Page After Page

Revisiting my childhood

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 21:54:00 +0000

I started reading again the other night.....

I started with The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder which was first published in 1940.
My mother's birth year.

Oh my, how I loved these books as a child. Reading them all, over and over throughout the years. The last time I read them was 14 years ago, as my own daughter was getting ready to get married. I cried and cried while reading These Happy Golden Years--the book where Laura grows up and gets married.

But by far The Long Winter has been a favorite of mine. And as expected, it is different reading it with an adult perspective. One thing that really hit home so far, was, the lack of medicine and medical care--not only for serious ailments but just the annoying ailments of growing older. For instance--eye drops! Ma, certainly as she got older, suffered from dry eyes--and there was probably nothing for her but maybe some homemade saline drops! No eye ointment to use at bedtime. I guess I should quit complaining.

The original, published 1940

Here is a link to a blog post someone wrote while they were suffering through a long winter of their own a couple of years ago--this puts things in perspective right quick! Harsh weather than and now.....

Do any of you re-read childhood favorites as an adult?

Year of Projects Week 6

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 16:24:00 +0000

Good morning Poppets! Another week has flown by and now we will be halfway through August by the end of this week.

Time! Where does it go? And why does it fly so much more quickly on the weekends? I am so thankful to have my Fridays off each week--I need that extra weekend day.

My knitting has mostly consisted of my Picabeau Shawl (not much progress, no new photo this week) and dishcloths.

I had built in to my list this year, 2 dishcloths a month and since I forgot about them in July, I was already behind. I finished 2 this weekend, using my absolute favorite pattern, Waffle Knit Dishcloth , which is a free pattern.

It is the perfect size, and the perfect squishiness/texture. I used a combination iof Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton (the best!) and Lilly Sugar and Cream.

I also took a couple of photos of my recently finished Railings Shawl...

I am happy to report that my walking and eating plans are going well. It has been 30 days since the hard talk with my doctor and I can say that I am feeling stronger, walking for longer amounts of time with hills built in to my routes and I am very mindful of every bite I am putting in my mouth. I have started to lose a little bit in inches, (or at least things are readjusting) as well as a few pounds. I have hit my 8,000 step goal several times in the last 1.5 weeks and soon I set my goal up to 9,000 steps.

My eyes are a different story. I ended up going back in to see the eye doctor on Friday as I was starting to experience pain after feeling fine all week. She explained I have very dry eyes, more so on the left which is where the original injury occurred. This has resulted in a new eye protocal-- artificial tears every 2 hours and an eye ointment at bedtime--gooey! Age is what is causing this, but the lesson is, don't take eye care lightly! I check back with her in 4 weeks.

Yesterday I made a yummo blackberry/peach cobbler.

It was so tasty-and since I have pretty much cut desserts out of my life right now, it was a real treat. The plus side is that it was fat free so calories were only 167 per serving. Here is the recipe in case you are interested.... Berry Cobbler........ My friend picked the blackberries and the peaches were Eastern Washington grown and purchased at my local produce store. Funny thing, I posted a picture on Instagram and I had barely gotten it out of the oven when some of my adult children started showing up... for a quick visit ----- wink: wink---- gotta love them!

In keeping with the reading plan I posted last week, I have started The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, published in 1940, my Mama's birth year. I adored that book as a child and I still do although my reading time has been cut short by tired eyes in the evening...

Are any of you reading anything interesting? Tell me.....

......until next time....

xoxo

Fancy a Challenge?

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 05:19:00 +0000

Many moons ago, I read a lot of books--- I wasn't really cross-stitching anymore and I hadn't started knitting--- and reading has always been a big part of my life. Up until about 8 years ago I would say I was a classic bookworm.

Then working full time in the midst of still family raising happened, and becoming a Mimi, and learning to knit and all the other stuff of life that is always there--- and the reading time became much more limited.

But I always found time to read, even if it was just at bedtime.

This summer though I have found myself in a bit of a reading slump. I have a ton of books and they all look really good--but I just can't settle on one.

Then I remembered the fun I had participating in reading/ book challenges. A lot of them.

Today I went to see if Becky of Becky's Book Reviews was still blogging, ( Becky's Book Reviews), and if she perchance was still hosting any challenges.

Well. Yes. Yes she is still blogging.
And still hosting challenges.

This Family Tree challenge caught my eye and I decided it was just what I needed. Granted, I am starting 8 months late, so I will probably extend this in to next year (it officially ends in December of this year) You can read all about it here.... Family Tree Reading Challenge. I am choosing to do Option C and have made a preliminary list of books to choose from, centered around the birth years of my immediate family... these are options, I do not plan to read all of them. I am putting an asterisk by the choice that is most likely.... Oh, and the list is subject to change!

