by Kat | Feb 22, 2017 | General, Making
The change in the weather has brought with it the urge to cast on all the things. And, really it is not that I do not have enough knitting going on, because I definitely do.
But, despite that fact… yesterday I cast on my first Hitchhiker. Oh, and Bonny was right – that Smooshy will be divine.
I need to lock myself away with my stack of audio books and ignore the world and knit.
I am a little more than halfway through I am No One – up next in the queue is a bit of George Orwell.
As for the reading but not listening – it seems a bit of the same issue as the knitting. Tana French Book One started – and the library just let me know that Fredrik Backman’s latest book, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, is available. I have so much reading to get through!
Yep, ignoring the world is definitely in order!
Linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along as usual! Happy Wednesday everyone!
by Kat | Feb 21, 2017 | General, Words
I am immersed in the Month of Letters and enjoying every moment. I have gotten letters from dear friends and letters from new friends! Every moment has been so much fun.
I have written letters, postcards, and even birthday cards!
But, I have not done blog letters in quite some time – so today is your lucky day!!
So, let’s get to the mailbag…
Dear Senators Mc Cain and Graham,
I would like to take a moment to thank you for standing up for a free press (although, why this is even a thing is beyond me)
Good reminders from you both last week on the importance of the press being free, adversarial and worth dying for.
Now, I would like you to focus some of your attention on the importance of education so that we are no longer a nation that cannot discern fact from fiction.
Sincerely,
A Believer in the Fourth Estate
Dear Mother Nature,
I am not sure what is up, but you do realize that it is February, not April or May right?
Because, it is still winter for a few more weeks not to mention you are making Punxsutawney Phil look bad.
Oh, and in case you are thinking winter in April would be a fabulous joke – I promise you I won’t be laughing!
Signed,
A Global Warming Believer
Dear Bathroom Scale,
For months you have been giving me such great encouragement. It was almost as if you were cheering me on in my change in eating and exercise habits.
However, the past couple of weeks you and I have seemed to hit a wall. The encouragement has stopped and we seem to be at a standstill.
As in an actual standstill… a holding pattern… maintaining status quo…
I promise you I did not call a halt to our journey!
Sincerely,
Seeking Losses
Dear Hitchhiker Scarf,
I know that I have not knit you – ever. And, that is truly an error in my judgement.
However, the urge to cast you on has been increasing almost daily.
Except, I have these other projects going and this infatuation I have with you is not a good thing.
All these amazing photos of you on Ravelry is not helping either.
I am not sure how much longer I can resist…
Love,
Infatuated and Trying to Resist
That’s all I have today – I hope you have a great Tuesday and maybe write a letter – it is good for you!
by Kat | Feb 20, 2017 | General, In This Moment
Good Morning, Gentle Readers!
How is your weekend going? I hope as wonderfully as it has here!
I am not sure what weather in the upper 60’s in February says about Global Warming, but it sure makes for a glorious weekend!
There was an abundance of walking this weekend in an effort to spend as much time as possible outside! Saturday we walked in our “old standby” out at Boyce Mayview Park – clear blue skies and warm sunshine coupled with a cacophony of birds singing and the distant rat-a-tat-tat of woodpeckers made for a wonderful walk!
Sunday we decided to venture outside our usual walking route and headed to Dormont Park where the walk was invigorating (lots of hills in Pittsburgh means a walk can be a good work out!) And, the views from the park were incredible as you can see above! On our way home, we decided to stop in Carnegie at their park and imagine my surprise in finding a Skate Park there! It was busy and we had fun watching the variety of ages all zipping around on bikes and boards.
Hopefully there will be a bit more time to walk today because this weather surely cannot be here for good – can it? (Although we have forecasts of 60’s all week!)
Have a great Monday everyone!
by Kat | Feb 17, 2017 | General
Valentine’s Day Roses are still glorious. Happiness in a vase, my friends!
And, speaking of happiness…Happy Strike4Democracy Day!! I will be contacting my dear MIA Senator Toomey with some messages to vote no on all the things he likes to vote yes on. Perhaps I should be knitting him a scarf? What do you think? Subliminal messages might work! (And, shadow knitting FTW!!)
Can I just say that my favorite part of a sock is the heel? Well, it is! The heels are turned on my Mystery Sock – I am all ready for Clue #3 next week!
On the agenda for this weekend – sweater catch up knitting. Fortunately, Season 3 of Chef’s Table on Netflix is out today so I have my binge-watch all queued up!
Now, how about some links for your edification?
First up – did you read about The Met digitizing its collection of art? Really, the images are amazing. (Warning – this can be a huge time suck! I spent a good bit of time yesterday looking!!)
