Tell me, dear Knitter, have you previously been lured in with a summer long knit-a-rama and all you achieved was epic failure?
Yeah, me too.
And, this topic expanded more when I was talking with my friend, planetKnit, about our usual summer knit along that we had both participated in for the last three years and I told her I was not attempting it this year. I was lacking in time and, quite frankly, the energy to knit three months of new projects. And, it occurred to me that if I felt that way, others surely must as well!
And out of that was born this idea. One that allowed knitter’s (or crocheter’s, stitcher’s, or spinner’s) to participate in whatever fashion they wanted (Heck, you can even participate in other whatever-alongs!)
My questions for you are:
Do you have some knitting you need or want to get done?
Is there a project you are itching to cast on?
Do you just want to meander down a lazy river, working on one single project all summer?
Do you want to challenge yourself to tackle a new skill or a project that expand your current skills?
Is your basket of WIP’s about to overtake your house?
Did you make a resolution last January to gain control of the WIP’s in your life and since then the number of them increased rather than decreased?
Do you just need a Knitting Staycation with your stash?
Do you want to have some encouragement, laughter, and crafting fun?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then I just might have the solution for you! Join me for a summer long knit along where you will find the motivation and encouragement you are looking for!
I have started a Ravelry Group where there will be encouragement and discussion!
There will be cocktails and recipes (more than occasionally!)
And, lots of fun!
So, if you want to have a summer where you knit at your pace (whatever that might be) then, please join us!
We will begin Memorial Day weekend, but there is no penalty for starting earlier, and we will knit through Labor Day Weekend. There is no deadline for project completion, and you can use any kind of yarn you want in whatever amount! You can post photos to your Ravelry project, or not – the choice is yours!
The only requirement is, really, no requirement! This is all focused on helping you get done what you want to get done – from one project to multiple projects – where do you want to be on Labor Day?
Are you in? Feel free to grab a button for your blog! The more the merrier!
Save
P.S. For those of you who do not have any of the above issues, this would be the perfect time to begin that Christmas knitting for those who are fortunate enough to be on your Christmas Knitting List! Yes, over-achievers are more than welcome!
P.P.S Do you have non-knitting projects you want to finish? Sewing? Quilting? Spinning? You are welcome too!
Today is Yarn Along, and the light has finally appeared at the end of the reading tunnel! I finished Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo and I liked it a bit more than I did his first Harry Hole novel. Harry was not drowning in the bottom of a whiskey bottle this time, and again, I did not see the ending coming at all!
And!!!
I should have Mink River done today!
I know, there may even be a bit of a dance of joy with its completion!
On the knitting front, Ann and Kay are having a little mini KAL through the end of the month – the goal to finish that “second sock” which is perfect, because I had finished the first Morwenstowe sock and had started the second one. Since the kickoff on Monday I have been knitting a bit each day and am on the heel flap! The heel should be turned today and then just cruising down the foot in the race to the toe! Perhaps, I can even get this dreaded pair of socks finished before month end.
Why dreaded you ask? Well, dark yarn on size zero needles makes for very difficult knitting. As in, I can only see clearly in bright sunlight to knit the damned things! No rainy day knitting or watching TV knitting with these socks!
Please note, that will only work if the Monsoon Season that has arrived (apparently to stay) in Western PA is replaced with some bright and sunny days.
I am not holding out much hope.
However, tomorrow I have some really fun and exciting news to share with you! I hinted at it last week, and tomorrow all shall be revealed!
Until then, Gentle Reader, what exciting things are you knitting or reading today?
Life doesn’t get more real than having a newborn at home. – Eric Church
It’s Tuesday and that means that Carole wants to know:
10 Ways to Help a New MomNew babies are one of the greatest joys in life…and the first weeks home for Mom (and Dad) can be amazing and stressful as a new family settles in together!
So, what can you do to help?
Bring over a meal that is easy to heat and eat. Chicken Pot Pie (topped with puff pastry), a salad, and some homemade brownies were always my go to “quick and easy meal”.
Cut the grass or shovel their driveway and walks.
Offer to do some laundry (or fold laundry!) while Mom takes a nap with the baby.
If there are older children, offer to do something special with them!
