by Kat | Nov 20, 2018 | General, Words
Since reading The Overstory, I have been more fixated on trees and really thinking much about this brilliant story that Richard Powers wrote. Recently, when I was flipping through a compilation of Derek Walcott’s poetry, I was struck by this poem and though I have not spent much time in eastern Pennsylvania, I can distinctly hear what he writes about.
I think this poem fits perfectly for Thanksgiving as well and perhaps this week when you are outside you will listen to the beautiful “mute roar of autumn” with deep gratitude.
Pastoral by Derek Walcott
In the mute roar of autumn, in the shrill
treble of the aspens, the basso of the holm-oaks,
in the silvery wandering aria of the Schuylkill,
the poplars choiring with a quillion strokes,
find love for what is not your land, a blazing country
in eastern Pennsylvania with the DVD going
in the rented burgundy Jeep, in the inexhaustible bounty
of fall with the image of Eakins’ gentleman rowing
in his slim skiff whenever the trees divide
to reveal a river’s serene surprise, flowing
through snow-flecked birches where Indian hunters glide.
The country has caught fire from the single spark
of a prophesying preacher, its embers glowing,
its clouds are smoke in the onrushing dark
a holocaust crackles in this golden oven
in which tribes were consumed, a debt still owing,
while a white country spire insists on heaven.
I hope your Thanksgiving preparations are going smoothly and whether you are traveling or are receiving travelers – may those travels be safe.
I will see you back here tomorrow for Unraveled Wednesday!
by Kat | Nov 19, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Is full of determination!
Despite the crazy weather of last week, there are still a few very determined leaves on our bushes! They have withstood rains, some wet sloppy snow, and even crazy winds! This morning they are a wonderful reminder to me that determination wins the day.
Too often I give up because of adversity – or even more likely, I will avoid it all together – not trying, not attempting, not even failing…but today I am putting on some of that determination and getting some things done that I have avoided far too long!
Oh… and my elbow is feeling much better after a little rest – there might even be some knitting today!
Happy Monday everyone!
by Kat | Nov 16, 2018 | General, Words
Happy Friday, everyone! Another week done and despite my desire to slow down and enjoy these last weeks of 2018 – the calendar seems to have a different agenda!
So, I guess that means I need to actually figure out what Steve and I are going to have for Thanksgiving, so I can get to the store this weekend to avoid the utter insanity that next week will be!
I did one huge happy dance yesterday when I finished plying up my singles. This yarn is EXACTLY what I was hoping for and it seems my planning worked out very well! It needs a nice hot bath and some finishing but, skein one is done!
Thinking about – Christmas!! Yes, I have some shopping to do but what I am really thinking about is how much I want to decorate the house. Crazy ideas are swirling through my head… do we want to put up the tree this year? Lights outside? If we don’t put up the tree, what will that look like…and maybe more importantly, what will that feel like?
Grateful for – Steve’s saved vacation days…he has a 6-day weekend next week, starting on Wednesday and ending on Monday. And, yes, there will even be gratitude when he goes back to work on Tuesday!
Inspired by –
All the things in Making No. 6 / Black & White. This might be my favorite issue thus far and I am especially loving all the sewing patterns! I am going to put this little stack of fat quarters to use and soon! I have some Christmas-y plans for these cute little zippered bags! And, there is the most beautiful apron pattern with a patchwork pocket!
Fun, fun, fun – Last weekend felt a bit “non-stop” and so this weekend I am really looking forward to a more relaxed pace… time at home… and today I am going to spend some time creating a couple of Christmas play lists on Spotify to celebrate the season! And, that leads me to this burning question…. what is your “must have” song for your Christmas play list?
Happy weekend everyone! See you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Nov 15, 2018 | General, Words
Today is all about very good things…right now good things!
Thing One:
Steel Cut Oat season has returned! My favorite is this recipe for Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal.
Thing Two:
Our snowfall of the season has fizzled. Cue the rain (which is still miserable, but at least you don’t have to shovel it!)
Thing Three:
Motrin™ for which my elbow is profoundly grateful!
There you have my somewhat lame list (although, the oats are most noteworthy!!) Want to see more lists (and probably much better ones)?? Head on over to Carole’s!
by Kat | Nov 14, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers!
It has been a week without any unraveling at all! Whew! I am knitting at a very slow, yet steady pace, on my Blaer and am almost finished with my first skein but it is unlikely to be completed in November, even though I am going to try my hardest to get it done. And, can I just say how much I love the fabric that Einband makes… so light and airy and soft!
