Blustery fall days make it easier to keep up the steps. (Winter is going around us, at least until tomorrow.) The leaves are being stripped from the trees, none too soon, if the snow is truly coming. We are hopeful. Mountains need snow, we need precipitation, we only hope winter is inevitable.
Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends. May your heart be full of joy and love, warmth and abundance. Be Grateful.
The state of my March Through Time cowl has changed little since you last saw it, but the walking part of the "March", as been going well. The weather until the last couple of days has been good and I've been walking from our house to the garden, around the labyrinth, up and around the canal, and then back home again. I can stretch it from 1 1/2 miles to 2 1/2 miles easily. Monday was very cold and windy, and I admit I skipped the day. Cold would be okay, but the north wind was beyond my intrepidness.
Colors in this photo are not representative.
The important thing, is I am walking frequently and going a little farther. I'd rather walk in the dark of the evening than in the dark of the morning, which are my only options. This is the time of year I think of buying a treadmill, but a membership to the nearby community center might make more sense. Or, just hightailing it down to the local mall (which I actually, dislike quite a bit). Answers will come, I have no doubt.
The sweater back is an inch from the finish line and my Alabama Chainin market bag has had more attention, too. This week should be a little quieter and, perhaps, the weekend will be, too. More stitching and knitting should happen!
Winter made its first real appearance yesterday and tried as hard as it might to cover the ground with white. In our neck of the woods only a slight dusting covered the lawns and only wet covered the roads. The temperatures stayed in the 30s and since I left home without my mitts, I really felt the cold. I will not be doing that again and might even put an extra pair in my car.
Last week I got a good start on the March Through Time cowl and finished clue 1 in time for the release of clue 2. I haven't had one second to look at clue or to put a single stitch into my knitting (or sewing for that matter). The cowl may languish over the next few weeks, as the cold reminds me I could use with a new sweater and, since I am almost finished with the back, my time would be well spent on this one project.
Until yesterday's cold, wet day, I walked daily to keep up with the KAL. March Through Time is about getting your fitness on, as well as, working on the cowl project. If I keep up the walking I will call this KAL a success, even if I do not end up with a finished object. My iPod has been a my companion, although ne thing I love about walking is I can listen to my iPod, listen to a book or a podcast. I've been reading and listening to Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín, switching off with music to keep my step up. So far so good, I'm getting in my mile.
In the year 2009, my friend Susan thought it would be a great idea if we knit one sweater per month. Cheryl and I (and many of you) got right on board. We could do this and we DID! Although, I came up a little short due to a bump in the road. After that eventful year, my knitting desire tended to wan and I knit mostly small projects, including several pairs of Susan's Ragtop, a dozen shawls, or so, and about 1 sweater per year (if that).
Instead of knitting as much as I once did, I read more, spent more time with friends, and I was enticed into the Alabama Chanin sewing circle. In actuality, I'm not sure what I do with my time, but then there is that job thing, along with several other distractions. Knitting hasn't taken a backseat, but I am not able to knit at the lightning speed I once did. In fact, I wonder how I ever managed to knit a sweater a month, as it all seems an impossibility.
Recently, the desire to wear a new hand knit sweater has come on strong and the only person I know who will make me a new hand knit sweater is ME. When it comes to sweaters I like a classic style, a simple cardigan I can wear with anything. Languishing in my considerable stash of sweater yarns was classic Rowanspun wool in the very classic color of gray. I found a pattern, Amy Herzog's Cayley, which matched up to the gauge I wanted, and I've been knitting, sans embellishment, as a plain, virtuous cardigan is all I desire. I am already thinking about the next sweater, but first things first, this one must be completed.
Book Reveal: 1. House of Spirits by Isabel Allende, 2. When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams, 3. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, 4. Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, 5. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, 6. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, 7. 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, 8. Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, 9. Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley, 10. Clover by Dori Sanders.
On Monday's post, Jo asked where was the yarn in the pictures from Alta and, I must confess, there was only a tiny bit of knitting and a whole lot of tinking done. I sewed a little, too, but mostly visited, stared at the mountains, the golden aspens, and did a whole lot of just nothing. Mountain air is calming, as is hanging out and chatting with friends (not to mention eating and drinking). Thanks to Anna, we all found a new to us, but instant favorite wine. (This wine had nothing to do with my knitting ennui.)
With my Alabama Chanin T-shirt all but finished, I took along the AC Market Bag that has not been forgotten, but has only been languishing, and it will now get the majority of my (sewing). I am in no rush. Soon, you will be seeing a photo shoot of the finished AC T, which I'm happy to report, has had it's debut as a finished object.
Knitting will not take a backseat to stitching, but I came to a realization yesterday and I know my heart isn't into the project I've been struggling against. The pattern is fine, I love the shawl, the yarn, and the process, BUT...there is a big but, I need to knit something else and I think I know what that is. You'll find out soon, too.
