Yarn Along Shrug

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~



I'm trying not to miss out on the Yarn Along today, trying to get back into a blogging habit but it means I'll have to go out to my car to get my knitting project!

This week, I'm working, sporadically, on a Simple Shrug that I can keep in the car for those spare minutes during day trips. It's very simple, perfect for the car. And since I'm doing a lot of hand sewing in the house, the car is the best place to keep my current knit!

The yarn is an mohair acrylic blend that I recently acquired for free. (Someone donated a huge amount of old yarn for our AHG troop's Warm Up America project, but can use only acrylic for that. These 2 skeins of what looks like a really old label are actually very nice. I'm enjoying the project and I love the soft green. Winning!

I finished listening to All the Light We Cannot See the other day. I knew absolutely nothing about it, but I requested it since it has been so popular in the past year. Pulitzer Prize winner, eh? I did enjoy the story---WWII has always been a favorite subject---but I have a couple of bones to pick with the author. First, I'm not a fan of verbizing nouns. (I know, I just did it.) Ugh. The whole book is full of nouns-turned-verbs in an effort to make the language more colorful and picturesque. It seemed very elementary to me, and don't editors care about that sort of thing? Or do they just chalk it up to "style"? It was a constant distraction from the story as I would hear it and then start thinking about I would re-write the same sentence to create the same scene without using made-up words. Then I had to rewind....it got old. Second, it felt as if there were a half-dozen or more epilogues at the end. I like a story to be wrapped up, and I love knowing what happened to the main characters, but this seemed excessive. It was as if he wasn't sure where or how to end the book and his editor didn't bother to say..."Here. This is a good spot to wrap it up!"

I don't consider myself a fabulous writer, by any means, but some of the stuff that makes it past editors these days in books or newspapers boggles my mind. Am I the only one who feels this way?

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is reading! I'm sure that I chose that book based on seeing it in many Yarn Alongs. Yarns Along? Editor? ;-)

Lenten Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Have you seen the Panama Hat video/pattern? It's super-cute! One of my friends begged me for one, so I got to work with some white Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino that I had on hand. I've never used it before, but it's gorgeous and perfect for a child's knit. Feels wonderful, knits beautifully (or crochets, as the case may be!), and I'm sure it won't be scratchy at all. You know how kids hate scratchy stuff!

I found some free flower patterns at All-free Crochet to add to it in her favorite colors of pink and purple.

Unfortunately, the hat-recipient is a little punkin, even though she's 6 (?), so it was too big and I had to make another, slightly smaller. The extra one is in the shop over at Rosy Knits for someone who needs an Easter Bonnet!

The book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, was a gift from my husband when I suddenly felt the need to give up Facebook at the start of Lent. I haven't gotten far because I have a stack of other books to amuse myself with, but I expect it will be very interesting, and, perhaps, just slightly depressing. It was first published in 1985, with this 20th Anniversary edition released in 2005, and if we were amusing ourselves to death 30 years ago, the problem is infinitely greater now with the advent of home computers, laptops, smartphones, unlimited streaming data plans, and more. Have you read it?

This little punkin belongs to a friend. Teeny-tiny at just a few pounds, I was compelled to whip up a crocheted sweater to help her stay warm! "Mom" hadn't been able to find one small enough. No, that's not it in the photo, that is her leash harness.

Sock Knitting

           

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

My goal was to finish these socks by yesterday, but no such luck. I've tried, but maybe I underestimated how long it takes me to knit a sock. I thought it was a pair in a week, but it seems to be closer to one week per sock! I also expected them to be shorter than they are turning out to be---the ball of yarn doesn't seem to get any smaller no matter how hard I knit!

Well, I have lots of time for knitting today, so if I don't get distracted by Brooklyn or the crochet project I brought, I might be able to start the second sock. I don't think I will get to wear them for the winter weather this weekend, but I tried!

Oh, and Brooklyn? Loved the movie, loving the book as well.

