Friday Bird Watching

The past week we have watched a little (but feisty) brown wren decide he liked the cardinal house Steve’s mom gave me for Christmas was JUST what he needed for a nest. Some poor bird had previously begun building a nest in it but abandoned the idea. Well, enter this little wren – he spent last Friday and Saturday tossing out all the “old” nesting material and then began the “building” process. He has filled this nest and now he is singing and chattering to all the ladies that he has the perfect nest for her! I was even nice to brush Sherman this morning and leave her some choice Pug Down to line the nest! (In case you don’t know, Pug’s are the best pets ever except they shed VOLUMES year around, but Spring and Fall they are especially sheddy!) I feel like all I need is for David Attenborough narration.

On the knitting front, I have made little to no progress on anything. But, that is okay, because my reading that was derailed by the great mulch move, got back on track. Last night I finished The Likeness, watch for the review next week! Today, I hope to start Americanah.

Now, how about some links?

Knitty First Fall is up… and while I have not been impressed with much of late in Knitty, this time a couple of things did catch my eye. First up Romi has this and I love them! And, then Martina Behm has this interesting cowl.

Brooklyn Tweed Wool People 11 is out. There are so many gorgeous patterns there!

Mary shared this with me last week and I love it! It’s the perfect summer sweater!

This Old Shale cardi for big girls is adorable!

But, for me, this was the winner of the week. Stillwater is gorgeous and I have it on my list to swatch for this weekend. FYI, there is a coupon code that is good through Saturday!

Fellow Pittsburgh Knitter PAKnitWit (aka Sarah) has released her pattern for her Keremeia Cowl and she is having a little colorwork knit along in her Ravelry Group. Hint: I am participating and would love it if you did too!

That is all I have today except for this to close out Negroni Week! Enjoy your weekend, see you back here on Monday!

Inspiration Friday

Inspiration Friday

Some weeks it is a challenge to find a handful of good things to share with you, this was not one of those weeks.

I apologize in advance for Inspiration Overload and for increasing your knitting queue…

Okay, maybe not that last part! LOL

This week I messaged Kirsten Kapur on Ravelry letting her know that a good number of us were jonesing for her Summer MKAL (She says Hi, btw!)

NEVER FEAR, her MKAL is HERE! I did the dance of joy and instantly purchased the pattern, which is offered at a special price until June 15 when Clue #1 comes out! This year’s shawl is a two-color asymmetrical triangle and she recommends a solid or near solid for both colors!

Yesterday, I began the search for suitable yarns in my stash and imagine my insane surprise when I discovered that I have enough handspun yarn to knit the project. I know! I must get the gold singles plied, but I will get that done over the weekend. I had originally thought that the yarn would be nice as a singles yarn, but I think it will be much better plied up. I do not even remember who dyed this gorgeous golden BFL, but I love the richness of it. I do know that I got it at Michigan Fiber Festival a long time ago (Karen, do you remember this?) They grey yarn is some BFL from Briar Rose Fibers – there are hints of lavender and gold in the yarn.

I have been plugging away at my “sample” of Alex the Mouse knit from MillaMia cotton. I ran into a bit of a gauge problem on his ears (okay, more than a bit – a HUGE gauge problem!!) Apparently my stranding gauge when knitting flat is significantly different from plain stockinette. Thus, there was an almost 1 inch difference between my ear fronts and backs. Strangely, NO ONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM???    Huh? How the heck is that even possible? I was the first to even pose this as a problem in the Ravelry thread – and the KAL has been going on for almost a month! Anyway, my solution was to knit to fit the ear front. This means knitting row by row and carefully matching up front and back to determine how many increases to do, where to do the increases, how long to knit “straight”, and then repeat the process on the decreases. The match was still not exact, but I did manage to get the fronts and backs joined nicely. I will repeat this process on ear two. Then on to the legs, arms, and tail!

Finally, I present the long overdue Ekua socks (aka TTL Mystery Sock 2017) I am quite pleased with how they turned out. I LOVE the cabling and the overall sock construction.

