by Kat | May 17, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers! Happy Wednesday!
I should be sock knitting, but my days have been a bit hectic. I am behind on my painting class, I am behind on garden chores, my closet is at the implode stage with winter/spring/summer all in a huge muddle…but what I have been doing instead of all that? Why knitting of. course… knitting round and round and round on my Shakerag Skirt!
I have gotten through the lace section, I did the short rows for the back and I am in the “plain knit” rounds before I start the decreases. And so far, I am loving this knit…but I have miles to go before I get to the “try on” point in this knit and so I am trying to knit a round or 10 each day. I am off on the row gauge, so I am knitting more rounds to get to the decrease point. My hope is I will have time today to get there… because less stitches every once in a while will be a good thing! These are long ass rows! Ha!
The reading this week has been delightful though… I was so fortunate to be approved for the latest Dominic Smith book: Return to Valetto. I loved it! It was so so so good! If you like Amor Towles or Sarah Winman… I think you will very much love this book! The writing is brilliant, the characters are well developed, and the story is one that keeps you moving along with it to the very end… and I really was not ready for the book to be over!
I also finished the third installment in the Thursday Murder Club mystery. Delightful, brilliant, and I loved it! I hope there will be another installment sooner than later!
So what am I reading this week? Well, my daytime listen is Kate Atkinson’s Shrines of Gaiety. I have just started, but so far I am enjoying it. I just picked up two books from the library,
Donal Ryan’s Queen of Dirt Island, and Louise Kennedy’s Trespasses! I need to find a quiet afternoon where I can just sit and read!
My nighttime reading has been consumed by another Sarah Winman book, When God Was a Rabbit… and she might just be my new favorite author!
So there you have my week… what is consuming your time this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | May 15, 2023 | General, Museum of Me
There is always one moment in childhood when a door opens and lets the future in. — Graham Greene
I have spent a good bit of time contemplating this post. Then versus now… 10 year old me versus 62 year old me.
I looked for photo’s, but… sadly, there are few photos from my childhood. I could find my 6th grade photo… but not one from the year before. But perhaps my memories will be enough… and by leaning in to authenticity… perhaps I will have some success telling a story that is hard to tell.
Ten year old me was an avid reader… books, you see gave me the greatest escape. I could settle into a book and suddenly be miles away. But, really… the only hope I had for my childhood was to simply survive. The “open door to my future” did not come until my sophomore year in high school, when I moved in permanently with my grandparents.
I’ve never spent any time then… or now… immersed in self-pity. Do I wish things had been different for me? Some days yes… (especially, when I have to figure out how to unpack the past and talk about it in any fashion…sigh) but most days not at all and though it has taken me a long time to say this… I very much like the person I am today… a person who still loves to read and most definitely is a survivor!
I think that 10 year old me would love what I am today… a confident, independent woman. I think that 10 year old who had no confidence for so many things, herself included, has found the confidence to say yes to things, and, perhaps more importantly, to say no to things as well..without worries of repercussions. I think that 10 year old me would love that I make myself a priority for some part of each day. I think 10 year old me would love how I am working through this year learning how to be more authentic with myself… a big part of which is learning to temper my inner critic. I think 10 year old me would be amazed that I am like myself…lots! And that I am learning to nurture those moments like the treasure they are!
But there are fun then and now things as well… I think 10 year old me would be shocked at how I now have an entire wardrobe made by me… that I wear regularly and LOVE! (10 Year Old Me thought ready-to-wear clothes that were not “second hand” were a wonder!)
I think 10 year old me would really wonder how I can like to read books that aren’t about horses…(for the longest time 10 year old me thought that Black Beauty was the be all, end all of books!)
I think that 10 year old me might wonder why I don’t spend time outdoors galloping around… or singing silly songs… (10 year old me could belt out all the “jingles!” and I still have perfect recall of all the words of this ditty as well as practically perfect recall of every episode of Schoolhouse Rock!)