Advent Yarn Along

           

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

It's a busy Advent season, but taking time out to recharge with a fun Star Wars hat, The Empire Strikes Back video, and chocolate is important. Especially if the hat is a Christmas present. ;-)

We are reading Caryll Houselander's The Reed of God every night at dinner. I don't know if everyone loves it as much as I do, but it's full of wisdom about emptying ourselves, making room for God within us, and saying 'yes' even to all the little mundane things God asks of us.

It's Really Fall! Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

~~~ The epic, two, solid weeks of rain have ended. The sun is out, and the temps are seasonal---cold overnight and warming to around 60 during the day.  Thanks be to God!

I did finish an awesome book that I'm happy to tell you about, instead of simply the occasional update that I read for 5 minutes every night! Excited?

I finished The Boys in the Boat about the 8-man crew team from the University of Washington that made it to the 1936 Olympic Games which were held in Hitler's sanitized Nazi Germany. They are considered to be the greatest 8-man crew in history.

While the story focuses on one particular rower, Joe Rantz,  his poverty, virtual abandonment by his father, who struggles to not only survive, but also put himself through college, there is plenty of background on the other team members, the coach, and the craftsman who built their shells. All of the boys who were finally selected to be part of this crew---a match made in heaven, you might say---had something in common which forged an incredible bond. That bond made history. The story culminates with the dramatic final race in Berlin. I wish I'd seen it! In fact, there are videos on YouTube of the race, along with re-enactments after the race. If you admire grit and determination, you will like this!

For fun, and as a little change of pace, I crocheted up this infinity cowl. It is chunky and cozy! It's in the shop.

Renovation Rambles

::Weekly Rambles::

What’s really on my mind and heart?

Decluttering and minimizing is on my mind. Not surprising considering the state of the house. I'm constantly looking around, wondering how I can best use the space in the basement, and contemplating what to get rid of.

What am I thankful for?

The sound of men working in the basement! Yay! 

What’s going on in school?

Columbus Day holiday! Everyone is happy to have a day off, and I am happy to have my college boy home for part of his fall break.

What’s on the needles?

Last night I picked up my Westport Shawl that I had put down weeks ago when I messed up the lace. I finally had time to tink (un-knit stitch by stitch) 4 rows until I undid the mistake and could resume knitting. After only 3 rows of knitting, I messed it up again, and I have just. had. it. with this pattern! It's gorgeous and it seems to be well-written, but I must not have the patience or concentration skills necessary these days to work on such an intense design. So, now I'm looking for something else to do with these two beautiful skeins.

What’s special about this week?

They are beginning (and ending?) the installation of our new basement floors today. Ever since the sewage backup in May the house has been a disaster (actually, before that, since we moved half the house down to the basement for new floors up here). There is clutter everywhere and I'm learning to live with it. That is frightening to me. Since there's so little "cleaning" that can be done, I'm getting seriously out of the habit!

What am I reading?

I've reached the halfway mark in The Boys in the Boat! I'm really tempted to stay up well past my bedtime every night and keep reading.

I'm also at the end of The Maze Runner audiobook, and I don't know if I'll have any quiet time for a few days to finish it. But once the floors are finished and I can get down there to caulk and paint baseboards, I'll have lots of time to finish that one and start the next!

What am I praying about?

• Our country
• For all our priest and deacons
• an end to abortion and, especially, Planned Parenthood
• for all the beautiful people suffering chronic pain and from illnesses like cancer

What projects are happening at home?

LOL. Basement, decluttering, cleaning...

xo,
Sara

Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

My knitting project is getting closer and closer to the end, but these last rows seem interminable! I guess that's not too far from reality when you increase every other row by four stitches. Nevertheless, the yarn is getting smaller---I'm certain that I shall knit my last two rows of blue today (or whenever I get to knit!).

Instead of knitting, while I await the flooring delivery men, I am sitting in my front yard storing up vitamin D for the winter. And attending to my much-neglected blog via the Blogger app on my phone. I finished my painting session for the day (I'm tired and clean-up is too much twice in one day!), so I'm taking a break.