Getting organized in a timely manner in order to list my Summer Bucket List just didn't happen. However, there are several things I'd like to do this summer while the sun shines and the skies are blue and first on my list is to soak up the heat! I'm the one who is always complaining about how cold I am so my intent is to get as much warmth into my skin as I can (not by sitting in the sun, but in any other way I can).
Second on my list is to knit, read, and sew every chance I get. I am working on my beading my Alabama Chanin T-shirt, a slow, slow process, but loving every bead and sequin I sew into place. I'd also like to work on my Market Bag and maybe sew a pair of pants, ala Marcy Tilton and Vogue.
And, since Wednesday's are for knitting, I plan on knitting as often as possible through the summer. Through the Loops Mystery is on my needles now and since it's a mystery, the results are slightly obscured.
I love my-new-favorite-color of Kim's yarn, Through the Looking Glass. At some point, there should be the addition of another color (where or when remains a mystery) and I think my choice will look great with the blue. I am much enamored with the process of the lace, even if it has tripped me up a few times, but sometimes the process means "back" as much as it means "forth". How does your knitting go?
Isn't that what Carole's says?
I am slowly knitting Romi's Mystery Shawl and it is every bit as beautiful as I hoped it would be. Vicki's blue-tifully dyed yarn has knit up just as I'd envisioned and the color change we made early on was a good choice. My original colors were too light in contrast, but it was only when I knit a couple of rows of the new second color, I knew it had been the right decision.
All the clues have been published and their are several finished shawls floating around for you to see (if you wish). The border on the shawl is quite brilliant and I'm excited to see my finished shawl. If only I could knit faster and/or had more time. C'est la vie--it will be when it will be. Now the mystery is when the shawl will be finished.
This month my book group is reading Mink River by Brian Doyle. I haven't read enough to give you a review, but the humor and writing have captured me. I even read the description of a man's workroom out loud to Smith and he was captivated, too. The story seems to have a little of everything, including quite a bit of humor, fantastic characters, and little mystery thrown in, too.
Is there something good on your night stand?
I am knitting as fast as I can, truly. I am behind in the goal of finishing this hat by the time Susan's second Hat Trick class rolls around (tomorrow!). Instead of meeting at Blazing Needles, who is hosting the class, we have the pleasure of meeting in Tea Zaanti's beautiful space and enjoying perfectly brewed tea.
Sorry to say, I only have a very blurry picture of the classroom, but I promise to take better pictures at the next class.
Like many of you, this is a busy time of year, with places to be and fun to be had, but after this week life is back on the quiet side and I'm looking forward to it!
When Beverly first blogged about Craft Friday I loved the idea, but didn't think I would participate, as I do not craft for Holiday gift giving. I am a selfish crafter.
However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I could craft on Friday even though I'm not making gifts. The important thing is I will not shop on Black Friday. I will be spending my day crafting, perhaps enjoying being outdoors if the weather permits, staying away from the maddening crowd.
My first memory of crafting involved learning to embroider, the project on yellow fabric was the outline of a puppy dog bib. Once I had the outline finished moved on to his eyes and nose. I'm not sure what happened the project, but I know it wasn't my last piece of embroidery as I went on to pillow cases, table clothes, and samplers. My first sampler still exists, buried in my unused table linens.
One thing lead to another and I learned many other crafts from my mother's, and my grandmother's hands. I am ever grateful for the passion they instilled in me to use my hands to create.
My crafting time will be spent stitching on my Alabama Chanin project and knitting my current shawl, Duane Park Triangle. The next row of the shawl starts the striped section, of New England Red and Godiva brown, two of my favorite The Woolen Rabbit colors.
Are you planning to work on your knitting, or other crafting project, or are you deep in the throes of Thanksgiving preperations? Have you intentions of being a part of Craft Friday?
See the sweater sitting under the swatch and yarn? That's Chicane and its destiny is to become yarn again. The full skein sitting atop the sweater was leftover, which gives me plenty of wiggle room for a sweater of my choice. Since Chicane was a size (or so) too large, there will be more than enough. To make this news even better, the yarn is my favorite Beaverslide Worsted.
The swatch, which is knit in Shelter, is being scrutinized for another sweater, Hallet's Ledge. The swatch is light as air, but I'm promised, will be nice and warm. I like the tweedy-ness of the yarn, the way it softens when blocked, as well as, the way it holds stitch definition. It's right on gauge, too. I'm working out how to knit the sweater in separate pieces, as it's knit as one, a technique that's not to my liking.
For the moment, I'm only considering options, but as you can see, a sweater will likely be a future project.
Full disclosure, the picture was changed from color to black and white. The swatch is red, but the sweater will be (if it is to be) charcaol gray. Cast Iron to be exact. I doubt you're surprised.
Are you considering any large projects?