My Dad, 1936
Miss Buncle Married by D.E.Stevenson**
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer

My Mom, 1940
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder**
Betsy Tacy by Maude Hart Lovelace
Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker**

My Husband, 1955
Hello Miss Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Village Diary by Miss Read **
Village School by Miss Read**
The Golden Name Day by Jennie Lindquist
Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym

Me, 1961
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
No Fond Return of Love by Barbary Pym

My Sister, 1964
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh**
Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge**
Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein

Sarah my daughter, 1983
The Witches by Roald Dahl**
Rosie by Anne Lamott
Changes by Danielle Steel
Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson**

Andrew my son, 1985
Lake Wobegone Days by Garrison Keillor**
The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich **

Austen my son, 1992
The Cooper Beech by Maeve Binchy**
The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith

Sam my son, 1995
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson
Thinking in Pictures: my life with autism by Temple Grandin
Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik
The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan

Year of Projects: Week 4

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 20:44:00 +0000

Hello! I am mighty late with my weekly update due to a little medical issue that occurred on Saturday. I ended up with a corneal abrasion and boy howdy was that painful. I was over the mountains visiting my sweetest girls and it is super dry and smokey (from wildfires) so it was no wonder I would end up scratching my already dry eyes! I was pretty thankful and surprised at how a good night's sleep brought healing enough for pain relief . Sadly, my knitting time was severely curtailed over the weekend though, and that is when I do the bulk of my knitting.

Really the only thing that saw much love from me all week was my Picabeau Shawl -- I am so in love with this yarn and this pattern. I am a sucker for patterns knit side to side versus top down. This shape will be so easy to wear--and I think will look fantastic with a black top.

I am actually farther along than this right now but don't have an updated photo at this time.

I also received some pretty happy mail from LoveKnitting.com-- this yarn was marked down to $8 a skein from the usual $21 --and as it is some of my favorite drapey yarn, I ordered 2 skeins. It is Juniper Moon Herriott Fine... That green is a new to me color--I am discovering I really like green!

And because I never want to forget the joy of watching my sweeties playing and finding joy, even in the dry, dusty and poverty stricken Rez where they live, I share these last 3 photos.... Lyddie, Millie, and Rosie...

That is all I have to share--hopefully next week will be more impressive!

xoxo

Year of Projects: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:55:00 +0000

Time for a weekly update!

It was a busy, somewhat "off" kind of week.

First, I normally work 4 ten hour shifts and have my Fridays off--and I will be honest that I have really gotten used to having a 3 day weekend every week! But because of the need for vacation and doctor appt coverage in our department I agreed to work 5 eight hour shifts, meaning I had to work Friday----and that just kind of put me in a mood.

Then, we had a major change over in our medical records system on Monday and as usual, there were glitches, some of which have not been fixed! It's hard to do your job when technology isn't working. Also, our trouble tickets tend to get pushed to the bottom of the priority pile because the therapists I support get taken care of first.

The rest of the week consisted of being too warm, trying to get my steps in every day (resulting in a bit of a meltdown on Friday night as it all seemed so hopeless), counting calories, drinking enough water to keep a camel hydrated, and last and best.....!

A visit from my little darlings for a quick stopover dinner. They were on my side of the mountains for an afternoon Mariners baseball game and had dinner with us before heading home. It was brief but fun and OH how I love these little ladies. I am actually going to drive over to spend the weekend with them this week!

Now, on to the knitting news!

I finished something! Here is a sneak peak of my Railings Shawl blocking.

With the summer heat we are having right now, I am certain it will be dry when I get home from work and I will be able to photograph it properly. I am so excited to already have finished something. I started this on July 4th.

I pulled an old wip out of the basket yesterday afternoon to work on. It is my Nurmilintu Shawl- free on Ravlery-- and this yarn is my favorite----Juniper Moon Herriot Fine-- I started this a long time ago and really love this color for Fall, which is not that far from now! Yay! My favorite season of all....

I also, of course need to cast on something new, because, you know.... I cast something off!

I have this gorgeous yarn from my swap friend and it will either be a Close to You Shawl or a Picabeau Shawl..... I am leaning towards the Picabeau....

The other project I am dying to cast on is Feile by Justyna Lorkowska using this gorgeous Tusken Knits yarn--- I actually have a beautiful new blue skein ordered so I will wait until it gets here before deciding which 2 colors I will use. Her colors are just fabulous and I love that she is local to me. In fact she is planning a meet up this Fall for us local peeps!

I was looking at my year's list and realized I am behind on my dishcloth knitting challenge--I best remedy that this week! I love using my dishcloths and love even more the idea of having a stack of them ready to go!

What are you busy creating? Tell me! I am always looking for new ideas.

xoxo

Year of Projects: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:46:00 +0000

Hello!
Well apparently getting a post done on Sunday is not in the cards for me. I think I may need to resign myself to posting on Monday.

It was a busy week--with work, and sticking to my health goals, life around the house and of course knitting and cross-stitching!

