by Kat | May 24, 2019 | General, In This Moment
The weather forecast seems to be attempting to put the kibosh on a glorious welcome to summer:
But I am not going to let the weather stop me from having a good weekend!
In the plus column – I did indeed get my Charity Shawl completed and blocked! Which means I can ease back into my regularly scheduled knitting – which includes my Marsa Alam and a pair of toe-up socks! I have never knit a pair of socks toe-up so this is an entirely new experience for me. I am not sure how I feel about the process compared to my usual sock knitting method, but I will have a better idea once I have gotten to the heel. I am also a bit concerned about the cast off, but hopefully my typical stretchy bind-off will not fail me!
Thinking about:
Sewing! I finished my Rose muslin yesterday. I had made some alterations to the pattern – I shortened the length and I knew I would need to shorten the rise but I was unsure exactly how much to shorten it. And even though I did not quite shorten it enough, it is still a wearable muslin! I used some fabric I got at IKEA a couple of years ago. My original plan was to sew a cushion for the window seat at the top of our stairs, but that never happened and so I thought it would work well for a muslin and it did! The pattern directions are well written and very clear. I tried the pleat option and it was surprisingly easy! I think the gathered front looks nice as well so I will get some fabric this weekend to make another pair. I think these would work with fun prints, linen, and even a lightweight denim! AND!! They are super comfortable and I predict these will be the Pants of the Summer!
Gearing up for:
The start of Summer Book Bingo! That’s right – any book finishes beginning tomorrow can count for a square! I am ON the “Made into a TV series” square with the first book of Elizabeth George’s Inspector Lynley series – A Great Deliverance. I have high hopes for this book as the reviews on Goodreads are stellar! I started it Wednesday night and should easily have it finished this weekend! It is not to late for you to join in as well! Book Bingo makes summer so much more fun!
Inspired by:
PatternScout! I love this idea of remaking things and giving them a new life. Also, I really love her pattern suggestions – especially the Burda Knot Front Blouse! And, I truly love her “Monologue” especially this: “This hobby has given me so much confidence…creatively and about my body.” YES, so much yes!!
Fun, fun, fun:
I am going to harvest some rhubarb today and have plans to make a batch of Rhubarb-Thyme Syrup. This will come in handy as an addition to some beginning-of-summer-inspired cocktails this weekend – I am thinking about something new with gin. Stay tuned – I will share the recipe next week!
That’s all I have for this week – have an amazing Memorial Day Weekend and I will see you all back here next week!
by Kat | Apr 12, 2019 | General, In This Moment
It was a full week and next week will be more of the same so today I am just taking a deep breath and planning on spending some time today knitting on my Marsa Alam, because I don’t think there will be many knitting moments this weekend – the yard is fairly screaming for some attention and the Yard Work Fairies have yet to show up, darn it all!
But all that aside, it was such a good week!
Thinking about –
Gardening… it is that time of the year! I stumbled across this article about a garden that is still thriving…six decades after the death of the gardener! This makes me think about my yard and garden beds in different ways – ways that are more long term and lasting. I am also reminded of our visit last year to Fallingwater and all the rhododendrons that were planted all over the grounds – the forethought of this truly impacts the beauty of the grounds today. Gardening with purpose is something I always want to do, but I don’t always achieve that. These are good reminders as we begin a new season.
Grateful for –
My library. Truly. It is a place beyond measure. A place to gather with friends, a place for stirring conversation, a place with unending books ready to take you away…and this morning I saw this! This sparks all kinds of joy inside me! I am adding “nurturer of crafting” to the list of things my library does!
Inspired by –
Courtney, as always – and the timeliness of her messages. How does she know? Her words of wisdom about how to deal with being busy – even too busy – are just what I needed this week. I have been thinking about the things I spend my time on – and have been paring some things back. At first these things were hard to “give up” – but after a couple of days I found I did not miss the constant scrolling I was doing on IG – I check it, but only at the end of the day. Am I missing things? Yes, I am quite certain I am. But if you don’t know you are missing something, are you really missing it? I am also not spending hours each day “surfing the net” with much the same results – at first, it was so hard to get up and walk away from my pc! But like the IG phenomenon, after a few days it was not hard to get up at all. In fact, each day it is easier and some mornings I have had to make myself go and sit at the pc! What am I doing with all this extra time? Well, for one thing – my meditation time has really improved since cutting back on my screen time! And that is absolutely inspiring!
Fun –
This weekend Steve and I are heading into the “wilds” of our yard to tame the overgrown bushes. Is this going to be fun – oh, hell no! But!! I am going into it with the following mindset – I am going to be quiet no matter how much Steve yells (and he will be yelling, oh my! lol) I am going to be patient no matter how much I want to be doing something else – my mantra will be, “this too shall pass”, and I am going to be cheerful even when I don’t want to be (because it is hard to yell at a cheerful person right?) Wish me luck!!
