by Kat | 3 days ago | General, In This Moment
Greetings from a sunny but very cold wintry wonderland!
The weekend forecast was the stuff of a weatherperson’s dreams – all the weather in one day so, we braved the crazed “Armageddon” crowds at the grocery store to get a couple of things. Really not the most brilliant thing we’ve ever done, but we did manage to survive.
We thought that trip was a fool’s errand when all the predictions for Saturday just sort of fizzled out. No snow but yes, we got lots of rain and the temperatures stayed well above freezing all day. The rains finally turned to ice and then to snow as our temperatures plummeted to single digits overnight. The arctic blast is indeed upon us!
And, so what do you do with all the weather drama? Well, you make comfort foods (i.e. stuffed acorn squash), drink whiskey, and finish projects!
I did some sewing with really lovely results. I mentioned Fancy Tiger Crafts One-Hour Top a couple of weeks ago and I found some knit fabric on sale at JoAnn’s and in less than an hour I sewed up a muslin from the sale fabric to see how it would fit and what adjustments I might need to make. Yes, less than an hour – including cutting out the pattern in that time! There are just 4 seams and then stitch the neck, sleeves and hem with a double needle, which gives a really lovely and surprisingly easy finish! And, the fit is really wonderful so I have been looking online for more knit fabric to make a couple more shirts!
Steve’s mom loved her Christmas Cowl so much she asked if I could make one for Steve’s dad, which I was happy to do. I finished it on Saturday and delivered it early Sunday morning and just in time for the single digit weather we are going to be having this week!
I blocked Rachel’s Birthday Shawl and got the few ends woven in, and it is all ready to be shipped off to California!
I also finished a pair of handspun socks that were two years in the making! That’s right I bound them off on Sunday morning – I still have ends to weave in but at least they are off the needles!
Inspired by Mary, I cleaned up my Ravelry queue and frogged a few items that just are not going to ever be finished for a variety of reasons. It feels infinitely better looking at my queue now and I even feel energized to get these lingering projects finished! All this work deserved a reward so I cast on a new shawl with a skein of handspun yarn that I found in last weekends organization that I had earmarked for this project!
In the “late to the party” category (and thanks to pneumonia!) I have recently discovered how entirely enjoyable Doctor Who is! I am just starting Season 4 thanks to Sunday’s snow storms and wintry blast! I will just say this; The Doctor is a very good knitting companion!
Steve works tomorrow, no day off for him! But if you do have tomorrow off – I hope you spend a little time thinking about MLK!
What did your weekend hold?
by Kat | 5 days ago | General, In This Moment
Even though it feels like January is moving at a snail’s pace – it is Friday again! And, perhaps this weekend I might even be motivated (i.e. feel good enough) to get more things done. Last weekend it took me all weekend, but I cleaned and organized my Craft Room/Office! I might have even made a note to myself that I have enough single skeins of sock yarn to knit socks until I live to be 150 years old – at least! But, as Mary pointed out yesterday – I have no SQ of sock yarn – so there is that! This week’s TGIF is full of lots of good things so let’s get started!
Thinking About – In some ways, January’s slowness has been a very good thing for thinking! And, one thing I have been thinking about lots is this blog and what I want it to be versus what it has become. One thing that has perked to the top is that this blog has been doing a bit of controlling me, rather than me controlling it. So, you might have noted some changes this week – changes that revolve around posting frequency. This is a bit of a work in progress as I find a balance that feels good. Thank you Mary and Honoré for being open and honest in our blog discussion this week!
Grateful for – So many who are doing the “heavy lifting” in the ongoing conversation about the fiber community becoming more inclusive for everyone – I am daily learning much and have found some really amazing and new-to-me fiber artists that I am now following. They bring amazing things to my IG feed and I am profoundly grateful for them!
Inspired By – As always, Courtney from Be More With Less. She shared a beautiful post about being “the priority of your own life” this week and it moved me – especially this quote by Rudy Francisco: Perhaps we should love ourselves so fiercely, that when others see us, they know exactly how it should be done. This especially hit home for me, because I believe that as moms/partners/wives/etc. our focus is on everyone else and if we have a scrap of time or energy left at the end of the day, we might use it on ourselves. This has certainly been true for me and the list in her post is full of lots of somethings you can do for you. I have added a few of these to my weekly planner through the end of February to not forget myself!
