by Kat | Jul 24, 2019 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Last night, the temperatures dipped down into the 50’s! Sleeping with open windows is just the best and I am so happy that horrid heat stretch is over…at least for the time being. Meanwhile, I am reveling in the respite and enjoying time outside!
I spent time on “Sleeve Island” this week – a very different kind of Sleeve Island but, can I just say that it was entirely enjoyable?!
I finished the sleeves on the second Uniform Tunic Dress – this version with a more “AC-friendly” 3/4 length sleeve. I used the instructions posted here but cut out full length sleeves and used a 6- and 3/4-inch hem. I love how they turned out. This fabric has a bit more body to it (it feels a little like a cotton twill) and I love it! Bonus points that this white dress is not see-through! I think that my modifications to the Uniform pattern have been perfected – both the 2-inch bust adjustment and the “fat” quarter inch reduction to the bodice shoulders. This “white” dress is going to get some heavy rotation in the coming days – and that is something I could never imagine my overweight self ever saying!
The other “sleeves” I finished are those of Early Bloomer…Okay, so they aren’t really sleeves but they are done as is the neck and I have more than enough yarn to finish the body of the sweater which I did and will begin the ribbing today. This will be done soon and then I will be back to knitting the shawl I abandoned for Early Bloomer.
Some weeks ago, I started this sweater and as I mentioned here the shoulder increases did not work at all with my gauge – so the project was abandoned. I have had this pile of yarn sitting near my desk wondering what on earth I was going to do with it… and then Romi’s new sweater appeared and I began swatching. The yarn just screamed – YES, that is exactly what I want to be! I will be doing version #2 and will start once that shawl is finished!
Now, how about some reading updates?
If you can’t tell… I am just LOVING all the different colored “X’s” – it might be the best part of Summer Book Bingo!
I finished Bingo Books: Hunger and Song of Solomon, as well as non-bingo We Were Eight Years in Power.
Oh my. I loved them all for different reasons.
Hunger was hard to listen to at times. It stuck close to home with several things, but despite those hard to hear parts, this book is excellent! 4-stars.
Song of Solomon was incredible. I listened to Toni Morrison read it. It was powerful, moving, and incredibly beautiful. 5-stars and I highly recommend.
Finally, We Were Eight Years in Power – this book made incredibly clear to me how unfair life is for Black American’s in the United States. I thought I had an idea – but truly, I am so clueless. It brought tears to my eyes, it made me so mad at the blatant unfairness, and it showed me how much more work needs to be done for this ongoing unfairness to end. So.much.more.work. 5-stars and this is a must-read book.
That is all I have for this week, but I want to know – where did you find success this week? In making? In reading?
As always, if you wrote a post to share today – please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Jul 22, 2019 | General
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. – Robert Burns
Note to self, 95+ degree heat and humidity at a gajillion percent means that your camera lens will instantly fog up…
Add to all of that, this morning it is raining, and the humidity is still off the charts making big camera photography impossible. So, I am phoning in my “homework” this week… literally. These photos are from my iPhone Xs Max, and Steve has already weighed in on how pitiful they are. No, they are not actually macro photos. Yes, they are a bit blurry. But I hope they convey the obvious joy of the subject.
Bee, complete with a full pollen basket
Sunflowers are the bee version of a hamster wheel… they go round and round and round!
Bee Joy might just be the most wonderful thing ever! And, these bees are fearless – no flinching, or flying away from my phone all up in their business! You can see that these 99 cent sunflower plants are a HUGE hit! And can I just say – holy cow on the number of blooms? Each plant has easily 2 dozen flowers and buds!
As for my weekend, with a glimpse of “hell on earth” temps this weekend – I spent much of the weekend indoors with the perpetually running AC.
I discovered a new to me mystery series – Maigret. The mysteries are based on the novels written between 1919 and 1922 by Georges Simenon. I binged a bit on them and got “close” on my Early Bloomer. I am having a bit of a “do I have enough yarn” panic, so I put the body on waste yarn, and I will finish the neck and sleeves, and then finish the body and lower ribbing.
I also sewed up another Uniform Tunic Dress – it is almost done, and I just need to ease in the sleeves, which I plan on doing this morning. I have finally mastered sleeve placement with no puckers, but it means taking my time and methodically pinning – with LOTS of pins!
And, that was my weekend complete with my photos.
I hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday, stay cool and dry!
by Kat | Jul 19, 2019 | General, In This Moment
There is no black-and-white situation. It’s all part of life. Highs, lows, middles. – Van Morrison
Mary has challenged us this week to share #goodnewses, and, Gentle Readers… the struggle is real. How do you find good news when there is so much horrific news? Part of me feels that even finding something good is being a Pollyanna, especially not in the times we are living in. I think Van Morrison is right – it is not a choice of good over bad, but rather understanding that sometimes it is not either or, not good or bad, but rather just bad.
