by Kat | Aug 7, 2017 | General, In This Moment
The weekend had a definite autumnal feel to it with cool temps, low humidity, and overcast skies. Kind of weird weather for early August, especially since I am not ready to be reminded that summer is winding down.
The weekend weather did afford a bit more Kon-Mari-ing, which is not really my favorite way to spend a weekend but I am pleased with the results.
The weather was perfect for a bonfire on Saturday night which was the first one we have had this summer!
Today is grey and rainy and my to-do list is substantial, so I am just going to focus on my list and hope for some sunshine and warm weather this week!
Happy Monday, everyone!
by Kat | Aug 4, 2017 | General
One would think that I would have immediately given a little Soak Wash spa treatment to my MKAL shawl upon casting off, however it sat around until yesterday. Why? I have no excuse except for pure laziness but it went down yesterday for a bath and then a good blocking. You know, with the wires and all! Give me some nice straight edges, please! Once I had it all pinned out I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of this shawl. And, even more wowed when I pulled out all the blocking wires and un-pinned it… oh.my.gosh people!! This thing is insanely beautiful!!! I might have even had a tear or two in my eyes at how crazy this turned out. I took it outside last night with “Dolores” to take a few glamor shots and she has yet to relinquish it and it is so stunning, I don’t blame her!
This is the 5th year I have knit Kirsten’s MKAL over the summer and people – this one is seriously the best one yet. The beauty of this simple design of lace and mosaic stitches works so incredibly well together. I might even be wishing for cool weather to wear this baby…non-stop.
To think I worried about it being “small” when I finished the bind off… small might describe a certain someone’s hands, but it absolutely does not describe this shawl… at.all! It is HUGE! Dear Dolores is my size and I love that it can drape casually around her “neck” and not be all tight and bunched up!
Steve thought my yarn color choices were not good and he told me so more than once. He said, what will you wear that with?? Well…everything in my wardrobe, honey… just everything! LOL
All the details of my project are here.
If you missed out on Kirsten’s MKAL, it is not too late…get the pattern and cast on ASAP. You won’t be disappointed!
Now, how about some links?
First up, swissmiss shared this and then I found this. Want….
Reclaiming my time, the Gospel version.
This week had LOTS of good knitting patterns (you’d think fall was coming or something….)
Lots of goodness in there for you to ponder! I hope something inspires you to cast on!
Have a great weekend, see you back here on Monday!
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by Kat | Aug 3, 2017 | General, Words
This week’s Think Write Thursday topic is to write a post to welcome August.
“August, the summer’s last messenger of misery, is a hollow actor. – Henry Rollins
Ohai, August.
I have very mixed emotions about you. You usher in the end of summer and you always go racing by.
You think that your cooling nights will distract me from your noticeably shorter days – but the fading light makes me so sad.
And while my garden is heavy laden with fruits yet to ripen; we cling to your warm sunny days.
Perhaps, this year you will linger well beyond your numbered days.
At least, that is my wish!
If you want to see what others had to say to August, you will find them here. If you want to join Carole and me on Think Write Thursday’s, you can sign up here!
by Kat | Aug 2, 2017 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Is it just me, or does it seem like the summer is just flying by? I mean really, how on earth is it August already?!?
My Instagram feed this week was full of fall sweater knitting plans…ummm, yeah. That was my reaction too, until I reminded myself that I knit not one but two fall sweaters this summer! But then again, I am so not ready for summer to be over so to counteract this madness – I have begun the cast on for Bateau. I have roughly 100 stitches to finish casting on. Summer sweaters FTW! And, no sleeves…ahhhh!
I do have a couple of finished objects this week! I finished the bind off yesterday afternoon for Kirsten Kapur’s MKAL shawl!! It is headed for a nice spa treatment and a good blocking. I will share the beauty shots next week!
I also finished Stillwater #1 (which took me WAY longer than 4 days, lol) This sweater had more than its share of unraveling. The front collar band was ripped back once to adjust stitches and I also ripped back a sleeve with some adjustments for fit. It also needs a good soak but my washer died on Monday so that will wait until the new washer arrives. However, I do really like how it turned out. I used Sheepspot CVM which is a new yarn they are carrying – and I have some mixed feelings about the yarn. I think the yarn will be wonderfully durable and very pill resistant, however, everyone who has touched the sweater has said it is scratchy. Now, this does not bother me at all and really it does not feel scratchy to me, but be warned – this is a sturdy yarn. I also had one skein that had lots of knots in one strand of the plies. I debated as to whether to just leave them (they were small) or to remove them. I decided to remove them because the yarn easily fulled back together (so I did not have any ends to weave in). The skeins have about 280 yards in them, so they are big skeins and they are not dyed but come in natural sheep colors. I also think they are a bit pricey at $26.00 per skein. The yarn weight is between a light worsted and DK weight and it blooms a bit in the bath. I knit this sweater on a size 6 needle which is not the recommended needle size, but I liked the fabric that I got on a 6 the most. You might recall that I originally planned on knitting Daelyn from this yarn, but, this yarn did not play well with that pattern (otherwise known as what happens when you ignore row gauge in a top down sweater).
Now, how about a book report? I have finished 2 more books this week!
I listened to Claire Danes read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and it was excellent listening! I gave this book 4 stars.
I also finished reading The Children Act by Ian McEwan – this was my first Ian McEwan novel and I really enjoyed it and I also gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.
I started another Ian McEwan novel last night – I am reading Nutshell: A Novel. And, while I have just started I can tell you that it is a very curious start! I think this will be another quick read! Up next after that is Elie Wiesel’s Dawn.
I am listening to The English Patient as well and I am really loving it!
As you can see from my Bingo Card I have some open spaces yet and still all of August to fill them.
What about you? What are you excited about this week?
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by Kat | Aug 1, 2017 | General
Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. Gloria Steinem
I really enjoyed my July stitching, but again I am feeling that the stitching is not “done”, but maybe that is the way of summer months. They are never quite done as they move on to the next. Things are still growing and changing and so, perhaps an unfinished feel to stitching is appropriate.
And now a new month lays before me and the excitement I feel as I look at the fabric that will be transformed over the days of August is palpable. The blues of summer will hopefully be captured in my stitching!
by Kat | Jul 31, 2017 | General, In This Moment
This Monday morning brings the close of July is the most unexpected but beautiful way.
It was a great weekend! Friday night cocktails were accompanied by some light snacks as we wound down the week.
Saturday saw me heading out with some “yarn” friends to visit a few shops on the Pittsburgh Yarn Crawl and the weather was just perfect – not too hot at all as we enjoyed the day.
Sunday, the day started out beautifully cool but it warmed nicely and the in afternoon we spent time in the yard doing a bit of work, which feels like it is never-ending.
However, this “overnight” visitor was a most welcome sight first thing this morning!
I hope your Monday is filled with unexpected goodness, too!
