by Kat | Oct 12, 2016 | General, Making
After spending the weekend in Knitting Time out (both me and the sock!) I ripped back on Monday and started the process of adding more inches to the Sock of Doom.
I fearfully began the decreases and stopped. There would be NO MORE RIPPING of this sock. I waited for the Large Footed Recipient to get home from work and try it on before I went any farther.
Sock One is done. Now all I need to do is cast on for the second one.
Perhaps a queuing up of the Gilmore Girls on Netflix (which, by the way, I never watched…) will make the second sock less painful than the first.
In the reading department, I have two books in the finished column:
- Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes by Per Petterson
- The Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from an Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks
I loved both of them! They were dynamically different but each were fantastic reads. I highly recommend both of them.
I am listening to Clara read Knitlandia to me; I am about halfway through and I am thoroughly enthralled!
I begun The Year of Living Danishly and I also started reading another Karin Fossum novel – The Murder of Harriet Krohn. No thoughts on either yet as I am just a few pages in on both.
However, the reading might have to wait because on my task list for today is to turn these beauties into an oven roasted applesauce.
What’s on your agenda today?
by Kat | Oct 7, 2016 | General
Most of the time a short week is a good thing – but a short week after a vacation was perhaps not the smartest idea. My list barely has a dent in it! (However, laundry is almost done and yogurt is made!)
I had what I thought was a brilliant idea to get one of Steve’s socks for length so I could perhaps finish sock numero uno yesterday. That might have worked if he cut his toes off. Seriously, I thought about suggesting it for more than half a second! Today will find me ripping back the toe and knitting another inch (really, I am knitting WAY more than an inch and hoping they will be just a bit too big!!) Promising him and his size 14 feet a pair of hand knit socks was perhaps the most epic disaster of my knitting life. Really. I will persevere and finish these suckers, however painful it is. And trust me, it is plenty painful! I am trying to avoid the urge to put these socks in Knitting Time Out.
Rather I am going to focus on the beauty that is the Frankfort, Michigan beach.
Instead of feeling bogged down like these poor benches, buried up to their necks in sand!
How about a double dose of Friday Links?? There has been plenty of good stuff over the past couple of weeks:
That is all I have this week. Tonight, there will be a Grand Traverse Distillery Manhattan or two to usher in FriYAY and Steve is taking a half a day – so while it is technically not a “long weekend” it will be starting a wee bit early! The weather is calling for a backyard bonfire too!
I hope your weekend is fantastic, see you back here on Monday!
by Kat | Sep 23, 2016 | General
When one of my absolute favorite designers collaborates with some friends and they put together a collection of “Drop-Dead Easy Knits” I was excited to see what the collection would include. I pre-ordered the book and it was delivered on Tuesday – at which point, I dropped everything and started to page through.
Paging through turned into reading and before I knew it an hour had passed and I had a list of items to add to my Ravelry queue.
I had foolishly assumed the book would contain a collection of accessories, and while it has some really lovely accessory knitting pieces, there is so much more. Sweaters, baby items, and even a MDK Log Cabin blanket!
The thing I love the most about the book though is how the patterns are written.
How many times have you begun knitting a pattern and wished that some parts were highlighted boldly with the read ahead instructions? For me this has happened numerous times and it generally means frogging back several rows to correct the thing I have either omitted or kept doing but should have stopped.
In Drop-Dead Easy Knits the patterns have a special call out for “Concentration Zones” cluing you in to what is coming ahead. Likewise, they clearly mark areas where you can click on “Cruise Control” and knit on without worry (and it even tells you how long you can knit without worry!!)
Another bonus for knitters everywhere is the reference section where they give “alternate yarn suggestions by pattern”! Yes, really. And, the list is not compiled of one alternative – there are multiples for every project!
I was especially happy to see that it is number one on the Amazon Best Sellers in Knitting list this morning so if you buy only one knitting book this year, this would be an excellent choice. Seriously! Your knitting library will thank you!
Now for some Friday Links:
That is all I have for today! Have a fantastic week and see you back here on Monday!!
by Kat | Sep 1, 2016 | General, Making
Last week I shared my Plethora of Knitting that needs a washing and some serious Kon-Mari.
