by Kat | Nov 14, 2016 | General, In This Moment, Making
The first really hard frosts happened here over the weekend, which was the abrupt end to all that was green in the yard.
Other than that, it was a non-weekend – you know, the kind that was over before it began.
There was some football, but it was not great football – Michigan lost.
Up next were my gauge issues that hounded me Saturday and Sunday – talk about fun times at Casa del KatKnits!
But, my inquiring mind wants to know — do you knit a gauge swatch when knitting mitts?
Yeah, me either.
Which led to frogging my Squad Mitt – not once, but four times thus far.
Of course, not having a 2.75mm needle is perhaps part of my problem. I have a 3mm or a 2.5 mm, but no 2.75mm needles could be found in my house! 3mm – WAY too big (even knitting the small mitt!), 2.5 – way too small (knitting the small mitt) and 2.5 mm in the larger mitt – also too big! Gah!
Okay, next step – remove stitches. 2.5mm + 44 stitches and I am hoping this will be the right combination. Yeah. It is a fingerless mitt, for heaven’s sake! But, it felt at times like rocket science! Way beyond my abilities however, I knit on in hope!
I did get to Indie Knit and Spin on Saturday – and I got a skein of Vesper Sock Yarn! (And a mitten kit!) Perhaps I need to just put the mitts down and give them a bit of a time out and knit some socks! These colors sure make me happy!
And, here it is Monday, and I am hoping the weekend was not a preview of what the week is to be… (at least the ripping out and redoing portion – if it wants to be over and done with before I know it, that is fine by me!)
How was your weekend?
by Kat | Nov 2, 2016 | General, Making
The sleeves march on, and sadly not as quickly as the Sigla sleeves (which is finished and getting a nice soak this morning for her unveiling later this week!)
I just have miles and miles of blue to go.
The color work is done now just miles and miles of blue knitting.
Good thing I am taking the Gilmore Girls along for the ride. I am thoroughly enjoying them, and only moderately kicking myself for not watching them sooner because, really – they are making this blue knitting so pleasant!
And, for those of you who got the Dave Brubeck nod in the title – yes, Blue Rondo A La Turk is my ear worm today.
Sadly, there has been little reading here this week. I am still not finished with Karin Fossum’s He Who Fears the Wolf, however, I am almost done listening to The Girl on the Train – I have less than an hour to go.
Stay tuned for a nice book review post coming soon with lots of good things in it.
As always, I am joining Ginny’s Yarn Along where there is lots of great knitting and fantastic reads!
What are you knitting this week?
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by Kat | Nov 1, 2016 | General, Making, Words
Hello, November!
It seems like just yesterday that you were here, but then I look back at the year and I realize it has been a very full year. A year full of so many good things but with temps slated to be in the 70’s here again today – it hardly seems like it can even be November!
This has certainly been a lovely autumn.
I have much to be grateful about today beginning with the Halloween festivities of last night. It was not a banner year for visitors – we had less than 30 Trick or Treater’s. However, seeing their excited faces was an incredibly pleasant break in the usual evening activities. And, really – I prefer visiting children to the news of late! So, perhaps for the next week we can just replay last night. Sort of the “I am so sick of politics” version of the movie Groundhog Day.
Several of you kindly commented on the soup from my weekend. I roughly based it on a recipe I found here. Changes I made: I used left over roasted chicken from earlier in the week. I shredded the chicken and added it with the onions as they cooked. I used Trader Joe’s Cuban Black Beans and Cannellini beans (instead of kidney beans). I did not have diced tomatoes or a can of diced chiles. Instead I used a large can of whole tomatoes and crushed them with my hand before I added them and I added a can of Rotel™ tomatoes. Instead of corn, I diced up the last few Anaheim and Cubanelle peppers from our garden. So, I changed it quite a bit! Haha! It was good and will be made again!
Sigla’s sleeve number two is almost done – I just have the ribbing to finish and it will be done! Just in time too, because cooler weather is in the forecast!
Lastly, I am grateful for all of you who read my blog each day! Thanks to Random.org I have a winner – and that is commenter #8 – who is Carole of Carole Knits! This is especially wonderful because it is thanks to Carole’s invitation last year to join her in NoBloPoMo that reinvigorated my blogging and brought so many new friends to my life! Congratulations Carole – MDK’s Stripes will be on its way to your house!
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by Kat | Oct 31, 2016 | General, In This Moment, Making
It was a fantastic weekend and it was a bit longer than usual since Steve took Friday off.
The weather could not have been more incredible. It was in the 70’s all weekend until late yesterday afternoon when the rain blew in and brought with it much colder temps.
There were cocktails, good food, long walks, fantastic football, and even a movie! Note – the later items were perfect for knitting and knit I did! One sleeve to go and Sigla will be finished!
