by Kat | Feb 7, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers! It is a snow day here in Pittsburgh, so Steve is home today. Yeah, that changes up my day a bit! But, the knitting is really heating up and we are only seven days into February!
Clue Two will be out tomorrow and my mystery socks are eagerly awaiting more knitting time.
I am coasting on Strokkur, the joy of Lopi Knitting is perhaps one of the greatest things ever for me. I can see Sleeve Island in my near future as I am less than 20 rows from the sleeve join.
But, on Friday night, these projects will be put on pause for a moment, so I can begin the Olympic-Bang-Out-A-Carbeth Knitting frenzy! Now, all other Bang-Out Knitters began on the fifth, but I am patiently waiting for Opening Ceremony and this project a Two-fer – Bang-Out-A-Carbeth-Olympic-Knitting! All the yummy brown yarn in the photo above will soon be a Carbeth and I can’t wait!
My second Olympic Project, because I am positive that Carbeth will be done quickly, are some Log Cabin Mitts I am just in love with them and I have lots of bits and bobs of left over yarns to use! These might take me more time to knit that the Carbeth! Ha! And, maybe some mini-hearts! The cuteness!
Now, on to the reading:
I finished The Woman Who Smashed Codes. Oh.my.gosh. I loved it and I really hate that I have finished it, there should have been more chapters to read! As others have said, this book might be the best book I will read all year. I am utterly and entirely in love with Elizebeth and William Friedman. I cried. I laughed. I said wow more than once and oh my gosh is she so smart! This is a 5-star book that I highly recommend. Really, add this book to your read list right now!
I also finished Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. This book…just wow. I sincerely hope this dystopian world never, ever, ever becomes reality. It is well written, thought provoking, and profound. It spurred some very interesting discussions on the value of life. I gave this book 4-stars.
I have started listening to Sherman Alexie’s You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me and I am reading The Snow Child on my iPad at night when I get into bed and I just started Ali Smith’s Winter which came from the library this week.
If you are joining us today, welcome! Please leave the link to your post in your comment! What’s keeping you warm in February?
P.S. Please excuse the absolutely horrid photo, it is dark, grey, and super icy-rainy-snowy here today and the light is almost non-existent!
by Kat | Feb 6, 2018 | General
…this amazing baby was born! It was cold and a blizzard was raging as we headed off to the hospital. But, Rachel was a bright ray of sunshine as she entered our lives!
I am bursting with pride at what the incredible woman she has become and at what she is accomplishing now. She started her own business last month and is knocking out of the park.
She is so smart! And, she is fierce and mighty! She truly can do anything. How do I know this? Just look at her!! (She is in front in the hot pink leggings…go Rachel!)
Happy Birthday, Rachel! I love you so much!
by Kat | Feb 5, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Last night was a light on sleep night here at Casa del KatKnits! The game was actually a game and we watched it to the end! I thought the commercials were not all that super and the sound at the halftime show was, well, poor sounding. I am not sure what they did to make it even harder to hear, but they absolutely succeeded! And, it was extra special when the underdog won the game! Congrats to the Eagles for this momentous win!
It was a good weekend for knitting, and I am making great strides on my Strokkur. I am almost through the waist decreases. It is just simple round and round knitting right now, so I don’t need to pay much attention.
I also have completed clue 1 on KK’s Mystery Socks! And, I like them thus far! Very much!
In my sleep deprived state today, my list is happily short on things and it might even include a bit of a nap this afternoon!
I hope your Monday is short and if it cannot be that it is full of good things!
by Kat | Feb 2, 2018 | General
This post comes with a disclaimer… these links are dangerous!
I have cast on more things in the past week and there are at least 3 things linked below that I want to cast.on.right.now. I have some seriously knitsanity going on here.
Good thing it is Friday and there is sure to be LOTS of knitting time this weekend! (I know for a fact there will be because there is some crazy football game on Sunday night and yes, I will be knitting and watching!)
Add to all of that, Phil has seen his shadow, so more winter is on tap. Just the added inspiration (if I needed any!!) to keep on knitting! But, really Phil… thanks, NOT!