On the health front--- I have to admit that I am a bit discouraged but sticking with it. I have tripled and quadrupled my activity level, kept my eating under 1500 calories with more veggies and fruits and whole grains, drinking 80-90 ounces of water --and the weight? Not a pound has been shed! Twenty years ago, I would have been down 4-5 pounds. Getting old sucks!

But I will persevere. I have to.

In the more fun and interesting crafting part of my life I have knit and stitched. I mainly focused on 2 of my shawl projects, Railings and Fabulous Abacus. My socks got no love this week!

Railings--in MadelineTosh Sock, colorway is Clay, I knit from that little castle marker upwards. I was very excited to get the first section, a 12 row repeat, repeated 7 times, done and with the correct number of stitches. Now I am on to the next part, a mesh lace section.

Fabulous Abacus-- knit in Malabrigo and Less Traveled Yarn-- the funnest part of this pattern is at the end you add a couple of tassels! I have a new obsession with them...

Last Thursday I had the most fun of the whole week when I got to open a swap package from a sweet friend. We often do little swaps-- and this one was a summer theme and she spoiled me for sure. Everything is so bright and cheery-- because here is a little secret, neither one of us cares for summer! I am so thankful for her friendship.

And last but not least, I can show you one of the little items I sent to her--I stitched a Gerbera Daisy as the theme I went with with was flowers!

And that my friends is all I've got!
I hope you have a beautiful week and are managing to stay cool if you are experiencing hot summer weather like we are finally getting.

xoxo

Better Late Than Never

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 16:34:00 +0000

Another week has come and gone and it is time for me to check in with you all regarding my year of projects!

But first a little chit-chat--because I received a very big wake-up call this weekend. I had my yearly physical last Friday and my wonderful provider had the "hard talk" regarding my lifestyle--or lack thereof.

I lead a very sedentary life.
I sit at a desk for work, 10 hours a day, 4 days a week.
I am very overweight
Some of my blood work came back worrisome

Her plan for my life-- a minimum of 8,000 steps a day-- but 10,000 would be ideal.
Ummm... I don't like to move or sweat or exercise!
Clearly... or I wouldn't be in this predicament and I'm mad at myself because it's not like I don't know I am not healthy or in shape. As my good friend Anna said, "I would be in great shape if knitting was cardio!"

Her other plans for me: join a gym with a pool and do water aerobics and get in a sauna to help release toxins, ride the stationary bike (which we own), and most freeing of all, quit paying for Weight Watchers which I am not even using, take that money and get that gym membership.
Guess what?
The gym membership is cheaper than the WW I wasn't using!

So, today, my first day back at work, I have taken 2 little quick breaks--and walked the perimeter of the building I work in so I can hopefully meet some step goals.

********************************************

In happier news---

1. I was able to get out of my "mood" regarding the health stuff and managed to have a perfectly lovely time with my boys and their significant others for dinner and games on Saturday night.

2. I watched a really good Apollo Space program on the National Geographic channel--did you know this is the 50 year anniversary of the moon landing? I was jut 7 years old and don't really remember it, but sure wish I did!

3. I am slowly finding some alternate websites to purchase knitting patterns from since I won't be purchasing through Ravelry any longer.

4. I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app for free to track my food (I can't give up tracking or my eating goes off the chain) and I actually like counting the calories vs the WW points!

Now on to the knitting.....
I have a little bit of progress to show on my knitting, and a little bit cross-stitch--but I can't show you the cross-stitch because it has not been received by the person I stitched it for.

These are the Rhapsody Socks by Kay Jones-- and I have determined I am the slowest sock knitter in the world! The yarn is Cascade Heritage Paints-- and they are a fun little project

I also started this pretty little shawl by Woolenberry called Railings. She has some of her shawls for sale on Etsy and actually when I purchased this pattern she was having buy 2 get 3 sale so I own 3 of hers and I love them all. I actually intended on buying them directly from her on her website, but sadly the payment feature then directed me through Ravelry.
The yarn is a beautiful MadelineTosh sock yarn, I believe the colorway is called Clay....

Next week I hope to have some health goals met, knitting progress made, and some cross-stitch to show too!
Thanks for tolerating my lengthy ramble at the beginning of this post!

xoxo

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 23:29:00 +0000

This picture popped up on my Facebook feed today... I have seen it pop up several times over the past 3 years and each time, my heart starts to race with anxiety....then I calm down and realize all is well now.

This is the love of my life... and this picture was taken on a glorius summer day--an amazing day we spent together at the Tacoma Glass Museum and then lunch in downtown Tacoma. It marked the end of summer for us that year as less than a week later he injured his already injured knee and began a terrible and painful journey towards getting things fixed and healed. He was off work until November and the rest of that summer and fall are a blur to me.

I have to say it was one of the hardest things we had ever gone through together in our 30+ years of marriage. I had never seen my sweet husband in so much pain. It was scary and at times I felt the loneliest I had felt in a very long time. But now I am thankful to say better times definitely came our way and a whole lot of life has been lived since then. I love you Kerry Layne.

