by Kat | Dec 7, 2016 | General, Making
I am making progress on the Christmas Request knitting. I have one more sock to finish, and perhaps another pair of slippers – depending on how the sock moves along!
I am also knitting my four repeats daily for Project Peace – and I am really enjoying it. From daily Peace posts to the knitting meditation – there is a noticeable change in the atmosphere at Casa del KatKnits!
I got a nice surprise this week from the Sheepspot Breed Club – Southdown! I have never spun (or knit, for that matter!) with this fiber and I am eager to give it a try! The colors this month were also interesting. Is it yellow? Or green? As you can see, others had the same question! Jillian has a great article in the new Knitty on color blending that I am going to try with the multi-color braid. And, yes – this fiber seems to be saying “card me”!!
My reading has stagnated a bit I am sad to say! I have yet to finish Burial Rites, which hardly seems possible with the insomnia I have had this week! However, I have about 75 pages to go and I hope to have this finished today!
The library just emailed me that a book I had on hold was available, so I have that to look forward to as well but, I am not certain this will help my insomnia!
However, this was the best find all week. Thank you, NPR, for this incredible list! So many books I have not read, but I was happy to see several I had read on this list! But, my “to read” list has grown exponentially! Perhaps, 2017 will be the Year of Good Books (and little else)!
I am also contemplating what knits I need to finish – and there is a list of them – as well as what knits I want to start in 2017. Mapping out the New Year is always a good plan!
What do you want to knit or read in the New Year?
Linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along, where you will find plenty of well-read knitters!
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by Kat | Nov 25, 2016 | General, Making
The knitting continues – today this blue yarn will become the slippers that Steve requested earlier this week. It is a super simple pattern and will be done in short order. And, really – thank goodness for stash!
I have also been trying to spin a few minutes a day – which for me has been working out to evening spinning for a few minutes each night. During the week, I got one bobbin done. My goal is an actual 4-ply lace weight yarn. This is some old vintage Spunky Club Polwarth fiber in the “Hungry” colorway. Which after yesterday, I am certainly not! But, it is spinning up beautifully!!
Let’s get to the links, shall we?
This week has some good ones – and again, lots that can be some last-minute gift knitting:
Gift knitting ideas:
Not knitting for Christmas? No problem – some long-term knitting projects here!
I hope your holiday weekend is going well and that you are not still in a turkey coma! See you back here tomorrow!!
by Kat | Oct 10, 2016 | General, In This Moment
The weekend just FLEW in my neck of the woods, which could be directly related to the amount of rainy weather that filled the days.
There was no outdoor cocktail hour because it was raining so hard. This also put the kibosh on a backyard bonfire, however, the indoor Tapas were excellent!
Saturday we had a successful trip to the local farmer’s market, managing to get in and out in between raindrops as well as a bit of retail therapy. (Yay for indoor activities!)
There was not much knitting, but there was some reading – although I did not finish any books.
There was a tiny bit of spinning though – this Whitefaced Woodland from Sheepspot is just amazing!
Today, I think will spend part of the day ripping back that darned sock while I catch up on Poldark. I hope you have Monday off, and if not, then may it be one you can ease into and it is over before you know it!
by Kat | Sep 26, 2016 | General, In This Moment
Packing for a trip can be a challenge. There are so many things to take into consideration – weather, activities, etc. However, if you are a knitter then you have an added layer of things to think about.
Knitting projects.
For me, this is perhaps the most crucial item to take (outside of my Bialetti because good coffee is crucial!!)
Enter Woolelujah!
Fill this sucker and I should not want for things to knit right? Trust me – I (over)filled it!
Hope your weekend was grand, mine sure was!
by Kat | Aug 23, 2016 | General, Making, Words
Last week, Jillian Moreno’s highly anticipated (at least by me!) book Yarnitecture was released. I got my copy on Friday and that sort of derailed any other reading plans I had for the weekend.
And, today being Tuesday I am going to share you my 10 favorite things from the book!
- The cover. Really. Did Jillian plan this just for me? I mean who could resist a book with all that great green on it!
- Are you a knitter who wants to spin? This book is entirely focused from a knitter’s perspective about the creation of yarn. In other words, she tells you the absolute best way to create a yarn you will want to knit with!
- There are fantastic photos (of course, that is sort of a given) that show clear photos of crucial things that new and old spinners struggle with – things like drafting, twist, and plying.
- She spends the entire book talking about spinning prepared fibers – and especially the amazing fibers available at Fiber Show’s and on Etsy. This is especially great if the idea of processing an entire fleece to spin is not your cup of tea!
- That being said, she still talks in depth about the LARGE variety of fibers there are available to spin!
- Yarnitecture takes you through yarn construction like you are building a house! She breaks it down into very manageable stages that help you make the yarn you want to make. I have been spinning a good bit of time and I had a number of “aha” moments!
- There is an entire chapter on the multitude of ways you can finish your yarn. Menacing your yarn is such a great phrase!
- Jillian demystifies grist for the spinner and breaks it down into something that is understandable and meaningful. (Especially if you are spinning for a large project)
- There an entire chapter on color and how to make color work for you as you are spinning – especially those lovely dyed braids of fiber. She inspires your imagination by showing you the tip of the iceberg on how they can be broken down to spin. After reading her inspiration, my mind is just flooded with dozens of ideas for fiber in my stash!
- Last, but certainly not least, there are 12 stunning patterns by a variety of talented designers using handspun yarn – from socks to shawls to sweaters – there is sure to be something that calls to you! I promise you my “knit list” has grown!
Jillian shows us that the possibilities are limitless when we are sitting at our wheel. Yarnitecture gives you the tools you need to build the yarn you want and then offers encouragement to knit something with it! Jillian is absolutely correct when she says, “I love knitting period, but handspun (yarn) takes it to a different level…” It absolutely does, Gentle Reader – and if you’d like to share that experience, this book is for you!
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