Fiber Friday | 8.3.18

Fiber Friday | 8.3.18

I don’t know about you, but I am having a really hard time with the reality that it is August…my brain doth protests much and seems to be stuck in July.

However, yesterday when I posted about a Blanket for Annie… I had hoped that I might get a few knitters who wanted to help. But, I never ever imagined that I would have TWELVE knitters! I have emailed Ann and Kay and I am waiting patiently to hear from them. Blanket knitters… look for an email later today and THANK YOU!! I am so excited!

I had so many finishes this week, but not the Mystery Shawl! KK’s beautiful bind off is slow going but I love how it looks. Also, I think I am doing one too many petals in my flowers, but I like how it looks so I am continuing with the extra petal but, as you can see, I have more than enough yarn. I will settle in this morning with Paris in the Present Tense and see if I can make some good progress on it!

However, my favorite finish is my Notorious Dress inspired by Vicki! I love it!

How about some links to round out your week and perhaps give you some inspiration?

The sweater was strong this week on Ravelry: Sweatershirt and Shamrock if you are a “pullover” person. Or Soyokaze and Margot (Lady) if cardigans are your jam. Don’t like sleeves? Joji has just the thing for you in fingering or sport weight!

Want to knit sweaters for wee people? Bean Cardigan and Waszka

There was some amazing inspiration in the Rectangle Shawl Category this past week as well: Fauxtarsia Wave, Obvious are all gorgeous. I love that eelliotknits posted more yarn ideas for her Fauxtarsia Wave on IG yesterday.

Like short-rows? Then Arabian tales and Summer Dunes have exactly that!

And, for you wash cloth knitters… who can resist Macaron Cloths?

And, I love Cover Your Plans and I might need to do this for the planner I carry in my purse!

That is all I have for this week! Have an amazing weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!

TGIF with a side of links, please!

TGIF with a side of links, please!

I am taking a page from Kym today and sharing a TGIF post, because I am pretty sure you are sick of seeing photos of in-process-but-not-finished knitting!

T – Thinking About: Books to fill in spaces on my second bingo card. As you can see, I have a few filled in. I need some help from you all though with a couple of squares: “With an unreliable narrator” and “Audiobook with multiple narrators.” As you can see, those two squares will be crucial in being able to get a bingo or two!

G – Grateful For: Kristen Kapur’s brilliance at writing an extended clue 6 for those of us who will have extra yarn! That’s right, I don’t even have to think about how much more to knit, she has plotted it all out for me! And, the bind off! Oh my! I am not sure I can get through 55 rows today, but I am eager to get this shawl done to share with you how amazing it is!

I – Inspired By: The Smitten Kitchen’s cocktail recipe last week – so much so that I have a peach “shrub” that has been brewing in my refrigerator all week! I will be doing my own riff on her Bourbon Peach Smash for tonight’s happy hour.

F – Fun: More sewing for Genevieve is on deck and I am thinking about all the other possibilities to make for her. Things on my radar include the Geranium Expansion Pack, the Pierrot Tunic, and the Charlie Bundle.

Now, how about some Friday Links?

Do you use Slack? Did you know there is a very active knit community there? Knit Chats is an online community with teachers and scheduled “help” time available. The community is quite active and there is always a KAL going on. And, there is no cost involved!

Marie Greene has a new pattern out today: Whiskey & Rye

This week there is some amazing inspiration with combining two yarns: Watching Over You and Margila

The Mojave Collection from Kelbourne Woolens is just gorgeous!

Negative Spaces Scarf includes a “photo tutorial on how to knit the square holes without cutting the yarn”

Marettimo… oh my.

That is all I have for this week! Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!

Fiber Friday | 7.20.18

Fiber Friday | 7.20.18

I am making progress on sleeves…slowly. But, there is progress!

Frankly, it has been far too nice out to be indoors. And, I have found plenty to occupy my time with outdoors but, hopefully I will find more than a minute or two this weekend to knit!

However, I did get one Geranium done for Genevieve! No red buttons, but I did find some blue ones that will work! And, the pockets! I love how they turned out! (click to see bigger images)

 

Now how about some links?

