by Kat | Aug 11, 2017 | General
After a night of tossing and turning, I woke this morning to this gargantuan web just outside my back door. And, I mean gargantuan – it is over 3′ in diameter, this was one busy spider overnight! Perhaps, I can borrow some of her mojo and I can join her on my upcoming sleepless nights.** Because I don’t have enough projects in process, today is clue 1 of Laura Aylor’s Sand Ripples MKAL. And, yes, I will be casting on. The first clues are always so deceiving with the amount of time it takes to complete them, amirite? I was asked to knit an item for a charity auction and this might work… I am not sure, I will have to see how the clues progress! But, to be safe, I will be tossing the fingering weight stash today to see if I have something that will work for this (and I am more than certain that I do!)
I did manage to finish something else this month, I completed Knit/Wit’s Kerameia Cowl. It was a bit of gift knitting and has been received by the recipient. I am working on a second cowl from the same yarn that will go in the gift basket. It is a great pattern and if you want to try your hand at color-work, this would be the perfect thing to start with as it is knit with a DK weight yarn. I knit it with Fibernymph Dye Works Bona Fide and I like the yarn despite it being superwash. It is super soft and not at all scratchy, so this should be the perfect thing to have around your neck!
In the caught-up category…I am happy to let you all know that the new washer (and dryer) is so outstanding, I have all the laundry caught up from being washer-less for over a week. I am sure that “new toy” feeling quickly wear off and laundry will go back to its normal status of “ugh, laundry”! Oh, and someone asked what is this amazing silent washer… we got an LG Top-Loading washer and it did not cost an arm and a leg. I know some of you are devotees of a brand I had never heard of. Well, maybe I heard of them, but do not recall ever seeing them in any appliance stores. I grew up in a “Maytag” household – and that washer lasted more than 30 years (no really, it did.) Nothing anymore does, however, but I am hopeful that this washer will last longer than its predecessor!**
Now, enough about my laundry joy and how about some links?
Carole has a new grand baby coming and I have been keeping my eye out for cute baby boy things and this week there were some AWESOME sweaters! Sloane Square and Little Roland… oh my gosh, I love them both… so much!! Although, Mary… you might need to knit these too!
Woman Must Make Her Own Arrows… I am absolutely enthralled by a pattern that says this:
“This is a recipe-in-progress, and you’ll receive instructions for general steps, shaping, several possible stitch patterns, and edging. This is not a line-by-line pattern. You should have a sense of adventure and some strong basic skills, such as knitting top-down triangles, working various increases and decreases, and mostly the ability to make choices based on loosely described steps. It helps to have a knitting friend who may be able to answer questions, and to use free online videos for techniques you want to incorporate.”
Veronika Cardigan (that doesn’t really look like a cardigan but is really beautiful!)
Bibbe… is it a poncho? Or a sweater?
Are you a Twin Peaks fan?
Interweave Knits Fall 2017 has an interesting collection of knits but I especially like the Angelina Pullover
Stroma is written for ANY GAUGE! Wait, wut?
And, finally… if you, like me, have at all been following Julia Farwell Clay’s journey (you can scroll through her IG feed and her progress) with this sweater then you will absolutely love the Eddy Wrap pattern! (I know exactly what yarn I am going to use to knit it, but you can get a kit here!)
That is all I have for this week! Have an amazing Friday everyone and I will see you back here on Monday!! I will leave you with the picture I managed to get with the spider in her web and she is impressive!
**When reality is so insane that literally the only thing I can do is laundry and knit.
by Kat | Aug 4, 2017 | General
One would think that I would have immediately given a little Soak Wash spa treatment to my MKAL shawl upon casting off, however it sat around until yesterday. Why? I have no excuse except for pure laziness but it went down yesterday for a bath and then a good blocking. You know, with the wires and all! Give me some nice straight edges, please! Once I had it all pinned out I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of this shawl. And, even more wowed when I pulled out all the blocking wires and un-pinned it… oh.my.gosh people!! This thing is insanely beautiful!!! I might have even had a tear or two in my eyes at how crazy this turned out. I took it outside last night with “Dolores” to take a few glamor shots and she has yet to relinquish it and it is so stunning, I don’t blame her!
This is the 5th year I have knit Kirsten’s MKAL over the summer and people – this one is seriously the best one yet. The beauty of this simple design of lace and mosaic stitches works so incredibly well together. I might even be wishing for cool weather to wear this baby…non-stop.
To think I worried about it being “small” when I finished the bind off… small might describe a certain someone’s hands, but it absolutely does not describe this shawl… at.all! It is HUGE! Dear Dolores is my size and I love that it can drape casually around her “neck” and not be all tight and bunched up!
Steve thought my yarn color choices were not good and he told me so more than once. He said, what will you wear that with?? Well…everything in my wardrobe, honey… just everything! LOL
All the details of my project are here.
If you missed out on Kirsten’s MKAL, it is not too late…get the pattern and cast on ASAP. You won’t be disappointed!
Now, how about some links?
First up, swissmiss shared this and then I found this. Want….
Reclaiming my time, the Gospel version.
This week had LOTS of good knitting patterns (you’d think fall was coming or something….)
Lots of goodness in there for you to ponder! I hope something inspires you to cast on!
Have a great weekend, see you back here on Monday!
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by Kat | Jul 24, 2017 | General, In This Moment
Sometimes the weekends seem slow and lazy and other times it just seems to race by. This weekend was the later and I am scratching my head wondering how the heck it is Monday already.
It was a weekend spent trying to stay cool and dry (and there was lots of rain!) But, the weekend also brought the first tomatoes of the season and there was some swatching, too!
But, my list calls so have a good Monday – stay cool and dry!
by Kat | May 30, 2017 | General, Words
Planning and planting brought much joy this month, as did seeing the fruits of past years labors.
And, now joyful anticipation has settled in.
by Kat | Apr 26, 2017 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Hello Unravelers! Happy Wednesday to you all!
I hope your week has brought lots of good reading and even more good crafting!
I am almost done with my book for the NetGalley review, I will give you the CliffsNotes next week. I do have a second NetGalley book to read, and thankfully, this one will go much quicker! And, perhaps even be more interesting!
On the knitting front – I have one project that I am knitting to review some yarn from Kraemer Yarns. This yarn is very unusual for me in that it has some sparkle to it! However, I really like it – it is wool, but it has an amazing cottony, soft feel! I am knitting Settler Shawl – and I love it! It is a great match for this yarn and will be a lovely summery shawl. The yarn is Kraemer’s Sterling Silk & Silver in Estate Green. The yarn is 63% SW Merino, 20% silk, 15% nylon, and 2% silver poly – an interesting mix of materials, but it is so soft and it is knitting up beautifully in this shawl. If you have someone who finds wool scratchy, this yarn might be a solution for them.
On top of this knitting I am plodding along on my Air Soft shawl… I really love this knit. It worries me that a new month is next week, therefore a new technique. However, my knitting basket filled with things that I have to finish – so I really need my summer knit along to begin… yesterday! LOL
And, perhaps at the same time, all necessary work can end so I can just sit and knit all day.
Someday in a perfect world…
What are you reading and making this week?
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