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?
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.
It’s Tuesday and that means Carole wants to know:
10 Things to Do While Listening to an Audiobook
Well, I have been enjoying Audiobooks a tremendous amount. I don’t know about you, but for me there is just something amazing about getting things done and reading (listening to) a book as the same time!
So, here is the list of things I have recently accomplished while listening to Audiobooks:
So tell me, Gentle Reader…Audiobooks – yes? No? What’s in your ears right now?
Recipe for the Practically Perfect Summer Weekend:
This combination makes for a much more palatable Monday.
How was your weekend?
P.S. If you previously subscribed to my blog, you will need to do so again, thank you!
Friday. Oh how I love you! But, some Friday’s are just uber-appreciated. Today is one of those days.
It has been a busy week here, work has changed things up for me and I have still not gotten into a good rhythm with the new schedule, thus Friday arrives and I am still feeling a bit “behind the eight ball” with a list that still has things to get done.
Time coordination – the bane of my existence. Seriously.
And, apparently plying is right up there as well.
Which brings me to the Fiber portion of today’s post! Thanks to Rachel for hosting Fiber Friday’s!
I spent some time this week plying up the singles I spun. Some of it was lovely, and some…not so much. It is the one aspect of spinning that I really struggle with. I look at all the amazing photos of plied yarns that drift around on Instagram and I am in awe that people do this so well, yet it seems somehow elusive for me. I struggle most with worsted spun yarns – but maybe that is because the loftiness of woolen spun yarns fills in the plying problems I seem to have. I am not sure exactly how to fix this, but I am really thinking a plying class is in order.
But, not one to give up – I will “re-ply” this yarn and see if I cannot improve the areas where it is under-plied, or not plied as the case may be. I will update you next week on how this re-do goes!
There is some welcome rain forecast for today, and while an “on the road” version of Happy Hour is not looking good for today, there will be a snacks and beverages to usher in the weekend. Photos courtesy of last week’s FriYAY celebration that were preempted on Monday for a more somber post.
And, lest you think there were no links this week – you’d be incorrect! There are a few, even a few spectacular ones:
First off – everyone could use More Love! (and right now it’s free!)
Gradient Knits – how I love thee!
Perhaps you’d like a Party on your needles?
This is such a fascinating construction method.
And, then there is Jutta! I am in love and I am pretty sure that Genevieve needs one!
That’s all I have for today, Gentle Reader. Have a fantastic Friday and be safe this weekend.
Reveling in the lush greenness that is everywhere I look,
Weeding the garden and marveling at how it is growing,
Sipping iced coffee in the early morning while listening to the birds sing their summer operas,
Savoring the delicate flavors of freshly pickled vegetables,
And, knitting under the pergola,
These are the tastes of my summer.
I am so happy to share that I can move some things from in-process to completion: The Goldfinch is finished, as is Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, and Indigo Cones is finished, except for the button selection.
I loved, loved, loved The Goldfinch and really wished it would not end, despite the length of the book. I truly was enamored of young Theo. He tugged at my heartstrings, made me laugh at some of his antics, and at times I wanted to wring his neck! The writing was really perfection, as well. Donna Tartt’s turn of a phrase was ingenious. I give this book a 5-star rating!
Twenty-five years ago I read and LOVED Outlander and quickly read the two subsequent novels in the series that Diana Gabaldon wrote. So, I really thought I’d like Written in My Own Heart’s Blood. I could not be more wrong. I did not like it at all. How curious that one’s taste can change so dramatically in that amount of time. I kept hoping that if I just read one more chapter, I would like it. Sadly, it did not and I only gave it 2 stars.
That means I have 2 squares crossed off on my Book Bingo Card!
Up next in my reading queue is The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo and in my ears is Still Life (Book One of the Inspector Gamache series).
I also have completed an item from my Summer Knit Along List – Indigo Cones that I started some 2 years ago is off the needles! I know – even better, I have the entire summer to wear it! Button selections to commence shortly. I made some modifications to the project, and you can see all the details of it here.
I completed Clue Two on Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery Shawl and I am ready to start knitting Clue Three (which is out this morning) I am also working on finishing up the edging on Aestlight – this will be done quickly, I hope, but at least they are short rows!
Hopefully your knitting is progressing well and that you have some things that you are finishing! But, what I really want to know is what are you reading next! Want to see what the other Yarn Along-ers are up to? Head over to Ginny’s and see! There is rain here today (thankfully) so I am going to make like BooksCatsYarn and queue up Chef’s Table in Netflix and knit clue #3.
P.S. I made some jam yesterday. OMG, the jam! Really. The.Best.Jam.EVER! Really. Thanks, Judy! And, the color – seriously! Deep, intense, dark red jam with flavor that is amazing. I used balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary from my garden. I made half the recipe and the jam was thickened in about half the time. No pectin used at all and this is the thickest, most perfectly set jam I have ever made. But, really – I am telling you that you need to make this jam! ASAP!
It’s Tuesday and that means that Carole wants to know:
10 Things On This Summer’s Bucket List
Well, there are a number of ways to approach this, but I am going to make this be a “doable” list – as in things I can do here in my little corner of the world.
Sometimes, there are the best things right in your own backyard!
So, there you have it – my Pittsburgh Bucket List! Now, what I want to know is what would you put on your “backyard” bucket list?
In the coming hours and days, we’ll learn about the victims of this tragedy. Their names. Their faces. Who they were. The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the difference that they made in this world. Say a prayer for them and say a prayer for their families — that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are defined more — as a country — by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who took them from us. – President Obama’s on the Orlando Shooting
On a Monday where I will be challenged to find anything at all that I can be grateful for; these words give me strength. I pray they give you strength today, as well.
Orlando, you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Happy FriYAY everyone! It has been what feels like a long week – insomnia has been an ugly companion most of the week. But, on the bright side – the lack of sleep has spawned an increase in reading and a good bit of thought organization.
I did some sampling this week (while waiting for the Shetland to rest for a few days before I ply it up) Above are some Gulf Coast locks that I got from Sheepspot and I was really not sure what I wanted to do with it. I flicked the locks spun them – this sample is a fingering weight that when plied springs up with a really lovely, airy loft – even though this is spun worsted. I have not washed the sample yet – but I have a bag of locks in this lovely orange-y red and one of a funky green.
It’s Fiber Friday, (thanks Rachel!!) and this post really got me thinking…I had this bump of fiber from ITW that I was really not enamored of the color, but I wanted to try out what Rachel did here, I split the fiber down several times – keeping the colorway intact, but breaking it into smaller segments with more repeats. I will spin up this orange merino that I got from Beth eons ago (really, eons – way back when she owned The Spinning Loft) and then ply the two together. I am really excited to spin this up to see how it turns out.
Plus, I have the Cormo on the Turkish spindle that I am still spinning. There was not much spinning outside with Sherman this week – I used the time to weed the garden beds that were in need of some attention. But, with those beds all cleaned up, I can resume spindling, guilt free!
There were some really great links this week in the fiber world:
I also made a tiny bit of progress on clue two of Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery Shawl, which I plan to finish up this weekend. I have picked up button band stitches on Indigo Cones and will be heading out to do some Pergola Knitting momentarily! That is all I have today, have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
