by Kat | Aug 29, 2017 | General, Words
Oh, August…
It seems like you were just getting started, and now are too soon over. However, in your racing days, there were so many moments of joy.
The abundance of tomatoes and raspberries from my garden, it has been such an incredibly good year for tomato and raspberry production!
The dozens of bees and butterflies in all shapes and sizes that spent their days in my gardens.
Reading… so much good reading! By the end of the month, I will have finished 11 books! I cannot remember a summer when I have read better books!
Stitching…this month just might be my favorite!
Tuesday Knit Nights at the library – I am filled with joy by these incredible women and by the library that welcomes us with open arms.
These are just a few slices of August’s joy.
What about you? What brought joy to your August?
P.S. Pilates has also brought me much joy in August! And, if you are interested, there is a free 7-day session starting on September 11th! You can sign up here!
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by Kat | Aug 28, 2017 | General, In This Moment
This week I have a few things that I must finish that have been at the top of my procrastination list for some time. Sadly, there are plenty of things I procrastinate over but these things are especially procrastination worthy and I am not looking forward to them at all.
The weekend was highly productive but unseasonably cool! We got some inside Kon-Mari-ing done. And I have a good-sized pile of clothes to take to the re-sale shop. Today I will continue in Kon-Mari-Mode and clean out some knitting books. Then I will tackle the Procrastination List!
On a brighter note, I am almost done with this sweater! I might even have it done today, if I can wrap my head around the neckband finishing. We shall see how it goes.
I also made some good progress on Kavalier and Clay over the weekend and I should easily have this done soon. I must admit, they are wonderful companions even during the most mundane of tasks!
And with that, I am off to start my Monday! How was your weekend?
by Kat | Aug 25, 2017 | General
It seemed like an inordinately long week this week for some reason and I am glad it is Friday!
I do have a Finished Object to share with you today (and this morning, I could have used them outside this morning as the temperature was a very chilly 50!) I finished the Ferryboat Mitts from the absolutely lovely Shepherd’s Lamb Rambouillet Yarn. What an absolute treat to knit with this yarn. Shepherd’s Lamb sent me undyed yarn, but they have some really beautiful dyed skeins and they even have a few plant dyed skeins as well! While I was limited as to what to make (besides a swatch) with just a skein or two, this yarn would make a lovely sweater. It is so squishy and soft. And, while this is a soft yarn, I think it will wear very well. This yarn is next to skin soft, so you could also make a squishy warm cowl with a couple of skeins. If you have never knit with Rambouillet, I highly recommend this yarn.
Now, how about some links?
That is all I have for this week! Have an awesome weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Aug 24, 2017 | General, In This Moment
In my thinking about what to post today, I have been spending some time thinking about impossible that it is end of August. This is especially odd since the days since the inauguration each seem like they are a century long.
So, is time flying? Or dragging inexorably slowly by?
It seems unreal that just over a one year ago Steve and I went to see HRC speak when she came to Pittsburgh. It seems like yesterday, but not. Know what I mean?
I do have something that I am eagerly awaiting. And, hearing teasers over the past couple of days really makes me more eager to listen to HRC read to me.
This might just make September a bit brighter.
by Kat | Aug 23, 2017 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
The time crunch has begun to get my coverall in Book Bingo…and I am feeling it! I have 2 squares to go and I am listening to both books.
I did finish Still Waters by Viveca Sten. It was an excellent book and I gave it 4 stars! I would have given it 5 stars, but for some of the tiny bits of rambling that I felt were unnecessary to the story line. I had no clue who “did it” until the very end. I will read another book in her series and see how she develops the characters. All in all, great writing!
I have been dividing my listening time between The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and A Room with a View – talk about divergent writing! Anyways, I still have a good bit of listening to do but, my hope is that they are both done by Labor Day! A Room with a View should be done later today… then just about 12 hours left in Kavalier and Clay. I am hopeful that I will make it!
Now, on the knitting front, I am happy to share that there has been NO unraveling here this week, and even though I did not have quantity knitting time, it was quality time!
I have about 6 more inches to knit on my Angelina Pullover to get to the bottom ribbing and I am just about to add in my 4th skein of yarn. I am most pleased with how this is turning out and my hope is that I will have this done before Labor Day!
I also began clue #2 of Laura Aylor’s Sand Ripples and I am really enjoying this knit! So far, so good!
That is all I have for this week… what is good in your knitting and reading?
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by Kat | Aug 22, 2017 | General, In This Moment
There is so much going on every day and not all of it good. So, every day I try very hard to have something good to focus on, I thought I’d share a bit of that with you!
Watching: The eclipse! Even though in Pittsburgh we only got a partial eclipse – it was spectacular even with some cloud cover. The changes to the light were stunning. You will be happy to know that our household listened to the directions of not looking at the sun to prevent retinal damage. This was not the case for everyone… Perhaps this should be a test for competency? And, as for the digital watching: Game of Thrones (of course!) and Endeavor! I also watched the finale of Broadchurch and honestly, I was a little disappointed. But, I won’t say any more than that for all those who have yet to watch it.
Stitching: Every single day and I am really pleased with how August is unfolding. Really pleased! I also went and got some button craft thread and my hope is that I will soon turn this pile of tee shirts into my first AC garment.
Reading: and listening like a maniac as I chase down my cover all! I am just 2 squares away and have about 18 hours of listening to do. I am eager to get them done because Beach Music by Pat Conroy just came off hold for me at the library! I am also reading the Essays of E.B. White on my Kindle and I have both books by Laurie Colwin (Home Cooking and More Home Cooking). I am almost done with Home Cooking – I should have it completed this week. This has really been the most spectacular summer for reading. Ever.
Picking: Tomatoes…so many tomatoes. That picture above is from this morning! I know, you are all probably sick of hearing about tomatoes, but this year, the volume of large tomatoes has been really quite spectacular. In past years, I have been happy with the dozen we have picked, but this year has had a bumper crop with no signs of production slowing down! Also, raspberries… I picked enough again this morning to make a batch of jam. I know these are such awful problems to have. Spending time in my garden is really the best time, I would not trade it for anything – even with the bunnies decimating our beans! There should be a “not picking” category perhaps, because outside of the handful of zucchini we picked at the beginning of the season, it has not been a good year for them at all. We have picked a sum total of zero since then and it does not look like that will change. I am not sure why they are having such a bad year, but my neighbor is not having any success with his squash plants this year either.
Eating: Tomatoes from my garden! Every.single.day! And, for those things we aren’t growing: sweet corn, peaches, and an incredible variety of peppers! August is the month where I am quite certain I could become a vegetarian.
Looking forward to: Our trip to Michigan! We finalized the dates and have our Airbnb reservation all set. It is the one thing that is really giving me something to look forward to! Why? Because…
Dreading: The end of August. The arrival of Labor Day. The return of dark mornings. Having to turn lights on at night earlier. This summer I have really tried to not “wish ahead” but rather spend more time in the moment enjoying. This has been an eye-opening practice – I am much happier with each day and I am worrying less about tomorrow, or next month, or next year. September, you can just wait your turn – there is lots of August left!
Celebrating: Sherman’s 5th Birthday on Saturday! Every day I am so incredibly thankful for him. He is a bright spot in our day.
That is a slice of what is good in my life right now; how about you? What’s good in your life?
