Fourth of July Recap

Fourth of July Recap

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means, Carole wants to know:

Ten Things You Did This Weekend

Without any fanfare, here is my weekend recap:

4th of july

  1. Enjoyed a Happy Hour, or two
  2. Grilled Brittner’s specialty hotdogs, because can It really be the fourth without a hotdog?
  3. Harvested things from the garden – fresh produce waits for no holiday.
  4. Enjoyed farm fresh corn on the cob, grilled of course!
  5. Listened to Garrison Keillor’s last PHC from the Hollywood Bowl.
  6. Listened to NPR read the Declaration of Independence – their 28th year of doing so and it is crazy that I have listened to most of them!
  7. Tour de Fleece spinning took place, I finished the lovely Merino Yak and am working through the Columbia rolags.
  8. Mystery knitting happened (although I am still not finished with Clue #4…)
  9. Lots of reading – I finished Dead Water and started The Summer Before the War (in my ears) and A Man Called Ove (on my Kindle) and I am still working through Big Magic.
  10. And, savored every single second of this glorious summer weekend because, before we know it Labor Day will be upon us.

It was really an amazing weekend, but what I want to know is how was your weekend?

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Staying the Course

Staying the Course

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Have a very happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

Photo credit to Eflon

Fiber Friday – Tour de Fleece

Fiber Friday – Tour de Fleece

Le Tour starts tomorrow, and that means spinners everywhere will be joining in to spin in le Tour de Fleece. That’s right teams of spinners will be spinning as the biking teams ride! It is really so much fun, and excellent preparation for Spinzilla!

I will be spinning with the Wool n’ Spinning Group, and as you can see – much of my fiber that I hope to get done is Sheepspot wool. I don’t think I have goals that are unreasonable, and they should be achievable if I am spinning on Tour Days!

Things I would like to get spun:

Tour de Fleece

  1. Sheepspot Columbia Rolags
  2. Vintage Crosspatch Creations Batts
  3. Spunky Eclectic Merino Yak Top
  4. Spunky Eclectic Gotland Top
  5. Sheepspot Montadale Top
  6. Sheepspot Coopworth Roving

I think this will keep me busy during the month!

Up next is a little wheel tune-up complete with drive band replacement and oiling all the moving parts!

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In my frenzy to empty bobbins for le Tour, I plied up the lace-weight Targhee and I am so happy with how all 618 yds, 100 grams turned out!

Friday Links:

So, tell me Gentle Reader – will you be watching any of le Tour while you spin? Oh, and Happy FriYAY which ushers in a weekend filled with YAY’s! See you back here on Monday.

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Put a stamp on it

Put a stamp on it

Sometimes, you just need to send a letter.

Dearest Airborne Antigens,

It is almost July and you have long over stayed your visit. Surely there are greener pastures that are in dire need of your pollen.

Please find them and soon!

Signed,

My itchy, watery eyes and runny nose

My Dear Backyard Wildlife,

If I consider the Portulaca an offering, could you please stop eating the Rapini and Romanescu?

Because, if you continue to eat them, along with the strawberries and raspberries it will not end well.

I will consider your continued munching a declaration of war.

You have been warned.

Sincerely,

The Irate Gardener

Hello Starbucks,

Enough with the daily emails about the latest star incentives. This will not encourage me to visit you more frequently.

In fact, it is having the opposite effect. Please stop punishing me because you changed your reward program.

Regards,

No Stars For Me

Attention Local Weather Persons,

How hard can it possibly be to give an accurate weather forecast? Perhaps you should try looking out the window, perhaps that approach will prove more successful because the current methods are not. At. All.

Regards,

Weather Confused

Dear, Sweet Friday,

You are here and gone far too quickly, and it would be so lovely if you surprised me and started arriving earlier than scheduled.

I miss you so much and wish that you could find a way to visit more often and stay longer.

XOXO,

Your Girl, Friday.

If only these letters would work…

Happy Thursday, Gentle Reader.

Creatively Reading and Knitting

Creatively Reading and Knitting

Last week I shared that this book showed up in several places in my internet world last week, and the library had it available digitally, so I borrowed it. I started reading it over the weekend, and while I am not too far into the book, it is causing me to think about lots of things. Curious things. Creative things. So far, I like it.

I finished reading The Redbreast and The Paris Architect (both of which I loved). The Paris Architect was a book I was not sure I would like, so I am using this one for a square in my Book Bingo (The book that I think I will dislike) however, I loved it. Really loved it! I am marking The Redbreast into the classic mystery square. No bingo’s yet, but my squares are getting filled in!

