Friday Thoughts | 9.6.19

Friday Thoughts | 9.6.19

I have been spending a good bit of time thinking about how to reinvigorate me as I contemplate my blog. I keep circling back to the less is sometimes so much more concept as I have contemplated this space. I know that we all have a finite number of minutes during the week and frankly, time spent on a computer or digital device sucks a great number of those minutes from our lives each day – so do you really need one more blog post to read every day? Truthfully, I just don’t have anything edifying to say every day! I don’t have a million fun little anecdotes to share nor have I gone to any exciting places to fill you all with travel envy! As you can see in my monthly “looking back” posts – we are truly homebodies and are most comfortable in our home. But finally – and perhaps most importantly – the tipping point to these blog changes is a result of my word – focus – this year. That word is having such a dramatic impact on my life as I have spent the year working through how to focus on my life, my days, and the things I do!

I do so love TGIF posts, but lately I have found them to feel a bit rote at times. So, Friday’s are going to take on a bit of a different theme here at AsKatKnits. I am going to use them to share things that will close out the week – my week, and usher in the weekend.

This week brought lots of changes – visually and physically:

I eased back into walking. My ankle has been feeling better, not perfect – but better enough to take modified walks.

I picked the last of the raspberries on Wednesday morning and made the final bit of raspberry jam for the year.

Signs of a fading summer are everywhere – the green of the trees is fading, and some of the leaves are beginning to dry and curl. The burning bushes in my front yard are beginning to show signs of the coming color around the edges of some of the leaves. I wish I could say that the grass is showing signs of slowing its growth pace, but as yet, that has not happened. Even the skies look different in these waning days of summer.

The Farmer’s Market is also slowly changing as fall fruits and vegetables are beginning to show up!

And, amidst all of these gradually changing things, I am spending my days welcoming these tiny changes – being aware of them – and reveling in them. And, those three things have helped me appreciate, and stay focused on the immediate rather than wishing for what comes next.

Yet, to tell you that I am not thinking about “that next thing” would not quite be true. Last month Joji published this pattern and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. It has filled my creative thoughts as I ponder what I have in my stash that might work. It is also keeping me focused on finishing Reagan so I can cast on sans guilt! I also don’t have Morinne Short and Sweet out of my system yet and have plans to knit another one this fall!

All in all, I feel very accomplished as this week draws to a close – which is just what I need to welcome a “list free” weekend! I hope your weekend list has little on it as well! Have a great weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!

Friday Truths

Friday Truths

They say the first thing to go is your mind… and apparently, mine is well on its way.

Truth #1:

Yesterday, I confessed to being 57. However, as Steve so kindly reminded me yesterday:

Okay but, really – how the hell do you forget your own age. Well, because I do not have any issues admitting when I make mistakes – it is true, I am only 56. And, I really feel so much younger today because of it! LOL

Truth #2:

After a week of temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s – winter has decided to return…albeit gently which is greatly appreciated.

Truth #3:

My chives are very confused as to what season it is! (as are all the singing birds!)

This was taken this morning…

Truth #4:

I am so insanely glad that it is Friday – it seems like this has been the longest week ever – the cocktail hour cannot get here fast enough! I am thinking Margarita’s today to toast President Peña Nieto – that is if I can convince Steve to make them!

Truth #5:

Next week clue numero uno of Kirsten Kapur’s Sock MKAL arrives (on Wednesday, in case you still want to join in!!) My yarn is ready and I am eager to begin. Yarn choice? Deep stash diving (see above!) I am not sure who the brown yarn is from, but the lovely golden-yellow is some very vintage Kim Kaslow aka The Woolen Rabbit sock yarn in the Tupelo Honey colorway. Now, are you wondering how I can remember that tidbit but not my age – I am giving you some real insight into what is important in my life – yarn is obviously taking up LOTS of brain space! Haha!

Truth #6:

The LINKS are back! The LINKS! The LINKS!

That is all I have for this week – have a truth-filled weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!

A Year in Review

A Year in Review

Borrowing an idea from Vicki to wind down these last days of December, here is my Blog Year in Review!

January opened the door for a Year of Gratitude.

February 1st started the Bang out a Stopover phenomenon – 35 hours later, a sweater was born.

March started with a fun 10 on Tuesday!