But I have been dividing my time up between knitting it and working on finishing blanket number two! I almost have all the squares joined into rows – so I am making some progress but, I have been having some serious elbow pain that is limiting my knitting time on all the things. So, in the evenings I have been working on spinning for an actual project! I know… who am I??? (And, really… right now spinning is about the only thing that does not hurt) There is a group of us on the dreaded FB that are spinning for Andrea Mowry’s Nightshift shawl. I am spinning for about an hour each evening while we watch the news and I am amazed at how quickly I am filling a bobbin! I am almost finished with my first hank of fiber… with just 5 more to go! Ha! If the elbow pain lingers on, this may get done much quicker than I planned!
The reading this week has been very good! I finished Robert Galbraith’s Career of Evil (yes, it was a bit gruesome) but the story was riveting and got 4-stars! I am on the super long wait list Lethal White and am struggling with patience as I am eager to see where Cormoran and Robin go next!
I also finished Sarah Water’s The Little Stranger. This book was nothing like I imagined it would be! Things happen in the deteriorating Hundreds Hall… are they real? Or, are they figments of the Ayres’ minds. I gave this book 3-stars simply because I think she could have told the story more quickly… there were parts that really dragged and the ending was entirely unexpected (and not at all in a good way).
Up next in my reading queue:
Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta and Calypso!
What about you? What are you making and reading this week? And, as always, if you wrote a post to share today – please leave your link below!
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by Kat | Nov 13, 2018 | General, In This Moment
We still have a few leaves on the trees and bushes, but most have become a lovely jewel-toned carpet for the ground. And, I think that is beautiful no matter how you look at it!
Last week’s refocus on gratitude has improved my outlook (and my inner-look as well) and my plan is to be mindful of that focus as I move through the holidays!
I hope your Tuesday is full of new optics as you look at the world around you.
by Kat | Nov 12, 2018 | General, In This Moment
On the last day of this lovely long weekend, I am remembering, planning, and pondering.
First up, I am quite certain that Blaer will be a challenge (if not impossible) to complete by the end of November. I spent a good bit of one on one time with Blaer yesterday and I am NOT TO THE SLEEVE DIVIDE YET. That’s right… and I have a good 3 inches to go before I get to that point. Cue the deep sighing… lots of deep sighing! Perhaps I can salvage this situation by flipping gears a bit. I have “plan b” formulated and if I get gauge, I might pull off a successful NaKniSweMo yet! Stay tuned…
On Friday I went to the fabric store (aka JoAnn’s… how I wish there was a Fields Fabrics here!!) But I did have some success… I see in my future a Thea Rachelle Raglan shirt, an Ann Carolyn Smock, and a Dress No. 2 with a sleeve variation!
Saturday’s visit to the Vintage Mixer was AMAZING!! The people watching! The nostalgia! The clothing!! The glassware! Oh, and who knew that our grandma’s pyrex would be so popular! We picked up a couple of bar finds that will make Friday night’s a little more special. We shared a slab of pie from Piebird and wow…so.freaking.good! I also loved that the bar was open at 10am… One suggestion I would make to the Mixer Masters is that they really need a sitting area…it would make sipping a libation and watching the people so much easier! I loved seeing so many people all decked out in their vintage duds! For lunch we headed to church… and ate WAY too much!
All in all, it was a great weekend! How about you… how was your weekend?
by Kat | Nov 9, 2018 | General, Words
It has most certainly been a week and I am so glad for the arrival of the weekend. Steve has today off (as well as Monday!) and a long weekend sounds just perfect. S-N-O-W is in the forecast which seems odd since all the leaves are not down from the trees. It seems odd to be thinking about snow, since it was in the 60’s on Tuesday! But there you have it…
Gratitude Week might be my favorite week of the entire year and this week it has been an especially profound experience. If you have been participating, I hope it has been for your as well.
Thinking About –
This post from Bacon on the Bookshelf – life in the cross roads in a starkly divided nation. More books, less strife – and yes, more quiet moments. Living in this perverted version of America is a daily struggle. (Oh, and This is How It Always Is is an excellent book!! I really loved it!) On Tuesday, I sent each voter off with a heartfelt “Thanks for voting!” and it warmed my heart that so many came to vote and, at least at my precinct, they voted with no hindrances. I met new “neighbors” on Tuesday and I was profoundly struck on how we talk to those directly next to us, but those around the corner…not so much. But, spending 14+ hours with people allows you to find things in common and new friendships are formed! There are even beginning talks of forming a neighborhood book club and, my up-the-street and around the corner neighbor dropped off a book for me yesterday!
