No big making this week…BUT!!! That project bag? Well, it has 1/2 of my Gift Knitting done, and the second half has begun. If I persevere, I think I can have this done in 4 or 5 days (especially since I know exactly what to do now!)
AND!! This yarn!!
Oh.my.gosh! Chain ply just never looked so good, really. And it is so evenly plied!! And why this time? Well…I followed Sarah’s suggestions. First I set the take up on my wheel to the “pull the yarn rapidly from your hands” setting. And I just concentrated on making nice long chains…not worrying about how much, if any twist was in the plies. Then… when I had all the yarn chained, I rewound it onto a bobbin and then reset the take up to something less than pull the yarn from my hands, but still some good take up, and then I put the yarn through again, this time paying attention to the twist. And I love it! It is not perfect, but boy… it is so much better than any previous chain ply attempts. Thank you, Sarah for that tip!
What will I make with it? I think I am going to try it with Sarah’s latest cowl. While my skein is not exactly consistent, once it has had a wee soak, I think it will be mostly a worsted weight yarn. I think it might look lovely with a dark solid color yarn… at least that is what I was thinking as I plied it up! Just wish me luck on Brioche and Tuck stitching…
The reading this week was so awesome, really. I could just stop right now for the year and be insanely happy with my reading for the year. But!! I am currently listening President Obama read me A Promised Land and I have the latest Vera book to begin, so I must just keep reading!
The Door by Magda Szabó
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I started this book based on a recommendation of a friend…and wow, I am so glad I picked it up! What seems like it will be mundane, is not. At all. The story telling is astounding and the story has depth and layers and so much more. I liked Magda, but I loved Emerence. But the relationship that is formed between these two woman is the best. I had originally given this book a 4-star review, but the fact that it is still making me think almost week after finishing it made me move that review up to 5-stars. I highly recommend!
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If reading this book does not make you want to relocate to the House in the Cerulean Sea…it should! What a lovely little story with some incredibly deep analogies for life. I saw the ending coming, but there was so much beauty and joy before the ending that I did not mind at all that I knew exactly how it would end. I very much recommend this book!
Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A book full of inspiration and so much joy! Page after page, I found myself nodding, taking note, and by the time I finished it… I knew that I needed it permanently in my collection of books.
This advice though… simply perfect:
Let go of the narratives you’ve dragged around for years: you are not who you were as a child, or in year X, or on day Y – at least, not only. You do not have to fit yourself into those old, cramped stories. Be yourself here and now. KEEP MOVING.
And that is all I have for this week. I will be back here Monday and I hope that your week is full of good books and even better making!
As always, if you wrote a post to share today, please leave your link below and thank you!
Your yarn is so gorgeous! It will be perfect as Sarah’s cowl! I’m on the waitlist for The House in the Cerulean Sea and I can’t wait to start reading it. I’m so glad to see that you loved it!
What a wonderful week you’ve had in knitting, spinning, and reading, Kat (and I hope many other ways, too)! Your yarn is beautiful, and your project bag overflows. I hope you, Obama, and Vera enjoy your time together!
I love your yarn so much!!! No post from me this week, but busy working up Christmas cowls – pictures next week 🙂
Beautiful yarn Kat and it should look marvelous as Sarah’s cowl! Nicely done. I tried reading “The Door” and just could not get into it. I may have to give it another try a bit later…now that I seem to be coming out of my reading slump….
Nice colorful yarn! Enjoy and those books look interesting.
Spinners are magicians in my book….this is simply fabulous!!! And all those books?!? How do you manage to find such perfect books week after week…..and read them all. I’m so far behind….but queuing up your reads as fast as I can!!! Thanks for sharing.
That turned out just beautifully, Kat! Enjoy your week. I hope you get your gift knitting all wrapped up (in every way).
Kat, that yarn looks amazing! I’m so glad the two-step process worked for you, and I am really excited to see how it knits up (and also flattered that you’re going to try to use it for my pattern)!
The Door keeps getting mentioned, so perhaps I need to give it a try. I don’t think it had a wait at the library the last time I looked, either. Hmm.
Your yarn turned out beautifully! What a fulfilling week, in so many ways. (Maggie Smith’s
book is *literally* two inches from my keyboard right now! And Obama’s book is in at the library! (Kinda thinking a quiet holiday season is just what I need to wrap up my reading before the New Year.)
it looks amazing and you are so gifted in your spinning!
Your yarn looks fantastic! And you had some good reads, too. Good luck with finishing your gift knitting.
Beautiful job on the yarn Kat! Enjoy the rest of your week and here’s to getting the project finished!
Oh my goodness, that yarn is gorgeous. I think it will look great in the cowl. And thank you for bringing some new books to my attention. Books that stay with one and make us think for awhile are some of the best books. Enjoy your week. Thank you for providing the link-up.
The yarn is fabulous! And thank you for the book titles!
Wonderful.
The hand spun is lovely!