I think that 10 year old me who struggled mightily with math would be in awe of my mad math skills today!
All in all… I am so grateful to that 10 year old girl who knew that escape and survive was the best solution then…and to the me now who realizes that it is okay for the past to stay in the past. That while that past made me what I am, it does not make up the minutes of my day today. And that makes then and now so much better!
Thank you for visiting this month… I will be. back on Wednesday with some Skirt Knitting updates!
by Kat | May 12, 2023 | General, In This Moment
Last week’s break was such a good thing for me… mentally. I did not blog and I did not spend much time on social media… the total time I spent was picking photos for two IG posts from Erie. Posting and not scrolling seems selfish as I am writing this today. But being away from social media has given me lots to think about and while I am not at all ready to give up my blog, perhaps I am ready to give up social media.
But while I mull all that over in my brain… I do have some AMAZING finds for you this week! Things that will get you outside, give you things to think about, and perhaps discover something new! Let’s get started:
Thing One —
Tomorrow is Global Big Day! That’s right, another bird count day… an important one because we are at the peak of migration season! Recording the birds you see or hear is super fun… and super easy! All the “how” details are here so get out there and look for birds!
Thing Two —
This one has been loudest in my brain. I have listened to this episode twice and I have it saved so I can listen again. It is the Emergence Podcast discussion with Jenny Odell about time. I am on the waitlist for her book so I can delve deeper into her thoughts on time. One thing I know for sure, I have been working on incorporating more vertical time into my day… less horizontal time and my gosh, I love it!
Thing Three (a) —
This week, The Slowdown podcast has done something amazing… Major Jackson has spent the week discussing poetry with a guest host… a young guest host! It has been so much fun! I have LOVED the poems the kids have selected, I have LOVED the conversations the kids had about their love of poetry, and I have really LOVED the poetry word games that Major Jackson played with the kids each day. If you have children in your life… queue up The Slowdown and introduce them to the joy of poetry!
Thing Three (b) —
It has been the week for Discovering Youth Poets! Twitter has become less of a hellscape since I discovered Joseph Fasano and his “daily poetry thread” But really, his poetry prompts for kids might be my favorite and have blown me away! And he has a prompt for Mother’s Day!
And there you have my finds for today… enjoy your weekend and Happy Mother’s Day! I will be back on Monday with a new Museum of Me exhibit!
by Kat | May 10, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers!
It felt good to have a bit of a break from all things electronic, although I did miss you all. I am trying to catch up on blog reading… a little bit each day. I should be all caught up soon!
My list for the week is looking good… all the laundry is done, so I feel caught up on some things but you know those damned weeds did not take a vacation, so I am still (always?) pulling weeds!
I think (fingers crossed) that I have my last PT session today. It has been so amazing how some simple, targeted things can make such a huge difference! Am I pain free? No, but it is so much better than it was and each week is a bit better than the one before.
Hermoine’s Everyday Socks in Miss Bab’s in Zombie Prom (I think!)
I mentioned that I did more knitting than ever on a vacation… I have a sock and just over a half to prove it! I have not given that second sock much “air time” since I got home because my “night time knitting” has been consumed with Gnome Housing (as you can see above!) Yes!! I have the house done… it now needs some embroidery to perfect it…think ivy covered cottage!) It is a good size! (and I am contemplating a two story version with more windows!!) But before any new housing plans, I have a Mystery Gnome that I am eagerly anticipating!
Before I left for Erie, I ordered some yarn from Holst Garn figuring it would be arriving this week… silly me! Helle Holst and crew swiftly packed up my yarn and it arrived while we were in Erie (7 days after ordering… from Denmark… just saying.) Sunday I began the swatching process… in the round… with a US4 and US5. Once I had knit a nice tube, I steeked it and then gave it a bath. Monday I began Swatch Measuring! (of course my gauge is my gauge and no where near Nell’s gauge… thank god for Knitty Maths!) I think a bottom up skirt might be a bit tricky for fitting (we shall see) but Nell has really great instructions (and even offers to help if you need it with gauge, math, and the fit you want!) So I cast on on Monday night… a plethora of stitches. I love the start and her way of avoiding twisting your cast on… I feel like this will be a well worn piece in my wardrobe… and I love the color – Tides Nightshade! It feels like a LOT of knitting… but decreasing instead of increasing is a plus! Ha!
