Greetings dear Unraveler’s and Happy April!
Sweater knitting continues… at least for the moment. But yes… I am running out of momentum, sigh. My thoughts are turning to the approaching warm weather and last fall I put away an in-progress summery top that has been singing a siren song. I will continue to plug away at the Waffle Pullover but I am thinking that I would really like to get back to the Shakerag Top I began last year.
However, morning beading continues… I cut a length of thread and stitch until that thread is “used up” and then I start my day! In class, I really thought that the chop/seed bead fill parts were going to be my least favorite but I am here to tell you… I love it! So much! The seed bead “corner” took me three mornings of stitching and I loved every second of it! I am very close to finishing the “first half” of the bandana and I am so surprised by how much I am enjoying the entire process. I just have the one last rectangle circled.
The sweetest spot of stitching
The reading continues to be so delightful. I am listening to Teyari Jones Kin and enjoying it tremendously. The narration is excellent! I had just one finish this week, Elizabeth Berg’s latest… Life: A Love Story. The story of the last weeks of life of a 92 year old woman, Florence – Flo, who has been recently told by her doctor that she has not long to live. The story is a balance between letter writing and her vicarious interactions with her neighbors. The letter is for Ruthie, a young woman to whom she is leaving her house and its contents. The contents, of course, have stories and how Flo shares those stories is delightful. The interactions are equally delightful… from the neighbor dog to people living around her… one of whom works as a death doula… it is a beautiful ending to a long life and I highly recommend it!
So as April begins, I have a question for you all… is spring/summer making calling to you?
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Choices, choices – summer weight or winter weight. Maybe a little bit of both now and again although having the summer top ready to wear would probably be a better idea than finishing the waffle and just have it lounge around for several months doing nothing.
Your daily sewing looks more interesting as the weeks go by. I’m looking forward to seeing the end result. Sequins add a touch of classy bling to anything
It’s hard to stay focused on cold weather knitting when it’s finally feeling like spring, isn’t it? I hope you can find some motivation to work on it over the next several months — wouldn’t it be great to have it done and ready to wear on that first chilly fall day? It does make sense to give it a little break right now, though, to focus on finishing your Shakerag top.
Your sweater is looking good, but I certainly understand the dwindling interest in cold weather knitting. Tomorrow is supposed to be thirty degrees cooler than today, and I will welcome it! I’d like to get my wintery knitting done but I can also see that I better plan some warm weather projects. But your bandana is really stunning. Cathy described it perfectly; that is some classy bling!
Fun things Kat! Your Waffle looks beautiful, but I understand the desire to work on something not quite as heavy. I want to start a Shakerag. Are you using Ito by Kinu? I think I remember you getting that. Anyway, that’s what I have ready to be wound off the cone. Meanwhile, I love the lines you wrote about your stitching: cutting a length of thread and when it’s used up you begin your day. I’m in the queue for “Kin.” Perhaps I will try Elizabeth Berg’s latest – she is an author I sometimes enjoy and other times do not…
Well. I am struggling to stay motivated with my own Waffle, so I totally understand your wanting to shift to something lighter. (That is ONE heavy sweater, I gotta say. Great in the cold weather; not so appealing in the warmth of spring.) I am thinking of focusing on my Waffle alone for about . . . another week or so. But then shifting my knitting time to something more . . . light. (And faster.) I read ARCs of both Kin and Life: A Love Story. While I didn’t love either of them in the end, I liked one quite a bit, and the other not so much. (I’ll let you guess which is which.) And that bandana is a stunner!!! XO
PS – Having knit a Shakerag top (that I rarely wear), I have some . . . thoughts . . . about the pattern as written. (Mostly about how I would knit another . . . if I ever knit another.) Let me know if you want them. Otherwise, enjoy your summer knitting! XO
I share some of your current projects — I’m working on my beaded kerchief (which is such a treat), and knitting a Shakerag top. Since I didn’t “bang out” a waffle knit, it’s just long rows of the top right now. Curious for Kym’s hints and afraid it’s too late for me.
Your morning beading sounds like a great way to set the tone for every day!
I haven’t touched the Waffle Pullover in a week but I am making good progress on a pair of socks. I’m glad you are enjoying Kin, I thought it was great.
I love beading too, something quite calming about it. I am ploughing on with the summer top I started knitting last year- onto the easy bit of 15″ of stocking stitch.
Your bandana is going to be beautiful. It sounds like fun to have discovered some new-to-you beading skills. Or maybe you have done beading in the past? The texture of the Waffle Pullover is so pretty and I imagine quite warm on your lap. I am knitting some shortie socks which I cast on in a weak moment on a warm day. I understand the pull of some lighter warm-weather kind of projects.
I love what you’re making– the waffle sweater and the beaded bandanna! I knit a waffle sweater last year that was a slog. It fit fabulously and ultimately had to be (sob) ripped out because I’d screwed up the texture right across the bust!! A glaring line not just one of those things only knitters see. I just couldn’t get up themojo to knit it again so I have waffle envy when I see others.
I hear you on running out of momentum I am almost done with the first sleeve of my sweater and yet I started a shawl!!