Knitting will resume shortly when I have had enough sun (soon---it's hot out here!), and I will listen to my current read which has kept me quite entertained during marathon painting sessions:  The Maze Runner. We've seen both movies, but I thought reading the books might help fill in some of the gaps in the story.

Did you know that there is a wealth of audiobooks available on YouTube? 

Update: I have good intentions about blogging, but then I get distracted by reality. Darn it. ;-)  I'm going to go ahead and post this anyway, even though I've already updated the flooring situation in my Quick Takes a few minutes ago. Go read that one, too! :-) 

xo,
Sara

Quiet Time Yarn Along

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading and I love sharing my projects and current reads here. I would love for you to join me over at Ginny's every Wednesday to share a single photo of what you are knitting (or crocheting) and reading too! Share your photo on your blog, on Instagram (#yarnalong), or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I'm sitting in my quiet spot in the middle of Stations of the Cross while Pip is in a meeting. Today I got my blanket out of the car to sit on since the grass here is unbelievably spiky. I hope they're not intentionally discouraging folks from using this space! The quiet was disturbed for a few minutes by a Religious Ed class taking a tour to learn about the Stations. But I don't mind. Since I actually get very little knitting done here, I need to be prepared to hike around the grounds next week as other parents are doing. It will eventually be too chilly to sit still, anyway.

Finished my little blanket that needs a blocking. It's soft and cozy, but smaller than I would like. I may need to turn it into a Book Blankey and put it in the shop.

I started reading The One Thing is Three, by Fr. Michael Gaitley, today. I love his books and find them inspirational, so I'm looking forward to it.

The Boys in the Boat is still on my nightstand and I am enjoying that every night. Every morning I am tempted to bring it downstairs, but then I won't get anything done!

Yarn Along

~Joining Ginny in sharing yarns---books and knits~

It's turning into another Mental Health Day with little energy for anything other than essentials. Right now, I am curled up on my bed listening to one of my favorite books: The Fellowship of the Ring via YouTube. I manicured my nails, and I thought I could muster the energy to put together a blog post for your edification...amusement?

I have acquired a seriously ambitious pile of books for my summer reading. Considering everything else that is happening in my life right now, I may have just made a significant addition to my already out-of-control stack of unfinished books!

In my stack you will find orphan train, which I think I heard about on Ginny's blog. There are two Philippa Gregory books that I have also heard about through the yarn along. But I have no idea what order this series is supposed to be read in. I think they all stand alone, don't they? Then there is The Catholic Drinkie's Guide to Homebrewed Evangelism and The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up which I have forsaken (because my house is such a disaster! Lol) in favor of a light fiction on Kindle called Finding Fraser for Outlander fans.

Any bets on how far I get through the stack?

My knit is the newly restarted Westport shawl that I had to frog last week. I have this new peacock green colorway to make it with that I simply love.  Fingers and knitting needles crossed that this effort will be successful!

How's your summer going? Are you finding time to read?

Back to the Regularly Scheduled Knitting

I took a short break from my knitting---just one torturous day---because I discovered Sunday night that the number of stitches on the back and front of my tunic were not the same. They started out the same, but I somehow managed to lose (or decrease) too many on one side. Afraid that this would make it too wonky to wear, I put it down for the day until I had time to carefully recount.

I think the camera preferred the book colors to the yarn. It's prettier than that!

I finally had time to re-count last night and got completely different numbers from the night before! Since there is only a one-stitch difference (instead of 5 or 6!) I'm going to go with it. It will be fine. 

I hope.

So, today I am reading AND knitting. (That doesn't sound at all like a recipe for disaster, does it?) Meg watched Catching Fire last week, and then The Hunger Games. Captured by THG, I had to re-watch CF (because I hadn't seen the whole thing the day before) and then we watched Mockingjay, Pt. 1. Naturally, all that lead to my needing to reread the entire series! I am engrossed. I love this series and how Katniss is such a flawed human being, but she generally has honest instincts and is drawn to helping anyone weaker than herself. Have you read it?

Beachy Yarn Along

Picked up this little baby at the library today, and I can't wait to dig into it! I'm joking when I say "little" because it is HUGE. This annotated version ought to be extra fun! In case you don't know, I'm a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan and I'm thrilled to have a chance to read her original autobiography. I've read some of the "untold" stories in other books, but never her version.

