Greetings dear Unravelers and Happy (almost) Mid-August!
I have two words for today…. Flying By! As in what this month is doing… at warp speed! And I am feeling a definite loss with no Olympics this week… Paris was spectacular and the athletes were all amazing!
So what’s a knitter to do when the month is flying by and there are no Olympics? Well… I have come down with a case of cast-on-itis and I am going with it! Line up all the things to cast on! LOL
First sock done and so I cast on and made some headway on the second sock!
A wee mystery gnome… one that is being done by the publisher of Sarah Schira’s new book (it is free, if you are so inclined) Two clues are out… and I have a hat and the start of what appears to be a very stout body! I do love me a fat-bottomed gnome! Haha! (The book will be published this September and I will add a pro-tip… if you like your gnomes to look a specific way… this might be the book for you. All gnomes “parts” are interchangeable!)
A hint of a sleeve has begun!
My sleeve… at long last! Yes, it took a good bit of fiddling but sleeve one is underway! (And this is the fiddliest project with swapping balls of yarn each round… it was manageable on the flatlands of the body but in the round is not as fun.) This was also NOT a project for Olympic Watching… there are just too many things to count so it got little love during the Olympics… however, the color is screaming fall to me so I believe that it will be back in the rotation!
And a new scarf! This one I am really excited about… it is almost like striped sock knitting, except the rows are longer! I love that the pattern is completely reversible… so there won’t be a wrong side. And my hope is that this will be as beautiful as I think it is going to be! I am having a bit of an issue with “loose” stitches going from the knit to the purl (funnily… it is not the same with the purl to the knit) and the yarn is 100% silk, so giving it a good tug is not the same as when one does that will wool.
One repeat done… lots more to go!
Whew… that’s a lots of making for one person! The days have been so glorious, I have been doing lots of porch knitting and it would be totally okay with me if this was the weather for the remainder of August!
Now on to the books… I had just one finish this week, Sipsworth. It was such a delight! Perhaps it is the space I am in right now, but this book hit all the things I need a book to hit! An interesting character, a beautiful story, and an ending that was perfection! Bravo to Mr. Van Booy for the genius of making an 83 year old women the focus of this book! I highly recommend!
My current listen is a book that has been on my radar for some time now, and a bit of a “gap” in my hold list (and some technical error with Hoopla) allowed me to listen to Brian Doyle’s One Long River of Song. It is short story perfection… exactly the thing I need on these late summer days! It is not long so I am slowly savoring an essay or two a day to make it last!
A bit of a future note… Sarah mentioned recently that she picked up some books at a book sale… one of which is Rosamunde Pilcher’s September! This book has been on my radar for some time now, and so I sent a rapid email to Sarah wondering if she’d like to do a bit of a buddy read next month! She, likewise, thought this was a very good idea… and I would like to invite you all to join us in a September read of Pilcher’s September. (It is available on Hoopla, so that makes it very easy!)
And there you have my week of makes and reads! What about you? What is tempting you as the midpoint of August looms?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you! (and I will be back tomorrow with some poetry to share!)
You certainly have done a lot of knitting! I hope the sleeve gets less fiddly as more of it gets knit, and I’m looking forward to seeing how your gnome shapes up.
I am excited for our buddy read! I was worried I wouldn’t have time to commit to reading it, but then I remembered that I’ll be done with my brick by September (or at least that’s my plan) and can have another book on my nightstand!
That sweater is going to be fabulous, Kat . . . although I hates knitting sleeves in the round, generally, and I hates them even more when I have to finagle yarns. So I am sending all the best juju to you as you head into the breach! XO (And I adored Sipsworth. For all the reasons you stated.)
What a pretty new start – love the color for your scarf. And silk! Your latest fat-bottomed gnome is already cute. Wishing you luck with your sweater sleeves. That is such a beautiful project Kat and will be a welcome addition to your Fall wardrobe I’m sure.
I’m in the queue for Sipsworth (#6 I believe – so soon!!). And I just picked up The Ministry of Time and have started it. So far, so good! I’ll also think about joining you and Sarah for a reading of September. It’s available from my library…so…maybe (it’s a long one though).
You’ve got loads of great making going on, a project for whatever type of knitting you’re in the mood for! I’m especially envious that you’re knitting with 100% silk. I’ve always meant to try some silk yarn, but have never done it (and of course, now I’m thinking about a Hitchhiker in 100% silk …)
I’ve been looking for a really good audiobook and One Long River of Song just might be what I need. Thanks for the wonderful recommendation!
A cast on frenzy sounds delightful! I could get high off of the fumes 🙂 I am working on the second sock and my sweater and I am knitting one Christmas ornament a day (no marathoning behavior).
I love the colorway you chose for the scarf, and it’s looking amazing!! I had to pay attention to the TV last night, so knit on a sock instead of picking up stitches for the new gnome. haha.
How in the world are we at mid-August already!!
Look at all those fun projects! I’m waiting on Sipsworth from the library. I’ve never read September and I’ve loved the books by Rosamunde Pilcher that I have read so this is very tempting.
Look at all your knitting. I say go with castonitis. The sweater fabric is so beautiful as is the scarf. I just finished Sipsworth and loved it. The book by Doyle sounds lovely as well. I haven’t read September so maybe I will try and join you. I have two library books at home and several on hold. As we all know, when it rains it pours.
Oh that book looks wonderful, and published by Search press who do such great books. I am putting it on my birthday wish list for the Autumn.
You have so many nice knitting projects in progress! Your sweater is going to be lovely! I re-read September last year and still love it. I don’t think I’ll read it again this year, but I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it!