by Kat | Mar 30, 2018 | General
First things first! The final round of voting is open! Mary had casually mentioned the idea of knitting the Final Four…which I think is a brilliant! Seeing the wonderful patterns that made the final four, this idea has some merit. Who is interested?
Tonight, clue two for the Lunar Phases MKAL comes out! I must confess to being more than a bit excited to see where this knit will go!
Yesterday, a little treat arrived via the mail!! Uniform arrived on my doorstep and I did look through it a bit yesterday afternoon. Oh.My. It has the recipe for endless sweater combinations… I am thinking about some fun summery knits that will be well worn and loved! As for the sewing… I plan on getting the patterns traced out next week and begin with a simple sleeveless top. I will make a muslin first to verify sizing, but I am so excited to start!
As you can see, I am still (!!) working on my Cluaranach, but the end is in sight. I am into the 4th repeat on the second half, with one more to go. Then I am to the “weighing and knitting” portion of the wrap. I want to use all the yarn up, so I will see how far I can go with the final skein.
I hope that your holiday weekend is full of very good things and now how about some links?
For the tiny people in your life: Oliviana Cardigan and Sagano
The Kestrel 2018 collection has some really fun things!
Notice (spring)
Christina Campbell’s Healthy Knitter MKAL looks interesting… a walk-along is included with a calendar with a daily tip or inspirational item! But, hurry it starts on April 1!
And, finally: Making No. 5 / Color is full of so many good things!
Really… we all just need more making time! Every.single.day!
And, with that – let the weekend begin! Have a most blessed Easter and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 23, 2018 | General
Lots going on today and it even appears that it will be a nice weekend here in Pittsburgh!
First up…don’t forget to vote! Round Three is open with so many good choices!
Tonight, the first clue in Larissa Brown’s Lunar Phase MKAL will be out! I am so excited to see where this will all go. AND, it’s not too late if you want to join in!
I am steaming along on my Cluaranach as well and am into the body of the second half… basketball will gain me some knitting time this weekend!
Now, how about a few links to close out this crazy week:
First up, everything you every wanted to know about cables is here. Thank you to Jen and Jim Arnall-Culliford! (and Kay and Ann!)
For Poe fans everywhere: Nevermore
Did you all see Gramercy Park in the new Twist Collective? This is going on my spring knit list, I just need to figure out what yarn i want to use!
Calyx… oh my!
Holly Dress…oh.my.gosh! It is so cute!!
And, finally…Evening in Edinburgh. Wow…this is really stunning!
That’s all I have for this week! Have an amazing weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 16, 2018 | General
It’s Bracket Season… did you vote? Did any of you have trouble picking 8 patterns in all categories? I confess that I did.
I had gotten so much knitting time in during the Olympics and I was missing watching the games. But, thanks to March Madness, knitting time has ticked up again with all the games to watch! I got one entire repeat done on my Clauranach yesterday…only 4 or 5 more repeats to go in this half. And, suddenly, I am thinking that maybe I can get it done before Easter! More knitting time today as Round One continues!
Now, how about some links?
The Shetland Wool Week announced their 2018 Patron and you can get her Merrie Dancers Toorie hat pattern here.
Rachel Atkinson’s Daughter of a Shepherd Volume 1: Beginnings is available for pre-order.
Quince & Co has released their Sparrow 2018 Collection
I really love Rose by Andrea Mowry and Flat White by Casapinka
And, finally Still Waters Sleeveless in Purl Soho Linen Quill is a great transition knit!
That is all I have for this week! Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Mar 9, 2018 | General
I have completed my swatching for the Lunar Phase MKAL. I am so excited about what I have learned about putting together colors in the past year or so. In my mind’s eye, I envisioned this shawl being like a water color painting – with subtle changes. My swatch has more of the pop of color than I think the MKAL will (after all, we only need 80 yds of the pop of color) and I think I have achieved the watercolor effect I was looking for. While this was not my outward intention, it very much reminds me of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
I have likewise spent much time thinking about the other little swatch. I think that swatch might be destined to become Find Your Fade I just need to figure out a few more colors to add in, more swatching will ensue. And, that does not disappoint me at all. I have learned the value of swatching, even swatching for a shawl. Yes, Gentle Reader, the swatch is your friend.
