by Kat | Aug 28, 2024 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings dear Unraveler’s!
It is the last Wednesday of August… I know. I blinked and the month was over… even with two uncomfortable days (One month without my sweet Sherman and what would have been his 12th birthday.) I think those days were worse for me because Steve is of the “no more dogs ever mindset.”
Anyways, I told you this month I have been dabbling… but I don’t have a lot to show for any making this week! I have not knit another stitch on my silk shawl… but I did do all kinds of knitty maths to figure out how to work those sleeves on my sweater. I have opted with the completely detached, flat, and knit from the cuff up (so exactly like the sweater body was knit) option. One would think that this would be easy to figure out the math on this, but it was not. My solution is not perfect, but it works and I am working along… the bonus is that there are no sleeve increases outside of the rapid increases done after the cuff ribbing is finished so it is a straight-away to the shoulder. I think a week of nighttime television watching should see this sleeve done and perhaps a good start on its mate! Then the real work happens… putting the sleeves in the body. (Yeah, I am thinking lots about how that all will work…)
I also have a finished Gnome! This is Gnatty… I like him but I think he needs something. I am thinking a sweater. Stay tuned!
As for my dabbling in painting adventures this week… I tried something very different this week and my result was better than I expected! I will paint this again a few times to see if I can improve the end result. I am sharing the inspiration image for your comparison!
The reading this week was a bit of a mixed bag. I finished three books… Dark Matter, A Death in Cornwall, and Convenience Store Woman. All very different and while ymmv, I found Convenience Store Woman to be the most impressive. This week I am reading a Netgalley advanced copy of A Fabled Earth and listening to Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn. I am further in the latter than I am in the advanced copy… but I am liking both of them thus far!
Note: the following is a bit of a Soapbox Rant, feel free to skip it!
My library is making some rather dramatic changes to Libby and Hoopla come September… I am happy about one and sad about the other. First, Libby where we can currently have up to 20 books on hold… yes, that is a lot! However, September 1st the number of holds we can have drops to 10, which is still a really good amount… I currently hover between 10 and 12 holds so this won’t change much for me. I am hopeful this change will mean a much shorter wait time for an item. The Hoopla change however, is quite dramatic and there is no way I can see that it is a good thing. They are reducing the monthly borrows to 5 from 15. Currently, I listen to way more than 5 titles a month on Libby… way more. Sigh. Maybe this won’t have much of an overall impact if the hold list in Libby moves quicker… but really, this all boils down to money… as in the money that libraries are charged for digital materials. I will absolutely be attending some upcoming local council meetings to ask about increasing library funding!
Rant over!
How about you all… are you excited to turn the page to September?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Aug 21, 2024 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings dear Unravelers!
I am short on sleep this week as I am staying up late to soak in every moment happening in Chicago! But all that watching means I have made some excellent headway on knitting projects!
I finished my August socks with lots of time to spare and I have a nice fat bottomed Gnome close to completion!
I also reached my first color “shift” in my shawl… woot! Gradual and perfect!
Knitting perfection!
But not all knitting has good news this week. That sleeve I had underway? Well after almost 2 full pattern repeats, I ripped it out. I did not like how it looked… perhaps because my gauge in the round was WAY off and it pulled in horrendously. I am back to contemplating workable solutions… the solution that has percolated to the top might be the best solution. I am contemplating a number of options from picking up stitches and not joining in the round, knitting flat from the cuff up and seaming it in, figuring out how to make it a “vest”, or tossing the patterning all together and just knitting a plain stockinette sleeve…. and currently the last option seems to me to be the smartest option. If you have any other ideas, chime right in… I’d like to get this in the done and ready to wear category especially since we’ve had some hints of autumn in the weather this week!
The reading though… I finished Brian Doyle’s One Long River of Song, which is a collection of his essays that were published posthumously. I loved each and every one of them. They are perfection… some I even shared with Steve (the Pants essay was particularly perfect! lol) I have not stopped thinking about them since I finished it!
I also finished P.J. Tracy’s latest from the Margaret Nolan series, City of Secrets. This was my first Tracy book and while I thought the book was good…there was so much backstory that I struggled with, rather the lack of my knowing the backstory! Sometimes you can read a series book without having read any of the prior books, but this book needs the reader to have some backstory. I did feel it was very realistic though… and there was a wild twist. If you have read the previous books in the Margaret Nolan series, I think you will love this one!
My current read is Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, Emergence Magazine’s Time, and the latest Gabriel Allon – A Death in Cornwall.
And there you have my week… what about you? What are you making this week? (And a wee reminder from Monday, Kay and Ann are organizing a Makers for Kamala online event… you won’t want to miss it!)