Book Bingo Card

I am listening to Dead Water by Anne Cleeves, and The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson is up next. This should get me through a few more Summer Knit Along Projects!

I am not through clue 4 of Kirsten Kapur’s mystery knit along and in order to keep the mystery going, I am not looking ahead at the new clue that is out today. Yeah, there was no way I could get that clue done in the weeks time. Plus!! I also hope to be done with the first of two Jen Lucas no longer mystery shawls, I have about 30 rows to go, however they are LONG rows! I am not sure that the long rows are better than short rows of a knit on border – it seems that the edging on Aestlight went much quicker, but maybe that was because I had quickly memorized the pattern. Alas, there is no memorizing anything beyond a row in the Jen Lucas shawl, nor the mystery shawl. So, I have my charts keyed into knitCompanion, which helps tremendously for these long rows!

It also helps that the weather outside is simply glorious today, pergola knitting is on the schedule today and the audio book will join me!

But, tell me – How is your reading and knitting coming along this summer?

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Summer Knit Along Update

Summer Knit Along Update

I know that this is usually a day for a 10 on Tuesday post, but while Carole is away, the proverbial mice will play, or knit, or spin, or stitch, or… you get the point.

So, Hello Crafters (Be you Knitters, Spinners, Stitchers, Crocheters, and regular 10 on Tuesday readers/participants)!

I wanted to do a bit of a check in with all of you as the first month draws to a close.

Why am I doing this if there are no rules? Well, here is the curious thing – apparently even no goals or rules can cause someone to feel like they are not accomplishing their goals.

I heard from one participant last week about her concern about finishing projects currently in process because she was casting on new projects.

Well…I just want to tell you all that I am jealous of those of you starting new projects. Those of you who are ignoring the WIPs and hear that seductive skein of yarn calling to you. There is something to be said for answering the siren call of a new project.

Yes, I am that person who wants to cast on all the things! Because it has been said that only finishing WIPs and no new projects makes Jill a dull girl.

So, I thought I’d share what I am doing to keep my momentum going on getting those blasted WIPs into the completed column.

I knew that having nothing new to work on would never last this summer, so I got myself some new yarn (thank you Jill Draper Makes Stuff) and I cast on the Through the Loops MKAL. This gives me something new to work on – and it comes in small bites with a clue each week! The clues are now getting longer, so it will take me more than a week to finish a clue, but I am going to focus on finishing this shawl by the end of July.

This is giving me something new to work on each week, and it has been giving me time to work on finishing things from that dratted WIP basket.

And, as an extra fun thing to do – I have a pair of socks in the works as well. This gives me a “portable project” to take with me, and one that I do not need to read a pattern for. Hello, Picot Socks – I do so love you!

Just so you can see my Summer List and how I am doing, I will share it 10 on Tuesday Style:

Ten items. Two down and eight to go…That’s a lotsa knitting, but we still have plenty of summer left to get our project on!!

So, where does that leave you dear, Knit Alonger? Please let me know – I am here to help! (or encourage, or talk you out of casting on a new project, or talk down from that ledge…)

*SSS = Second Sock Syndrome: a disease that infects some knitters, whereby they can knit one sock but it never gets a mate. This disease is not incurable, as I hope to prove this summer!

Weekending, A Little Bit of This and That

Weekending, A Little Bit of This and That

It was a warm summer weekend here in the ‘Burgh. Our usual Friday snacks were done Al Fresco, including a Bee’s Knees Cocktail, and it was so nice to have a spot on the cool porch to sit. There were beautiful breezes though, which made sitting under the pergola after we had eaten a real treat.

The Fireflies even put on a light show. It was really a lovely evening.

Saturday was Mt. Lebanon Farmer Market and a visit to our favorite farmer. He still has strawberries and we got some raspberries as well. I turned both fruits into jams – another batch of Judy’s Oven Roasted Strawberry Jam and Nigella Lawson’s “Hand’s Free Raspberry Jam.” I have not tried the raspberry jam as yet, but I will give it points in simplicity. I am not sure how it will set up but, worst case scenario – it will be perfect in plain Greek yogurt. I will let you know when I have tried it.**

Saturday also saw us spending another good chunk of the day in the gardens. There were some things that still needed planting (3 Weigela bushes and 4 Salvia plants, to be exact) all of which required the expansion of a garden bed.

