by Kat | Apr 6, 2018 | General
There is so much to share today, I don’t know where to begin!
First up… Cluaranach, she is finished! Now begins this great internal debate about blocking her. I am of the mindset this morning that I really don’t want to lose all the glorious texture. She needs a bit of a Soak™ wash, but maybe I will just lay her gently out to preserve the texture. TBH, I have never tried to do this before – preserve the unblocked knitting – and I am uncertain that it will work. But, maybe she will be just as wonderful all blocked out to show off the glory of all her stitches… What would you do?
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And!! One cleaned up hair cut FTW!! However, I am not likely to be able to “recreate” how my hairdresser styled it did on my own. In all honesty, I possess zero “doing hair” talent at all and I was very torn on what to do with my hair… cut it off or stay the course on growing it a bit longer. But, I am happy to report that I am staying the course! Ponytails (which are not beyond my skills!!) are on the horizon!
Next, my favorite Pittsburgher has some more Nebby-ness in the works. I am especially excited for Nebby #3, which is all about “People Who’ve Written Books Around Here”!! I can’t wait…and have added a few more books to my ever growing “Nebby Reading List”!
Did you see that Brooklyn Tweed has a new yarn coming later this month? The wool comes from Bare Ranch and their Climate Beneficial American Rambouillet wool and I am very excited as the wool is being dyed here in Pennsylvania!
MDK is hosting the “mother of all knitalongs“…
All the Facebook uproar over the past few weeks has me seriously considering my use of the platform, and thanks to Kym’s post I realized just how many things I use that I login to via FB. It is a bit daunting but, this post helped me unlink it from Spotify. Note…this worked, but not as seamlessly as Callie spells it out in her post. Pro-tip if you try this when you need to create a new Spotify account for them to transfer the data from your old account, open a new browser window to do it.
Today’s links are all about the sweater:
Isabell Kraemer’s Jaycee
Katrine’s Froya
Kirsten Kapur’s Cherry Lane and Foxhall Studio
Elizabeth Smith’s Stevie
Caitlin Hunter’s Tegna (which is not new, but showed up this morning in the “Ravelry Hot Right Now” queue…this would be the perfect summer sweater, just sayin’)
That is all I have for this week! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 30, 2018 | General
First things first! The final round of voting is open! Mary had casually mentioned the idea of knitting the Final Four…which I think is a brilliant! Seeing the wonderful patterns that made the final four, this idea has some merit. Who is interested?
Tonight, clue two for the Lunar Phases MKAL comes out! I must confess to being more than a bit excited to see where this knit will go!
Yesterday, a little treat arrived via the mail!! Uniform arrived on my doorstep and I did look through it a bit yesterday afternoon. Oh.My. It has the recipe for endless sweater combinations… I am thinking about some fun summery knits that will be well worn and loved! As for the sewing… I plan on getting the patterns traced out next week and begin with a simple sleeveless top. I will make a muslin first to verify sizing, but I am so excited to start!
As you can see, I am still (!!) working on my Cluaranach, but the end is in sight. I am into the 4th repeat on the second half, with one more to go. Then I am to the “weighing and knitting” portion of the wrap. I want to use all the yarn up, so I will see how far I can go with the final skein.
I hope that your holiday weekend is full of very good things and now how about some links?
For the tiny people in your life: Oliviana Cardigan and Sagano
The Kestrel 2018 collection has some really fun things!
Notice (spring)
Christina Campbell’s Healthy Knitter MKAL looks interesting… a walk-along is included with a calendar with a daily tip or inspirational item! But, hurry it starts on April 1!
And, finally: Making No. 5 / Color is full of so many good things!
Really… we all just need more making time! Every.single.day!
And, with that – let the weekend begin! Have a most blessed Easter and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 23, 2018 | General
Lots going on today and it even appears that it will be a nice weekend here in Pittsburgh!
First up…don’t forget to vote! Round Three is open with so many good choices!
Tonight, the first clue in Larissa Brown’s Lunar Phase MKAL will be out! I am so excited to see where this will all go. AND, it’s not too late if you want to join in!
I am steaming along on my Cluaranach as well and am into the body of the second half… basketball will gain me some knitting time this weekend!
Now, how about a few links to close out this crazy week:
First up, everything you every wanted to know about cables is here. Thank you to Jen and Jim Arnall-Culliford! (and Kay and Ann!)
