by Kat | Nov 1, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Gentle Unravelers and Happy November!
If you are planning on any holiday gift knitting… the clock is ticking!
I have a tiny bit of gift knitting that I will kick off on Friday with a class with the Queen of Gnomery… the one and only Sarah Schira! I am excited to do a bit of Gnome Knitting with her. My plan for the lovely little bundle of skeins above is to make a few Gnome Ornaments to hang! I have not yet knit worsted weight gnomes, so I am looking forward to it!
Because I put the kibosh on starting any new projects last week, of course… I cast on something new! Ha! Yes, I began the tree for my Gnome Choir! This new project happened when I really looked at my socks and realized I have made a rather glaring error. Yes… the socks are two different lengths. Sigh. I am not unraveling the sock only to begin again… and currently I am debating to just wear them this way or do a little surgery and knit the missing repeats, the border, and the cuff… Sigh. Last week I was very much feeling like mosaic knitting was my nemesis and I was down for the count… so my wrap has been in a bit of time out while I find my Mosaic Mojo once again.
Each of these things is not like the other…
Thanks to those odious socks, I indulged in a bit of self-pity and ordered the yarn for this sweater… I am eagerly awaiting its arrival!
I also have gotten a couple more appliqué squares done… I found the meditation of hand stitching the perfect balm… bonus points for having better lighting at home so night time stitching could happen!
The reading this week has been so delightful! I finished The Running Grave… book 7 in the Cormoran Strike series. It was good… so good! And it did not feel like a 34+ hour listen… at all! So yeah… so good!
I also, thankfully, finished The Underground Library… no where near as good and I am glad to be done with it. It was not my worst book all year, but it is in the running!
My current reads though are making up for that… I am just over half way in Geraldine Brooks’ novel: Horse and I had forgotten what a delightful writer she is!
At night I am reading a new novel by Téa Obreht, The Morningside. It started out a bit slowly as I settled in, but once I did the reading has been so good! I am about halfway through this as well!
But, what about you? Are you on the Gift Knitting Bandwagon? If you are let me know so we can cheer ourselves on!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Oct 30, 2023 | General, Words
The start of this month again found me feeling like I am done with this word. And yesterday these thoughts were firmly in my head as I sat down to try and scrabble together a blog post… and surprise, surprise! Ten months in and I found I still have things to learn in my quest for authenticity.
At least that is what I discovered when I sat down and looked back over my journal writing this month… and the month before… and the month before that…and all the way back to January when I began this journey.
Pro tip… if you are feeling done… stuck… at the end… go back and read your journey… if you think you have learned nothing this will show you clearly just how much you have learned, how much you have put into practice, how much things have changed!
Gentle Readers… it seems that I have (finally!!) cultivated the habit of authenticity. A Will Durant quote sort of fit perfectly for this month… that is once I tweaked it a bit and it will be my mantra next month!
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence Authenticity, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Yes, I think this is the month that authenticity has become a habit! And that is such a very good thing. The biggest thing I noted was the absence of the “fake it until you make it” attitude with myself… i.e. those days when I am not authentic with myself.
Now, don’t get me wrong… I do not think there is anything wrong with “faking it until you make it”… it works for so many things! But there is something very wrong with it if my modus operandi is faking it to myself… I have found that being authentic does not have a negative effect on my attitude, but rather a profoundly positive impact. It means taking Rilke’s idea of living the question… and actually doing that. No fake answers… being okay with just authentically living… and maybe… just maybe I will discover, as Rilke did, that I will eventually live into the answers…uncertainty and all!
I would like to thank Carolyn for holding this space for us. Please stop by and see how everyone did this month!
I will see you all back here on Wednesday for some unraveling.
by Kat | Oct 27, 2023 | Finds, General
Gentle Readers,
October was A. Month… wasn’t it? My heart is heavy with All.The.Bad.News.
And then Lewiston, Maine and Allderice High School happened.
So today I am sharing some things that have helped me move forward this month. Things that have helped the hope within me increase. Hope that I have made a point of sharing.
