Kat | As Kat Knits

Slowly spinning wool

Into yarn that yearns to be

The perfect sweater

Right Now – Thursday Edition

by Kat | Apr 7, 2016 | General, In This Moment

Eating: The cold weather spell here has me craving baked steel-cut oats, but I was not in a pumpkin mood. However, I had apples and lemons and an idea in my head. I followed the shell of this recipe, but tweaked it as follows: In place of the pumpkin I added about 2 cups of peeled and diced granny smith apples (to which I added the juice of one lemon to keep them from turning brown before cooking). I cooked them until the liquid from the lemon was evaporated and then followed the recipe. Once I had added the liquids and just before I put it in the oven to finish cooking, I added the zest of one lemon – stirring it in thoroughly. In 35 minutes you have a warm and hearty breakfast with enough for leftovers for the remainder of the week! It reheats well and the apples maintain their texture.

Finishing: I, at long last, finished Kirsten Kapur’s 2014 Mystery KAL – just in time to send it to my sister for her birthday. I think it turned out quite lovely and it is my hope that it will make her feel extra special for this birthday. Truthfully, I would love to keep it for myself, however, this will be a rough birthday for my sister and I want her to know that she is well-loved. Aren’t those always the best gifts anyways; the ones you would rather keep?

Watching: I sped through season 2 of Bosch on Amazon Prime and I liked it as much as I did season 1. I am trying to savor season 2 of Hinterland (Y Gwyll) on Netflix, but really – it is such good television! What is not to love? Wales countryside and Richard Harrington make for perfect viewing! The Americans (currently on FX), if you have not watched any of this, season’s 1-3 are on Amazon Prime. It is a compelling drama about the cold war years. And, finally – Grey’s Anatomy…at times I feel like I should have stopped watching this a couple of seasons ago, but yeah. Still there watching! My hope now is that Meredith and Alex will figure out what the writers have been hinting to the viewers.

Anticipating: The new seasons of Turn and Outlander. The weather being consistent – 70 one day and snow the next is no fun at all! The weekend and especially getting back to the regularly scheduled Friday Night Happy Hour (post Easter and Steve’s Birthday weekend).

Attempting: To build this pergola with Steve. The true test of any relationship, how well you build something together…or maybe not, lol. Anyways, all we can do is try! I will be the one trying to keep their mouth shut as well as my ears so as to not listen to whatever Steve yells at me for! LOL

Planning: Something fun and exciting for this summer – you will have to stay tuned, but I think it will be lots of fun!

A Well Earned Day of Knitting and Reading

by Kat | Apr 6, 2016 | General, Making

How ironic that yesterday’s post about things to calm me down would be needed the same day in full force!

Full. Freaking. Force.

The day did not start well, and I could feel the stress rising even after completing my morning meditation.

Does it seem to you that stress produces stress? My answer is a rousing YES!

And, to cap it off, after having recently frogged a good many WIP’s and having all this “wound yarn” lying around – I cast on Song of the Sea. How difficult can a cowl be, I ask you. Well, for me, apparently very. Yes, even after telling myself that casting on over 200 stitches to join in the round is the recipe for a Moebius – I made a Moebius…

A Moebius I that I, sadly, did not discover until I had completely knit the first pattern repeat.

Yeah. Color me a knitting genius!

Good thing my handspun is sturdy because it was frogged yet again.

Stress produces stress – I should have taken a page from Carole and done a bit of house cleaning instead.

Okay, maybe not! LOL

And today, I am feeling that stress trying to creep in around the edges and I am not going to give in to it! I am going to stay calm and carry on!

My solution for a bit of Calming Respite?

I am joining Ginny in her Yarn Along and making today all about knitting and reading.

Over the weekend I finished reading The Marco Effect – I thought it was a great read. Now, I am currently reading Raven Black by Ann Cleeves and so far, so good!

On my needles, I am still plugging away on this sock and doing some very belated birthday knitting (damned small needles and dark yarn!!) and last night I pulled out another OLD WIP (do you get bonus points for yarn maturation while knitting an object??), found were I was on the chart and knit a couple of rows before bed last night.

If anything is a confidence booster – it is picking up and ages old project and finding in a few minutes where you are on a chart. YES!! Moebius joins be damned!

Hopefully today’s knitting and reading kicks stress right out the door and perhaps helps me finish a project sans mistakes!

In Search of Calm

by Kat | Apr 5, 2016 | General, Words

If I want to calm down, I’ll buy some fabric,

get a pattern, shut myself in a room

and stay there for days, really happy.

And at the end of it, you get a bedspread

or some curtains or something to wear – it’s lovely.

– Twiggy

It’s 10 on Tuesday and this week Carole wants to know:

10 Things You Do To Calm Down

Hmmmm, calm down you say? Yes, we all need a bit of that sometimes, don’t we? Some of us (me!!) more than others.

So, what things help me regain sanity when everything around me is chaos…

Knitting – absolutely every single time. Even when the knitting is not good, the pattern is not easy, or it is just a simple swatch. Knitting is number one on my list.

Shut my mouth – stress and talking are a bad combination.
Meditation. A simple activity that centers me and helps me clear away the chaos from the inside – and if I am calm, what is going on around me is not so earth shattering. Even easier if you turn on Breathe, put in your ear buds, close your eyes, and listen.
Make bread. There is something so cathartic about the process of flour, water, yeast, and salt creating something so incredibly delicious. Stress reduction on so many levels!

Take a walk. A change of scenery just does a body good.
Work in the garden. Bonus – taking out your frustration on the weeds.
Read. Nothing quite like entering the world of the novel to clear your mind of what is stressing you.
Take a nice hot bath (even better while reading) That old Calgon commercial had it right – take me away, indeed!
Make a nice cup of tea to sip slowly.
Turn on music – it always lifts my mood, calms me, and changes my focus.

There you have my “go to” calm facilitators – what are yours?

Resolution Check-in

by Kat | Apr 4, 2016 | General, Words

And, just like that the second quarter of the year is underway – time flies when you are having fun? Way back in January, in our very first 10 on Tuesday of 2016 Carole asked us to share things we’d like to do more… and less.

I thought it would be a good thing – and to help keep me accountable – to see how I am doing with my “more or less” list. As you will see, there is some success and some failure, but I am not giving up. I am recommitting to what I want to do – where I want to go – how I want to be. Continuing is what is important and I will forge ahead on that path!

Moving more – some days I win, some days I’m sedentary. Perhaps the weather change and the garden will help kick this one back on track!
Eating healthier foods has been sustained – I think it is safe to say that this is our habit.
We were pretty good consumer’s this weekend – thanks to some amazing deals at Lowe’s, Bedner’s, and JoAnn’s!! However, these items will be put to use in making things (or growing things). I would like to get back to doing some daily stitching, however, I am not stressing about it.
Konmari continues in a room at a time and I finally got to the boxes in the garage – this is a very good thing. There was some very good sorting that happened and I am happy to report that I now have several free shelves!!
Finally, gratitude, for which I am giving myself a failed grade for the first quarter – there was some, but nowhere near enough. I am going to refocus myself on the little things, and see if my gratitude does not grow and I will start with the weekend, which was lovely from the Pineapple Cilantro Moscow Mules (pictured above) to the wandering through garden centers with Steve. I am grateful that weekends exist.

Here is to a New Beginning Monday where I will start as I plan to continue, I hope your day is good too!