Grateful For – The help of Mary this week. (Although, I am sure she thinks she did nothing!) I have spent the better part of a week struggling with the lace chart on my Blaer. Very long story short – the charts are to be worked concurrently, rather than one at a time as I was doing. And, yes… I am feeling profoundly stupid! All has been ripped back and I finished the lace charts, the short rows, and the first set of increases last night. It seems I am back to “smooth sailing” knitting…and happily! Thank you, Mary for your help and insight!
Inspired By –
This. Oh my. I am generally not a fan of Stephen West designs, and usually because I can’t get beyond the outrageous color combinations. Thank you, Lene for showing me to look beyond color!
Fun, fun, fun – I am dragging Steve (kicking and screaming) out this weekend to the Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer! It will be our first time there and I am so excited to go and see this fascinating event! I hope to have lots to share with you on Monday about our inaugural visit!
I hope you have a fun weekend! See you back here on Monday!
P.S. My friend Sarah has the most beautiful kippah pattern up on Ravelry. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Tree of Life. And, if you are planning on attending Indie Knit and Spin on Sunday, be sure to stop by to see Lisa at Fybernymph Dye Works to get a mini-skein or two!
by Kat | Nov 8, 2018 | General, Words
I feel a bit like this week of Gratitude Week got off to a bit of a rocky start – I found Monday’s prompt to be so comfortable – like slipping on my favorite pair of well-work and super comfortable jeans. Easy, happy, feel good gratitude!
Breathe in, breathe out…
Tuesday, I did not even think about gratitude – not how it sounds, or how it feels, or tastes, or even what it looks like. MIA Gratitude? Or does gratitude surround us when we are busy and overwhelmed?
Breathe in, breathe out…
And, then Wednesday’s post arrived like a shot through my heart. When disappointment strikes, can you find gratitude? Is there gratitude in pain? In failure? In setbacks? Tough questions, yet perfectly timed – Michelle has an uncanny knack to send impactful prompts that are not always comfortable. I especially loved her quote: “Some days you might be grateful for ten things. Some days it might be one.” Oh, my. How true is that? Maybe even more true for me to ask are there days where there is not even one? Perhaps. And, then I realized that even on the not one day, I still have my voice…I can be kind, I can speak out, I can speak up. Perhaps the true gratitude is in discerning which voice to use.
Breathe in, breathe out…
Thank you, Michelle, for yesterday… for the tears, and the frustration, and yes… the not one thing but my voice. (and imagine my surprise when I looked at today’s prompt about breathing!)
Oh, and please make sure you stop by Carole’s to see what everyone else has to say today!
by Kat | Nov 7, 2018 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers!
Happy Post-Election Day! Yesterday, I had all these plans to knit and read at the polls, but holy cow… there was NOT a minute to do either all day! And, I had a planned post for today, but a bout of insomnia last night altered that a bit. (Because, of course when you must be up extra early you can count on not being able to sleep that night… oy.) I am not a “napper” but today… that might just be happening! LOL
So, lets talk a little about my NaKniSweMo…I swatched. Carefully. I did not get stitch gauge with a size 4 needle, but I got row gauge. I got stitch gauge with a size 3, but I did not get row gauge. So, I chatted with the gauge whisperer and cast on another swatch for the lace work. The lace work looked good in the size 4, so onward I went.
Spoiler… my lace work is at some astronomically LOOSE gauge. As you can see in the below image the lace work should be shallow… m’kay?
Mine is not. At all. In fact, my lace work exceeds 8-inches in depth…unblocked…
And, so… sometime this morning, I will be ripping the lace out and reknitting it… on the smaller needles!
All I can say is that I am so glad that my state results matched as I voted… so there’s that.
On the reading front:
I finished Robert Galbraith’s Silkworm and loved it! It got 4-stars and I was so happy to see that Career of Evil was available from the library! I began listening this morning!
I also finished a short and quick Agatha Christie novel, And Then There Were None. I enjoyed the format of this audio book, being like a play with multiple characters! 4-stars for this little gem.
Sadly, I began listening to Educated and I just knew this book was going to go places I did not want to go …so I stopped listening and returned it to the library. Life is too short to read painful books!
There you have my unraveled week. I truly hope your reading and knitting are much more pleasing than mine! And, as always, if you wrote a post to share today, please leave your link below!
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