It is my wish that you will find something that lifts you… perhaps even in these things I share:
First up… thank the gods for librarians, but most especially for Mychal (You should absolutely follow him… he is a highlight of every day!)l:
Next up is Levi... or perhaps my love is really for Levi’s dad… I don’t know, but gosh does Levi eat well!! If there is reincarnation, I would like to come back as a sibling of Levi please!
And… can it even be fall without some Stella! (or again, maybe it is Stella’s dad who is the winner here!)
Finally, I have tried chai numerous times in my life and it has always been just too sweet nor am I a person who “googles” tea… ever. So I found it funny that Chai Ads began showing up on the Meta™ platforms… One in particular kept showing up on the regular and it piqued my interest. So I broke down and bought some… and WOW! And I mean WOW! If you, like me, are not a chai fan but wondered what good chai might taste like… wonder no more. The Kolkata Chai Co delivers! It has all the amazing flavors and none of the über sweetness that other chais have. And it is so good with oat milk. It is my new afternoon cuppa…
My hope for you is that you find somethings this weekend that lifts you in unexpected ways. See you all back here on Monday with my word update.
by Kat | Oct 25, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers and Happy Last Wednesday!
It feels good to be back in my routine… laundry is caught up (as you all know it is really never “done” lol) and we (in the ‘Burgh) are back in a week of summery weather. I am loving this “Second Summer” especially after the frosty Monday we had! However, this spate of warm weather is delaying the Bulb-o-rama that is this box…
Bulb-o-rama!
I have bulbs for naturalization (daffodils and crocus), tulips (I love them so so much! I am hoping the deer won’t love them as much as I do though, lol), and some alliums to have another spring plant for the pollinators! I have my plan for planting and the forecast looks like once we get through the next 7-ish days, temps go back to more seasonably cooler temps… perfect for planting all these bulbs!
There was little to no making on my trek to Erie… by the time I sat down at the end of the day I was tired and the lighting was not fabulous so I barely knit any rows and only stitched two squares. But sometimes a break from making gives one a fresh perspective when you pick the making back up! I am one repeat, a toe, and a heel away from a new pair of socks! And I am forcing myself to finish my Pressed Flowers wrap after that is done. But I really, really, really want to knit something that is NOT MOSAIC KNITTING! My hope is that with this self-imposed knitting plan, I will be casting on something NEW soon!
The reading had only one highlight… Death Comes to Marlow (book 2 in the series). It was delightful! The other book I finished will not be a favorite (Old God’s Time) but ymmv. I am currently listening to The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike Book 7) and I am loving it as much as each previous installment! My evening read, The Underground Library, (a Netgalley book) is really not my cup of tea reading. History-lite-romance… is just all sorts of meh… trite… predictable. I have about 15% to go and yet it feels like it will never end! I kept hoping that it would get better but, thus far, it has not!
What about you all? What are you making and reading this week!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below!
by Kat | Oct 23, 2023 | General, In This Moment
Is for finding my routine again!
It was a delightful break! Erie was, as usual, wonderful! We walked so much! In rain and shine… and I loved it! We watched the colors get more brilliant as the week went by! We had so many wildly windy days! We saw wildlife galore and I think I might have been channeling Vera with the plethora of Great Blue Herons I saw (dozens… it was so fun!) We found new places to walk as well… which always amazes me! I even managed to take a photo or two AND… I did the tiniest bit of painting! All in all it was a most needed break (although, I confess I was so happy to get home to sleep in my bed! LOL)
However, vacation wonder aside… I have to reacquaint myself with “real life” and all its mundane things… like laundry! Ha!
And… catching myself up with all your blogs! (that might be the most monumental task of all!)
Happy Monday and I will see you all back here on Wednesday with some unraveling!
by Kat | Oct 19, 2023 | General, Poetry
The poem I selected this month seems apropos since I am not home right now. I heard this poem read by Pádraig Ó Tuama some time ago and I think of it often (and I highly recommend listening to Pádraig read it… you won’t regret it!) I did not need to worry about anyone answering the door, we have the code to our Airbnb. But this poem evokes such imagery of being welcome, welcoming the stranger, and so much more.
I give you The Listeners by Walter de la Mare.