Focused On – My Word! Yes, indeed – and in such a very good way. I have been making a list of so many things that I am currently “doing” just because I have always done them and, more importantly…I am thinking about the why for each of them. This is causing lots of shake ups (see above) as I ponder, meditate, and yes… focus on life. This might be the best word ever because the impact this word is having on me is just crazy!
One final thing… I have not posted any tempting links in ages but the teasers this week for Tina Tse’s Home Sweet Home Formula pushed me right over the top! Impulse purchase FTW! Oh, and a bonus – today is her birthday
That is all I have for this week! And, my Amaryllis update is most showy this week – four huge blooms on bulb #1 with a fifth opening this morning! I have been sitting and sipping coffee in the morning and appreciating its beauty! Now, if only it will last as long as January feels like it is! Have a good weekend all!
by Kat | Jan 11, 2019 | General, In This Moment
This week, I am seeing the promise of blooms on my Amaryllis watch!
I am also seeing the reduction in coughing – which is a very good thing!
One more thing I am very happy about – it’s Friday and the weekend is here! Make it a good one, everyone!
by Kat | Jan 7, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Require a slower start….
I don’t think Carole meant to jinx me when she commented last week about her cold turning to pneumonia, but that is indeed what happened! Saturday, I spent the better part of the morning at a local urgent center – diagnosis: pneumonia.
I am easing into Monday and I hope yours is off to a much better start!
by Kat | Jan 4, 2019 | General, In This Moment
I am so happy that it is Friday and the end of the last two mixed up crazy weeks. Not one single day felt like it should have thanks to the two holidays! Sadly, New Year’s Day brought with it the Mother of All Colds to my house which has not helped at all but I am happy to say that despite a cold-fogged brain, I have made some progress on my daughter’s birthday gift and last night I started on the second color! Also, the cowl I made for Steve’s Mom for Christmas was such a hit, his dad would like one as well and I hope to get something cast on for him over the weekend.
I had hoped that Steve would be excited to sit down and work on our 19 in 2019 list… ha! However, I have not forgotten, and I started working on it without him – and it just might be the best “honey-do” list ever created. Haha!
Thinking About – My morning routine – deeply thinking about it. It should be the high point of the day, and I am spending too much time on things that are a distraction from that. I have been “trying out” some new ideas and I believe that I have come up with the perfect solution. Part of this solution includes a new way of planning my day out. I had been using the same basic system for years and have continued to use the same thought process as when I was working – however, I did not accommodate for the changes that would happen in my schedule – I do not need a list to remind me when to do laundry, or dust (okay, maybe I need this on a list somewhere! Haha!) I spent a good deal of time in December thinking about what I need from my planner and what I don’t need! January 1 brought the implementation of that new process which already feels smoother with less internal struggling! Cold aside, this has truly helped me enjoy a more focused morning to get myself off to a better start of the day! I still need to make a list that incorporates all the important dates of the year, but I will work on creating that page later today. I have not been one to be “artistic” in my planner, but this will allow me the freedom to be creative if I want to be! Four days in to the New Year and this already feels more comfortable and my mornings have been much improved!
Grateful For – Puffs Plus Lotion and hot tea!
Inspired By – How diverse and, yes, female, the new congress is! Women won more than 60% of the seats that were flipped last November! The NYTimes posted this great interactive article that allows you to go deeper into those elected! This gives me great hope and yes, inspires me greatly! We are finally moving toward a body of elected officials that look like the people of this great nation! And, yes, with Hakeem Jeffries, I am down with NDP!
Fascinated By – Everyone’s words this year! I am entirely fascinated in the choices, the process of how they were selected, and I am really looking forward to seeing how they unfold for you this year. It is not too late to join us, Juliann will be hosting on the last Tuesday of each month.
That is all I have for this week! Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
by Kat | Dec 27, 2018 | General, In This Moment
A Thursday that feels more like a Tuesday seems appropriate to have a post of random things!
Thing One:
Next week, Juliann starts us all with One Word – a truly wonderful way to spend the year! I did not do this in 2018, and I really missed it so, I will be participating in 2019. If you are thinking about your word and need some inspiration, the internet has it! You could try this, or this, or this!
Thing Two:
Bitty Baby loves her snowsuit! It’s amazing what you can do, even if you are not sure of how it will work out! And, there is a very good lesson in there for me!
Thing Three:
Today begins my 58th journey around the sun! And – seeing the sun this morning is a most excellent start to this journey! I am spending today with lots of good things: some reading, some knitting, and some Chinese for lunch!
It seems impossible that tomorrow is Friday already but I will be back with my final TGIF post for 2018. Happy Thursday everyone!
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