My knitting project is Liesl. I've had the pattern for ages but never the money to buy all the yarn. I got this funky Berroco "Mixer" yarn----I think. All the labels have been torn up and I can't read them anymore! It's thick and thin: some parts shiny, some parts matte, and some parts stringy. But I love it because it's soft, silky, and reminds me of a cloudy day at the beach.

So now, after I help Meg roll out gingerbread cookies for school, I'm going to prop that book and see if I can knit and read at the same time! xo

Same Old Yarn Along

Drop by Ginny's, by clicking the badge, to see everyone else's yarns!

I am still working in the same set of towels and the same book as last week. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that Lent is over and I'm allowed to peruse  Facebook all I want??

Partly. Partly because I've been busy getting ready for my MIL to visit this week, and here's the painful truth....I don't like knitting with cotton! I doesn't hurt, unlike my attempts with bamboo yarn, but it also doesn't give the same satisfaction that I look for when I knit.

That must be why I am a. Avoiding the towel, and b. Looking for a new project. I plan to hit up a local yarn store tomorrow. Got any suggestions for a fun summer knit?

Yarn Along

My project this week is making hand towels for my powder room. I'm never able to find towels that satisfy both my taste and my budget, so I'm knitting some rather nice (I think) cotton towels in colors that make me happy. I love my cotton dishcloths, so we will see if I like the hand towels as well. My towels are actually half the width of the original pattern, and one skein of Peaches and Cream is just about the perfect size.

I'm reading Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather. I enjoyed a couple of her other books a long time ago, and dh put this one in my Easter basket. I think it is a total win, even though I'm not too far in yet, but I keep itching to get back to it when I'm not reading it. It's historical fiction based on the lives of the early settlers of Quebec.

It's not shown, but I'm also reading the Betsy-Tacy series of books with Meg. We take turns reading aloud to each other---because I love them and because reading aloud is good for her. I think she's learning to love them, too. ;-) We are currently on Betsy's senior year in high school: Betsy and Joe. I adore these semi-autobiographical books which cover Betsy's life from age 5 through her first year of marriage. They mostly cover the first 2 decades of the 20th century. This one also has me itching to get back to it several times a day, even though I have read the series several times. In fact, when we were a couple of books back, I had to read through the rest of the series because we weren't reading fast enough! And I still think we could read faster. :-)

Speaking of itching....allergy season is in full bloom here. If you look closely at the photo, it's not blurry---there is a green haze covering the area. With the pine and oak trees at peak pollen season, there are patches of green fog everywhere. Driving down the highway you can see a green haze on the horizon, like smog. Even without allergies, it's gross to be out in this. It gets in your eyes and chokes you, even if you're not allergic to it!

Yarn Along

Last week I was going to show you my completed mittens (the second pair) and the almost-completed book, St. Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset. Alas, (well, not alas exactly) I'm still reading the book and greatly enjoying it, but the mittens (which are no longer needed in our 60+ degree weather) are too loose in the wrists and, very much alas, fall off if I relax my hands and swing my arms while walking. That's not a very good trait for a gorgeous, fluffy, soft pair of Alpaca mittens to have. They are pretty much perfect in every other way. And I have two pairs.  At some point I will find some elastic thread and attempt to run it through the wrists to make them more snug. Any other suggestions? Unraveling and starting over is NOT to be thought of! :-)

After the Mitten Mishap I turned to simple crocheting of Warm Up America rectangles and my book. Much more satisfying!

St. Catherine of Siena was (dare I say, "is"?) an amazing saint. I had never heard more than the basics that she was the youngest of 22 children and brought the Pope back from Avignon to Rome. But she was much more incredible than that. There is a wealth of information about her life and miracles. I am so happy to have discovered her at last, and I'm quite pleased that I bear her name (though I highly doubt that was intentional) and share her Italian heritage! 

Linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along.

Yarn Along

I finally finished my gorgeous Settler Shawl today. It's blocking on the floor now, and I hope I can wear it tomorrow (about the same time as this posts).

