Almost as if a switch was flipped, the temperature on Friday went from almost 90 to the 50’s overnight ushering in a most autumnal-like weekend. And, the weather man has said we won’t be seeing anymore 80-degree days until next year.
Also, this weekend I finally reached the GREAT SLEEVE DIVIDE!! Unbelievably, I did not have the right amount of stitches and I am not quite sure how that happened, but my solution was to knit an extra round to decrease those odd thirteen stitches. Now, I hope that my “fix” works because ripping back miles and miles and miles of knitting to figure out where I made my error might mean that Tegna would die in the Frog Pond. I will continue working the back and see how it looks as I get further along.
The Great Blanket Layout is complete and Blanket Assembly has begun (stay tuned for photos later this week!!) I feel a bit like Sybil with the knitting rotation I have going on –Blanket Knitting by day and at night selfish knitting! And, I might be contemplating starting a Guernsey Tam to try to get done before Friday! I have an issue with this tam as written as I really dislike knitting garter in the round… I hate how clearly you can see the jogs between the knit and purl rounds so my solution will be to knit it flat and seam it when I am finished.
Finally, in the TMI category: this weekend saw me doing some of my least favorite shopping on earth – that’s right, the dreaded find a bra that fits and is comfortable expedition. In my weight loss journey – getting a well-fitting bra sort of fell off the list and I have been living the make do with a sports bra theory. It worked well for a while, or at least that is what I thought until I saw myself in some photos. Wow…sports bras really are about the most unflattering thing ever created! However, this weekend I was insanely lucky to find not 1 but 4 (yes… it is feast or famine apparently here!) good fitting (and uplifting!!) bras! They fit well, are quite comfortable, and they were all on the clearance rack for $8.40 each!! There’s a perky joke in here somewhere, but suffice it to say that I am now reconsidering dart placement in any new garments I make!
That is all I have for this first Monday of fall! Have an awesome day and may your list be short and completed early!
Why is it that approaching vacation time equals diminishing brain function? Or am I the only person experiencing this phenomenon? And, it seems all things are conspiring to remind me that vacation is coming! Airbnb sent a reminder this morning… just in case I was not already thinking about it!
But, there are some random thoughts rattling around my brain that I am just going to dump out here to close out the week!
First up, Kym posted about the abundance of fungi that are flourishing thanks to the recent rains. My back yard has become one such area… we have a fungi explosion here too, as you can see in my photo. I am not sure what kind of mushrooms these are, but they sure are interesting – they “open” like an umbrella!
Next, did you see that The Man Booker Shortlist is out? I am significantly disappointed that Warlight did not move from the longlist to the shortlist… boo!
One of the blogs that I really love is Tom of Holland – he never disappoints and almost always wows and there are lots of wows in this post. I simply love the idea of taking something that is unwearable and turning it into a true work of art.
Next week Friday, Issue 6 of Laine Magazine will be out. But!!! You can start planning your knits today as the images are up on Ravelry this morning! There are a number of things that I am entirely smitten with!
I have been most disappointed recently with Knitty, but the Astronomer’s Beret is really quite wonderful – and it combines knitting and embroidery in a very unique way!
Sally Melville’s All Ages Vest is fun… and easy install zippers FTW!
The Sedum is just gorgeous this year and I caught this lovely little bee in my photos last week. Summer was full on again over the weekend, which I will count as a blessing especially with the rain we are having today. But, for all the summer weather it was a weekend of thinking, list making, and planning and, yes, my list for this week is long!
There was a bit of sewing and, I even finally got the binding done on Rock the Lobster! I could find no ribbon that inspired me for the sweater, so instead I made bias tape in just the right width to cover the zipper and the steeked edges. I am just thrilled with how this turned out. As for the sewing, I made another Esme tunic – this time with a bit more of a scooped neck from some repurposed blue chambray. It needs some adjustments at the neckline and at the armscyes, but once those are done I think I will be ready to sew a flannel version!
Now, I am off to tackle that list – have an amazing Monday everyone!
I love the process of hand washing woolens. And, this morning my woolen mediations include the hope that this unbearable humidity breaks soon! And, yes I confess – I am longing for cool mornings that require a sweater!
“Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.
Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America.” – John McCain
Senator McCain seemed to have impeccable timing in life and in death and while I did not always agree with his politics, I had deep respect for this man who gave so much to this nation.
The nonsense about flags yesterday set off my anger and my outburst at the news did not make me feel any better. But, then Mr. Davis read the Farewell Statement from Senator McCain and I realized that what position flags were in did not diminish the man that Senator McCain was nor the respect that this grateful nation has for him.
In death, he has lifted us all up with words that are both profound, comforting, and yes, inspiring. I am so glad that you, in the words of Dylan Thomas, “did not go gentle into that good night.”
I don’t remember when the last time I have done a “currents” post (I looked, and it was May) and with Carole away on vacation it seemed the perfect day to do one! Waning August is heavy on my mind. Things look tired in my yard… spent…done, perhaps even overdone! It is sad to spend time in the vegetable garden because things there are almost done. I don’t know how many more big tomatoes we will get, but I am still harvesting a few cherry tomatoes every day, but I don’t think that will be the case much longer! The beans seem to be the one thing that has been entirely unaffected by all this wretched heat… I am picking a healthy handful every day. But, this was not a good year for peppers at all. But, am I really ready for a new month and a new season? Yes, I confess I absolutely am! And, here is what else is filling my days and will carry me into September!
Watched/Watching: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a lovely movie! It was most excellent company for Cretan stitching! It’s on Netflix if you are interested! I am also eagerly waiting each week for a new episode of Castle Rock on Hulu… it is also so good!
Listening: My new favorite channel on Spotify is Your Favorite Coffeehouse…it is my favorite Friday Happy Hour mix and we are listening to it regularly! Also, I am anticipating the new Tony Bennett and Diana Krall music!
Making: Every day! Right? But, I am caught between two seasons – trying to finish things up to wear them while there is still summer, and getting things done to be ready when the inevitable change in the weather happens. And, sewing is really consuming my mind…I have a vision for a slim, straight black knit skirt to go with my new AC-esque shirt! A blog friend asked yesterday if this sewing theme will continue into the fall, and yes… I believe it will – for the foreseeable future!
Feeling: Cooped up! It has been such a hot summer, I am really feeling a good bit of excitement for cooler nights (and yes… days too!) A house with wide open windows and with no AC running is my latest obsession! Also, I am feeling a perverse sense of joy at school being back in session! Really… the days are so incredibly quiet now and it is the loveliest thing!
Planning: Our trip to Michigan to visit the kids and my granddaughter and I really can’t wait. We are staying in a new place, much closer to them and with much more room. This means more cooking for me and “forced family fun” (as my kids loved to call it) but, I am eagerly anticipating it!
Loving: And feeling rather proud about some rather difficult decisions I have recently made! But, the realization that the decision to NOT be in choir this year was just what I needed…the feeling of a weight being lifted, the sense of dread gone, the anxiousness removed! Just because you have always done something, does not mean you always have to… trust me when I tell you that changing things up gives the most amazing new perspective!
Reading: voraciously! Yes, this has been one heck of a summer for books for me! I have read 45 books since Memorial Day weekend. So many good books! I also blew past my Goodreads goal this month, and have exceeded 100 books read this year! The key to my voluminous reading success is the number of audio books I have listened to this year. And, a huge thanks to Carnegie Library for their amazing selection of audiobooks to choose from!
There you have what my Waning August looks like. What about you? What does your current look like?