A newborn Shaker Rag Skirt…in the perfect denim-y blue!
Reading has been a bit of a mixed bag… some things I loved…Tin Man by Sarah Winman… stop everything and read this book now! As well as Beaverland… so so good! (they were both 5-star reads for me.) One I liked, but gosh does it need some editing: The Covenant of Water. Some things I did not love so much… The Boys and Babel… just did not work for me. But that is okay, because at night I am reading a new Netgalley book: Return to Valetto… I am about a third of the way in and so far, so good. And in my ears whilst weeding is Richard Osman’s latest Thursday Murder Club Mystery…I have just begun, but I have loved the previous installments so I have great expectations for The Bullet That Missed!
So there you have my update… what about you? What is at the top of your list for making this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | May 8, 2023 | General, In This Moment
The vacation was… interesting. There was a significant amount of rain and the beginning was very cold. However, I am very happy to report that my Handspun sweater and newly stitched sweatshirts were PERFECT in every way!
One of us had plenty of things to occupy their time on a rainy day (or days)… reading, knitting, stitching… and one of us did not. So if you are reading between the lines here… I think you get the picture of how some of the week went.
I did more knitting on a vacation than I have done in a long time… (I finished that first sock and am almost done with the second sock…so yeah, a lot of knitting! Ha!) I’d have read more if someone had not been complaining so much… sigh.
I think the rainy days provided some of the most amazing skies! And the unseasonably cold weather that kept the trees from all leafing out made it so easy to find and see birds! And see birds I did! We saw Bald Eagles every day but one… so many eagles! We also saw so many ospreys! Going a week later than we usually go also meant warblers… so many different warblers! I saw 21 *new* birds last week. I saw Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles! Rain or shine, I simply love quietly walking through the woods listening to the birdsong. And PT is a wonder, I was able to do the hike out to Gull Point twice! And walking with walking sticks provides a pretty good workout! (although perhaps that is a sad state of affairs to confess… but gosh I was just so happy to be mobile!)
Despite the weather, I also channeled Vera because I saw so many turtles and although they were not at all easy to catch with my phone camera… I did manage to get one!
One small brave little turtle!
The other very good thing was the “Treat Dispenser” that is now Icing on the Lake… and the cocktails at Cork! (And the food was not bad either!)
All in all, it was a good week… even with the rain! But the Mondayist Monday on earth is Re-entry Monday! See you all back here on Wednesday with some raveling!
P.S. Today my youngest turns 31… how is that even possible?! Happy birthday, Sam!
by Kat | Apr 28, 2023 | General, In This Moment, Poetry
I have plans for lots of hikes, birding, and a plethora of good food…. (that is if the weather cooperates… right now, it looks like there will be lots of rain… sigh, lol)
See you all back here May 8! Have a great weekend all!
by Kat | Apr 27, 2023 | General, Poetry
It is my favorite day… in my favorite month. The idea that you can carry poems with you… what a delightful thing! Today we are all sharing some poems for your pockets…
Today, I am sharing one for all of us for whom sleep is, at times, elusive. Apparently, dear Billy Collins is also similarly afflicted and he has some wisdom wit for us. I have memorized this bit of wit and contemplate it all too frequently… but at least I know I am in good company!
3:00 AM
by Billy Collins
Only my hand
is asleep,
but it’s a start.
3:00 AM from Musical Tables © Billy Collins, Random House New York, 2022.
If you want to know more about the delightful Billy Collins, you will find find information here, and here at his website.
Please make sure you stop and see what Kym, Bonny, and Sarah have for your pockets today!