The Listeners
by Walter de la Mare
‘Is there anybody there?’ said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door;
And his horse in the silence champed the grasses
Of the forest’s ferny floor:
And a bird flew up out of the turret,
Above the Traveller’s head:
And he smote upon the door again a second time;
‘Is there anybody there?’ he said.
But no one descended to the Traveller;
No head from the leaf-fringed sill
Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes,
Where he stood perplexed and still.
But only a host of phantom listeners
That dwelt in the lone house then
Stood listening in the quiet of the moonlight
To that voice from the world of men:
Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,
That goes down to the empty hall,
Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken
By the lonely Traveller’s call.
And he felt in his heart their strangeness,
Their stillness answering his cry,
While his horse moved, cropping the dark turf,
’Neath the starred and leafy sky;
For he suddenly smote on the door, even
Louder, and lifted his head:—
‘Tell them I came, and no one answered,
That I kept my word,’ he said.
Never the least stir made the listeners,
Though every word he spake
Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house
From the one man left awake:
Ay, they heard his foot upon the stirrup,
And the sound of iron on stone,
And how the silence surged softly backward,
When the plunging hoofs were gone.
This poem is in the public domain.
Bonny is gathering the poems today, so be sure you stop by and read some poetry… and better yet, share some! We’d love for you to join us!
See you all back here next week!
by Kat | Oct 18, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers from the midway point of our Erie trek!
I would like to think that I am making and reading up a storm but realistically that is not likely happening… or if it is, it is in very small doses. I have brought my Pressed Flower socks for company… as well as some wound skeins of Koigu KPPPM ready to be cast on… lol.
Steve is NOT a reader and he hates that I read on vacation so my reading time is limited to at night when I get into bed.
I am hoping that you all are making up for the void of making and reading in this post… please tell me what you are excited about this week! I will be back next week and will be delighted to catch up on what you all are up to!
As always, please share your post below and I will be back next week to tell you all about my trip!
by Kat | Oct 11, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers and Happy Wednesday!
For me, this is the Day Before Vacation and so I have a bit of housekeeping to share with you all. First, next week there will be an Unraveled post… it will be a bit different… i.e. I have it already written, so there won’t be much from me on the making or reading, but I know you all probably have been making and reading lots, so please share!
The only other post I have pre-planned is for Bonny’s Gathering on Poetry, which is the 19th.
Outside of those two posts, it will be radio silence here, but I will try and post some things on IG to share the glory that is autumn on Lake Erie!
My making this week had a bit of a detour! The call of The Gnome was strong and I went with the flow…
Gnatalie Queen Cole
Meet Gnatalie Queen Cole! She is the alto for my little gnome quartet… but she missed the part that the alto is not the diva… because she is all diva! She sort of reminds me of Charlie Brown’s curly haired girl…except more! Her dress has some sparkles and she loves how it gleams in the spotlight!
I followed this pattern for the her…but I knit 10 more rounds on the dress before I began the ruffle. Her hair is the beard from this gnome… again, I knit roughly 18 more “straight” rows before beginning the decreases. To get the best curls, I washed and “set” them before unraveling. I think she is just too fun! Now all they need is the tree to sing around!
The other detour was The Spinning of the Scrappy Sock fiber… oh my. I just could not stop! And once I had two full bobbins, I could barely wait for the second bobbin to rest before plying it up! It has had a bath and I am In. Love! Oh my… This is the most fun I have had in forever! It is thicker than my usual spin… it is roughly between DK and worsted weight! Two ply with all the glorious barber-poling one could imagine! And soft! Oh my… it is so soft! I am thinking this will be the perfect Honey Cowl. I have just over 400 yards, so I will have enough to cast on 180-ish stitches.
A riot of color!
Such delightful detours! But let’s get back on track and talk about my reading! It was a delightful week of reading! I finished Tracy K. Smith’s To Free the Captive which will be published November 7th. It is beautiful writing (as one would expect from a poet) and the story is a bit of Tracy’s history and it is told so beautifully. One phrase has stayed with me and will likely for a very long time… The Free and the Freed. Powerful phrasing!
I also have been racing through the second Marlow Murder Mystery… it is even better than the first! I should finish it up today. (and then my vacation reading will slow dramatically… although I just began reading Old God’s Time last night … so no thoughts yet!)