April was all springtime and flowers. Boy, does that look good this morning!

Started with a what am I doing right now post and the iced coffee is a pleasant reminder of warmer days!

June began with a mystery – Kirsten Kapur’s Mystery Knit Along that is!

July kicked off the Tour de Fleece and I had a plan. Bonus because some of this frenzied spinning is bringing peaceful knitting!

I think the best thing all year happened in August! We went to see Hillary when she came to Pittsburgh to campaign.

September started off with a bit of sweater surgery to make a no longer fitting sweater fit.

October started with the end of our vacation in Michigan, which provided a good number of photos for the remainder of the month!

Sigla

November ushered my second successful participation in NaBloPoMo2016 and my 30 days of posting began with an almost completed Sigla!

Think Write Thursday’s was born in 2016 and the December first TWT post was a welcome letter to the month.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

The Case for Cladonia

The Case for Cladonia

A couple of years ago, I knit this sample. It turned out beautifully and I really wanted to knit one to keep. But, as with many things – time passes and I forgot about it.

Until this, since Gale posted her fantastic version of this I have been unable to get Cladonia out of my head!

I looked at yarns online. Lots of yarn online. Nothing really struck me…don’t get me wrong, there were volumes of gorgeous yarns, but nothing that really said to me – I need to be your Cladonia.

Then I remembered this Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal I had in my stash. I have three skeins of it, but I really did not want to make it one color. I played with other yarns in stash, but nothing was really the right color.

It did not take much effort to convince a friend to head out to Sewickley to visit their yarn shop and I am happy to report that I had great success finding the perfect yarn to match. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and for me it is true. Gale, I simply adore your Cladonia – my version will be a tribute to you!

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I am holding off on casting on until I have the big brown blob finished – which, with some Olympic Assistance, I hope will be today!

IMG_4993

I did get the first half of the Sheepspot Perendale plied up – I ended up with about 160 yds of 3-ply fingering weight yarn and I hope to get similar yardage out of the second half of the fiber. That will give me about 320 yds for a pair of socks, so here’s what I want to know from you, Gentle Reader, what is your go to toe up sock pattern? This is not my usual method of knitting socks, but I want to maximize the yardage!

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Now for the Friday Links (and they are amazing this week!):

Svetlana has been busy again

And so has Thea

I laughed at this, but really – perhaps every little girl needs one!

It has been years since Interweave Knits has had anything that I even remotely wanted to knit, however their Fall edition has some really yummy things. Like this. And this. And this.

There was an update to Sight is Life

Grellow gets me every single time.

This does not Vex me at all.

Diabolique

That is all I have for today, have a fantastic weekend and see you all back here on Monday!

A Mystery Solved

A Mystery Solved

Over the weekend I finished Through the Loops Mystery Shawl, from cast on to epic bind off it took me 52 days. Over the course of 5 weeks, a portion of the pattern was released in a clue a week.

shawl 1

This is my fourth summer for participating in Kirsten’s summer mystery shawl and each year I am absolutely amazed at the pattern that unfolds. This year’s shawl was no different – I truly loved the pattern this year. Thistle Brambles is indeed a fitting name – the Thistle patterning is striking. It was my first time knitting with Jill Draper’s yarns and I really loved Esopus. Her color sense is excellent and the dyeing is done expertly. There was not even a hint of color in the water after I soaked the shawl in preparation for blocking.

shawl 2

I am listening to The Book Thief and I am about half way though. I am really enjoying it. When it is completed, I will have my first Bingo of the summer! After that, I am hoping they will be falling into place fairly quickly. We shall see…

And, new knitting? Well, I got out my basket and I pulled out Tales from the Isle of Purbeck to try to figure out where I was, and what I found was a bunch of mistakes! So, I ripped back…all.the.way. Thankfully, the second time was the charm, because it has been smooth sailing. For right now, I am avoiding the Jen Lucas shawl because I wanted to knit something with a slightly larger gauge, in hopes that would help me finish sooner! Or at it might feel like it is going faster! I am just starting on the second of four charts, so hopefully I will be half way done soon. I am pondering doing an extra repeat of a chart, but see how much yarn I have left when I have completed chart 4. I am using Elsawool and I am so happy with it! Soft, lofty, and the color is so rich!

Joining Ginny in her Yarn Along today.

What’s on your needles today?

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