Now, how about some links?

There were some great “littles” knits this week! Like the Old Shale Cardigan and Nemunoki. But I really love Cardigan EVA!

There were some great adult sweaters this week as well from the summery Shaelas Top or Linho. But, if you want to get a jump start on the perfect fall sweater – Telja is gorgeous!

For those of you who want to take on a bit of challenge knitting, Marie Wallin’s Fair Isle Club 3: Lerwick is open. But, wow the sweater is just gorgeous!

Free Your Fade – please note, a portion of the sales of this pattern will go to help Michele of the Republic of Wool who is having a bit of a medical crisis. There is also a gofundme account to help her.

Thea has a lovely new cowl using some new yarn from Jill Draper Makes Stuff

Kirsten Kapur also has a new wrap made from another new yarn from Jill! (Psst! The pattern is offered at a reduced price until June 8!!)

I love when a designer “makes a pattern new again” by knitting it with a new yarn… just like KK did here with Moody Kerchief. The original yarn is no longer available and I think it looks great knit out of Luma! Also, “Simple stitch patterns make the Moody Kerchief a breeze to knit.” What more can you ask for. Oh and this is knit with a DK yarn… just saying!

Need a stash buster? Gryer fits the bill!

Finally, Saint Laurent (which is FREE!) is knit from a lovely linen lace weight yarn. But, this could be easily worked in any number of yarns.

That is all I have, Gentle Reader, have an awesome weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!

Unraveled Wednesday, May 31

Unraveled Wednesday, May 31

Greetings Dear Unravelers!

I have good things to share with you today – it seems as if I have found my “sense of urgency” and have this dire need to finish up some lingering projects.

That means I have kitchnered some sock toes and I am cruising down the foot to a toe of a second sock, which will give me a completed pair! I also have begun Steve’s second helical sock which is my “travel sock” so hopefully this will mean it is done sooner than later!

Sometimes, the “feel good” of finishing something gives you some motivation to finish more, amirite?

This has also kicked in with reading…I have my first square completed on my Summer Book Bingo card!

My first finish: Moby Dick, which I gave 5 stars on Goodreads. If you have not read this classic, might I suggest you download the Moby Dick Big Read podcast and settle in for a good listen. Now, some people might be put off by 136 different narrators, but I truly loved it! I am embarrassed to say I should have read this in high school but “faked it” for class. However, I can honestly say my appreciation of this incredible work of art would have been lost on my 17-year-old self. Melville brilliantly builds the cast of characters that are aboard the Pequod and I found each one quite endearing for entirely different reasons. And, while I enjoyed Ismael’s narration, my favorites were Queequeg, Tashtego, and Dagoo. I simply loved them. If you need a classic for Book Bingo, look no further and give this a listen!

I have lots of books in progress currently, and I am giving priority to library books that are due back this month. So, even though I have no square for it (although perhaps my “any book” space?) I am reading Tana French The Likeness. And, I have been reading selectively from Alabama Studios Sewing Patterns – so much to take in!

What are you reading and making this week!

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Last Friday in May…

Last Friday in May…

…First weekend of summer!

Where has May gone? I mean really! Next week is June? What!?

Start your Knitting – Summer Knit-Along kicks off tomorrow! And, because rules are really not much fun – it is a go at your own pace, knit what you want to knit, make your own rules Knit-Along. And if you want to start today – go for it! If you started last week, good for you, if you are not starting until next week – perfect! No stress…really!

Hopefully, you have a good book queued up because if Book Bingo starts tomorrow – and books you are reading now count, as long as you don’t finish until tomorrow! I have Moby Dick in a hold pattern to finish tomorrow! Great way to start Book Bingo, right? If you don’t have a card, or you are not sure you want to have a planned summer of reading, I will borrow some sage advice from my dear friend Caroleit’s your bingo card, so your rules! And, you might want to add something from Bill Gates Summer Book List.