I discovered this week that I knit tighter at a smaller circumference, which is not a good thing at all. My sleeve on Strokkur is a much smaller gauge that the sweater body. Here is the stupid part of this: I realized this about 10-ish rounds in, but I ignored that little nagging voice saying to me “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON” and “THIS IS NOT RIGHT, STOP KNITTING” Some 50 plus rounds later, I finally listened to the yelling in my head and measured gauge. Yeah, when that voice speaks to you, you need to listen. Now, I am having a bit of a debate with myself – rip out sleeve one and start over or knit sleeve two at the correct gauge and then see how much yarn I have left with the hopes that I can then knit a 3rd sleeve at the correct gauge without ripping out sleeve one. The one good thing in all this…It has been snowing here for the past couple of days and wool knitting is all the rage when the snow flies! Ha.
I read a blog in the past week that has made me shake my head in confusion – the gist of the post was that they were all about the process, not about the finishing of projects and stated that they finished almost nothing in a year and that was okay. Wait, what? You want to make but not actually make anything? As my daughter would say SMH… big time! LOL I am not that at all, I am a PROJECT maker versus a PROCESS maker. Don’t get me wrong – knitting is my superpower; it is therapy, and when I am knitting, I am in my happy place. But, I knit to make. I guess that I what really makes me happy is a finished object that someone will love and, hopefully, wear often! I still don’t understand that post, but to each their own I suppose.
Now, how about some links?
First up, this made me cry – this was in the NYTimes yesterday for International Woman’s Day “Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. Now, we’re adding the stories of 15 remarkable women.” When I first read the line, I thought – so no women died? But, then I realized that a woman’s significance in life was nothing – in life and death. It is painful to think about and perhaps we need not a single day where we celebrate women, but we should celebrate every day.
Steve sent me a link this week that made me smile. Knitting can make you a Super Hero…
Up for a sweater challenge? Hannah Fettig has a Mystery Cardigan perking along and it is not too late to join in!
Carol Sunday’s Capture the Moment is awesome!
And, finally, Marie Greene has us turning our minds to spring with Lace Market. Oh man, I love it and am pondering yarn subs.
That is all I have for the week, have an awesome weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. The flowers above are from one of my Sunday School students. I am so surprised they are surviving as they are, I don’t have the best of luck with indoor blooming plants!
by Kat | Mar 2, 2018 | General
Yes, March has some lion-like qualities here in the ‘Burgh today. The mild weather we had been joyfully experiencing has been replaced with the rude return of winter. Snow, cold, and blowing winds are what my world looks like today!
However, there were some good things to reflect upon as the week ends.
It appears my fix on my Carbeth is a winner! I would have soaked and blocked it again – but this weather has pre-empted that because I am wearing her today!
Last week I had a visit with the optometrist who confirmed there is a change to my prescription… new glasses arrived on Wednesday and my eyes are rejoicing at all the things they can clearly see! (If you follow me on IG, I will post a photo of both the new and improved Carbeth neckline and my new glasses there later today!)
My forsythia has NOT bloomed yet, so I am hoping to avoid the catastrophe that happened last year when they bloomed and then the cold returned destroying all the flowers!
AND, the weekend is here! Which is always a very good thing! I will be heading to JoAnn’s for some Bear in a Bunny Suit stuffing…
There were some very good links this week as well!
First up, a new Sally Melville pattern: Necessary Neutral I really love this, and she is so right with this statement: “Whether or not we knit socks, we buy fingering yarns.”
Twisted Threads and Gravity of color wrap both caught my eye for different reasons. Both are a most wearable shape and they are both currently free.
As winter so harshly reminded me this morning, he is not quite ready to move on so perhaps some mitten knitting is a good idea: Long Reach Mittens or Dreyma Mitts
Oh My Sheep is about the cutest thing ever. Someone should knit one for Vicki’s new grandbaby!
Puddle Studies is also so cute!
Finally, Sarah Jordan has a new sock pattern out: Palestra
That is all I have for today! Have an awesome weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