Yesterday, I began the re-purpose portion of my Kon-Mari binge! I began with what I thought would be the easiest – The Purple Custom Fit That No Longer Fits Sweater.
Step one was to rip out the collar band – easy peasy.
Step two was to mark out where I would cut – to do this I “yarn basted” with some scrap yarn to give me a guideline as to where to put in my crochet steeks.
Step three – crochet steeks, which were made incredibly easy by a quick review of MaryJane Mucklestone’s fantastic article in the latest Interweave Knits!
Step four involved a scissors! And, it was not scary at all! Really! The crochet steeks are just the most awesome things. The fabric just folds back at the steek. I left about 4 columns of knitting on the outside of the steek – I am still deciding whether I will trim this back a bit or just stitch this down to the back.
Step five – pick up stitches! Pretty simple.
Step six – knit the band/collar. I am not sure exactly how much I will knit, but for sure at least 4 inches, maybe more.
Thus far, Knit Kon-Mari Repurposed is going well.
Rehoming of some knits is also taking place, some knits will be delivered to the USPS to begin their journey to their new home!
All in all, a very good week for Knit Kon-Mari! How about you? Are you doing some Knit Kon-Mari?
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by Kat | Aug 25, 2016 | General, Making
This post may be painful for some of you, and I understand that, believe me I do.
However, for me, as I did a serious reality check it became painfully clear that the number of knitted accessories I own far exceed the wearable day factor in any given year. Add to that my closet size and the idea of Knit-Konmari blossomed, thanks to Vicki.
I have two sweaters I wear with great regularity – they are going to the Soak Spa today. One vest will be joining them – it brightens my day considerably that my weight loss has improved its appeal and wear-ability tremendously!
However, one poor sad vest is in desperate need of some cosmetic surgery – in actuality, I wish it was 2 inches longer and I may be able to make this happen, however the colors would not be the same. So, here is my dilemma – take out the neck and sleeve bindings, remove about 2 inches from each side, and then knit some additional length to the bottom of the front and back, re-seam the sides, and then reknit the bindings in the new bottom colors? Thoughts? Additional ideas? Better ideas? I loved this vest, however the current fit makes it very sad.
Likewise, the Custom Fit sweater no longer is custom fit. Maybe it can become a Cardigan? But it needs the deletion of some fabric to fit again. I still have a good bit of the yarn I used, so I could modify it. (Perhaps doing something really out there and make it a cardigan with a nice shawl collar – idea thanks to someone sharing this on Slack) I have a good bit of leftover yarn (1.5 skeins!!) This might work, yes? Different or better ideas and suggestions are welcome!
Now, on to the Plethora of Knitted Accessories…
Keeper’s on their way to join The Sweaters at the Spa:
- Handspun shawls
- All Kirsten Kapur Designs
- My work horse shawl – Donegal Tweed Boneyard FTW
- Citron Grand
- Tales from the Isle of Purbeck
- My Rare Gem Pincha
- Aestlight
- Jen Lucas Mystery Shawl (that was just finished)
- Noro Clapotis
- Honey Cowls
The Land of Uncertainty:
- Litchfield – love the colors, but this is not easy to wear.
- Lion and Lamb Clapotis – this feels too big when I wear it, unless it is really cold out
- Beautiful – again, love the colors, but ease of wear is an issue.
Not Making the Grade, or Re-homing, recycling, re-purposing FTW:
- Luciole – I loved the pattern, but it is too small to wear so I frogged it yesterday, see above – yes I ripped the entire thing out. It was really quite painless. Now the yarn can become something new!
- Stripe Study – awkward design that I find unwearable. I am not sure if I will frog this or not…
- Echoes of Color – I like this but it is way too big, again making it unwearable.
- Color Affection – great colors, but not very wearable, and the knitting is not fabulous.
- Knit Night
- Saroyan
- Too big cowls
- Greyhound
This was a good exercise for me, although I am ashamed by the excess I found in pulling out all my hand knits. It was also a great wake up call the next time I want to knit a shawl – do I really need it or am I just bored and want a new project to knit.
Where are you in your knitting journey, Gentle Reader. Are you in need of some Knit-KonMari?
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