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Aug 14, 2024 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings dear Unravelers and Happy (almost) Mid-August!
I have two words for today…. Flying By! As in what this month is doing… at warp speed! And I am feeling a definite loss with no Olympics this week… Paris was spectacular and the athletes were all amazing!
So what’s a knitter to do when the month is flying by and there are no Olympics? Well… I have come down with a case of cast-on-itis and I am going with it! Line up all the things to cast on! LOL
First sock done and so I cast on and made some headway on the second sock!
A wee mystery gnome… one that is being done by the publisher of Sarah Schira’s new book (it is free, if you are so inclined) Two clues are out… and I have a hat and the start of what appears to be a very stout body! I do love me a fat-bottomed gnome! Haha! (The book will be published this September and I will add a pro-tip… if you like your gnomes to look a specific way… this might be the book for you. All gnomes “parts” are interchangeable!)
A hint of a sleeve has begun!
My sleeve… at long last! Yes, it took a good bit of fiddling but sleeve one is underway! (And this is the fiddliest project with swapping balls of yarn each round… it was manageable on the flatlands of the body but in the round is not as fun.) This was also NOT a project for Olympic Watching… there are just too many things to count so it got little love during the Olympics… however, the color is screaming fall to me so I believe that it will be back in the rotation!
And a new scarf! This one I am really excited about… it is almost like striped sock knitting, except the rows are longer! I love that the pattern is completely reversible… so there won’t be a wrong side. And my hope is that this will be as beautiful as I think it is going to be! I am having a bit of an issue with “loose” stitches going from the knit to the purl (funnily… it is not the same with the purl to the knit) and the yarn is 100% silk, so giving it a good tug is not the same as when one does that will wool.
One repeat done… lots more to go!
Whew… that’s a lots of making for one person! The days have been so glorious, I have been doing lots of porch knitting and it would be totally okay with me if this was the weather for the remainder of August!
Now on to the books… I had just one finish this week, Sipsworth. It was such a delight! Perhaps it is the space I am in right now, but this book hit all the things I need a book to hit! An interesting character, a beautiful story, and an ending that was perfection! Bravo to Mr. Van Booy for the genius of making an 83 year old women the focus of this book! I highly recommend!
My current listen is a book that has been on my radar for some time now, and a bit of a “gap” in my hold list (and some technical error with Hoopla) allowed me to listen to Brian Doyle’s One Long River of Song. It is short story perfection… exactly the thing I need on these late summer days! It is not long so I am slowly savoring an essay or two a day to make it last!
A bit of a future note… Sarah mentioned recently that she picked up some books at a book sale… one of which is Rosamunde Pilcher’s September! This book has been on my radar for some time now, and so I sent a rapid email to Sarah wondering if she’d like to do a bit of a buddy read next month! She, likewise, thought this was a very good idea… and I would like to invite you all to join us in a September read of Pilcher’s September. (It is available on Hoopla, so that makes it very easy!)
And there you have my week of makes and reads! What about you? What is tempting you as the midpoint of August looms?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you! (and I will be back tomorrow with some poetry to share!)
by Kat | Aug 7, 2024 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Dear Unravelers!
I have one burning question today… how on earth are we already a week into August?!
I have been working on a new rhythm to my days and I am struggling quite a bit because Sherman was deeply woven into the fabric of my days. But right now, the most difficult part of my day are mornings. My routine very much centered on Sherman so I am trying new things and being tender with myself as I flounder through the changes. I know that a figuring out a new rhythm takes time.
I have been knitting… thank heavens for the Olympics! I have the first August Sock done! I will start its mate this afternoon!
July done… simple stitching but I love everything about this one!
My July stitching really helped me cement a “new” way of stitching for me. I am spending less time thinking about what to stitch… but instead, I am stitching the same stitches each day… I simply change the color I am stitching with. I love how this looks and am eager to continue on this path… so, as you can see above, my August stitching will focus on “stitch soldiers” … a simple straight line within a couched border. I am really glad I did NOT get May started before I figured this out… pluses and triangles, FTW!
My Obi-wan sock… and a sweater that is one big sigh right now.
Now on to the sweater… sigh. I did finish the left front but I have yet to give it a good soak and blocking… why? Well, we have like 9000% humidity and I am not certain when it would dry! Instead, I carefully (read loosely…lol) did a 3-needle bind off of the left shoulder and then I began the process of picking up stitches for the sleeve… and my stitch count did not work out for the patterning. So I ripped out the 6 rows I did and have yet to sit back down and try again. I really should wind the last hank of yarn I have, so I can blend that skein in over both sleeves. Fortunately, winding yarn is an excellent task for watching the Olympics!
