Greetings Gentle Unravelers!
July is proving to me that even smoky, hellscape months move along quickly. (Whew, right?) This week we are having an abatement in temperatures and the smoke has likewise receded to yellow. I have not been so aware of breathing (or rather the struggle to breathe) as I have been over the past spate of days. Frankie, with his adorable brachycephalic face, does not appreciate it much either… so walking has been non-existent.
But, indoor time is not entirely a bad thing. I have been knitting away on my Ranunculus and the body is almost done and then onward to Sleeve Island!
One very comfortable Ollie Top!
And there has been hand sewing! AC’s Ollie Top took 5 days start to finish. And really… in those 5 days… I spent maybe 20 minutes a day for the first 4 days and an hour on the fifth. Once I got the facing pinned on and I got in the “groove” I just kept going so as to keep my running stitches even. The end result is almost perfection! I have plans to make another one!
I saw some fabric in a Brooklyn Haberdashery email paired with kzstevens One Yard Minimalist Top pattern and I was in. I washed the fabric over the weekend and on Monday I gave it a quick ironing and then cut out the rectangles. A spool of button craft thread and a needle are waiting for me to stitch it up! Yes, entirely by hand!
The reading this week is peak summer reading. I am immersed in Richard Powers Playground on my Kindle. I am almost done (maybe by the time you read this, I will be done!) I enjoyed this book but not as much as I did The Overstory. But it feels very much along the lines of what he was trying to do in The Overstory. There were twists and turns I did not see coming and it has me thinking about all the water on the planet. The characters are ones I will think about as well.
I finished Belle Burden’s Strangers this week. I listened to her recount the dissolution of her marriage. I have very mixed feelings about her story, but I think her side of the retelling was well written. (I say her side as if there were two sides in this whole thing and while there were two parties involved… I believe her.) But I think the story was about more than her marriage. I have been thinking about her title and the irony of it. In her trying to find sense in what happened she discovered that she was a stranger to herself and that the biggest journey was for her to find herself again.
I also finished Yael van der Wouden’s The Safekeep. A story that had a twist that I did not see coming… and once that happened it altered my thoughts dramatically about this book and I thought the ending was a more than a bit unbelievable. I think the intimacy in the book feels awkward… I almost stopped reading it. (Thanks, Debbie for your review to keep me pushing through) In some ways it feels like a coming of age story (before the giant twist…) but perhaps it is better to describe it as a coming out story.
There you have my weekly catch up with my making and reading… what about you? What does your late July making and reading look like?
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You are on a roll Kat! Your Ollie Top is adorable. So floaty – it must be lovely to wear in this weather. I look forward to seeing your Minimalist once that is done. I read “The Safekeep” a few months ago and liked it, though some of it felt over-done to me. I just finished Land and loved it!
I just heard that the dew point might go down into the 40s tomorrow, so we’re going to get some delightful cooler weather! Your new top is adorable — I’ll bet it’s very comfy in the hot weather. You did some excellent reading this past week, certainly books that give you a lot to think about.
Your Ollie top looks airy, floaty, and cool, and I’m interested in seeing the Minimalist top. And all sewn by hand! I think your take on Strangers is one that I hadn’t really considered. I certainly believed her; I just had trouble understanding how she could have been so financially naive. But given the circumstances and wealth she was raised in, maybe she just took it for granted that finances would be taken care of, and she did need to find herself. The Safekeep wasn’t really for me, but I did like the cover! 🙂
What a great top, Kat! It looks cool and comfortable for summer . . . and perfect for layering under a cardigan (or Ranunculus????) as things cool off. And I’m happy to see your new sewing project, too!
Your Ollie top is beautiful – and your next project sent me on a small rabbit hole trip through KZStevens website. Inspiring!
I made that one-yard minimalist top a few years ago from a pair of Gudrun SjödĂ©n pants that were a little too wild (for me) as pants, but PERFECT for a top. It’s been in regular rotation ever since. I did not sew mine by hand, though; I recall impatience & the need for a finish! And I modified the neckline so that the front has a bit of a curve. I’m looking forward to seeing yours!!
Your Ollie top looks perfect for a hot summer day! Glad you enjoyed The Safekeep!
Oh, I want to make a blouse this summer! Yours looks super comfortable.
wow so many inspirations to look into from this post !
Ollie top is fabulous and sounds fun to make, New to me and noted!
One yard top -reminds me I have one partially finished—from 2023, sewing on the machine,how could that not be an easy and happy thing to revisit.
Also your book reviews-thanks as always.
The top looks so perfect for summer, airy, cool, and comfortable. Well done! I tried The Safekeep but for some reason couldn’t get into it. I hope the smoke filled skies clear up as it sounds quite miserable. It’s hard not to be able to go outdoors and be comfortable.
I cannot wait to get back to knitting and reading! I was with family for five days and golly not much happened with crafting. I love that fast top, perfect for summer days.