A big question for me right now is garden or no garden? Last year the only thing that did well were the beans. Tomatoes and peppers were epic failures with very low production and really not worth the effort. Also, another question I am contemplating is do I want to maintain a vegetable garden by myself? When I add in all the flower beds which I currently care for solo – it all seems a bit much and Steve’s gardening interest has waned to a negative number. Perhaps a good work around would be to have a couple of tomato plants in containers that I could easily manage by myself.
I am also thinking about a Michigan trip! I think this will be another solo visit as well. I am that a mid-March visit will soon be in the works!
Listening and Watching and Reading
I recently finished Conversations with RBG and then I noted that On the Basis of Sex was streaming on television. I think the two work well together – some of the conversations RBG had with Jeffrey Rosen included a couple of the cases in the movie. I highly recommend both the book and the movie!
In my ears right now is the Pulitzer prize winning The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman, narrated by Wanda McCaddon. Wanda is a favorite narrator of mine and this book is so fascinating!
I have a lovely stack of books from the library to get through – however, I cannot read and do color work or do cables, so perhaps I need to start something with miles of stockinette! (**Perhaps the sock below is just the ticket!)
The Miles of Stockinette Pile
I also discovered that listening to NPR’s Up First is a wonderful way to start my day. I have not found success with any other podcast listening – but maybe this is enough.
On my “want to read list” is A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende (which will be released tomorrow) and I heard this interview on Sunday and my desire for this book increased. This one I might need to buy as the library has one copy with a very long wait list!
Knitting
Speaking of knitting, I have a plethora of projects in various stages – my current fascination though is my Pheasant Pullover which I started on Saturday! There is no greater joy than stranded color work – truly, if you have not tried, you should! I am almost finished with the first chart!
I love this colorwork – the colors are just brilliant together!
Even the inside looks beautiful!
I also finished a sock and… wait for it… I have started its mate**! What??? I know, it is a true cause for celebration! I LOVE how the heel fits in this sock! And, I love how it allows the striping to continue down the foot in a more harmonious way – especially if you are a clog wearer like I am! I need to figure out a better fitting toe though…
I *almost* managed to start Sock Two in the same place as Sock One
Sewing and Learning and Wearing
Today is the day I am going to attempt to lay out an Esme Tunic in which the plaids match! I have watched and rewatched this video a number of times and am mentally ready to tackle the tricky bits. Fingers crossed that this is successful, because an Esme Tunic is my “go to” thing to wear right now. Warm, comfortable, works with or without a sweater, with leggings or jeans! I would like a couple more in my wardrobe, so I need to figure this out!
I need to make a Pietra muslin so I can adjust the rise and fit if need be so that I can make a pair of black corduroy pants!
These things are on my list for this week and I am talking about them here to make sure they get started!
Finding a Rhythm
I have spent a good bit of time this month figuring out how to transition from focus to intentional – and as I did last January, I am looking at all aspects of my life. It has been eye-opening, to say the least. It is amazing what is percolating to the top as I review my daily and weekly routines.
That’s what my world looks like right now, but what about you? What is your favorite current thing?
Winter has returned with a vengeance here in Pittsburgh! Most of the week our temperatures have been in the 50’s and this morning we have a dusting of snow covering that is covering a rather nasty bit of ice and it appears my YakTrax will get their inaugural use today!
If you are heading outside today, I hope you have lots of warm woolens to wear!
And, speaking of woolens – I got the loveliest package from Lerwick yesterday. I was amazed by the heady sheepy aroma of these yarns and this is the first time Sherman has ever been remotely interested in yarn! While that odor might put some off, I love the minimal processing of this yarn. I can feel the lanolin, and this will be a lovely wintery treat to knit with! I am not good at all at putting together colors for colorwork, so I defaulted to the colors that Amy Christoffers used for her Pheasant Pullover. Wow, I am so glad I did! This brown has the most incredible depth! As you can see, swatching has begun and I plan to cast on this weekend!
Do you ever feel “multi-project guilt”? You are not alone and I read the most interesting work around for multi-project rotation this morning – The Gideon Method!
That is all I have for today – I hope you stay warm and have some knitting to fill your lap! Have a good weekend and I will see you back here next week!
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan… — Christina Rossetti
My return to walking this week truly revealed the wintry bleakness with an added dash of with crazy winds and cold temperatures! I am now a solo walker as my neighborhood walkers have departed for warmer climates – so I am missing Ally the Golden Retriever and Lady Clementine the Bull Mastiff. But that lone walking is good for noticing things! One of those things I noted this week was that some of the trees are heavy laden with the promise of spring! So, as I walked with the winds whipping around me, watching the trees sway wildly – I noticed the branches are full of buds! It was a good reminder that the bleakness will not last forever!
My week was also full of intentional thinking that brought many why questions. The major why of this week was why Instagram? It is a huge time suck. My screen time average shows that I spend almost 2 hours a day scrolling through images there. Yikes. That is a lot of time! So, this week I shut off all notifications for posts and I have stopped posting there for the time being. And, honestly – it has been so hard to not “click into” the app to see what is new there.
I started easing into a podcast this week – NPR’s Up First has been a very easy entry into podcast listening. I have some other things queued up but have yet to listen to any of them.
I also spent some time this week doing something I should have done prior to cutting out my flannel Esme Tunic. I really struggled matching plaids as I shared on Wednesday – but I have since found a YouTube video that showed me the error of my ways. Today I am tracing pattern pieces and I will try matching plaids again next week!
I found a bit of inspiration this week that reminded me that I own patterns I have yet to use…I am very good at buying patterns on sale but not very good at actually using them! However, there will be a quilted Tamarack Jacket in 2020!
Over the past two weeks has had a gang of weekends! Seven of the last 13 days have had a decidedly weekendish feel. One would think that all this weekending would be something to celebrate, but another weekend is upon us and I am feeling a bit “weekended out!” My creature of habit is feeling a bit out of sorts and is longing for the return to the “normal routine” of life.
I am sorely missing Tuesday night knitting, which has been on “holiday hiatus” and I am eager for the return of our regular meeting time next Tuesday!
I also have a pile of sewing I want to get started on next week! And speaking of sewing! One thing I recently discovered was the In The Folds “Learn” page – it is full of extremely detailed help for all sorts of sewing issues that might arise as you are making a garment. I discovered In the Folds through their free patterns, but their helpful tips really break down the sewing process! They send out a weekly newsletter (scroll to the bottom to sign up) and it always includes something very useful!
And, these mittens look so cozy! (And, they are still on sale today!)
The other thing I have been thinking about is getting back to healthier eating! (i.e. less happy hours and more balanced meal planning!) I found some soup ideas on Pinterest recently and they will be making their way into dinner rotation beginning next week!
That’s all I have for this week – have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