And, so rather than trying to write a forced TGIF post – today I am taking page from Michelle and sharing #atinybitofquiet.
My plan for today will include cutting out another Uniform Dress, finish the last 3 inches of the body of my sweater, and be comfortable in the fact that bad news is part of life.
Happy Friday everyone… if you are in the path of the heatwave, stay cool! See you all back here on Monday.
by Kat | Jul 18, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Joining together with Carole and friends this week again. And, I don’t know about you, but holy hell this been the week of all.the.horrific.things!
My things this week, have been things to pick me up…and I hope they do you too!
Thing One:
This week I discovered #tinypricks on Instagram. Stitchers might just be the most brilliant people ever! (And, my inner juvenile laughs hilariously at the hash tag…)
Thing Two:
Speaking of Instagram, @ladydyeyarns shared this awesome support list! I do not consider myself an “influencer” but I absolutely believe we should all support these businesses!
Thing Three:
Finally, because in this week of hell I have looked to James Baldwin for hope and wisdom and I stumbled across this article that is full of both of those things! I watched the video and I agree that James Baldwin is still very relevant today and I will leave these words here. I will be spending some uncomfortable time pondering them today.
There are my things… what about you? Do you have any things that are helping you get through this week?
by Kat | Jul 17, 2019 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
It’s Wednesday and that means me giving you an update on what I am making and reading!
The color work on my Early Bloomer is complete and now I am just knitting around and around and around. I generally like mindless knitting, but I am happy that I am almost 1/3 of the way done! This has been my pickup project at the end of the day so it has not seen much knitting time – but hopefully I will find some “daytime” knitting so I can finish the body!
Sewing continues to satisfy and I began a Tunic Dress on Monday. I have tweaked a few things – a bust adjustment and lengthening of the bodice worked out very well. I have the neck facing and sleeves to finish and then hemming and it will be done!
I do have 3 bingos this week and three books read!
I finished American Indian Stories, Legends and Other Writings – this was perhaps my most interesting read all summer. This book was originally published in 1921 and there was an extensive introduction by Cathy N. Davidson and Ada Norris that gives some very interesting details about Zitkala-Ša’s life and background. But, the most fascinating part is her writing. The book begins with “Old Indian Legends” that all surround a “spider-trickster” named Iktomi. They are fascinating and are full of things to think about. The second portion of the book revolves around Zitkala-Ša’s life. If you are interested in reading more about the Sioux Indian life – I highly recommend this book, 4-stars.
My second book for my bingo card was a short read from Ta-Nehisi Coates, The World Between You and Me – which is a letter he writes to his son. I listened to Coates read it and it was simply wonderful. This book was one that President Obama highly recommended and I agree with his recommendation! 5-stars.
My third finish this week was another short but powerful book: When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. Powerful, painful, and yes, hopeful. If you have not read it, you should – and soon! 5-stars.
But, what about you? What’s got your attention this week?
As always – if you wrote a post to share today, please leave your link below!
Thank you!
by Kat | Jul 16, 2019 | General
I tried this cocktail on Thursday (because all cocktails need a test run, right?) and it was just kind of bland and I did not think the tequila was really the best in this application. But I thought the idea had potential. So, I worked on it Friday and found that my “fixes” made a much better beverage!
So, I thought I’d share my recipe with you all, in case you want to try it out… say like tonight, non?
Step One: Make a blackberry-thyme simple syrup
- 1-pint blackberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- lemon zest (I used 4 strips from a very small lemon)
- 6 sprigs of thyme
Combine berries, water, sugar, and lemon zest and bring to boil. Stir to ensure sugar has dissolved and to mash berries a bit. Add thyme and bring heat down and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes to steep. Strain mixture and cool before refrigerating. Will last approximately 10 days.
Step Two: Make Cocktail
- 2-ounces Dry Gin (I used London Dry Gin)
- 1.5-ounce blackberry-thyme syrup
- 1-ounce fresh lemon juice
- Sparkling water
Combine gin, syrup, and lemon juice over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Serve over ice in tall glass and top with sparkling water and enjoy!
I found this to be an incredibly delicious and refreshing cocktail.
AND, totally unrelated but incredibly awesome!!
Yesterday, the mail carrier brought a lovely little surprise to my doorstep from Washington D.C. Yes, my dear friend Honoré sent me the loveliest little gift! It is a mouse pad that you can take notes on! And, it is so wonderful! As you can see, I am already using it (although – no notes…yet!) Thank you so much, Honoré for this lovely gift! Even the Roald Dahl quote is perfect – and it reminds me of her!
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
