by Kat | Mar 10, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Outside the birds are a cacophony of song, grass is greening and growing, and in my garden the rhubarb, raspberries, and chives are poking their little green heads through the rich black soil.
And today, it is gloriously grey outside, with promises of rain which will give everything a gentle washing and a much-needed soak.
It made me think of how much I love springtime at Van Raalte Farm in Holland, Michigan. 160 acres of land and miles and miles of walking trails make for the perfect place to immerse yourself in spring. It is beautiful to walk in every season, but especially spectacular in the spring. If you are nearby, you should definitely go – you won’t be disappointed!
by Kat | Mar 7, 2016 | General, In This Moment
The weekend was not bad here at Casa del KatKnits, especially starting with this on Friday night.
Saturday ushered in the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show where it was Idea Overload!
FYI, the Convention Center is truly a lovely building.
Which brings us to the uphill climb that is Monday – good thing the sunrise was so nice this morning!
by Kat | Feb 26, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Konmari: In my office, the place I have resisted long enough. This is daunting and more than a little scary because, this will involve a realistic look at yarn and fiber – a painful task to be sure. But, I will gird my loins and face the lions today! I am determined to be a conqueror! Hopefully…
Entirely Over: Politics! When did politics become an eternal process? How many debates do we really need? Especially when the same things are said over, and over, and over, and over. And this is not something that is one-sided, both parties are guilty! In my opinion, this is the most undemocratic process ever. It feels more like we have all somehow been banished to some horrid Political Hell!
Knitting: The serious assessment of projects is taking place and today ushers in Yarn Reclamation Day – yes, that is right, Gentle Reader, some projects will be taking a trip to the FROG Pond. Thank you Kym for the tender recommendation. Things not heading to the Frog Pond are this and this which I hope to finish this weekend!
Listening: I am catching up today with Serial and Morning on the Dock, and if I am still not done with the demolition, err, KonMari activities, then Diana Krall Radio on Pandora will be my support.
Anticipating: The new season of House of Cards, which is coming out March 4 and the new season of Happy Valley which will be available mid-March. Garrison Keillor’s last broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theatre tomorrow night.
Enjoying: Periscope’s with fun and useful information – Thank you Ysolda and Sonya for these amazing little mini lessons to break up my day and inspire my creativity!
Planning: A week of sewing with plans of getting some new pillows done for the living room, also, another Dress #2 and pair number one of Pants #1!
That’s it for today, have a good weekend everyone! See you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Feb 19, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Reading: A Malmö Midwinter: An Inspector Anita Sundström Novella by Torquil MacLeod – it should be a quick read. Should being the operative word. But, I have been falling asleep almost immediately upon getting into bed. This might frustrate me, however, since Insomnia has been on an apparent vacation, I will take the sleep while I can get it!
Knitting (and spinning): I cast on Hop Brook by Bonnie Sennott with some handspun Dorset Down. I am about half way through and I carded the remainder of the fiber to spin this weekend. I am also in the home stretch for Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery Socks – just the toes to go and I will be done!
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by Kat | Feb 1, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Today begins the craziness that is #BANGoutatsweaterKAL and I thought I would share with you the method to my madness to Cardiganize this pullover, in case you want to join me.
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by Kat | Jan 25, 2016 | General, In This Moment
We survived the weekend and did manage to get a little bit more snow than they expected here in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, but all in all it was good. We got some much-needed painting done but, alas, that does not mean it is all done. Nope, more yet to do – sadly. However, the dining room is looking fab!
Also, weaving continues here at Casa del KatKnits and with some improvement. I have been working on keeping even selvedges and to beating the cloth evenly. There is a fine line between cloth that is too loose and cloth that is too tight, somewhere between is what weavers call “balanced weave.” I am learning and that is a good thing.
I am still using the same warp from before Christmas which has now provided 2 scarves and one Moebius cowl and I still have a good bit of warp still on the loom which I am going to use some vintage BMFA Socks That Rock – Colorway: Médecins Sans Frontières
I did get some advice from my Fiber Guru on how best to secure the edges before fulling the fabric and I will stitch it today and get it in the washer.
There was also some knitting over the weekend, specifically on the mystery socks – I have completed clue two on sock one and started on the second sock. I love the pattern on the leg, and I am excited to see where this goes with this week’s clue!
Monday has been fairly painless here and I am not sure what that means for the remainder of the week, but I hope it is the harbinger of things to come!