Did you all see Acoma? I love it! And, Miss Babs has some kits available! Just sayin’

While I am not eager to say it… Laura Aylor’s Summer’s End MKAL starts soon.

But, for those not wanting to usher in the end of summer, perhaps Linaria or maybe, Cascata are more palatable!

Lillian Short Sleeves Pullover for wee ones is just darling!

The Tern 2018 pattern collection is most lovely!

For those thinking about transition pieces there were some lovely things this week: Irving Pullover or Hops Cowl

And, finally… there is even something for the Bird and Bike lover!

That’s all I have for this week! Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday.

P.S. To my blog friends in Iowa, you are in my thoughts today. I hope you are all safe.

Fiber Friday | 7.13.18

Fiber Friday | 7.13.18

By the time you read this, Steve will be off to his work weekend extravaganza and I will be ensconced on the sofa attacking Day 4 of the Beekeeper Cardigan Knit Along. I have roughly 5 inches to go and then the ribbing of the body as per the pattern…BUT!!! I have seen some really awesome cropped models of the Beekeeper (especially like this one) and I am contemplating doing something similar. I love the idea of making my new tunics multi-seasonal by adding a layer. Although, I think I’d like the sleeves a little bit longer. What are your thoughts?

We had a Thursday night happy hour to make up for Steve missing tonight and I made a cocktail that was really incredibly delicious! It is from Ming Tsai’s Simply Ming Show. I made the cocktail exactly as written with Thai Basil from my garden and with Bombay Sapphire East Gin. Oh.my.gosh… it was so good! If you are looking for something different to sip, I highly recommend it!

If you are knitting KK’s MKAL, clue 4 is out today! I managed to get through clue 2 and started on clue 3 last night, but I was having trouble remembering the k3tog and the sk2p, so after tinking back a row, I set it aside last night. Apparently, I need to either mark the pattern to remember or get more sleep than I have this week.

The links were slim this week, but I did manage to find some things of controversy (of course) and interest to add in to the knitting links!

This Rolling Stone article on ICE is deeply troubling.

This is beautifully done… and powerful.

The knitting community is not without controversy, sadly. I knew of a bit of an uproar over BT which is why I did not post links to their latest collection. I would like to think that this community is better than this, but apparently not.

Did you see Dot? I loved it and especially appreciated how they made Dot!

Now for some actual knitting links!

Kate Davies Traigh

I love Black Coast (and Holst Garn is a LOVELY place to order from!)

And, finally Nacre

That’s all I have for this week! Have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!

Fiber Friday | 7.6.18

Fiber Friday | 7.6.18

Is it just me, or does Friday feel off-kilter this week? The mid-week fourth has unsettled my inner calendar and I have spent the remainder of the week reminding myself what day it is.

One good thing, the blast furnace weather seems to be taking a breather for a few days of reprieve with the arrival of cooler weather. It is telling that we are calling weather in the 80’s ‘cooler’ but it does feel that way this morning and the gentle rain is also a welcome change!

On the knitting front, I am working through the third repeat of clue two in KK’s MKAL, clue three is out and I will try and get through some of it this weekend.

Monday and Tuesday will be Day Two and Three of my “knit a sweater in 4 (or 5) days” marathon. Steve will be gone next weekend so Friday and Saturday knitting will hopefully bring me a sweater completion. I even have my “knitting listening” queued up – Anna Karenina is all set to go and it will fill my “more than 500 pages” bingo square!

Now, how about some links?

Elizabeth Doherty released a couple of beautiful patterns this week: Westerly and Westbound

I also love Big in Japan!

Not a sweater knitter? Inca Trail is lovely! And, I also love the Textured Laguna Wrap (and it is free today!)

Sarah Jordan has worked out a toe-up version of her Non-Euclidian socks! If anyone knows socks, it is Sarah… she knits a plethora of them every year!

Finally, Random.org has spoken and the fifth comment on Wednesday is the lucky recipient of 30-days of the WaPo. Debbie, you should have an email advising you of that! If you don’t, please let me know!

That is all I have for this week! See you all back here on Monday!

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