before the War will make the work lighter so I can get to those last 10 rows! I finished up Dead Water and thus filled another square on my Book Bingo card! No bingo’s yet – and now comes the hard work of the card..

Have a fantastic Wednesday. Joining Ginny in her Yarn Along.

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Fourth of July Recap

by Kat | Jul 5, 2016 | General, Words

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means, Carole wants to know:

Ten Things You Did This Weekend

Without any fanfare, here is my weekend recap:

Enjoyed a Happy Hour, or two
Grilled Brittner’s specialty hotdogs, because can It really be the fourth without a hotdog?
Harvested things from the garden – fresh produce waits for no holiday.
Enjoyed farm fresh corn on the cob, grilled of course!
Listened to Garrison Keillor’s last PHC from the Hollywood Bowl.
Listened to NPR read the Declaration of Independence – their 28^th year of doing so and it is crazy that I have listened to most of them!
Tour de Fleece spinning took place, I finished the lovely Merino Yak and am working through the Columbia rolags.
Mystery knitting happened (although I am still not finished with Clue #4…)
Lots of reading – I finished Dead Water and started The Summer Before the War (in my ears) and A Man Called Ove (on my Kindle) and I am still working through Big Magic.
And, savored every single second of this glorious summer weekend because, before we know it Labor Day will be upon us.

It was really an amazing weekend, but what I want to know is how was your weekend?

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Staying the Course

by Kat | Jul 4, 2016 | General, Words

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Have a very happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

Photo credit to Eflon