Greetings and Happy Wednesday Gentle Unraveler’s!
It feels like it’s been forever since we all gathered together to share what we are making and reading!
I want to thank you all for your kind thoughts about our power being out. The fact is, this is a frustration but not a hardship. We can easily go replace every single thing that has been lost. What it has done is refocused my attention on the many for whom this will be an insurmountable hurdle. I will be doing an extra shop this week and adding to a free refrigerator that is available in Carnegie as well as dropping some bags of non-perishable things at a local pantry.
My neighborhood lost some stately old trees in that storm and it breaks my heart. The landscape looks wounded and raw, I will be grieving the loss of those trees for a long time. The rainstorms have kept coming as well… our power has been … fragile … in the days since it returned, sigh. It was one thing to worry about our power whilst in a very comfortable Airbnb versus this constant off and on thing the power is doing right now… well, it is just Not Fun!
But enough of my power woes… how about a bit of what I have completed… both in making and reading! Plus there is a bonus update on a newly started project!
April Stitching in all her glory!
First, April stitching was so delightful! I noted my daff’s blooming there, Easter with a stitched Easter egg, and the first dandelion going to seed! I also took some inspiration from Mirjam Gielen and the fun IG post she shared this month. It is a “riff” on the feather stitch and I had fun giving this a go. I then took it a different way with my dandelion going to seed. April saw the “finish” of the top row of my whole cloth stitching and as you can see, May has been begun!
The “top row” completed!
I also have 20 pages completed for my 100 Day Stitch Book. I am contemplating assembly and how I want to do that… I am toying with exposed edges… but I want to experiment a bit to see how that will look in the finished product. Stay tuned!
100 Days of Stitching all ready to become a book!
On vacation I did not pick up the striped sock at all. Instead, I indulged in a bit of casting on a “new” thing… yes, I started another vest and managed to get the back completed while watching Season One of The Pitt! The yarn is repurposed yarn from a sweater that did not wear well (i.e. I could not keep it on and was always adjusting it when I wore it) … I think this vest will be a much better use of it! It is yarn spun from a unique sheep, Clun Forest.
Upon my return home, I picked up my Swirly Vest and made some great progress on the “flat knitting” portion. Yes, I am knitting it flat and figured out a way to work the color work while maintaining gauge… I can purl with the yarn in my “non-dominant” hand but my tension is absolutely horrible. But yarn dominance is important in the project, so I am purling back across throwing (as is my preferred way of knitting) and dropping one yarn and picking up the next… and I am keeping the dark color “above” the variegated lighter color. It is working and my gauge is staying spot on! Woo! I am almost done with the front and will be ready to get the back going soon! There are some upcoming construction techniques that are new to me so I am excited to try them!
The reading has been delightful. I have some finishes to share with you all (and some reviews to write – which I hope to get to this week!) My finishes include two Netgalley books that have just been published: Lili Taylor’s Turning to Birds (published 4.29.25) and Virginia Evans’ The Correspondent (also published 4.29.25) I loved both of these books so much. Taylor’s book felt a bit like an epistolary novel… but really it is a collection of short stories about her life as a birder. Evans’ book is an epistolary novel and it was just delightful! I fell deeply in love with dear Sybil. The idea of an “unsent, in progress letter” is a fascinating one. I also contemplated (with Sybil) forgiveness. It is a beautifully written story. I also finished the next RWU book, Nesting. I have not yet rated this book and am still chewing on the story. Of course, the writing is just so good (I mean are there any better writers on the planet than an Irish writer?!) and the story is one that is layered and “chewy.”
I also finished listening to Thomas Perry’s The Old Man (of the tv show fame.) I had watched the show and enjoyed it, but had never read the book. In the interim between hold availability it was “ready now” from the library so I gave it a go. Okay, first up… I really enjoyed the show, but the book was so much better! And this is despite not having a fantastic narrator for the audio book (the mediocre narrator was Peter Berkrot) I really enjoyed the complete differences between the show and the book! It made it seem like two totally different things… if you like a good ex-CIA mystery, this one is so very good!
And there you have my not very brief update for you all… I am eager to see what you all have been making and reading as April ended and May has begun!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
Bravo for finding a way to make colorwork tension consistent while working flat! I’ve avoided having to do that if I possibly can because I know I’ll never get the same tension purling that I will knitting. The stitching is looking marvelous, particularly when you see the whole piece.
You are so kind to think of the people who can’t so easily replace the contents of their refrigerators. I’ve been thinking about the food pantries that lost everything and how especially devastating that is. I’ll be making some extra donations this month.
Love, love, love your stitching, Kat. Inspired! (And inspirING, too.) And bravo to you for managing the back-and-forth colorwork! (I always refuse doing that, and turn to steeking instead. . . ) Longer-term power loss (anything longer than a day) is such a devastating issue. Personally, we’ve experienced a few of those situations in our days – usually from big spring/summer storms . . . and once from a devastating ice storm. It is hard enough when you have resources to deal with it (and did you know that many homeowners insurance policies cover fridge/freezer content loss from power outages?), but for so many people . . . the losses are just devastating – and insurmountable. And the trees . . . oh, it’s so sad. I hope your power stabilizes again soon, Kat. XO
Wow to all of your stitching, knitting, and reading! I love seeing all those nicely tensioned snails and your stitching is something I could spend lots of time looking at! I have a long wait for Turning to Birds but loved The Correspondent. I hope to have Nesting again next week so I can read it slowly this time. I think there will be much to discuss.
Thanks for linking to the Free Fridge. I’ve made a small donation while I sit here procrastinating my own grocery shopping trip. It’s a chore I dislike but I can do it and afford it, so thank you for pointing out that may not be the case for others.
Wow Kat! Your stitching is just so beautiful. I’m in love with it and thanks for showing the entire piece (so far) (how wide is it?). Your 100 day stitch book is so interesting and beautiful as well. Bravo on your color work tension (something I should practice…). The snail vest is simply gorgeous.
I picked up Nesting yesterday (can’t wait to dive in) and am in queue for The Correspondent and Turning to Birds. Thanks to you I just requested The Old Man from my library!
I’m sad to hear about the trees that your neighbor lost. And, of course, all that others lost as well. I do hope your power stabilizes quickly. It’s amazing how dependent we are on it, isn’t it?
The swirl colorwork sweater is lovely. Please share the pattern name and designer? I tried to find it on Ravelry, without success.
Thank you.
I enjoy your column each time it’s in my inbox.
Sorry about that it is one of Lindsay Degen’s designs: Narutomaki Vest (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/narutomaki-vest)
Sounds like you were super creative with your time away, that’s always a good thing. I love your stitching, so beautiful!!
Kudos to you for the way you have managed to knit colorwork flat. I look forward to seeing that vest. Your stitching is so creative and beautiful. Maybe this kind of slow stitching has been around for a long time but I think it is just lovely – the result and the process. It’s so nice not to have to make everything perfect according to the rules. Great book reviews too. The Correspondent is on my list.
Your stitching is so cool and artsy! You’ve covered a lot of good creative things in this post plus some great reading. I hope your power situation is feeling more stable, too.