But what about you? What is occupying your time?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Oct 9, 2023 | General, In This Moment
Has an extra-big list!
Yes, that is what my Monday is looking like. My list is long… as it looks like it will be much cooler this week than we anticipated. So just to be safe, I am prepping some warmer coats, hats and yes… mittens! Ha! My mantra is there is no bad weather only bad clothing choices! I am also making the suggestion to Steve that he pack some things to keep warm and maybe this year he will listen! Ha!
On top of my usual Monday List, I am thinking about Indigenous People’s Day and I looked over the weekend for a list of books to read…and yay New York Public Library! Of course they have a list! I have read some of the books, but there were a good number I have not!
Finally, Israel is also very much on my mind this morning.
Now, I better get to that long list! See you all back here on Wednesday!
by Kat | Oct 6, 2023 | Currently, General
It seems surreal to me that we are in the final quarter of the year. It seems just moments ago that it was waning spring and summer lay long before me. Now, I am seeing trees start to turn… my neighbors dogwood has more peach-colored leaves every day.
And yet, here we are… so what am I currently doing, thinking, hoping!
Stitching —
January through September
One thing I have absolutely loved this year are these temperature circles. They have done more for grounding me in this year than anything else. The simplicity of this project is perhaps the best thing. I have an established routine where I sit down once a week and “catch myself up” and in that time I think about the days I am stitching. I have no plans to do another year of temperature circles, but I am absolutely contemplating what I might do next year that will give me the same grounding, the same satisfaction, the same contemplation. I have been doing some Google searches but nothing has sparked my curiosity. If you have ideas, I welcome them!
Anticipating —
The remaining squares to finish
The next phase of my appliqué project. I have roughly 20 more squares to go… I am making a few extra so I have some extra choices for the lay out. I am taking the stack of fabrics to Erie next week with hopes of getting close to getting them done! Then I can stitch the squares together and then I can begin quilting. I am excited for that part… my intention is to do it by hand over the winter. I have not done hand quilting for eons… and I look forward to reacquainting myself with the process.
Restarting —
Painting… I have been thinking about all I have learned and contemplating where to go from here. I want to do more than “just paint a lesson” and so I have been trying to find the path forward. I have been doing some sketches but have yet to pick up a brush. Beginning again is not easy… and because that is the case, I am going to share an update each month with you all here on the blog… something to keep me accountable! I have not picked the day yet, but I am leaning towards one of the Monday’s.
Reading —
I am also thinking about all I have read this year… it has been a very good year of reading. I have read so many amazing books this year! And it has been my best year ever with Netgalley. This year was the first year that a publisher has emailed me with a book they thought I would enjoy. That book was My Friends which I think will be the best book I have read all year. I just got another book from the same publisher… I have not started it yet, but I have high expectations! I would like to expand my Netgalley reading next year… there is something quite delicious about reading a book first and sharing my thoughts about it. But I also have let go of the “I have started this book so I must finish it” guilt. If a book is not working for me, I can move on from it. And that, my friends, is the best thing I have done for my reading time!
One Little Word —
This year, I did something new with my word… I kept a bit of a journal. It is not fancy… or artsy…and it is definitely not something I am going to share, but it has helped me tremendously this year. One thing I am doing is taking a photo of myself every month (I know… the struggle is very real) but doing it is such a good thing! But as I wind down with my word I have a unique situation this year (perhaps because of the journal??) Some months ago a word began showing up and it still is very consistently. I am very excited for next year… it will be a very different sort of word for me and confessions… I am very ready for that! I am going to be continuing the addition of a journal… with pictures of myself! Maybe by this time next year I will be able to report that I have achieved comfort with having my photo taken! Ha!
Letting Go —
Soon (as in this month!) we are canceling Netflix, Hulu, and Starz. We had several years ago “cut the cable” but it was not really cutting the cable, we added in a plethora of streaming services. Perhaps the “dark quarter” is not the time to do that but we will continue our review and cut the cord on a few more services!
And there you have a few of the things that are currently on my mind!
Have a good weekend all and I will see you all back here on Monday!