New Endeavors.....

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 07:47:00 +0000

Hello Poppets!

Today is Sunday, July 7th and the day that marks the beginning of year 9 for Year of Projects. This is a fun and encouraging group on Ravelry that I just could not say good-bye to. I participated with them for several of the past 9 years but took a blogging break, because, you know....life! You can read about the group here..... YEAR OF PROJECTS....

But the gist is: make a list of fiber goals for the coming year, publish it, post a link in the group and then do an update post each Sunday. Easy! Oh, then you spend a little time visiting each other and leaving encouraging comments on each person's blog post.

Goodness knows, we all need a little encouragement these days.

I have been thinking about my goals for the upcoming year and the theme seems to be "knit all the things!"

So, I am just going to put it out there in some kind of order and then let the knitting commence! For the sake of simplicity, when I include a link for a pattern it will be to Ravelry, although whenever possible I will be purchasing the pattern elsewhere.

I. WIPS:
1. Boxy Sweater
2. Fabulous Abacus Shawl
3. Nurmilintu Shawl
4. Railings Shawl--- finished

II. ONGOING WIP:
Northeasterly Blanket

III. CHRISTMAS GIFTS:
Fingerless Mitts for my 3 sons' significant others (patterns to be determined)

IV. ACCESSORIES FOR ME:
1.Fingerless Mitts Patterns to be determined, use yarn in stash, 2 pairs (patterns in my collection on LoveKnitting.com)
2. Sockhead Hat (already kitted up)

V. ONGOING CHALLENGE:
1. Two dishcloths a month
2. Six pairs of socks, including the 4 that are already wips:
aa. Pinata Berries
bb. Boo Halloween
cc. Cascade Heritage, using Rhapsody pattern
dd. socks kitted up using self-striping yarn purchased on Spring Yarn Crawl

VI. SHAWLS-- I am on a shawl kick right now and I am fully aware I will never get this many done, but putting the list together so I don't forget them all. I have yarn for most of these. :)
1. Close To You
2. Railings or Passeggiata (using pink MadTosh yarn) Started July 4th
3. Luunan Shawl by Buxom Cat Knits -I have yarn, used Frogged Emelyn Mae yarn
4. Drops of Joy-
5. Groovy ---
6. Something with yarn purchased on trip to New Mexico last Fall
7. Feile or something else with Marie Tusken Yarn
8. Free Your Fade-- Yarn purchased on Spring Yarn Crawl
9. Sanik Shawl in Shetland Book (navy yarn already purchased)
10. Blossom-
11. Lolo's Mixtape--

VII: WHIMSY:
1.Fall Leaves Decoration --(based on linking pattern)

VIII: RANDOM DK WEIGHT PROJECTS:
1. Dovecote Capelet -- with 1000 yards of Burgundy Fancy Image DK
2. Miss Gertrude's Shoulderette-- with 900 yards of Autumn colored Malabrigo
3. Sheaves with the 900 yards of Malabrigo

I think I better wrap this post up--in a perfect world I would be able to knit all of this --but it will be interesting to see what I choose from this list as the year goes on!

In parting, and for your viewing pleasure, I leave you with a photo of a pile of WIPs!

Let the fun begin!

Celebrate

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 23:56:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July friends, from the Gatz’s! 🇺🇸💙🇺🇸

Sweet Anenome

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 23:29:00 +0000

Hey Ho! It's Tuesday afternoon and I just have 1 more day to work this week then I get to revel in a 4 day weekend!

I thought I would share my most recent project finish. I am no longer doing project pages on Ravelry and will be doing them in a paper notebook and here on my blog.

This yarn knits up so soft and drapey and with a lovely halo too! The pattern was pleasant to knit and I would consider knitting it again. I have some of this same yarn in a beautiful royal blue that was going to be a cowl, but might be this instead.

Project Page:

1.Started 5/15/19 and finished 6/19/19 (I started this on the plane to Minnesota)
.
2.Pattern is called Sweet Anemone by Orange Smoothie
.
3. Yarn is Juniper Moon Farm: Herriot Fine, baby alpaca. The color is Pampa Sunrise
.
4. Size 4 needles

Hello

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 21:14:00 +0000

Again, it has been over a year since I last was here and so much life has happened in this in between time---

Much:
Loving
Reading
Knitting
Cross Stitching
Reconnecting
Living

And how I love my life! I have met such wonderful people along the way--in real life and through social media.

But sadly, one social media site I use has taken a stand that I cannot abide. Ravelry-- it is time for me to cut my time with it. I hesitate to completely close my account, as there are a couple of groups I love being a part of--- but I am in the process of taking all my project page info off there, and will be starting a paper journal. The climate in the knitting community within Instagram and now Ravelry has been toxic since January -- for several reasons--and while the discussions were very important ones to be had, things began to spiral downward and turn downright ugly. I don't choose to spend my social media time being told how to think and what to say and how to say it. This is a hobby for me--and I don't really need all the grief.