The reading has, thankfully, picked up a bit… which is a good thing! I had three finishes… the best of the three is Liz Moore’s latest, The God of the Woods. It was brilliant and full of layers. If you are looking for something to read… look no further! I highly recommend it! My current listen is not at all in that category… I am listening to Cat Bohannon’s Eve… with very mixed thoughts. It started out quite fascinating… but then quickly jumped off the fascinating to the absurd? Unbelievable? Speculation? I don’t know… but I am about a hours in and not sure I will finish it… but I will try giving it another hour or so of listening to see if it gets back to the fascinating part.
There you have my week! What about you? What are you excited about right now?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Jul 31, 2024 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings dear Unravelers and Happy Last Day of July!
Yes, July… I am very glad to see the end of you… so very glad. For those of you counting… just 8 weeks until autumn arrives. But if you, like me, start thinking fall thoughts right after Labor Day, well… it will be here soon! (Five weeks and counting!)
I would like to thank all of you for your kind thoughts, your shared sympathy, and your treasured friendship as I work through the grief of losing my beloved Sherman. Your thoughts have meant so much to me. They have buoyed me up when I was at the bottom and you have made all the difference in my days. Thank you!
I have done small bits of knitting… small bits. My brain is struggling to focus and I remind myself that that is okay. I did manage to finish the shortie socks (which makes the 7th pair of socks I have knit this year!!) I used this pattern and I followed the pattern exactly as written up to the toes. It made no sense to me at all to knit the toe and then graft the toe to the sole of the sock! I mean I don’t mind grafting but grafting over 20 stitches is WAY different than grafting over 64 stitches… so I fell back to my favorite toe from Hermoine’s Everyday Socks. The fit on these socks is really wonderful! Several of you wondered how they would “stay on” with the heel, but my gosh… they do! The designer uses some stitches from the instep in the heel and it is ingenious! Yes I would knit these again! (And for Blogless Karen who asked several weeks ago if I would share what yarn I am using… I have no clue at all about this sock yarn. The band was long gone but I think it might be yarn I purchased from the Loopy Ewe? Maybe from their Dream in Color club??)
Shortie socks… perfect for my way too much AC house!
The sweater is looking down right sweaterish! The right front is completed and I am nearing the halfway point for the left front. Once the left front is done, I am going to give it a good soak and then block it before joining the shoulders. Then I will be ready to pick up and knit the sleeves! The yarn I am using, for those wondering, is Briar Rose Fibers Joyful (which is sadly, discontinued.)
And because we have been watching LOTS of Olympics (I personally LOVED the opening ceremonies!!) I started another sock with some Must Stash Yarn in the Old Ben color way. No pattern, just knitting a sock (as knitters do!)
I have no reading finishes this week… (see above about my brain struggling to keep focus) but I am listening to the latest Anthony Horowitz mystery. (The Moonflower Murder) And with my eyes, I am reading The God of the Woods.
There you have my week of making and reading. What about you? Are you casting on anything new this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Jul 17, 2024 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings dear Unraveler’s and Happy Wednesday!
I rediscovered knitting and have something to show for it! Yes, I have a finished back and a healthy start on the right front… The end is in sight! I have such little bits to go on this sweater! I will absolutely have a new sweater for fall! Yay!
I also have given that shortie sock some love… I am currently at the “mindless knitting” phase of the foot! I did her heel as per the directions and I very much like how it turned out! (and the fit is good with no alterations, I am going to remember her trick of borrowing a few stitches from the arch to give the heel a bit more space!)
The weather is just reached the “most miserable” stage of the summer, which usually is August… now. Our AC runs a lot! (Steve told me what the electric bill was last and I almost died! I shudder to think what it will be next month!)
But the star this week has been the reading! I will likely finish A Gentleman in Moscow today… this book lost nothing in a second reading. I love it as much, if not more than I did the first time through! I also finished (twice… yes twice!) Clear. I loved it. The writing is sparse, but so beautiful. I really did not want the book to end, so I read it again! This is a book that will stay with me for a very long time post-reading. I also finished book seven in the Max Tudor series… I have enjoyed this charming little series and this installment was very good and I did not figure it out until near the end… which is always a very good thing! And I also finished the Ministry of Time yesterday… and I am hoping I took good notes because I have no plans to read this again before the RWU discussion in September. (If you are guessing I did not like it, you’d be right. And even worse… so many of my questions were not answered in the book! Sigh.)
Finally… there has been so many posts about the NYTime’s “The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century” all over social media. (I find their list of 100 missing some very important things… but as in all things my 100 best books would not be your 100 best books, but we are reading and that is a very good thing!) Here is my list of the 29 books I read (from their list) and the 6 I have added to my TBR list!
How about you? Are you surviving summer?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