Annnd....it's done! I wore it this morning ---had to take it off to show you. The yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Merino light that I got for Christmas. Perfect present! 

That's closest to the real color!

My book, waaaayyy up there in the top photo, is Alignment Matters. Not much plot, lots of great info. It's the first five years of Katy Bowman's blog posts, and the reason I'm sitting on the floor, stretching my ligaments, and trying to maintain mobility as I age.

Where are you sitting? I mean, what are you knitting? Check out the other yarns at Ginny's; that's what I'll be doing to  find a more .... adventurous... book!

Yarn Along

This is the Yarn Along version of a #Latergram, as in I finished the socks in time for Christmas and the book last week. But I wanted to share both of them, so here they are!

The socks are Sweet Georgia sock yarn which I really like----soft and sturdy. The pattern is just a basic sock using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel (which costs $1 and is totally worth the money for this easy heel pattern and the tips on how to make socks that fit!), Judy's Magic Cast-on (for toe-up socks that don't require any seaming!), and Jeny's Suprisingly Stretchy Bind-off, plus a basic 2x2 rib. I combined all those features for a men's size 12 sock that didn't need a pattern. I love that with toe-up socks you can just keep trying them on to see if they fit----which I did to all the size 12 men around except the gift recipient!

All those tips just might turn me into a sock knitter! Except that there is still the pesky problem of gauge when you want to go a little crazy, knit a little faster, and use a size 3 needle!

My book is The Martian by Andy Weir, which was a Christmas gift. I heard about it (repeatedly) on the Catholic in a Smalltown podcast. Mac liked it so much that he kept talking about it, forgetting that he had already reviewed it once. I put it on my Christmas wish list, and I was not disappointed. It was one of the best books I've read in a long time!

Mark Watney is part of the Ares 4 manned mission to Mars, and on the 5th day there's a disaster that (supposedly) causes his death and the mission is aborted. The other astronauts must leave the surface quickly and don't have time to search for his body. As you might have guessed, he's not dead and the crew has no way of knowing that. Mark knows that he has to find a way to survive for 4 years until the Ares 5 arrives---3200 km away.

The Martian is really well thought out in terms of the scientific realities of what conditions are like on Mars and what kind of gear Mark would have available. It could have gotten dull with just his log entries and long, scientific explanations of what he's doing, but Weir manages to vary the storytelling and keep the explanations understandable for us (extremely non-scientific types).

Now I need a new book to read....got any recommendations? I know, I can just go read all the Yarn Along posts at Ginny's!

Christmas Knitting Yarn Along

Playing every knitter's favorite: a game of chicken between a sock and a ball of yarn. It's a toe-up sock so I can stop when I need to; plus I have a coordinating yarn that I can use as a cuff if I don't think it's long enough, but this ball of yarn is way smaller than I would like.  I'd like to finish this sock today so I can knit the mate and another pair before Christmas! Socks for men with large feet are a major undertaking.

I finally finished GWTW this morning---I got a lot of reading done because I awoke ridiculously early a couple of days in a row. I'm anxious to start Scarlett tonight when I've accomplished enough of my sock for the day.

Gone with the Wind is so good! I still love it after....36 years. Scarlett, the character, not the book, is a pitiful creature, though! I'm amazed at how self-centered she is. She's clueless about how anyone else feels, and especially what it takes to be a Great Lady. Rhett, scoundrel that he is, is so much wiser. Have you read it? I've been wondering, but not enough to look it up, if it has ever been banned like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn for it's use of the 'n' word throughout."

Back to the sock....y'all drop in on the other knitters at Small Things! xo

Yarn Along

Gone with the Wind continues to be my "yarn" of choice. I had thought I would read it faster, but I find myself slowing down to savor the story. I'm getting reacquainted with characters that were left out of the move, like Scarlett's little son Wade who suffers the terrors of war and Yankees and his mother!

I have two projects to show you this week. This chunky, mulberry cowl which I may keep for myself or put it in the shop. I just love this color!

The Cat in the Hat book-blankey is for the Nest Egg Knits shop. I've been working on this one after dinner while we do our Advent readings and talk. It's so chunky and cozy! I can't think of anything sweeter than cuddling up with a little person, this blanket, and a book. Yum.

I'm joining Ginny and friends at Small Things. Go see what everyone else is knitting and reading!