So, here I am blog.
Back.

Because, while I think I am going to love my paper project journal, I would still like to have an online presence, no matter how small it might be--to share my creative endeavors.

Please stop by once in a while and say hello.

Monday Catch Up

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 23:02:00 +0000

Hello dear readers.....

It has been a few days since I last posted, but even though the blog activity is slow it doesn't mean I haven't been busy!
I have been busy knitting....and.....cross-stitching! I have been bit by the needlework bug again! My green fabric arrived for the project I wrote about the other day and boy howdy, 32 count fabric is a challenge for these old lady eyes. But I am determined and besides, slow and steady wins the race, right?

I also took a quick little trip over the mountains to see my sweet Grandys this past weekend--all by myself. I don't usually like driving long distances by myself but my husband had to work and I wanted to see them, so I just went! I felt pretty darn brave! When it has been more than a month since last seeing them, I begin to really miss them so. The picture of the three of them is of them playing mud kitchen. My husband built that mud kitchen for them and they delight in running up to the porch where me and mama sit and knit and chat, taking our orders for all kind of delightful mud creations--monster cookies, chocolate pudding, chocolate petits fours, chocolate pie --all beautifully decorated with flower petals, grass and leaves.

In the knitting department, I have been busy working on my Therapy shawl, which is actually much bigger than this now. I have completed one striped section and one lace section. It is a very nicely written pattern, despite my occasional mistakes. This Black Trillium yarn is so nice to work with. If you can, get yourself some!

In the stitching department, I did manage to work a little bit on my Time for Flowers, but have not photographed it yet. I have also been working on this very old kit from Bent Creek. I think I purchased this about 14 years ago! I love this design style with the very quirky little bird. This is stitching up much quicker as it is bigger weave fabric and uses the thicker crochet cotton thread.

I am happy to say that Spring has finally seemed to make a long term appearance up here in our neck of the woods--at least for this week! Sunny, blue skies and no rain make for some very happy Seattlites! I think by the middle of the week we might be up in the high 70's for temperatures. I am hoping the rest of my friends scattered about the country and world are starting to see more promising signs of Spring too. It has been a long cold winter for so many.

Well-- that is about it for now. I am wondering what other people are working on and reading--so please leave me a comment!

xoxo

Hello Long Lost Hobby...

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 23:36:00 +0000

Once upon a time, before I became a Mama and was just a young Newlywed, before I ever even imagined I would someday become a knitter.... I taught myself to cross-stitch.   And oh how I loved it.   This was back in the very early 1980's and there were needlework stores everywhere, which drew me in and convinced me to give them all my money!

And then, like so many hobbies/crafts/ trends, stitching became less popular and the little shops began to close their doors. Sadly, this began to happen right before the internet really started to take off and for many years there was not only a shortage of sweet little shops but there was often a shortage of online ordering options...Imagine that! Ordering craft supplies from the comfort of your own home!

But, I limped along and manged to find ways to feed my obsession and continued to add to my "stash" before that was even a word applied to knitting yarn or stitching supplies.

Then there came day 12 years ago, where it became apparent that I needed to hang up my "full time stay-at-home mommy" apron and re-enter the work force in order to keep up with the ever increasing cost of living here in the Seattle area.    My job required long hours at a computer and my eyes, which were in the process of aging fast, rebelled. So, slowly but surely I gave up my stitching.   And the miracle of knitting entered my life and filled that space in me that craves "the making" of things.

For nine years I have knit like a woman on fire--- and have spent many hours knitting while watching knitting podcasts.    And last Friday?   I discovered a knitting podcaster mention her new endeavor to launch a flosstube channel.

A what????   Did you all know that there are many, many people out there podcasting on youtube about their cross-stitch? And they call it Flosstube?    No? Yes? Am I the only one late to this party?    Something in me perked up and I went to look for the crates that house my kits and 1/2 finished stitchery, and never started stitchery and I took a piece to the couch and I did it! I stitched on a little piece and something in me was so happy--- memories of the countless hours I spent cross-stitching while raising my little family came flooding back... and I was just so happy.

So welcome back into my life sweet cross-stitch. Oh, and you should see the materials available for this craft now..... mind blowing!

I am anxiously awaiting the cloth to start this sweet piece by Alicia Paulson. How sweet is this?

And now I wonder how many of you have long lost crafty hobbies that may someday simmer to the top of your soul?

xoxo

I Read Too...

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 17:47:00 +0000

I have always been an avid reader, the kind of girl curled up on a couch all day Saturdays lost in a story, when I was younger. But life, age, and varied other interests have changed my reading habits. It is no secret that I love to knit..... I mean, I REALLY love knitting and that takes up a lot of my free time during waking hours. But, I still go to bed each night with a book in my hand--(or in most cases, a Kindle)... and because of that short window of time before I drop the Kindle on the floor and doze off into slumber land, it takes me much longer to finish books than it used to. But still, I persevere!