For Poe fans everywhere: Nevermore
Did you all see Gramercy Park in the new Twist Collective? This is going on my spring knit list, I just need to figure out what yarn i want to use!
Calyx… oh my!
Holly Dress…oh.my.gosh! It is so cute!!
And, finally…Evening in Edinburgh. Wow…this is really stunning!
That’s all I have for this week! Have an amazing weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 16, 2018 | General
It’s Bracket Season… did you vote? Did any of you have trouble picking 8 patterns in all categories? I confess that I did.
I had gotten so much knitting time in during the Olympics and I was missing watching the games. But, thanks to March Madness, knitting time has ticked up again with all the games to watch! I got one entire repeat done on my Clauranach yesterday…only 4 or 5 more repeats to go in this half. And, suddenly, I am thinking that maybe I can get it done before Easter! More knitting time today as Round One continues!
Now, how about some links?
The Shetland Wool Week announced their 2018 Patron and you can get her Merrie Dancers Toorie hat pattern here.
Rachel Atkinson’s Daughter of a Shepherd Volume 1: Beginnings is available for pre-order.
Quince & Co has released their Sparrow 2018 Collection
I really love Rose by Andrea Mowry and Flat White by Casapinka
And, finally Still Waters Sleeveless in Purl Soho Linen Quill is a great transition knit!
That is all I have for this week! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 9, 2018 | General
I have completed my swatching for the Lunar Phase MKAL. I am so excited about what I have learned about putting together colors in the past year or so. In my mind’s eye, I envisioned this shawl being like a water color painting – with subtle changes. My swatch has more of the pop of color than I think the MKAL will (after all, we only need 80 yds of the pop of color) and I think I have achieved the watercolor effect I was looking for. While this was not my outward intention, it very much reminds me of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
I have likewise spent much time thinking about the other little swatch. I think that swatch might be destined to become Find Your Fade I just need to figure out a few more colors to add in, more swatching will ensue. And, that does not disappoint me at all. I have learned the value of swatching, even swatching for a shawl. Yes, Gentle Reader, the swatch is your friend.
I discovered this week that I knit tighter at a smaller circumference, which is not a good thing at all. My sleeve on Strokkur is a much smaller gauge that the sweater body. Here is the stupid part of this: I realized this about 10-ish rounds in, but I ignored that little nagging voice saying to me “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON” and “THIS IS NOT RIGHT, STOP KNITTING” Some 50 plus rounds later, I finally listened to the yelling in my head and measured gauge. Yeah, when that voice speaks to you, you need to listen. Now, I am having a bit of a debate with myself – rip out sleeve one and start over or knit sleeve two at the correct gauge and then see how much yarn I have left with the hopes that I can then knit a 3rd sleeve at the correct gauge without ripping out sleeve one. The one good thing in all this…It has been snowing here for the past couple of days and wool knitting is all the rage when the snow flies! Ha.
I read a blog in the past week that has made me shake my head in confusion – the gist of the post was that they were all about the process, not about the finishing of projects and stated that they finished almost nothing in a year and that was okay. Wait, what? You want to make but not actually make anything? As my daughter would say SMH… big time! LOL I am not that at all, I am a PROJECT maker versus a PROCESS maker. Don’t get me wrong – knitting is my superpower; it is therapy, and when I am knitting, I am in my happy place. But, I knit to make. I guess that I what really makes me happy is a finished object that someone will love and, hopefully, wear often! I still don’t understand that post, but to each their own I suppose.
Now, how about some links?
First up, this made me cry – this was in the NYTimes yesterday for International Woman’s Day “Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. Now, we’re adding the stories of 15 remarkable women.” When I first read the line, I thought – so no women died? But, then I realized that a woman’s significance in life was nothing – in life and death. It is painful to think about and perhaps we need not a single day where we celebrate women, but we should celebrate every day.
Steve sent me a link this week that made me smile. Knitting can make you a Super Hero…
Up for a sweater challenge? Hannah Fettig has a Mystery Cardigan perking along and it is not too late to join in!
Carol Sunday’s Capture the Moment is awesome!
And, finally, Marie Greene has us turning our minds to spring with Lace Market. Oh man, I love it and am pondering yarn subs.
That is all I have for the week, have an awesome weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. The flowers above are from one of my Sunday School students. I am so surprised they are surviving as they are, I don’t have the best of luck with indoor blooming plants!
