weekend | As Kat Knits

A Dog Days Weekend

by Kat | Jul 25, 2016 | General, In This Moment

This was the weekend that I was beyond thankful for central air conditioning, because it was hot and humid. If you don’t have AC and you live in an area that was included in the Heat Dome, you have my sympathies.

In a weekend of unstable weather with intermittent pop up heavy thunder showers creating sauna-like conditions outdoors, but all I was interested in doing was staying cool indoors!

Happy Hour on Friday was an indoor affair, but we had cold drinks and I made some crab dip that was fantastic!

There was knitting and spinning; I finished the Mystery Shawl and TdF. More on them later this week.

I spent some time reading – I am plugging through Brad Meltzer’s The Inner Circle. I am, thus far, not impressed.

I harvested the first, full-sized tomato, which was fantastic!

I also enjoyed the early morning garden views with some spidery artwork and water kissed roses.

All that and Monday still arrived right on schedule.

How was your weekend?

When Rainy days are Mondays

by Kat | Jul 18, 2016 | General, In This Moment

Although we desperately need the rain, a gloomy Monday makes for a slow starting week.

So, let’s spend a moment reliving the weekend which was the antithesis of gloomy!

There was spinning, and knitting, and cocktails, and reading.

I listened to Doc by Mary Doria Russell and I am about half-way through. I am enjoying it tremendously, and I really love the narrator’s voice. I started reading The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer.
I watched Spotlight and The Big Short.
I harvested the first tomatoes from the garden.
I almost finished spinning all the Montadale and I got the first bump plied up.
And, the epic bind off began…

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I hope yours was too.

Fiber Friday – Stage 13

by Kat | Jul 15, 2016 | General

Tour de Fleece continues to be in the forefront for me this week, today is Stage 13 for le Tour and it is the first time-trial, for those that are following along with the riders.

As such, I am pacing through my Montadale singles, having 2 bobbins spun – I will start today on the third so I can begin plying this weekend. My goal is to finish the bobbin today, and I have Doc queued up on Audiobooks, so I have no excuses!

Then, I can begin my second bump of fiber…No worries though, with over 18 hours of Doc to listen too and rain in the forecast, I should get a good bit of spinning done this weekend!

Now for the Friday Links:

As I spin today, my thoughts will be centered on the citizens of France – especially after last nights horrific tragedy.

Have a safe weekend, Gentle Reader.

Weekend Meditations

by Kat | Jul 11, 2016 | General, In This Moment

It was a rather somber weekend here in light of the news of the past week – it seemed a bit wrong to be overly excited about a weekend when you take into consideration the families whose lives were forever altered last week.

But, there were meals shared and we caught up on The Great British Baking Show, which is perhaps the best cooking competition show ever.

There was spinning, which was most meditative.

There was a minute amount of knitting (3 rows on the last clue for the Mystery Shawl)

I crossed an item off my summer bucket list – I treated myself to a pedicure on Sunday and my feet are so happy about it!

I “taught” (Thanks YouTube!) myself some rudimentary crochet skills this weekend so I can make a little something for a certain someone who is turning ONE this month. To all those people who say it is much faster than knitting – these 2 squares took me hours to make. So, crochet for me is so not faster than knitting, so this is not likely to be completed before the big day. Also, instructions that have multiple country abbreviations are likely to cause problems. I have simplified the pattern (by printing out the US only instructions, omitting the UK instructions which are not the same but, really – why aren’t crochet terms universal?) Anyways, I think I am on track now, and I have started another block and it is full steam ahead!

I also read and read and read! Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda. What amazing dialog, what fantastic photos! What incredible history! And, I am using it for a square on my Book Bingo – Nonfiction in a graphic novel format. Last week Carole helped me out with a suggestion for ‘A literary magazine or journal.’ I read the latest issue of The New Yorker as well this weekend. I am now sufficiently immersed in all things political (I hope you can read the sarcasm here as apparently, politics has become life as we know it!) I am also almost done with A Man Called Ove – I should have it finished tonight at the very latest. This has me excited, because I have some very good things in my Kindle queue!

Here is hoping that this week will be much kinder and gentler everywhere.

How was your weekend? Care to share?

Fourth of July Recap

by Kat | Jul 5, 2016 | General, Words

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means, Carole wants to know:

Ten Things You Did This Weekend

Without any fanfare, here is my weekend recap:

Enjoyed a Happy Hour, or two
Grilled Brittner’s specialty hotdogs, because can It really be the fourth without a hotdog?
Harvested things from the garden – fresh produce waits for no holiday.
Enjoyed farm fresh corn on the cob, grilled of course!
Listened to Garrison Keillor’s last PHC from the Hollywood Bowl.
Listened to NPR read the Declaration of Independence – their 28^th year of doing so and it is crazy that I have listened to most of them!
Tour de Fleece spinning took place, I finished the lovely Merino Yak and am working through the Columbia rolags.
Mystery knitting happened (although I am still not finished with Clue #4…)
Lots of reading – I finished Dead Water and started The Summer Before the War (in my ears) and A Man Called Ove (on my Kindle) and I am still working through Big Magic.
And, savored every single second of this glorious summer weekend because, before we know it Labor Day will be upon us.