Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! First knitting post of the new year - and I've been quite busy with my knitting. After a massive catching up on chores and tasks on Monday, I spent most of my Tuesday knitting which made me gloriously happy. The above photo is a new project using the shawl kit I received as a Christmas present from a knitting friend. As always changing colors and striping sequences can be addictive.  My other project that I decided to resume knitting is my languishing hat . I finished the four inch ribbing and started the fair isle portion of the pattern. I designed this hat many years ago and my chart has scant notes. This second time knitting it I'm trying to figure out what I did and write better notes. Thank goodness for Ravelry and the photos that are there of the previous hat! What are you working on this week?  Joining Ginny

  Over the weekend I finished the LAST pair of socks for the kids. I knit each adult child and spouse a pair of socks.  I am thrilled that I met my knitting goal before the end of November. The above photo is a pair of socks for my future daughter in law. What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

  I finished two projects since I last posted my knitting news update. Sadly I have to guess when I finished these socks ! So let's say sometime last week? I have no idea. But they are finished and they turned out great. I'm knitting a pair of socks for each of the kids and their partners. I am half way done! The baby blanket turned out so nice and because it's all cotton, it's soft and has a cosy feel to it. I'll be wrapping this up for the nephew's baby to be within the next week or so. I have a wee cardigan to go with it, more about that next week. What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

  I set my mind to finishing this shawl over the weekend.  As you can see, I succeeded!  I love how it turned out and as we know, blocking out the shawl is magical.  I was worried that the size would be too small and my fears were unfounded.  I blocked the daylights out of it! I love the lacy look and the way the shawl is shaped as a crescent shawl.  Crescent and asymmetrical shawls are my favorite at the current moment. Ravelry notes     What have you been working on this week? Joining Ginny

Hello! I have to admit that this week has been upside down with my knitting.  The above project also had to ripped out two rows (twice!) because clearly I am challenged at following a pattern correctly.  However, I am happy to report I am back on track and the knitting is easy! I've had two knitting zoom meetings and at both I made some errors.  Reading and knitting is fine, talking and knitting is a slippery slope for me. I finished reading Rules of Civility  by Amor Towles.  Overall I enjoyed the book, I had trouble getting into the story line at the beginning and the ending was 'okay' but all the middle part I enjoyed a lot.  I have a Tana French book, In the Woods , that I'm itching to start today.   What are you working on this week?

I finished this shawl over a week ago and it's officially the first holiday gift of 2020.  I love how this turned out!  I've knit many Helen Stewart patterns and enjoy how the directions are easy to follow.  There is nothing like steadily increasing stitches on every row watching the shawl take form. The yarn is from Apple Tree Knits  which I highly recommend.  The gradient color themes they create are fabulous and the wool blends are beautiful. I am officially done with my 'pink' phase of knitting (maybe!). Ravelry notes Joining Ginny

I finished my second hitchhiker shawl over the weekend and I'm quite pleased with the results.  I decided to knit 45 teeth sections which required me to dig through my stash and unearth some purple sock yarn to achieve my goal.  There is something soothing in knitting garter stitch and making each row longer and longer. I'll be saving this finished knit for the fall to wear.  The yarn was a Christmas gift from a friend and I loved the colors that were throughout the skein.  I started reading A Reliable Wife  a few days ago and the reviews are iffy on Goodreads.  However, whenever a book description includes the word 'gothic', I am roped in because in my youth I read nothing but gothic romance novels. So far I am enjoying it. Ravelry notes What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

I finished the last hat over the Thanksgiving weekend and now I need to sew in the tags and wrap them up.  They are gifts for the adult kids who will all be here for Christmas.  I enjoyed knitting this pattern four times.  I continue to be a repeat offender when I find a pattern that I like. Also knitting with worsted weight wool has its benefits, these were speedy knits compared to my go to fingering weight choices. Now to cast on a pair of socks for my husband for Christmas! Ravelry notes  What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

I finished not one pair but two pairs of mitts .  One pair is slightly longer in the hand and thumb for a known recipient's hand size.  The second pair is a 'guesstimate' size.  They will fit! Now that I've knit this pattern three times, I'm ready to move onto something different.  For several years now I will knit the same pattern a couple of times if I like it and believe it would make a great gift.  There is something soothing about knitting a familiar pattern and getting into a zen state of mind. What have you been working on this week? Joining Ginny

I was hoping this shawl would be off the needles but yesterday was a babysitting day and a three year old doesn't stop much anymore.  Maybe today I'll be casting off!  I love working on this super simple shawl pattern and watching my gradient colors shift from one to another. I started a hat for me last weekend but haven't worked on it much lately.  Once the shawl is done I will be focusing on a 'me' gift. Last but not least are my mitts that I ripped out and cast on in the larger size.  I've done a lot of knitting but little to show since I started over.  I love working with this earthy wool. I'm reading: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (kindle) Glass Houses by Louise Penny (kindle) Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr Trevor Noah Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Joining Ginny