And, there you have it! I wish you all a wonderful weekend – full of every little thing you want! See you all back here next week!
by Kat | Feb 22, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Despite a topsy turvy week that was very out of kilter on any kind of schedule yes, it’s finally Friday! I am reminding myself of that because it does not feel very Friday-like to me…but hopefully I am over that feeling by the time Happy Hour™ starts! And if not an icy beverage and some fun eats will certainly help me get into that Friday Mood, right?!
Totally over – winter! I mean really. This week was my tipping point. It was a week of almost all the weather seasons happening in.the.same.week. It is impossible to know how to dress and I need hip-waders to walk in the swamp that is my back yard! I just am really ready for spring and all the spring things! I am itching to get outside and not be hampered by the bitter weather!
Grateful for – The Amazon email suggesting I watch Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders! The casting is spectacular with John Malkovich as Hercule Poirot and the trio of stories are brilliantly done and I can thank the ABC Murders for all the knitting company! Yes – I have just 3 colors to go to completion!
Inspired by – Katrina Rodabaugh! Yes, I finally check out Mending Matters from the library. I started reading it last night and oh my. The ideas are mind-blowing and brilliantly executed. I also had a lovely chat with the librarian who checked me out – she had just finished the book and her enthusiasm for hand sewing encouraged me to not knit last night and instead dig into the book! I was profoundly struck by her motto: Just begin. How true that is for everything – stop worrying that your technique is not perfect or that your skills are lacking, “Begin this journey with whatever skills you have today and trust…You’ll improve techniques as you practice.” This is definitely a book I will be adding to my library!
Fun, fun, fun – Pittsburgh Indie Knit & Spin is Saturday. And though I don’t need any yarn, but I do want to knit this sweater and I do not have enough of any yarn to do so. Right now, the forecast is just calling for a rainy day and if that does not change this is on the list for the weekend!
That is all I have for this week; the knitting is calling! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back here next week!
by Kat | Feb 15, 2019 | General, Words
Another week draws to a close and this one ushers in a long weekend! Yes, Steve has Monday off and he is going to the car show with a friend.
Add to that we are more than half way through the month! Yes – in two weeks from today we welcome March! For as long as January felt, February is just flying by despite the weather!!
Thinking About – Dreams. I rarely dream, which may be a byproduct of insomnia – but recently I have been having the same set of dreams (some might call them nightmares) on a repeat track. The dreams are disturbing, and I am not sure why I am having them. However, it makes me curious that I can tell myself in the dream that it is a dream so thankfully there have been no repeats of me waking Steve with blood curdling screams. However, knowing it is just a dream has not stopped them from occurring. I am not sure if there is a message in the dream (or in any dreams for that matter), but I am more than ready to put this “dream list” on permanent pause.
Giddy About – A Monday Alone (see above!!) Yes, no meal planning, and really – no cooking!! Silly thing, but one I am really looking forward to, a day alone is the nicest of treats!
Inspired By – Empathy. This design is a “mashup of the four 2018 Pins & Lace patterns” and I have been unable to stop thinking about it since it was released earlier this month. It has been too long since I knit a Romi design and I cannot get this one out of my head. I think I am going to cast this on once I have my Shawl of Many Colors finished.
Focused On – Getting some sewing done today. I am ignoring my indecision and just doing it. Indecision is.the.worst!
That is all I have for this week! Have a wonderful (and hopefully) long weekend! See you all back here next week!
by Kat | Feb 8, 2019 | General, In This Moment
Hello, Friday! I am so glad you are here! It’s been a crazy week and I am more than ready for the weekend to be here! I have no major plans this weekend other than doing some catch up reading because I have a book due on Monday and there is a wait list for it, so I need to finish it!
Thinking About – The ongoing conversation in the Fiber Community about being more welcoming and inclusive of all, especially of those of the BIPOC community. These are painful, but necessary discussions – change is not easy and seeing things from the viewpoint of someone else is even harder. I am learning to be a better ally and learning much about myself in the process.
Grateful For – The incredibly warm week we have had! There were even more than a few moments of sunshine scattered between the rain showers! Temps in the 60’s are unusual for us in February, but it was much appreciated even if it is short-lived! Yes, winter returns today! But that taste of spring might just be enough to get me through the month!!
Inspired By – All you sketchers out there! Did you see The Sketchbook Project? What a fascinating idea! And, shame on me for not knowing about the Brooklyn Art Library! It “is home to over 41,000 sketchbooks from over 130 different countries.” Yes, this has made it to the “need to visit” list! No, I am not going to get a sketchbook, but if you participate – let me know! I will cheer you on!
Focused On – Getting my first shingles vaccine today with some trepidation. Great way to potentially sideline part of a weekend but I have been on the wait list for the vaccine for almost 8 months and it is something I really need to get done! I have had a couple of friends suffer from shingles outbreaks and I have no desire to be that miserable…ever!
That is all I have for today! Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here next week!
