Greetings gentle Unraveler’s and Happy Wednesday!
I have been knitting a round or four each day on the Waffle Pullover, but it does not look much different from last week, so no picture. Honestly, this is The Slog of knitting… the rounds are long… I am still a long way from dividing the sleeves and so I knit on knowing that each bit gets me that much closer to that milestone!
In another realm of slow making but one that might be the tiniest bit more fun! I have completed all the reverse appliqué and backstitch quilting for the Alabama Chanin scarf and I have begun beading! Curiously, the beading actually seems to go a bit faster… or at least it is faster than threading the beading needle! I have worked out a bit of a “help” for me… I apply some beeswax to just the end of the thread and then ever so carefully coax the thread through the minuscule eye. Once I have it threaded, I cut off the bit with the beeswax… and I am off and running stitching! I have decided that it would be smartest to bead one half first and as you can see, I began with sequins, which are backstitched down… it seemed the logical choice since all the previous stitching was backstitch. Then I moved on to bugle beads and my beloved running stitch… this stitch for me is stitch nirvana and it is no less fun with a bead included! The AC “stitch map” has quite a few sections of what they call “armor beading” and I will be channeling Vicki as I work through those bits. As you can see, I have begun! And… the fussiest (at least to me) bits are the random sections with chop and seed beads… when I practiced on this in class, this was the slowest going and I am hoping that my proficiency in the techniques will improve as I progress. Proficiency and some double sided tape… this was a suggestion from the class with Natalie Chanin… put a bit of double stick tape on the back of your hand and put some beads on the tape and stitch away.
The start of armor beading and I am enjoying it!
On the reading front, I finished a most curious “mystery” book, The Story of Marceau Miller… written by Marceau Miller. The opening pages are the murder of Marceau… and the story that follows is one insanely twisty mystery. There is a cast of characters that are highly unlikable… truly a wretched bunch of people. And, as the story unfolds, you discover some fairly unsavory things about Marceau as well. For me, this story dragged a bit in the middle… imo, it needed a bit of editing. Nor was the ending at all a surprise to me (after all, at about the midpoint I decided that any one of the characters could have done it) but the ending seemed a bit rushed and unlikely to happen as written. This was a Netgalley ARC and was published March 3, 2026.
I have not finished Frederik Backman’s My Friends… I am just over halfway and still deeply loving this story. I have also been slowly working my way through The Blue House – Tomas Tranströmer’s poetry and loving it… so much. I am profoundly grateful for people who translate… Patty Crane did a spectacular job in her translations and in doing so has introduced me to a poet that I am enjoying tremendously!
How are you all doing as we have passed the midpoint of March?
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That beading looks deeply addictive, perhaps even more so than plain stitching because of the shiny factor. The ARC you read sounds like a book I can easily skip! I have no problem DNFing a book, but with ARCs, I always feel like I need to finish to give a totally honest review.
I love your beading! It may be slow, but it looks great. I was trying to pick a favorite, but each of the types you described is wonderful. I will probably skip that ARC, but each week I’m more tempted to buy a copy of that poetry book!
So pretty Kat! Your beading does look like fun. And the Armor Beading – that really looks like fun to me! I just requested a different book by Tomas Tranströmer that my library has: “Bright Scythe” (also translated by Patty Crane).
It’s looking great, Kat! I think armor beading is my favorite beading technique, and I am so in love with that Disco Ball bead mix.
I finished my Waffle sweater FINALLY. That compressed row gauge feels like no progress is being made at all. Plus, I had to reknit both sleeves. Sigh.
Your beading is looking great! And I feel like I’m in the same black hole with my waffle pullover!
The beading and slow stitching is so interesting and pretty. I imagine it is a nice counterpoint to the Waffle Sweater. I am clueless about beads and beading so it is fun to read about your progress.
That beading is so good. Sorry I haven’t been contributing much recently. It’s being one of those years!
I love the beading! I have never done that. My granddaughter would love the ‘bling’ immensely. I am chugging along on my yoke sweater making steady progress.