All that weekend gave me just what I need to take charge of Monday, rather than feeling like it is taking charge of me!
And, today kicks off Gratitude Week with Michelle GD! Look for gratitude to be woven through all my posts this week.
How was your weekend?
by Kat | Oct 25, 2016 | General, Making
It seems that this is going around since the end of 10 on Tuesdays.
I usually plan the previous week what I will post the following week. So, this is what happens when you don’t plan.
I have a case of the Tuesday’s.
However, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and I have not revisited my New Year’s Resolution list so I think it is time for an update.
You can find my original post here and the updates here and here.
Overall I think my resolutions are making a difference in my life.
I know, right?
I am feeling so invigorated by weighing less and moving more! So far I have lost over 30 pounds and I am now very conscious of what I eat and how it is made. Not in a fanatic way, but rather in a more enlightened and realistic way. I am also moving more – and that is something HUGE for me. I am not a lover of exercise, but I am walking and riding the exercise bike. I have not been doing much yoga and I need to change that pattern because the yoga is not only good for my body, it is good for my mind.
Moving the stitching supplies near my desk has not been a success. I am a little disappointed in myself – but only a little. I am still making plenty in my daily life. Do I want to stitch? Yes! So, I need to plan on how that will fit in my life and I need to be realistic that it won’t magically happen this year. I don’t think I can squeeze anything more in (especially if I want to get some things finished for the holidays). Look for this to be revisited in a new and more successful way in 2017.
KonMari is a very good thing, and I think the best thing about it is how it is a continual process. Things that I originally thought I could NEVER get rid of are being revisited. Perhaps, by the end of next year I will be a graduate of the Konmari program! Ha!
Now, to the last and most difficult thing on my resolution list – Gratitude. This continues to be a constant struggle in my life. Am I just an ungrateful person? If I am being completely honest with myself; yes, sometimes… More specifically, I think that it feels awkward to find gratitude in small everyday things. It is not that gratitude is not on my minds – it is part of my daily meditations. Nothing I am currently doing is “sticking” so when I saw this mentioned on Karen’s blog I thought this might be something that could help get me on the path. It has occurred to me that gratitude might not be a solo journey. And, I am kicking this off with Gratitude Week and November will be a month I am immersing myself in the process of gratitude (and since I am going to try to participate in NaBloPoMo again, I will be sure to let you know how it is going!)
I have one final surprising thing to share with you, and it involves a small giveaway as well!
I have long loved Kay and Ann of Mason Dixon fame! I have read their blog for years and I am so thrilled with their new venture! When they announced Stripes some months ago I, of course, ordered one! Now enter that stellar organization – the US Postal Service…suffice it to say that my mail carrier thinks that mail delivery is a contact sport – things often arrive looking as if they were in a soccer game and got kicked around a bit. Thus, arrived my precious little copy of Stripes – battered and bruised. I did not want or ask for a new copy of Stripes. I just wanted to let Ann and Kay know that perhaps a padded mailer was a good idea (especially knowing my mail carrier) and in the future I would be willing to pay more for shipping with one! Imagine my surprise when a new copy arrived last week, including a hand-written note from Ann that might have brought a tear or two to my eye, and I want to pay it forward! If you would like that copy of MDK’s Field Guide No. 1 – Stripes, please leave a comment below and I will announce a winner next Tuesday and send it off to the winner (in a padded mailer! lol)
Thank you, Ann and Kay, I am so grateful to you both for a million and one reasons!
by Kat | Oct 19, 2016 | General, Making
There has not been a lot of knitting around here this week. However, there has been a good deal of knitting anticipation.
Like this, and this. Knitting ennui has been vanquished!
But, I hope to have the Honey Cowl done later today. I only have about an inch more to knit, so that is entirely doable!
There has been a good deal of reading though, thanks to Audiobooks and a bit of insomnia.
I finished listening to Clara read Knitlandia and I really enjoyed it in this format!
I began listening to The Girl on the Train, I am not yet sure how I feel about this book as I just began yesterday.
I finished The Murder of Harriet Krohn by Karin Fossum. (I am not reading these in order, which I may come to regret) It was a curious way to write a murder mystery. I won’t say more as to not share any spoilers, but I am not sure I really liked the manner in which the story unfolded.
Last night, I began reading He Who Fears the Wolf by the same author. I think that I will like this book a bit more than Harriet Krohn.
I have not gotten much farther in The Year of Living Danishly as I haven’t had any time to sit down to read during the day at all. I hope to correct that before this week is over. I need to get it finished, because it is due back to the library (always a good incentive to sit down and read!)
Do you have any “must finish” books this week?
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