The book pictured here is the book I just began and I must say, I am enjoying it right from the start. I really like books centered around women's friendships--especially those involving aging women--as that is the life stage I am in. Based on some reviews I read, the book has its flaws, but I am reading it not as a critic but as an escape!

From Amazon: " Three best friends met every Tuesday for twenty-six years. And then they stopped.

From the author of the bestselling Sweeney Sisters Series comes a novel of friendship, family, and hope.

When new next-door neighbors Georgia, Midge, and Lula first assembled on Georgia’s porch in Charleston for sweet tea, they couldn’t have known their gathering was the beginning of a treasured tradition. For twenty-six years they have met on Tuesdays at four o’clock, watching the seasons change and their children grow up, supporting each other in good times and in bad. With their ambitions as different as their personalities, these best friends anticipate many more years of tea time. And then, one Tuesday, Georgia shares news that brings their long-standing social hour to an abrupt halt. And that’s only the beginning as unraveling secrets threaten to alter their friendship forever."

I spent some time browsing a blog I used to read quite often, Beth Fish Reads and have promptly seen my to-be-read pile grow quite a bit. SO many good books out there.

What are you reading? If you are a knitting friend, do you have a hard time balancing knitting and reading in your free time?

Hey Ho! Two days in a row, a post!

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 22:55:00 +0000

After a beautiful lovely day yesterday, today is a totally different story. This was the view from my office this morning--Oy! So much rain lately. But that is alright because all that rain is what keeps us green!

Yesterday I showed off my socks and today I want to show you my lovely new shawl! It is the Therapy Shawl on Ravelry and I love all the little picots on the edge--yup! I am a picot lover!

The dark gray and multicolored yarns are Black Trillium and I think the solid gold is a Malabrigo. These colors are my favorite--I am a Autumn girl for sure. I basically tolerate Spring and Summer! Oh, and how cute is that new project bag with the little animals? So fun when the project matches the bag!

What fun things are you knitting these days? Do you knit for the next season or for the current season? My plan is to knit all the things for next Fall and Winter now, so I am all set for those seasons when they magically appear again!

Ta Ta For Now....
xoxo

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IT'S BEEN SO LONG.................

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 23:00:00 +0000

Hello my old blog!   Oh my goodness....it has been over 1.5 years since I last posted here. When I was last here, I was tired and burned out and just plain needed a break. My husband was recuperating from a total knee replacement with complications and it was a really, really rough time.....and then life just took over and kept rolling along.

But through it all, I have been doing what I love most in my non-working hours..... knitting and reading!

I have been following Stef from Stefanie Crafts With Wool Paper Fabric and she hosts a weekly sock knitting round up called Once Upon a Sock which I want to join in !

I have a sock going--my first ever pair of Blueberry Waffle Socks, which I am doing toe-up. This winter I spent a great deal of time with a pair of vanilla socks that I was making to custom fit my foot and leg--and after noting all my little measurements and gussests and increases/decreases and needle size I finally ended up with a sock I will actually wear.   I will be applying my notes to this sock too. I am knitting it on a size 0 needle (64 stitch foot) and the yarn is my first ever sock blank experience by a British indie dyer named Amy Florence--her company is called Stranded Dyeworks. This colorway is called Pinata..... and my goodness is it bright! Definitely will be a party on my feet!

I hope to be back later this week to share my newest shawl project and also what I am reading!

Until then....
xoxoxo

Pages and Needles

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 16:36:00 +0000

Happy Wednesday!   I have not been able to join in with Ginny's Yarn Along for such a long time. But I am here today. My photo is a bit ugly as I took it last night before going to bed and you know what the absence of natural light does to a photo!

I was hoping to have my Fall Vanilla socks done but the stress of yesterday kept me from having hardly any knitting mojo last night-I did knit a bit and only have the stretchy bind off left to do-and that will be done tonight because tomorrow I will be casting on a new pair of socks!

What you say?! Kim is doing a 3rd pair of socks in a row?? Well apparently I have gotten over my fear of sock knitting and I am hooked! I love them--so portable and fast and well and useful... and well , I guess I like the feeling of tackling a new kind of knitting skill! They have been great hospital/waiting room projects to take alone.

And what socks will I be knitting? Well....I am joining Knit Purl Hunter's Michelle for her sock mystery KAL--the socks are called cableside, so I am pretty sure it will involve cables! The first clue will be released at 6:00 AM my time tomorrow. I will be using that beautiful skein of Zauberball pictured above. I am so in love with that yarn and the name of it is actually called Octoberfest!