I also began working on the clue number four for the mystery shawl – however, I think my brain was done in by the heat from earlier in the day – I kept making the same mistake over and over. If you like me are having some issues with the Knit 5 Together’s – I think Lorilee Beltman has something that might help you – it certainly helped me!

Some easier knitting was in order in the form of Carole’s Picot Edge Socks! A pair completed and I immediately cast on another pair. This is really my favorite knit.

Sunday we decided to make the early trek to Mount Washington to cross an item off my Summer Bucket List – a sunrise was beautiful and the skies were clear. It made getting up at the crack of dawn so worthwhile!

I love standing above the Monongahela River with a view of how it winds into Pittsburgh. The confluence is visible also from our vantage point, the merging of the Mon with the Allegheny to create the Ohio River. Magnificent views that I never get tired of!
The remainder of the day was filled with a flurry of activity and poof! It was over before I was ready for it to be over. The only saving grace is knowing that next weekend will be a nice long one.

Hope your Monday is over before you realize it and it is filled with a little of this and that.

**The worst case scenario is really excellent on yogurt. Oh man, so excellent!

Fiber Friday, June 24th

Fiber Friday, June 24th

The spinning this week continues. I have been working patiently though this gorgeous Targhee from Sheepspot Fiber Club.

This is a serious spin – as in counting treadles and lacing my flyer to get a nice lace-weight yarn – these things are not things I have done before for any project! I have half spun up and have half to go. This is such beautiful fiber – I have never spun Targhee and so this was a real treat! It has so much spring and the fiber drafts beautifully – practically by itself! Truly, this is drafting so easily, I am able to pull just a few fibers out at a time getting a nice fine single. I am using the 15:1 whorl on my Schacht Matchless, so I am putting a good bit of twist into the single. I love how my ply back sample looks and this is what I will be aiming for when I ply this up. This will bloom drastically in the wash so my goal is a light fingering weight, heavy lace weight and I think I will achieve it! Stay Tuned!

Friday Link Ups:

For the book lovers out there when a book appears in your vision, not once but three times in a week it is a message from the Book Gods! I heeded their call and have queued it up on my Kindle to read. I also finished Still Life and loved it! My bingo card is getting close to my first bingo! Summer reading FTW!

That’s all I have this week, have the Happiest of FriYAY’s! I will see you back here on Monday – and Tuesday there will be a special update on the Summer Knit Along that you won’t want to miss!

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The View from Here

The View from Here

The yuccas are blooming rather beautifully this year. And while I don’t really care for them, I cannot deny their beauty right now. And the ants are sure having a love affair with them!

But the garden is really amazing.

I harvested my first beans.

And the last of the rhubarb, which will shortly become Rhubarb Lavender Shrub. Thanks, Vicki for the great suggestion!

How’s your view today?

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The Knitting Continues

The Knitting Continues

Wednesday’s are for knitting and reading, okay, perhaps every day is for knitting and reading! But, today Ginny is leading us all with her Yarn Along!

So, on to the knitting: I am making great progress on my Summer Knit Along list, I have finished Aestlight, and I would have a photo for you, but it is currently getting a nice soak and then it will be ready for a wee bit of blocking. Not too much, I do not want the garter stitch sections to lose their lovely squishy feel. I will have photos to share soon!

 

I also have completed clue three of Through the Loops Mystery shawl, clue four is out today and I am ready to go!

Also, I have picked out another item from the WIP Basket to knit, this is another mystery shawl, this time from Jen Lucas. While the shawl is no longer a ‘mystery’ – I am working through Chart C. I am on repeat 2 of 6. Then I just have Chart D, which has 3 repeats. I am getting to the point of having lots of stitches on my needles, and they are growing with each repeat. It feels like the knitting is slow, but I am making progress. It is perfect for knitting and listening to a good book, like Still Life by Louise Penny. I am really happy with the recommendation that Carole gave on the Inspector Gamache books, I am enjoying book one tremendously and look forward to reading more from this series.

I am also still reading Jo Nesbo’s The Redbreast – I am about a quarter of the way though and, as previous books in this series, I am thoroughly enjoying the antics of Harry Hole.

I have a little bit of gardening to get done this morning, then you will find me under the pergola knitting and reading. Have a great Wednesday everyone!

P.S. On a spinning note, Sheepspot Fiber Club is open today for new registrations, just sayin’! You can read about my experience as a member here.

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