Greetings dear Unraveler’s and Happy Wednesday!
Imagine my surprise when a simple spa soak (with a splash of Eucalan) removed every kink from my reclaimed yarn! That has never happened to me before… I always have to “weight” the yarn (I use a hanger… its weight is enough “weight” without stretching the yarn out) but this yarn came out of the bath relaxed and ready to be reknit! I gave them a quick spin in the washer to remove the extra water and then hung them to dry.
Freshly bathed, kink-free yarn!
So, as you can see above, yesterday afternoon I cast on for the vest that Sarah just knit! I read through and marked the directions Monday night… (and can I just say what a brilliantly knit pattern!!) It does not look like much now, but I have begun!
I also “planned out” some sewing for the month… I’d like to get 2 pairs of Free Range Slacks done and give this pinafore a go! The sewing will be the easy part… it’s the pinning out that I am dreading. Sigh.
However, last week, Jane asked a question:
“When you write “punch out” hexagon pieces what do you mean?”
Jane, forgive me for being a bit vague about my hexie template making. I purchased a hexie punch and have been saving heavier “flyers” we get in the mail to punch out hexies.
Hexie punch for precise hexies!
I purchased a 1/2″ hexie punch (on Amazon) but they are sold in a range of sizes from a variety of sources. It makes use of something that I would normally put in “recycling” and the heavier stock of the paper is perfect for wrapping fabric. It is an inexpensive way of cutting exact paper templates… at least for hexies! If I ever decide to do EPP on a larger scale, I might invest in a die cutting machine.
As you can see above, I have also made some progress on the first panel of the blanket… I am close to starting the second motif and really, this is mindless knitting at its best!
And February stitching is done and I am very happy with how it looks!
February stitching… in all her glory!
As for reading… I am almost finished with The Secret History for RWU Book Club! What horrendous characters inside such a brilliantly crafted story! I am listening to Anthony Marra’s The Tsar of Love and Techno… a collection of intertwined short stories. And at night I am reading Colum McCann’s soon-to-be-published Twist. I am not far in but loving the writing, so much.
I had one stellar finish recently that I thought I’d encourage you all to seek out this week… it is Ted Kooser’s brief memoir Lights on a Ground of Darkness: An Evocation of a Place and Time. Mr. Kooser is a writer of brilliant poetry but his brief recount of his family history is quite stunning. His writing is so evocative and so incredibly moving. But even better than all those things… what he writes about could be anyones family. It is just brilliant. My library has a copy but I will be adding this little book to my library… it is the perfect thing to read when life feels like it is in the shitter. I have been feeling a bit hopeless recently, and to contemplate Lights on a Ground of Darkness… well, it was exactly what I needed. As I said, the book is very short… I read through it twice and could have read it again and again (thus the reason for needing my own copy!)
And this is a wrap for me today… what are you making and reading this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
What a great way to reclaim that yarn Kat! I can’t wait to see how your vest turns out. And, that pinafore looks great! Are you planning to make the “V” or square neck? I love seeing your February stitching. Really creative and colorful. The Ted Kooser book sounds wonderful and just up my alley. My library does not have it which is a bummer…I may have to place an order!
That yarn transformation is impressive! It looks lovely and squooshy and should make a great vest. I think your use of all that junk mail for hexies is rather brilliant. So much of what we receive goes right in the recycling, and it would be great to use it again before that step.
It looks like you unraveled that sweater at just the right time as that yarn will make a wonderful vest. I’m looking forward to seeing it as you progress. (And I’ve been wondering if I could use a vest!) I love your blanket fabric, too. You’ve got some good knitting going on. As soon as I’m done here, I’m ordering that Ted Kooser book. It sounds like exactly what I need; thank you!
boy are your creative juices flowing! I love your stitching a lot. Looks like it was fun to do as well. I am reading more since I’m cutting back on the internet. It’s a purposeful goal!
GO you on not just reclaiming the yarn but starting a new project with it immediately! Your February stitching is really spectacular!
Your freshly reclaimed yarn looks so soft & squishy! Love your stitching (as always)!
Oh gosh I can’t believe how perfectly it came out! What a result.
I love the hex punch, I crave neat lines and geometric shapes 😊
Hooray for reclaimed yarn. It looks great. Thank you for answering the hexie question. Now I have to decide if I really need one or not. The hexagons seem like such a good way of using up small pieces of fabric. I want to try a few for a stitch journal page. Your February piece is glorious. It reminds me Spring is coming. The blanket looks beautiful too. I love the colors. Do you know Ted Kooser’s book of prose, Local Wonders? It’s another beautifully written book.