by Kat | Dec 2, 2016 | General, Making
The start of peaceful knitting began yesterday at Casa del KatKnits – and it feels so, well, peaceful and meditative! While knitting yesterday I was thinking of other knitters who are joining me in this journey – there are 2,192 projects currently listed on Ravelry (however as of 11/29 there were over 14k participating!!) but I am especially thinking about those I know who are knitting along with me.
I hope you all managed to get 318 stitches cast on and began knitting yesterday. I completed the cast on and the first 4 rounds yesterday. I will continue today with the second repeat of the pattern. I am happy to say that the pattern is easy to memorize.
I am looking forward to 20 more days of knitting and meditating on peace for this world.
I am fortunate Steve loves me so much, he surprised me yesterday with a pre-holiday package from Miss Babs and Jenny the Potter! A mug for me and some yarn from which I will make a hat for him. Thank you Steve!! And, thank you Miss Babs for the sample of Tarte! This will be the perfect accent for my next pair of Squad Mitts!
Now, how about some links?
That is all I have for this week! Have a fantastic weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!!
by Kat | Nov 30, 2016 | General, Making
November has just flown by at warp speed. If it were possible, I’d ask Scotty to beam me back! Perhaps he has and I don’t know it – yesterday it was well into the 60’s here with the same today. This weather does not seem at all Novemberish!
But, December is knocking at the door and despite my gift knitting through the year, I always have a few last-minute things that seem like a good idea to try to cast on to get finished for Christmas gifting.
I finished slippers for Steve’s mom – I knit them with Lamb’s Pride Worsted and at a tighter gauge than the pattern calls for. I really love the fabric I got and I think these will be a sturdy, long-wearing slipper! All that is left to do is seam up the slipper backs and wash them. I have a few more skeins of the Lamb’s Pride and I think I will make a couple more pairs to send out with holiday packages.
I am anticipating some Project Peace knitting starting tomorrow – one very good thing about the arrival of December! I am all ready to cast on tomorrow! I will be using the knitting time to do some meditation for the season.
My reading slowed down over the holiday weekend, but I finished The Underground Railroad today. The narration is incredibly wonderful on this audiobook and the story is so compelling and powerful and it will be a story that will stay with me a long time. I am struck by how things have not changed in some aspects and that is incredibly sad. I give this book 5 stars and if you have not read it, I highly recommend it.
I have about 100 pages left of Burial Rites – and I am glad I stayed with this book – Agnes has tucked herself into my heart and I am holding out hope that things take a good turn for her.
Up next in my reading, Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. This was an Overdrive “recommendation” – which I look forward to each week!
I better get back to my holiday knitting, are you doing any gift knitting this year?
Joining up with Ginny’s Yarn Along as usual today.
by Kat | Nov 25, 2016 | General, Making
The knitting continues – today this blue yarn will become the slippers that Steve requested earlier this week. It is a super simple pattern and will be done in short order. And, really – thank goodness for stash!
I have also been trying to spin a few minutes a day – which for me has been working out to evening spinning for a few minutes each night. During the week, I got one bobbin done. My goal is an actual 4-ply lace weight yarn. This is some old vintage Spunky Club Polwarth fiber in the “Hungry” colorway. Which after yesterday, I am certainly not! But, it is spinning up beautifully!!
Let’s get to the links, shall we?
This week has some good ones – and again, lots that can be some last-minute gift knitting:
Gift knitting ideas:
Not knitting for Christmas? No problem – some long-term knitting projects here!
I hope your holiday weekend is going well and that you are not still in a turkey coma! See you back here tomorrow!!
by Kat | Nov 23, 2016 | General, Making
The phase of Frantic Knitting has arrived – I have some holiday knitting to complete and yesterday Steve added one more item to my list!
So, that means this post is short on photos of things in process.
However, I can share my handspun Squad Mitts – they are for my sister who is not online at all, ever. (Weird, I know!) So, she will not see these here!
I simply love how they turned out and I have some left overs so there will be more pairs in the coming days!
My reading (listening) has been consumed by The Underground Railroad – I am almost done and I simply love this book! The reader is fantastic and the story is so compelling. I think this might be one of the best novels I have read this year and I highly recommend it!
Sadly, today there won’t be much knitting – but lots of cooking instead! Sweet potatoes are currently roasting in the oven and after they are done it is pumpkin pie time! All to get ready for tomorrows feast!
Linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along and wishing you all a successful day of preparation!
by Kat | Nov 18, 2016 | General, Making
Well, the gauge issues with the Squad Mitts has been solved!
One mitt down, one to go!
I am so happy with how they are turning out – and I am even happier they are 100% handspun yarn, most of which has been spun on a spindle!
And it is Friday!! Bring on the weekend, I am so ready for it! I am starting it off by having tea and some knitting with a friend.
I have nothing else for you except for some links:
Lots of gift knitting ideas here, it is not too late!
Have a fantastic Friday – see you back here tomorrow!!
by Kat | Nov 16, 2016 | General, Making
This week’s knitting and reading are both a jumble of things right now.
My knitting bag has some sleeve knitting, some fingerless mitt knitting, and getting ready to do some swatching (which is not for the fingerless mitts, but sometimes just exactly what you need to do!)
On the reading front – I am reading Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites – I am having some difficulty getting into this book, but I think that is mainly because I am reading at night when I get in bed and I barely get a page done and it is lights out for me!
In my ears is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead – I just started this yesterday and I am already captivated! It is so powerfully good!
I am also listening to a chapter or so a day of the Moby Dick Big Read Listen Along. So far – 3 chapters, only 132 chapters to go! This is a surprising treat – each chapter is read by a different reader! I should get some additional listening later today as I am winding yarn into balls – the perfect meditative task to listen by!
There you have my varied knitting and reading/listening. What about you? What are you reading or knitting this week?
As usual, I am joining Ginny’s Yarn Along!