Thank you so much for reading along with us this month!
by Kat | Apr 26, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers!
Is it just me, or did April just bolt past at record speed? Anyways, we find ourselves at our last Wednesday in April… boo! But, it has been a good month!
Recently, I have had some great questions and some even better discussions that all were not privy to all… so I thought since they are knitting related, I’d talk about my responses here!
First, the questions:
First, José asked some very good questions regarding last Friday’s post…
I thought I’d break down her questions individually:
She worries that a skirt will wear more on the bottom (no, not that bottom, the sitting bottom…i.e. your butt…) and that is a great concern. Having knit a skirt that I wore the heck out of… I can happily say that that yarn (Elsbeth Lavold’s Silky Wool) wore extremely well! No sitting sags, ever. No wear on the backside… ever. Silk and wool… excellent choice. Next she asks would a merino/cotton blend hold… I think there would be more bagging on the backside with cotton/wool. I have knit 3 sweaters with Holst Garn Coast… all with the yarn held double… and eventually I get “elbow bags” in the sleeves. So, yes – I think it will eventually get a “saggy bottom” perhaps quicker than the sleeves get elbow bags. However, the plus for Coast is that with a wash, it is like a “just knit” garment! Sans bags and sags! And it wears well… Coast is a yarn that resists pilling but when it does, they are few and easy to remove!
Then Vera and I got to talking about yarns and the knitting of that skirt and the conversation went in a bit of a different direction… I began to think more about the “no saggy bottom” of the Silky Wool and started to think about Holst Garn’s Tides… their silk/wool blend. I have knit a sweater with this and I love it. (Granted, it has no sleeves so I am guessing at the sag factor) but I think it would work beautifully for a skirt! I would knit a denser fabric than I did on that first skirt eons ago (I had to be careful what color underwear I wore…just sayin’.) But I think Nell has knit her skirt at a denser gauge as well (worsted yarn knit on a US5, I believe)… I’d also recommend knitting a large swatch….like 40 or 50 stitches across large! I was recently reminded by the brilliant Julia Farwell-Clay here… Sometimes you need a BIG swatch so that you can really see and feel the fabric! (It makes a huge difference!)
After all that thought… I will be ordering some Tides to knit mine! (And yes, Vera… held double!) Who’s up for a bit of a KAL on this skirt? Anyone in?
Now about about a brief knitting update:
I completed another pair of socks! What? I know… it is a record for me! I have another pair of socks that I started eons ago but never finished (Hermoine’s Socks) and they are coming with me on vacation…starting May with a new pair of socks to tuck away for a chilly November seems like a delightful thing to do for future me!
I also have been fastidiously knitting away on a Gnome House! Theoretically, I’d like to have it done before we leave on Thursday afternoon… and then I can do some stitching on it! But, that is not likely… and that’s okay. But really, those socks will be more than enough! (I don’t knit much on vacation!)
It has been a (very) slow reading week for me. I am more than halfway through Babel and so far, so good! I know some of you thought the start was better than the middle, but I am staying engaged… it has an excellent narrator and I am enjoying it.
I have also circled back to thinking about Dani Shapiro’s Signal Fires when I got a copy of Edward Hirsch’s The Night Parade. I have been reading it… oh gosh. I am feeling all the “Ben Vibes” … and it is such a perfect place to be! (be thankful the poems in it are all too long for Poem in Your Pocket Day! LOL)
At night, I am still reading The Covenant of Water… yes, still. I am so close the the end that I just need to sit down and finish it (not at night when I instantly fall asleep!) I have some incentive to finish, I just got Sarah Winman’s Tin Man from the library and I want to read it… now! (and I just got approved for another Netgalley book… so I have my vacation reading plan!)
And I think that is enough for this final Wednesday in April! What about you? How did April feel for you all?
