A Focused Thursday

A Focused Thursday

I think I have had something to do every night this week, including tonight!

Add to that, crazy busy days and I can tell you that I am in desperate need of a visit from the Cleaning Fairy…so, I can either wait (in vain) for her to show up, or you have where I am today.

Inspired by Mary’s studiousness this week

That’s right, today is all about focus!

See you tomorrow with some before and afters! (Oh, and some really good Friday links, AND the kick off to MDK’s KAL!)

P.S. Think Write Thursday will resume next week!

P.P.S. I am in love with my neighbor’s Dogwood Tree, which is more spectacular than usual this year!

Unraveled Wednesday, April 19

Unraveled Wednesday, April 19

Welcome to Unraveled Wednesday!

I hope you will join us today and share something that you are crafting and something you are reading!

For me this week, it has been a quiet week on the knitting front! I have a sweater that got unraveled and knitting has begun again – but just barely. I am making it slightly smaller and going with the increases/decreases every 6 rows. And, really, I am not ripping it out again! This will be a lovely sweater for the fall/winter but as that weather has departed from us – there is not a burning desire to finish it.

Really, I’d rather cast on all the things… wouldn’t you? I am cruising along on my Air Soft Shawl – I got another repeat done last night. And, later today I will wind the winning yarn combination (#1 if you are wondering!!) and get ready to cast on with those MDK girls (and Mary) on Friday! If you are joining in, please let me know! I would love for us to cheer each other on!

On the reading front… I am kind of in a “reading slog” and I am not sure what to do about it. (Okay, what I’d really like to do is read something else, but I think I need to finish the book I am reading for NetGalley…) However, if you are a Department Q devotee there is a new book available for pre-order, sadly it won’t be out until September, but I am so excited for it I almost can’t wait!!

But, what are you crafting or reading today?

[inlinkz_linkup id=710429 mode=1]

Randomly on a Tuesday

Randomly on a Tuesday

Updates and thoughts for a Tuesday.

  1. Colonoscopy’s have changed dramatically since my last one… not the actual colonoscopy part (nor the prep, oy vey!) but the meds they give you to “twilight” you out have…and for the better! Also, can I just say that the staff at the UPMC South Hills location were amazing – from start to finish. With these amazing improvements in medication, there was NO NAPPING needed! Really, I felt like I do when I wake up in the morning and I was out of “recovery” and in the car in about 15 minutes. I felt so great afterwards that we did a ton of yard work when we got home. Oh, and no scary news from the colonoscopy, which with a family history of colorectal cancer is about the best thing ever.
  2. Yesterday morning I hit a milestone in my dieting journey – I have now lost 50 lbs. I know, it is such a good thing. I have a bit more to go (okay, actually more than a bit… lol) but hitting that milestone feels so good! I have way more energy and generally feel better not lugging all that added weight around! However, this is the most curious thing ever – my cholesterol numbers were much better before losing all this weight. The good ones were way high, and the bad ones were way low. Now, it is almost the exact opposite. Yeah. So apparently, reducing fat from your diet is not all it’s cracked up to be!
  3. Because by now you are probably sick of hearing about my health and diet updates… I have added in the third color to the Air Soft Shawl (aka Brambling) and I am still loving this process! Today, I will be pulling out the remainder of the KSH stash to find some additional colors to add in. If you have not tried intarsia or knitting with Kid Silk Haze – this seriously is the project for you! No yarn overs, no long-ass rows, and super clear and easy instructions. It looks far more intimidating that it is – really. Take it from someone who HATES knitting with KSH – I love how it looks, but knitting lace with it is horrendous, imo! However, in this project, I am LOVING IT!
  4. This week begins action #7 – We Belong Together. This is part of the Women’s March ongoing initiative since January 21
    – and this one is really awesome, I think. Because, well, we do belong together! It is part of the Kids Week of Action and it is asking us all to “unite with children and families across the country…commit to making communities a welcoming place for all”. So.much.yes! If you want more information about this, you can find it here.
  5. Speaking of resisting…apparently Representative Murphy does not know how to schedule a town hall, nor does he understand the importance of doing so. However, we don’t want him to fail at this, so we have taken it upon ourselves to help him organize one! That’s right – tomorrow night in Bethel Park the constituents of Rep. Murphy have gotten a venue, advertised it, and all that is left for him to do is show up and talk with us! Rep. Murphy, if you are reading this (hahaha) you will see that we are not paid, but rather volunteers and your REAL constituents! Do I think he will show up? Nope, not a chance! However, I do hope the press will!
  6. Because all things MDK are all the rage – there is a KAL starting Friday for KK’s Colorwash Scarf in MDK’s Field Guide #3 – I have tossed my stash and found three potential options. Now, please help me choose! (Also, no comment on having 3 possible colorway choices in my stash – be glad I did not come with 6, which I thought about! LOL) Here are my color choices… please let me know which you like best!