My current book is Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman. I previously read A Man Called Ove by this author and really liked it, so I decided to read this one next. In both books, the main character is fairly unlikable in the beginning, but as the story progresses you discover more about their past and see how they are forced to confront that past in order to move forward in the present day. You start to warm to the characters as they transform into more complete and whole and healthy people.   I am almost done with this one and am on the fence about what is up next-some choices are:

Burying the Honeysuckle Girls
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Evelyn After
The Spice Box Letters.....

But who really knows? A different book might pop up on my radar before I actually settle on one!

What good books have you found recently?   Oh, and please share with me your favorite sock pattern!

xoxo
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Hello again....

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 16:09:00 +0000

.....and Happy Fall.... my favorite season of all!

It has been so long since I had any energy to blog but I sure do miss my connections with you all when I don't.
We have been having quite a time with my poor husband's leg. He had a knee replacement 6 weeks ago and it has been great--but he has something else going on in his calf and it is causing some very unpleasant symptoms. He was able to get in for a certain procedure last Friday that did not produce the results we were hoping for. He has an appointment with doctor today and we fully expect he is going to recommend another surgery--hopefully one that is not as involved as a joint replacement! To say we are getting weary of this is an understatement. Summer just seemed to pass us by and now we are watching the leaves turn....

But through it all, I have been knitting! Lots and lots of waiting room knitting. Here is a view of my knitting while I was waiting for him to complete an MRI....

And I managed to complete my Summer Evening socks while he was in the hospital in August....

I am participating in a couple of swaps and I knit up this adorable little Boo pumpkin to send to my partner. The pattern is by Carol E. Herman. If you are looking for a little bit of color work and some cute little items to decorate for Fall with, check out her pattern!

Tomorrow I plan to do a Yarn Along post--I hope to share photos of completed socks and of yarn for a mystery knit-a-long that starts on Thursday, and to show what I am reading and/or plan to read next!

Before I close I want to wish my youngest child, Sam, a very Happy Birthday. The baby of the family is now 21...I blinked and now this....

Until tomorrow...
xoxoxo
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Year of Projects, week 5

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 23:42:00 +0000

Hello again Poppets!
My calendar tells me it is Sunday....again....already!
It also tells me that tomorrow is August 1st.
August 1st! How? When?

This week was difficult. My poor husband is still in quite a bit of pain, due to what we think is a burst cyst behind his knee--the fluid traveled down into his calf muscle and foot and it is no fun. He does have total knee replacement surgery scheduled for August 18th-and since the terrible state of his knee is what caused the cyst in the first place, getting that fixed is the surgeon's first concern. The cyst should clear up on its own.... but in the meanwhile, lots of driving him to all the appointments he needs to get in before the surgery can happen--including even a dentist appointment!

So, in light of all the stress, what does a good knitter do? Cast on a new project of course! Which is really quite ridiculous given the fact that I have several projects on the needles already....and 3 things that need just the finishing work done--a poncho to seam, a hat to put a tassel on and a sock that needs a heel turned!

But no bother with those lingering projects....let me instead, introduce you to Buds and Bumbles by Martina Behm!

My yarn is Schoppel-Wolle Edition 6.0 in the color way, English Garden. I am so in love with this beautiful gradient and it does look like an English garden to me. The stitch pattern reminds me of a Brioche Stitch but when I looked up the Brioche Stitch online, this is definitely different. Even so, it was a bit tricky getting the stitch pattern rhythm down and there were several frogging events in the beginning as my stitch count kept getting off. Now I have the pattern memorized so it is nice easy knitting. This might get entered into the Ravellenics under the WIP Wrestling Event.

Speaking of the Ravellenics, I had previously shared last week a little color work mitt pattern I really wanted to cast on-but now that I realize we will be in hospital during the end of the Olympics and then at home with me being full time care-giver during recovery, I am afraid those little mitts might be a bit ambitious for the state of mind I might be in. So, I have dug through my most recent yarn/project acquisitions from yarn trip this Spring, and I think I will be switching to a Churchmouse Yarns pattern... The Daisy Stitch Fingerless Gloves is a free pattern and was the featured shop pattern during our Spring Yarn Crawl.

I purchased this Manos Del Uruguay Baby Alpaca/Pima Cotton blend just for this pattern. Pale pink is my favorite!

That is all I have for you --hopefully soon I will have some finished objects to show!

Linking up to our Year of Projects group and also Wool on Sundays.
xoxo

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year of projects 6, week 4

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 00:22:00 +0000

Well--really??? It is Tuesday?
I am so behind with my YOP post and with just about everything in life.
Why?
Because I have a husband who has ignored my advice for over ten years regarding the health of his right knee and 10 days ago, things reached a bit of a crisis mode. My poor husband has been out of commission with a terrible knee injury on an already really bad knee. The past couple days have consisted of long drives in terrible traffic to even longer doctor appointments. The verdict? Total knee replacement with a surgery date of August 18th! I am tired--taking care of him (he can’t even drive) and then trying to keep up at work is exhausting!

