by Kat | 1 day ago | General, In This Moment
There is no black-and-white situation. It’s all part of life. Highs, lows, middles. – Van Morrison
Mary has challenged us this week to share #goodnewses, and, Gentle Readers… the struggle is real. How do you find good news when there is so much horrific news? Part of me feels that even finding something good is being a Pollyanna, especially not in the times we are living in. I think Van Morrison is right – it is not a choice of good over bad, but rather understanding that sometimes it is not either or, not good or bad, but rather just bad.
And, so rather than trying to write a forced TGIF post – today I am taking page from Michelle and sharing #atinybitofquiet.
My plan for today will include cutting out another Uniform Dress, finish the last 3 inches of the body of my sweater, and be comfortable in the fact that bad news is part of life.
Happy Friday everyone… if you are in the path of the heatwave, stay cool! See you all back here on Monday.
by Kat | 3 days ago | General, In This Moment
Joining together with Carole and friends this week again. And, I don’t know about you, but holy hell this been the week of all.the.horrific.things!
My things this week, have been things to pick me up…and I hope they do you too!
Thing One:
This week I discovered #tinypricks on Instagram. Stitchers might just be the most brilliant people ever! (And, my inner juvenile laughs hilariously at the hash tag…)
Thing Two:
Speaking of Instagram, @ladydyeyarns shared this awesome support list! I do not consider myself an “influencer” but I absolutely believe we should all support these businesses!
Thing Three:
Finally, because in this week of hell I have looked to James Baldwin for hope and wisdom and I stumbled across this article that is full of both of those things! I watched the video and I agree that James Baldwin is still very relevant today and I will leave these words here. I will be spending some uncomfortable time pondering them today.
There are my things… what about you? Do you have any things that are helping you get through this week?
by Kat | Jul 12, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Another Friday and another weekend. Summer is not being lazy at all!
Thinking About:
The future came and went in the mildly discouraging way that futures do. – Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
I find myself pondering the passage of time this month. In less than 10 days, Genevieve will be 4 years old and that seems so impossible to me. July is almost halfway over, and that also seems impossible to me. Gaiman’s quote seems most appropriate – indeed the future is coming and going all to rapidly. And speaking of Genevieve – her mom and dad took her to get her ears pierced last week. Genevieve has been begging and begging to have this done. Well, as you can see – she has one ear pierced but there was no way in hell she was getting the second one done! I confess, I am laughing about this – I should not, but I am. That face looks so angelic… ha! Bribery to get the second ear done has begun in earnest but she has not yet succumbed!
She looks so innocent…
Grooving On:
Early Bloomer’s color work! There is something addictive about color work – it is hard to put down. The urge to knit just more row to see how the pattern will unfold pulls me in and keeps me knitting. I have one set of flowers to go and their magical lure will be complete! Vera asked to see the colors I am knitting with… a dark brown, coffee-colored yarn paired with a green and a turquoise. I think they work well together. I am a little concerned that the neckline is going to be too wide – but maybe not. Once I am done with the color work, I am going to take Heidi’s suggestion and finish the neck to check the fit.
Just one more section to go!
Impatiently Waiting:
While I would like summer to slow down a bit, I am eager for my growing tomatoes to ripen! I think we need more sun than we have had for that to happen, but I am hoping that soon I have at least a handful of tomatoes to put on my salad!
Yes, those are raindrops on my tomatoes!
Fed Up With:
Rain. And really, the volume of rain we have been having! We got another 2 inches of rain yesterday. The flooding here is crazy and my garden has had a moat surrounding it more days than not. I might not mind the rain so much if we had an all-day, soaking rain versus the torrential downpours we have been having. They are “rain events” not rainstorms.
That is all I have for this week! I have my fingers crossed that I will win the battle and Happy Hour tonight will be outside. Have a great weekend everyone and I will see all of you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Jul 11, 2019 | General, In This Moment
I love the rain and everything about the monsoons! – Disha Patani
Another day of insane rains here in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Hail, thunder, and torrential downpours greeted my morning. I am trying so hard to find the beauty in this weather – and am hopeful that if I focus on Disha’s quote today – it will help!
My things today are random and somewhat scattered, but that is my life most days!
Thing One:
I am not a fan of summer and I wanted to NOT be that person who complains every single day about how hot it is. It changes nothing, and you know bitching about the heat just makes it feel warmer. I am trying (so hard!) to find joy in the fact that we have AC that works almost too well. I see how much my gardens love these long, warm days. Especially the tomatoes which are full of growing fruit! It is an imperfect journey to find joy in heat (that is often paired with ghastly humidity) and I am finding that the inner does impact the outer. These are most certainly small steps but every journey begins with a step, right?
Thing Two:
Sometimes, there is nothing you can do but give in to an urge…and I did exactly that yesterday! I have seen so many amazing cropped sweaters and I love how they look but my inner critic tells me how those styles are not for overweight, middle-aged women. And, then this incredible Diva appeared on my radar! And, her pattern notes and images are even more amazing! Jennifer Jones, thanks to you I cast on my own Early Bloomer yesterday! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for inspiring me!