First up is Heart On My Sleeve – a compilation of sweaters from an incredible slate of designers in both adult and child sizes! And, here is the best part; this project is supporting the Against Malaria Foundation! So, knit something for someone you love and help fight malaria.
Wooly Wormhead’s Circled 4 is awesome (Circled 1-3 are not bad either…) and who does not have any sock yarn in their stash? (Okay, really – I want to know if you do not have sock yarn stash – please tell me in the comments! You might be the lucky recipient of a skein of sock yarn from MY stash!!)
Checks, please! More sock yarn knitting…
Bihan Heol – more sock yarn, but gosh is this cute!
never say never socks – in sock yarn, of course! (and on sale until tomorrow at midnight in Brussels…)
Kitty Egg Warmers
Three Wee Sheep – now really, these would be so darling on a little spring Easter Tree!
Cullen Earflap Hat – for those of you who might be getting weather that actually resembles winter!
My friend, Simone has just released patterns for matching hat and cowl! So, so cute!
And finally, Lou would be lovely knit up in some Sheepspot CVM
That is all I have for today – have a fantastic weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. No doctor appointment was set yesterday – procrastination 1, kat 0.
by Kat | Feb 16, 2017 | General, Words
This week’s Think Write Thursday is to write about something you’ve been putting off doing. We all have those tasks, projects, phone calls and more that we find excuses to avoid. What are you procrastinating about? And why? And, finally, how are you going to address it? Happy writing!
I love this part – “Happy writing”
Ummmm, not so much.
This post strikes fear into my very inmost being. Really. I am going to have to talk about things I put off and I am not talking about cleaning out junk drawers or re-organizing kitchen cupboards.
Nope – even though those things are not on my “to do” list with any regularity. The Procrastination Elephant in the room for me is scheduling regular health maintenance.
Oh, I have a million excuses as to why I have not done this, but when it gets right down to it, none of them are really valid excuses.
This was not always the case – in Holland I had a doctor I loved. And, I trusted her.
No, I mean I really trusted her – even to talk about being overweight without shame or avoidance. And, with her I got regular maintenance done – mammograms, colonoscopies, bone density testing, and regular blood work.
Then I moved to Pittsburgh and discovered how hard it is to find a doctor. And, trust me – it is really hard.
Pittsburgh is a fairly large city, yet do you know that they do not have a single physician who specializes in Women’s Midlife Health?
So, in the time I have lived here, I have seen 3 different doctors – and last year, I did not visit a doctor at all. I have not really loved any one I have seen – and let me tell you about the Health Care Insurance Wars here in Pittsburgh. No one takes all insurances – so if you have “X” insurance, none of the UPMC doctors will see you. If you have “Y” insurance, none of the Highmark doctors will see you. (And, if you can only afford “Z” insurance – you are straight out of luck because no one will see you.) It is absolutely insane.
However, I have this list of things that has been nagging at me.
Things like getting a mammogram and a bone density test and a colonoscopy.
If this post was not hard enough, I now have to make a plan to address it.
Now is the part when I confess that typing is not easy – nor is it any easier to verbally say it out loud.
However, here I go…
I will look up my last physician’s phone number and call him TODAY to make an appointment. And, you can hold me to that – I promise to update you all with my appointment time in tomorrow’s blog post!
Will that get everything off my list? Nope, but it will be a start and I will bring my list…
If you want to join Carole and I in our Think Write Thursday journey, we would love to have you – please sign up here!
P.S. Every week is really not this hard! Promise!!
by Kat | Feb 15, 2017 | General, Making
It is a dark and rainy day here in the Pittsburgh area – perfect for a bit of knitting, listening, and getting some laundry done.
I completed clue #2 of Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery socks just under the wire last night. Clue #3 has been printed out and I will see what I can get done this morning – we are up to the heel flaps, so perhaps both can be finished today! (Which is a very good thing because I have two sweaters I want to get done!!)
In the Finished Object Category – I managed to get my Very Valentine Honey Cowl done last week, it got a nice Soak™ wash and it was all ready to wear on Sunday. Can I just say that I love the extra stitches I cast on – it loops nicely around my neck and even drapes quite a bit! All the details are here, if you are following along.
In the Reading/Listening Category – in my ears is I am No One by Patrick Flanery. Curious, very curious. I love the narrator and the story is interesting. I am only up to chapter 9, so the story is yet unfolding.
On the iPad – I have not yet started Tana French’s novel – I know, what is wrong with me!? I am almost done with Menace in Malmö. Bedtime reading has its ups and downs – as in how tired I am when I go to bed as to how many pages/paragraphs I get through!
Linking up, as usual, with Ginny’s Yarn Along!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