Fill a basket with easy to eat snacks – fresh fruits, bottled waters, nuts. Nutritious foods that are easy to eat while holding a baby
A Netflix gift card or two – so she has something to watch besides infomercials or reruns for those middle of the night feeding times!
A basket filled with magazines, a book or two, an assortment of teas, or coffee.
Some babysitting vouchers for when Mom and Dad are ready for a night out!
Ask if there is anything on their “to-do” list that you could finish for them.
And, my go to new baby gift – knit a Baby Surprise Jacket with matching hat and socks/booties.
New babies are just the best! What do you do when there is a new baby?
After having several irregular weekends in a row, we celebrated having just a normal old weekend here at Casa del KatKnits!
There were Rhubarb Mules, mmmmmmmm.
It was nice to start the weekend with something that makes us so happy and relaxed!
We did some Farmer’s Marketing, some IKEA wandering, and some Green House visiting.
There was reading, and knitting, and spinning, too.
While the weather was not spectacular, we did all kinds of things that help in the recharging of body and soul, and makes Monday not the challenge that it wants to be!
How was your weekend?
Buffalo Cauliflower:
Pre-heat oven to 425°F
1 head of Cauliflower, cored and cut up (try and cut the pieces in even sizes so they cook uniformly)
Toss cut cauliflower with 1 TBSP olive oil and 1 tsp of Chili powder and lay on a baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until they begin to soften and brown but are not mushy.
Remove from oven and toss with buffalo sauce, serve with blue cheese dip or ranch if that is your preference.
Steve’s Buffalo Sauce:
½ Cup Frank’s Red Hot
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 tsp White vinegar
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Chili powder to taste (add more or less for spiciness)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Dash of celery salt
Steve finds the best way to heat the sauce is in the microwave at 10-15 second intervals on high, stirring as it warms to keep the butter incorporated. You do not want the sauce hot, but just warm enough to combine. If you overheat it the butter separates.
In a week that just FLEW by, we find ourselves at the start of the weekend.
This week there was lots of spinning! Some spindle spinning.
And lots of wheel spinning.
And, this really was just a couple of evenings worth of spinning. I had forgotten how quickly spinning can go if you just sit down and do it! Haha!
I am happy to report that I am 1/3 of the way to spinning for my sweater. I hope to have the spinning completed next week. This is a doable goal as we have a weekend of much colder temps and, yes, more rain, so outdoor work will be curtailed.
I have been reading some really good posts on Rachel’s blog and if you want to learn more about fiber, she shares some great information! Plus, Fiber Friday is such a great thing!
Now for some rabbit hole links for your knitting (and spinning) edification:
In an attempt to hold myself accountable to the blasted list….
Listening: To Cleopatra, the new album by the Lumineers. It is so good.
Reading: Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo and Mink River by Brian Doyle. Still. I know. Hopefully this will be the last post in which I lament to you that I am still.reading.them!
Watching: The final season of Wallander on PBS starring Kenneth Branagh. Need I say more?
Cleaning: The Black Hole of a Freezer. Yes, I am crossing this off the list! Boo Yeah!
Planting: Onions and garlic. Tomatoes and peppers are on deck this weekend!
Harvesting: Rhubarb. Syrup making to commence shortly and it will perhaps be featured in tomorrow’s Cocktail. But, at the very least, there will be Rhubarb Sodas!
Anticipating: Our usual Friday Snacks and Cocktails – life has been busy the past couple of weeks and I have missed them tremendously.
Contemplating: If anticipating Friday Cocktails signifies something. I am not sure, but I am not contemplating any kind of meetings so I think I am okay!
Planning: A summer long knit-a-long for anyone who wants to participate. Details coming next week, stay tuned!
Grateful: That tomorrow is Friday, or should I say FriYAY!
That is my life in a right now kind of moment. What does your right now look like?
It’s already Wednesday?? Does anyone else feel like this week is just flying by?! Here it is the week is almost half over, I still have lots of stuff on my “To Do” list. This is perhaps because my list this week is filled with things I really don’t like to do and I just cannot procrastinate about them any longer.
Yes, I am an expert at procrastination!
However, today is Yarn Along and I should be sharing what I am knitting and reading today, but I have been carding rolags to spin for a sweater. My basket was full of rolags and I started spinning yesterday, and have two equal bobbins that are ready for plying.