Over the long weekend, I caved in and started a new knitting project with one of the gradient yarns I purchased last week.  Ah, the decadence of sitting and preparing a new project.  It's like cracking open the first page of a new novel. So far this knit is a breeze and I'm seeing the color change as of last night (not in the photo).  My reading has been various this past week, here is the current list: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Murder is a Motive by Francis Duncan Almost Everything by Anne Lamott Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr The Neil Gaiman book is on my Kindle and I read that one on the treadmill.  The others are 'real' books and I read them whenever.  Having this many to read I find I'm always in the mood for one of them! What are you working on this week? Joining Ginny

I finished the second of three cowls that I placed in project bags before the summer started.  This time around the pop color is a pale pink.  I took some photos for you all to show the finished cowl but I need to re-soak the cowl because after it dried I saw some minor bleeding from the dark colors to the pale pink wool. Ravelry notes I am reading on my Kindle a psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window.  I know it's over done at times in novels, but I love an unreliable narrator.  While the plot is a slow buildup I am reading this book any moment I get a chance just to see what happens next. What are you working on? Joining Ginny

I've been thoroughly enjoying knitting this  cowl in scrappy yarns.  However, I'm running out of all three colors so I'll be diving into scrap stash and see what I can unearth to finish off the cowl.  The above knitting project is the THIRD cast on attempt and right before bed on Monday night I thought 'this is it!  this is finally to my liking'.  Yesterday during my photo shoot of my projects for the this post my thoughts went to 'good gracious this is awful'.  I have dropped down two needles sizes and still dislike how loopy everything looks.  I believe this lace weight yarn has lots of sizing in it and makes the wool stiff.  I've knit with this before and vaguely remember thinking this.  Anyways...  I'm ripping the shawl out today and finding some other worthy lace weight wool in my stash to make this project . I'm enjoying A Gentleman in Moscow immensely.  The writing is lyrical and I find the Count delightful.  I ca

I grabbed some cotton kitchen yarn on my way out the door to babysitting and was delighted when the pops of color appeared when I started knitting.  You can never ever have too many dishcloths  if you ask me.  I picked up this skein at a Hobby Lobby when I was out and about with my sister over the Easter weekend.  I've never been in a Hobby Lobby and loved exploring, if I was feeling better, I probably would have spent way more money there. I know you all are asking, 'but Karen!  Where is your sweater?'.  The sweater is waiting for a skein of yarn to be delivered.  I'm kind of okay with the break from the sweater dilemma and the yarn shortage. I also added some inches to my Holly inspired shawl  at work as well. I started a new book a week or so ago, Summer at the Lake, so far I find the characters interesting and it's a slowly evolving romance but not overly romance.  My kindle book is Code Name Verity.  This is my treadmill book that entertains me.

Another week of knitting and yet my knitting progess appears minimal.  Three inches have been added to the underarm body length of my cardigan .  I'm still fretting over whether I have enough yarn but I will definitely know when my current skein runs out.  Based on this, I will decide what to do.  I could buy another skein of wool same color but most likely in a different dye lot.  I'd do the ribbing of the body and the sleeves with that new dye lot skein. I'm happy I've invented a plan.  My fingers are cross that I do not need to buy more yarn! Still the first sock out of two and the socks continue to be my grab and go project.  I haven't had much knitting time at work so I might start working on this project at home.  I could have a different project for babysitting. I'm reading One Flew Over the Cockoo's Nest.  Ordinarily I like edgy books but maybe I'm not in the mood or it's not the right time for this book.  I'm sticking w

Can you believe this is Ash Wednesday?  I cannot.  Time is flying by! I finally decided on a fingering weight cardigan using more of my quince and co wool in my stash.  I fell in love with the delicate yoke detail and the simple edging for the body and the sleeve cuffs.  I cast on over the weekend and as you can see, I have a ways to go for some progress. I am thrilled to have another sweater on the needles! My socks are slow going but isn't the color way beautifully subtle?  I keep thinking that I can't see the colors change unless I knit awhile and then I see it.  Sitting and knitting in a well lit room helps see the colors as well.  I have three books going as the same time- The first one is   House Rules by Jodi Picoult, I'm having a hard time getting into the book.  I fear the problem is reading this book before I fall asleep so maybe I'll be reading during the day to see if this helps. The second book is A Quiet Life in the Country by T. E. Ki

I finished the Valley socks are finished!  (yay) I'm on the first sleeve of my fair isle sweater .  I love working on this project and will be a little sad when I'm done.  But I'm not done so I'm still happy! My son's blanket is growing as well.  I achieved a great photo with the iphone instead of the big camera.  Maybe the sun peeking out today helped a bit in my shadowy house. I'm in the last 200 pages of George Washington.   I've enjoyed this book immensely however, it's a dense read and each sentence is dripping with information so it takes awhile to get through.  I do recommend this book if you want to learn more about the first president and the beginnings of the United States.  Earlier this week I started reading March and so far I like it.  I've read one other of Geraldine Brooks  (can't remember the title!).  Her writing flows and the research she does for historical fiction shows.  Another great book and writer