Yesterday, I started the Mystery socks… sock one is almost done. I hope to get through the cuff of sock two today. So far, so very good. Kirsten writes a great pattern. And, yes – I opted to go with the yarn that had some nylon in it.
Now, on to those links…and don’t say you weren’t warned!
Need a quick but luxurious knit? Azurine Hat and Cowl might be just the thing.
These socks might not be quick, but wow are they stunning!
Boho style Mosaic Cardigan…I mean really. I can’t even, it is so cute!
Ahem, Carole and Vicki…. Did you see Elwood?
Immortalists… oh my!
Brae Cove Tunic. I mean really…WANT! And, I love how this pattern came to be: “One afternoon, in a cozy cabin called Brae Cove, a group of knitters imagined the perfect knit tunic. It would be simply constructed for easy knitting, but it would also have a bit of optional colorwork for knitters who wanted more of a challenge. The design would be knit in the round, top-down, so you could try it on as you knit, opening the door to easy modifications. And the style could be worn on its own or layered, flattering a range of body types. With notes taken and inspiration blooming, lo and behold, the Brae Cove Tunic was born!”
Log Cabin Mitts…and free.
Joji has The Easy One and a Bulky version.
And, finally – Beth Smith is hosting a Rhinebeck Retreat…oh, and I am doing the cooking! You really don’t want to miss out on this!
That, my friends, is all I have this week. Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Feb 1, 2018 | General, Words
The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within. William C. Bryant
While there is no sun today, these words this morning filled my meditations with hope. February is short, and her days are lengthening! In Pittsburgh we will gain 28 minutes of daylight this month! There is lots of good things going on this month, and here are a few of my favorites!
Thing One:
Knitting all the things: Socks, Bang-out-a-Carbeth, and Lopi-Along will consume my knitting time. My knitters heart is all a-flutter about so much fun knitting! I swatched for Carbeth yesterday and got gauge. My Lopi is underway, and I will cast on those socks today! It’s a good month to be a knitter!
Thing Two:
Appreciating pen and paper as I begin on my letter writing journey this month. I have my list, if you commented here, watch your email for my request for your snail mail address!
Thing Three:
Queue up some binge-worthy TV! My queue includes Top of the Lake on Hulu and The Doctor Blake Mysteries and Retribution on Netflix.
These are the things occupying my mind on this first day of February. Want to see more things? Head over to Carole’s where all the good things are!
by Kat | Jan 31, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Welcome, Unravelers!
And, just like that January is over!
It was a good month for knitting! I managed to finish three projects! And, I have cast on another sweater for Berroco’s Lopi-Along! I started Strokkur yesterday but, I am not too far along. I love how Ysolda has me counting rows rather than measuring. I did get row gauge (which is very good) but I did not get stitch gauge, so I am knitting accordingly. It was a cold and blustery day yesterday, which makes for wonderful knitting time!
But, better than knitting was my January reading! The month started out with a bit of disappointment in the book selections, but it closed out with some really wonderful reads and I somehow managed to finish 12 books this month!
I finished reading The Girl in the Ice and loved it! A well written crime mystery. I gave it 4-stars and will try another book from this series!
I also finished listening to A Trick of the Light! Ahhhh! There is just something wonderful about Armand Gamache, and this is my favorite one yet! (I know, I say that every time, but really – the character development is just amazing and so touching in this book!) 5-stars and I highly recommend this series!
I started listening to The Woman Who Smashed Codes on Monday and really did not want to stop listening! It is wonderful!
I started reading The Snow Child.
Here is to this long month being over. The days are feeling less dark and February, while still cold, is, thankfully, not long! And, there is so much fun in February! Want to Lopi-Along? You can still join in, there is plenty of time! Are you up for some Olympic Knitting? I am pretty sure Team Rules Schmules still has openings! Perhaps, you dream of Banging out a Carbeth…and, if none of those strike your fancy, tomorrow clue #1 of Kirsten Kapur’s sock MKAL starts! So much knitting, so few days!
If you are joining in today with all the Unraveler’s, please leave your link in your comment! Have an amazing Wednesday and thank you for stopping by!