Thing Three:
Finally, is it just me – or does it seem to be much easier to figure out what to make for dinner when there is such an abundance of fresh veggies available? Also, a meal of all veggies is simply the best and that is what we are doing tonight! Why? Well, the sweet corn is in and that is what we are having for dinner tonight and I can hardly wait!
Those are my random and somewhat scattered things! Head on over to Carole’s to see what everyone else has on their list today!
by Kat | Jun 28, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Sometimes, I feel like I just need to shake my brain out – empty it of all sorts of odds and ends to free up some space! Today is definitely one of those days!
I got my second (and final) dose of the shingles vaccine this week and can I just say that I am glad that is over with! 48-ish hours of feeling meh was not what I needed this week, but I am really glad that I don’t have to worry about shingles! (now if only some other worries were as easily relieved!!)
I watched and knit my way through two nights of debates this week (this was a huge boon to knitting as I am racing through my Screen Door. I have 5 repeats to go to the DECREASES! My takeaway thoughts on the candidates… night one I was pleasantly surprised by Julián Castro. But, night two was owned by Kamala Harris! Wow! She seriously rocked it! I know there are still miles and miles to go, but this is a very promising start!
The outpouring of support for Ravelry this week has been inspiring! Or, perhaps it is better to say that I am inspired by the outpouring of support for and the inclusion of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ members! Is it perfect? No – far from it, we still have so much work to do to in making sure everyone feels welcome and like they belong, but this was a huge step in the right direction!
Also in knitting, Thea has a new pattern out this week and she is donating 50% of the pattern proceeds to RaicesTexas until Sunday!
I think Sewing Hacks might be my favorite thing but I was especially wowed by this week’s hack from Grainline Studios!
Finally, in the colossal fail category – this weekend will find me grocery shopping. Yep, that’s right in a grocery store the weekend before a major holiday. I am entirely blaming that damned shingles shot that I will be a member of the shopping bedlam!
I will also be treating myself with a little visit to JoAnn’s as well – they have a crazy sale this weekend and sometimes you just can’t pass up a sale, right?
There you have my brain dump – what do you need to get off your mind before the weekend starts?
by Kat | Jun 21, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Summertime is always the best of what might be. — Charles Bowden
Happy Summer Solstice! After torrential overnight rains, this morning the clouds are giving way to pale blue skies. The humidity is gone, and the birds are singing! I have shut off the AC and opened wide the windows, welcoming in the cool air. After a week of rarely seeing the sunshine, this is the perfect start to summer!
Celebrating:
Our ninth “anniversary” of sorts! I use the word anniversary loosely because we are not married – but no less committed to each other (and perhaps more so!) Anyways, we had the most hilarious conversation this morning where we struggled with the date a bit – how many years now? After much conversation and checking of calendars – Happy 9 years of co-habitation! The highlight of the morning thus far was the email informing me that I have 1 year of BritBox awaiting me! Steve does know me so well – sometimes is scares me! Ha! Anyways, I have plans to celebrate tonight with our usual Happy Hour, which tonight will be a Happy Anniversary Hour! And, I think the weather is going to cooperate nicely and allow for a bit of a bonfire tonight!
Making:
Yesterday I got all the pieces cut out for Vivi’s quilt top (thanks to Middlemarch – which is the most engaging company) and this morning my plan was to start sewing squares together… But perhaps it would be a better thing to get this yarn skeined up and soaking since the weather is perfect for drying yarn! I also need give my Screen Door a quick soak and a bit of blocking. Yesterday, I pulled out this project and managed to get past the sleeve divide. And, this weekend I want to make some more of this incredible jam. It is insanely delicious – far less sweet – and much faster than this jam. I did NOT strain the jam as suggested in the recipe. As you can see, there is no shortage of “making” going on here.
Watching:
The latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale and a new series, Das Boot – both on Hulu. I also finally caught up with the latest season of Bosch on Amazon. And, best of all – the latest season of Endeavor on PBS!
Loving:
Michelle’s Summer Friday Prompts! They are a wonderful thing to contemplate and I am carrying them with me through the week in my morning meditation time. This week’s prompt was ironically timely – and I am profoundly grateful for the prompts. It is always a good reminder to look beyond the bad and think about the future – and to find something to be grateful for.
Asking:
For your valued input! I have been thinking about the future of Unraveled Wednesday – is it stale? Does it need a reboot? How many weeks can we really be excited to talk about our making and reading? I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions! (and if you don’t want to leave a comment here you are welcome to email me at kachrist37 (at) gmail (dot) com – of course you know to swap out the (at) and (dot) with an ampersand and a period.
That is what is happening in my world right now – Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday! (And, I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions about Unraveled Wednesdays!)
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