Now, my summer knit along always includes a cocktail on Friday’s so I will occasionally share one here (but I will always share one in the Ravelry group!) And, today seems like the perfect day to do that! And, what better to usher in summer than some gin! This Cucumber Basil Gin and Tonic looks so good (I have no elderflower liqueur in the house, so mine will be made without however if you have it, use it! And, my gin choice for this one – Hendrick’s!)

There you have the makings for the perfect start of summer weekend – knitting, reading, and a beverage!

Now, how about some links?

  • In the “not knitting category” but absolutely linkworthy:  Trump Snooze
  • This pattern will be released on Monday, and it looks very intriguing!
  • Lorilee Beltman has a new mitten pattern! Because, mittens and summer – right? LOL Well, perhaps you want to start your gift knitting!
  • Why don’t I have a little black shawl? Perhaps I am kicking something off my list to add this…
  • Mint Latte – shawl construction FTW!
  • In the Free, but wait, it’s cute too category: Hibiscus
  • Freer (wait what…lol – for some reason Grammar check did not like “More Free”) and even cuter: Spots & Stripes
  • In the “looking for another country” category for those of us on embarrassment overload here in the US – OH CANADA (and, wait for it… it’s free too!)
  • Saltmeadow – simple, but stunning. (And, Gale’s photos!!)
  • Now, this might be perfect if you want to knit new projects this summer – Happiness Make Along (it starts June 1st!)
  • And, finally: TUK which is so cute! Every grandchild needs one!

Now, have a fantastic weekend. I will see you back here on Monday!

Unraveled Wednesday, May 24

Unraveled Wednesday, May 24

Hello Dear Unravelers!

This is it, the post where I reveal the list of what I hope to accomplish this summer. Get ready, because it is long!

In the finish category… (as in I have started and I need to finish)

  1. My Air Soft Shawl (AKA Brambling Shawl)
  2. Montadale Socks
  3. Daelyn pullover
  4. Steve’s Socks
  5. Spring Dream KAL (for Rachel)
  6. Test Mouse (because I have never knit stuffed animals and practice makes perfect – or at least allows you to work out the problems?)
  7. TTL MKAL Socks (I have less than a half a sock to go)
  8. Rock the Lobster (1/2 a sleeve to go and the body of the sweater, so a good bit of knitting)
  9. February Lady Sweater, perhaps (this is iffy, but maybe)

Yes, there is LOTS of knitting here, I am not sure I even need a second category, but go big or go home, amirite?

In the Start and finish Category:

  1. I have the yarn to knit a lopapeysa or two. But, having knit 2 of them, I know they are quick knits! So, I am kind of excited about this! But if these bump a little into the fall, that would be fine by me. After all I am not wearing them until then!
  2. Calliopsis with Sheepspot Yarn
  3. Kraemer Yarns Cowl
  4. Bijou Basin Mitts
  5. Genevieve’s Mouse
  6. TTL Summer Shawl MKAL

Yes, these are daunting lists. Good thing I have an entire summer to work on all that.

The basket is packed full!

And, speaking of the mouse – I have the head done! The cotton yarn is really lovely. It is not harsh on my hands, and knits up beautifully. I have started the body.

Now, how about a bit of a book review.

The Lake by Lotte and Soren Hammer. This is Book 4 in the Konrad Simonsen series and this book is my second book from NetGalley. If you like Scandinavian Noir, you will love this book! I liked it so much that I added Book 1 The Hanging to my summer reading list. It is well written and very captivating. The story unfolds with a crime and then it is off and running. The writers weave through the story the police working on figuring out the crime and the criminals and their corruption. It is gritty, and at times unsettling, but these things are not unwelcome in the story at all. I found in Konrad Simonsen another detective that I believe I will love as much as Karl Morck and Armand Gamache. Konrad is brilliantly intelligent and wonderfully human. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am giving it 4 stars on Goodreads.

I started a new book from the library last night, Tana French The Likeness. No thoughts yet, as I have just started reading. I hope to get further into this today if time allows! Summer Book Bingo starts this weekend, are you ready? What’s on your list this summer?

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