by Kat | Feb 17, 2017 | General
Valentine’s Day Roses are still glorious. Happiness in a vase, my friends!
And, speaking of happiness…Happy Strike4Democracy Day!! I will be contacting my dear MIA Senator Toomey with some messages to vote no on all the things he likes to vote yes on. Perhaps I should be knitting him a scarf? What do you think? Subliminal messages might work! (And, shadow knitting FTW!!)
Can I just say that my favorite part of a sock is the heel? Well, it is! The heels are turned on my Mystery Sock – I am all ready for Clue #3 next week!
On the agenda for this weekend – sweater catch up knitting. Fortunately, Season 3 of Chef’s Table on Netflix is out today so I have my binge-watch all queued up!
Now, how about some links for your edification?
First up – did you read about The Met digitizing its collection of art? Really, the images are amazing. (Warning – this can be a huge time suck! I spent a good bit of time yesterday looking!!)
First up is Heart On My Sleeve – a compilation of sweaters from an incredible slate of designers in both adult and child sizes! And, here is the best part; this project is supporting the Against Malaria Foundation! So, knit something for someone you love and help fight malaria.
Wooly Wormhead’s Circled 4 is awesome (Circled 1-3 are not bad either…) and who does not have any sock yarn in their stash? (Okay, really – I want to know if you do not have sock yarn stash – please tell me in the comments! You might be the lucky recipient of a skein of sock yarn from MY stash!!)
Checks, please! More sock yarn knitting…
Bihan Heol – more sock yarn, but gosh is this cute!
never say never socks – in sock yarn, of course! (and on sale until tomorrow at midnight in Brussels…)
Kitty Egg Warmers
Three Wee Sheep – now really, these would be so darling on a little spring Easter Tree!
Cullen Earflap Hat – for those of you who might be getting weather that actually resembles winter!
My friend, Simone has just released patterns for matching hat and cowl! So, so cute!
And finally, Lou would be lovely knit up in some Sheepspot CVM
That is all I have for today – have a fantastic weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. No doctor appointment was set yesterday – procrastination 1, kat 0.
by Kat | Feb 15, 2017 | General, Making
It is a dark and rainy day here in the Pittsburgh area – perfect for a bit of knitting, listening, and getting some laundry done.
I completed clue #2 of Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery socks just under the wire last night. Clue #3 has been printed out and I will see what I can get done this morning – we are up to the heel flaps, so perhaps both can be finished today! (Which is a very good thing because I have two sweaters I want to get done!!)
In the Finished Object Category – I managed to get my Very Valentine Honey Cowl done last week, it got a nice Soak™ wash and it was all ready to wear on Sunday. Can I just say that I love the extra stitches I cast on – it loops nicely around my neck and even drapes quite a bit! All the details are here, if you are following along.
In the Reading/Listening Category – in my ears is I am No One by Patrick Flanery. Curious, very curious. I love the narrator and the story is interesting. I am only up to chapter 9, so the story is yet unfolding.
On the iPad – I have not yet started Tana French’s novel – I know, what is wrong with me!? I am almost done with Menace in Malmö. Bedtime reading has its ups and downs – as in how tired I am when I go to bed as to how many pages/paragraphs I get through!
Linking up, as usual, with Ginny’s Yarn Along!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
by Kat | Feb 9, 2017 | General, Words
This week’s Think Write Thursday task is to write a love letter. It could be a letter to a person, an idea, a project, a dream, a wish, a relative, a famous person, an ancestor or anything (or anyone) else you can think of.
Well, as you could have guessed, today I share my deep love for all that is knitting.
Knitting, I love thee! I will gauge the ways!
I love thee in the knits and purls and YO’s
My needles can knit, and cables to slip
Even when there are many ends to weave in
I love thee without fail in every day’s
Netflixing or some audio-booking.
I love thee in a top-down pullover.
I love the joy of matching hand knit socks.
I love thy charts, repeats, and in the round
And when I grow old and my eyes weary
I will knit my love in miles of garter
With warm, bulky yarn on great big needles
Right sides and wrongs sides are loved equally,
And blessed are they that inherit my stash.
If you would like to join Carole and me in our Think Write Thursday journey, we welcome you to sign up here!
by Kat | Feb 8, 2017 | General, Making
There are several projects I should be knitting, but the cheerfulness of Deep Sea Jelly Fish is hard to ignore. Plus, it will be the perfect Valentine’s Day Cowl – so I have been ignoring things to get this done. I will bind off momentarily, and then it is back to those projects.
Clue #2 came out yesterday for the TTL MKAL – I have not started yet, but I have printed out the clue out…
I am almost done with I am the Messenger and I am still enjoying this book tremendously.
I was excited to get email overnight from the library for In the Woods by Tana French. I have added it to my Kindle and will hopefully start this later today. This will be the first book I have ready by Tana and I am excited to get into it.
What are you reading and knitting?
As always linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along! Happy Wednesday everyone!
by Kat | Feb 3, 2017 | General
Oh, Friday – how the heck are you! And, why did it take you so long to get here!
Yeah, it was one of those weeks that seemed to go on forever.
On the knitting front – Cuff One of Sock One is done. Cuff Two of Sock Two might get started and finished on Sunday. I just love how these yarns are playing together. They are not the most vivid contrasting colors, but I am liking the way they are knitting up.
Way back in December, I was asked if I would review some Knitter’s Pride Needles – I said yes and this lovely set of needles arrived just before the end of the year. Knowing that Kirsten Kapur’s Sock MKAL would be starting in February, I waited to use the needles in this project to tell you all what I think. My go-to needles for sock knitting are Knitter’s Pride Karbonz – they are so fantastic, except when you are knitting with dark sock yarn, then even the brightest of light is not always enough to see the stitches clearly. So, when these 6″ Royales arrived I was happy to see they were very different. The US size range in the set is nice also; 0, 1, 1.5 (which I am using for the MKAL socks), 2, 2.5, and 3. The needle size is marked on each needle but the markings look like that of the Karbonz which has rubbed off with use. And while I am not certain I would ever use the size 0 needles, the other sizes will absolutely get good use. The Royales are not as stiff as the Karbonz so I am not sure how they will hold up in comparison, but if you found the Karbonz were too stiff and hurt your hands, these would be a very good option. The join of the metal tip to the wood is smooth and is completely unnoticeable, and the point on the Royale needle is identical to the Karbonz. This made me very happy and I have had no issues with the tips splitting my yarn at all in knitting. The wood of the needle is very smooth and the stitches slide easily along as I knit. There is no tugging and the wood is beautifully polished. I do not think these needles will snag your knitting at all. It is also great that they come in a nice storage pouch! If you are looking for a set of needles – I would highly recommend these.
Thank you to Stitch Craft Marketing for sending the needles and asking me to review them!
Now, how about some links?
- First up this week, Romi begins a new year in her 7 Shawls series – 7 reSizable Shawls This time however, her concept is very interesting – you can get the pattern book and you can get the work book. Both are available at a reduced price until February 27. And the first project will be released during Stitches West later this month.
- You knew this was coming… World War G{loves}
- Bargello knitting, wow.
- Loulou
- Finally, a couple of freebies! Squircle and Ice Maiden
That is all I have for this week, have a slow and relaxing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!!