As always, if you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Apr 24, 2023 | General, Words
It’s been a very quiet month in the OLW department. Ali Edward’s prompt for the month was to look for our word to show up in our days… and so I practiced patience and tried to pay attention…. sigh. At times the silence was jarring and after a week of waiting with no Word Sightings, I decided I needed a new tactic for the month. I decided I would look at the impediment for my word… i.e. what prevents me from being authentic. Enter Brené Brown… at the end of last month I listened to her lecture/workshop: The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connections, and Courage…twice. It was the best 10 hours I spent last month and I wrote down lots of notes of encouragement for myself and this one I wrote in big, bold letters:
How much we know ourselves is extremely important…
Know myself… okay! I know myself very well so making the “Let Go” list was easy:
- Let go of my inner critic… who is often the loudest voice in my head (this inner critic jumps in often about all.the.things!)
- Let go of expectations that I cannot control… i.e. expectations in others
Sadly, the “Let Go” list does not contain any “new things” … sigh. Thankfully, William Shatner provided me some insight to this problem:
Most people, including myself, keep repeating the same mistakes.
Ouch… right?
Rather than allowing my inner critic to begin the Chorus of Defeat at my inevitability of repeating mistakes, I considered a different path…
Identify, acknowledge, and diminish….
with a big focus on diminish because I don’t think I am every going to completely “Let Go” of that damned inner critic, or expectations that I cannot control… but perhaps I can make them less…a lot less!
I don’t think that will be easy… but I am going to work on it with these words printed out boldly as a daily reminder..
How much we know ourselves is extremely important but how we treat ourselves is the most important. — Brené Brown
As always, I’d like to thank Carolyn for keeping me faithful in sharing my word, I might have taken a hard pass on this month, if not for her! Please make sure you go see how everyone else did with their word this month!
See you all back here on Wednesday!
by Kat | Apr 21, 2023 | General, In This Moment
Whew! It’s been a week… and I have arrived on Friday with a completed list! Yes, yes! All the sewing is done! I am closing in the the toe of the second red sock! And I have started on the Vacation List!
And I managed to stumble across a few things this week that are share worthy! So lets get started!
One —
As you all know, I love a good cocktail. I especially love the complex layers of flavor that an aperitif provides. (Think Aperol, Campari, Fernet Branca, Amaro, etc.) This week, I discovered Cynar (pronounced Chee-nahr) and I have a new love! It is made from artichokes(!!) along with some other ingredients and I think the flavor is not as bitter as Campari and Aperol… but it makes a delightfully complex cocktail. This week I made a Cynar Negroni (equal parts dry gin, sweet vermouth, and cynar) I liked it better than a “regular” Negroni, as did Steve. But my favorite of the week’s “Taste Testing” was the new to me Bensonhurst. (if you scroll down you will find the recipe here) We tried a number of different rye’s and our favorite was the smokier flavored Double Barrel Old George Rye from Grand Traverse Distillery. If you are looking for a new addition to your drink repertoire, I highly recommend Cynar!
Two —
A knitted skirt crossed my path this week and it has been rattling around my brain ever since. (Apparently others have been struck by this same phenomena!) Some years ago I knit a skirt (Ravelry Link) and I wore the absolute hell out of it and it was one of my most comfortable knits! I am contemplating… but I am not loving a skirt of a linen/cotton blend knitted fabric. I have had poor results with linen/linen blend knitted fabrics… they grow. So I am thinking that a wool/cotton blend might be smarter. (Hello, Coast… yes, I am thinking about you!) No swatching will happen before May… but I might be looking at colors!
Three —
I have prepared myself for a nationwide ban on Mifepristone… I mean really, does anyone think that a ruling delay to Friday at midnight could mean anything positive? My rage has reached the Off the Charts level. Some years ago I read The Power and recently I discovered that Amazon has made a series based on the book. I have watched a couple of episodes and admit to recently fantasizing about obtaining the power… I mean, a good jolt is what some of these people need, imo.
And that is all I have for this week! I will be back on Monday with my word update!