Choice 1: Fleece Artist Trail Socks in Spruce with Sokkusu O in Into the Darkness

Choice 2: BMFA Socks That Rock Mill End (unknown colorway) with Sockhiogheny

Choice 3: Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in Sitka and Grouse (a lighter and darker version of the same colors?)

And, that is enough random for a Tuesday, don’t you think? What is on your agenda today?

P.S. I would like to extend a cordial invitation to you all to join my Lipsburgh Facebook Group! Really, I would love to have you! If you want to know more about LipSense or the SeneGence opportunity, just ask me!

Fly by Monday

Fly by Monday

Perhaps in the grand scheme of things, scheduling a colonoscopy on the day after Easter is not the most genius thing ever…

But, as far as being Monday? Well, I think it is safe to say that I it will go by practically unnoticed! So, take that Monday!

As far as the weekend went, all in all it was pretty darn nice (if you exclude Sunday from noon to 9PM)

Steve had Thursday and Friday off at work and we got a minute amount of yard work done and we put the top on the pergola and worked on opening the porch for the season.

We also caught up with Homeland. Yikes! And, that is all I will say about that!

I did some knitting – brief moments, but of course it was not on anything that I needed to be knitting! Rather, I was inspired by Vicki to do a bit of stash diving and cast on the Brambling Shawl from the Year of Techniques. I had enough colors to get started and tomorrow I will pull out the ‘deep-deep’ stash and find the rest of my KSH stash…

I am seriously loving how light and airy this is knitting up! And, even though the colors are not very spring-summer right now – I think I have fuchsia, blue, and maybe a teal. Colors aside, I think this will be the perfect little wrap for the summer! So far, so good on the knitting with KSH (or KSH wanna be’s)

As for today, perhaps a nap, more knitting on the fluff on these needles, and maybe some reading. Tomorrow will be soon enough to get back to reality knitting.

Hope your Monday is awesome! See you tomorrow!

Save

Save

Save

Taproot, Teeswater, and Tattoos!

Taproot, Teeswater, and Tattoos!

The latest issue of Taproot magazine is filled with good things. From homemade bitters to Wendell Berry to Tasha Tudor to these cute hens. If you have not had the chance to read Taproot – it is worth a look, and this month especially!

The latest installment from the Sheepspot Fiber Club is really quite stunning… and scary: Teeswater Top (Top or Roving, the difference between them) I simply love how the fiber took the dye and I am really quite nervous to spin up this incredible stuff! Yeah… this spin will be something that I focus on – no watching Netflix while spinning!

And, finally Tattoos! In the credit where credit is due category… a huge thanks to Mitch McConnell for making “nevertheless she persisted” the most popular tattoo of the year! Across the nation women have been gathering to tattoo this motto on their person, and April 23rd Pittsburgh (and the surrounding area) is joining in the fun! The event will be raising funds for Women & Girls Foundation’s GirlGov program designed to provide local girls with the opportunity to learn about civics, government, philanthropy, community involvement, women’s history, and leadership! It will be held at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh! You can sign up for the event here – and Yinzer’s can you help me out by sharing this in your social media sphere – THANK YOU! I am going… and I hope you are too!

Now, how about some links this week?

On to the sweater category…

That is all I have for this week! Have a great weekend and a very Happy Easter!

Save

An oasis in the trees

An oasis in the trees

This week’s Think Write Thursday prompt is to write about a tree house hideaway.

I am not sure if any of you have seen any of Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet, but I have watched occasionally. Pete Nelson is a creative soul who brings to life a person’s dream tree house.

And, really – who did not dream of a tree house when they were a kid? I sure did! There was a sassafras grove in the woods behind the house where we lived and my sister and I spent hundreds of hours there. I wished for a tree house in that very spot! It would have been perfect!

However, if I was going to have Pete Nelson’s team build me a tree house today – I want it to be modeled on those childhood dreams but with a modern amenity reality that really would make it an oasis.

I know that space would be at a premium in a tree house, so an annex for crafting would be necessary – I mean I am not going to my tree house to get away from the things that relax me most!

But, in the main house, I want there to be windows… so many windows! I want to see the view that the birds and the squirrels see! And, it would need a small kitchen because happy hour and snacks in the tree tops might be the best thing ever.

A loft with more windows and a bed would make it the perfect ‘camp out’ place, don’t you think? Oh… and it would need a bathroom, thank you very much!

A hideaway in the trees might be the best place in the world to spend time!

What about you? Would you like a tree house?

You can see what others have to say about their hideaway in the trees here. If you would like to join Carole and me in these Think Write Thursday journeys, we would love to have you join us! You can sign up here!

Pin It on Pinterest