I also pulled out the November Sheepspot Fiber Club Coopworth roving and spun half of it up last night. I will ply it today and get the second half of the fiber spun up.
My reading has been in fits and spurts. I read nothing all weekend and have two books that I need to get finished so I can return them to the library. I am about halfway through both of them and it is really inexcusable that I have not finished them! I am a reading slacker!! But, we have more rain in the forecast so the outdoor gardening work is in a holding pattern so I think I will find time to get them finished this week.
The leaves of Pincha are growing slowly and I have a sock in the wings as well.
As you can see, I have plenty to keep me busy, but my list calls! What is nagging you on your list this week?
On Friday, we headed off early with the thought of stopping along the way to do a little sightseeing. It was not raining in Pittsburgh, however the closer we got to Maryland the darker and more ominous it got!
And, before we crossed the Pennsylvania state line, the rain started.
Hard rain.
Sheets of rain.
Yeah. Stopping along the way was not an option. However, the hotel was fantastic and we were glad to have a dry place to stay for the night.
It did not rain on Saturday even though it looked like it could at any moment. However, the mud.
Oh, man, the mud! Neither one of us planned for the mud! This kept us out of some of the vending areas. Lesson learned, be prepared for anything!
However, we got there bright and early to get in line for a Jenny the Potter mug! And we were successful – not one, but two mugs were obtained! And it was so nice to talk with Decibelle Doughnut and Janie Sparkles Dad, Stephen Houghton, we talked bread. My bread book list has grown by one and I am going to hopefully have some seedy rye guys in my future! Jenny the Potter’s booth was the best place to start the festival!
We went from there to Amy King’s booth. A huge fan girl moment for me – having been a Spunky Club member, and having taken her Craftsy class on spinning. Can I just say that she is more lovely and generous in person!
The line at Miss Babs was legendary.The crowds were not at all daunted by the weather or the mud. It was so nice to be surrounded by people who love fiber, sheep, and wool!
However, I heard that there was a Flat Iron present and I really wanted to see it! It did not disappoint. Oh, man. Want! The footprint of the wheel is so manageable if you live with limited space! I am eagerly awaiting them to be on the market soon!
We saw sheep. So. Many. Sheep!
Almost the best part of the trip was seeing so many different breeds. I even saw some of the Roclans Farms sheep – they won some nice awards with their fleeces at the festival this year and their sheep are really beautiful!
I met up with the group from Sheepspot. Janelle even had freshly spun and plied Perendale yarn from the latest Breed Club shipment! Gorgeous yarn, Janelle!
We headed off to the Fleece Sale and I turned around and before my eyes was Clara Parkes. My mouth engaged before my brain and I said her name perhaps a bit loud. Her manners were far better than mine as she asked me if I was enjoying the festival. Clara, thank you for your being so gracious in light of my star-struck-stupidity! But, really. Clara Parkes, people!
I looked at a good number of fleeces but did not succumb to the temptation. I actually was fairly moderate in my purchases! Outside of the Jenny the Potter Mugs, I only left with a skein of Briar Rose Fiber’s Stella, a batt from ITW, and a very unique skein from Wool out of Wales!
By late afternoon on Saturday Steve was ready to go, so we got in the car and headed back towards Pittsburgh. The drive home seemed to go much quicker than the drive there. I even managed to get a few pictures of the trees in various stages of new leaf growth – a beautiful tapestry of green covering the mountains around us.
On Sunday, the sun was shining brilliantly here and while my Mother’s Day was quiet with all my kids scattered about the country! I did spend some time in the garden in the sun. The temperatures were moderate and the sun felt so wonderful. My herb garden is planted and I also got some eggplant in.
There was even a bit of knitting time later on in the day. The perfect ending to a wonderful weekend!
The Salvia started blooming this week, those rich purple hues are so lovely.
The anticipation is mounting for Maryland Sheep and Wool tomorrow! I have my list, and my camera. I will share the photos and the spoils with you next week! Have a great weekend everyone – let’s hope there is a return of the sun for all of us!
But, it is Friday and I do have some mighty fine links before I head off to succumb to the wool fumes!
Have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. If you will be at Maryland on Saturday – I will be there too! I will be joining the Sheepspot gang in the grassy area outside the main building at noon! Hope to see you there! (We will be heading to the Fleece Barn after lunch and you are welcome to join us!)