I really don't have much to show for a week full of hurry upping and then waiting....

Waiting room knitting on Millie's Granny's Favorite sweater....

And then the funnest yarn purchase I have made in a while--yarn for a sweater for myself! I have never knit myself a sweater and I made it my prize for when I hit my 25 pounds lost mark....which I hit last Friday! This color yarn is so hard to photograph--it is a mauvey/eggplanty color in real life-much deeper than in this photo.

I have chosen the Featherweight Cardigan on Ravlery-but I am having a terrible time getting gauge. I am going to go with a size 5 needle and opt for the gauge that is a little on the big side--about 1/4 inch difference. I am hoping this will not matter much!

Well--I better scoot. Dinner to make, laundry to fold and all that nonsense!

Oh! But guess what? My Sam will be coming home in just a little over 2 weeks. I don't get to see many pictures of him while he is down in Mexico, but our church just sent a high school team there this week and Sam is leading them on work projects. So, I present you Sam, first his staff photo taken in June and then a photo that a leader down there took last night. The thing I love about these 2 photos is how happy he looks....genuinely happy! He is such a hard worker and I love him so very much. xoxoxo

As always, linking up with Year of Projects on Ravelry and I will be around to visit my fellow yop'ers as time allows.

xoxo

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year of projects: week 3

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Sun, 17 Jul 2016 07:54:00 +0000

Good morning loves!
Here we are.
All the way back to Sunday again.
It was a whirlwind week at my house, with not a lot of knitting happening. When you work 10 hour days and then go directly to your church's evening Vacation Bible School for another 2.5 hours, you tend to get tired, real fast. I did mange to exercise each evening though and so when I had my weigh in this morning I was down .6--not a lot, but not a gain either, so I am happy with it. I am down a grand total of 22 pounds--with many, many more to go.

I have made out my dinner menu for next week and will be heading to the grocery store and fruit stand very shortly.

As far as knitting this week--well--I found myself enjoying the repetitive nature of knitting on my Norby Hat. I have 1 more full repeat of the chart to do (12 rows) then rows 1-8 again, and then decreasing begins!

So, since that is the only new progress I have to show as far as projects go, I will share an update on a couple of KAL's I have joined in with.

The first is My Sister's Knitter's "S is for...." summer KAL, from July 15th till September 15th. If it starts with S, or relates to summer in whatever way you want to make it relate, garment is an S garment, whatever! And wips less than 50% completed count too!

So, I have chosen to work on:
Grandy sweater (Granny's Favorite), knit during Summer, and it is a Sweater
Summer Evening Socks, Socks begin with S and the yarn is also labeled Summer Night
My Ashburn Shawl, a Shawl, knit during Summer

And one of my groups on Ravelry, the Knit Equals Joy group, is putting together a Ravellenic team--you know, to knit along during the Olympics. You can read all about the Ravellenics....Here.

I will definitely be doing at least one project in the WIPs Wrestling and the Mitten Medley events.
The mitts I want to knit up is The Small Flower Mitts-- I have been in love with them since I first saw the pattern--here is a photo of the yarns I have chosen. I have never done color work before that consisted of so many colors.

I guess that is all folks! I will be around later to do some visiting....
xoxox

knitting right along

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 00:13:00 +0000

Year of Projects: Year 6: Week 2

Hello again! I suppose after my post last weekend which laid bare my list of ~~impossibility~~ intended projects for the year I should just jump in and give my first update!

First up is my Ashburn.

Very simple pattern so far and I have to admit I do love these garter stitch shawls to knit up as purling for me really slows the process down. I also like how squishy the fabric ends up being! I worked on it quite a bit yesterday while my husband I had a little Harry Potter movie marathon going on. I am a true fan of Madeline Tosh yarn--and all 3 of these yarns are that brand.

I also worked on my Summer Nights socks and am ready to start my sweet tomato heel on the 2nd sock.

I think after I get done with this post I am going to tackle it! (edited: Didn't happen! Shopping happened instead) Then it is just knitting, knitting, knitting around and around for the leg---perfect mindless knitting.

Last up, here is my Norby Hat's updated photo.

I really like this pattern and hope it looks good on me when done--I am not normally a hat person, but I get really excited about the tassles on the top of this hat!

I was going to work on my Granny's Favorite sweater for Grandy Millie...

But I decided to hold off on it so I don't get to over 50% completed yet...the reason being that I have joined a KAL over on My Sister's Knitter Ravelry group for summer, called....The S is for …anything you want it to be KAL....The fun part is that wips not more than 50% completed count!

It is a gray cloudy summer day here in Seattle and I am just praying rain holds off for next week as we have our church's vacation Bible school, called Mega Kidz Camp--a lot of the activities are held outside and rain would certainly put a bit of a damper on things.
I am also praying for peace regarding my job--well not my job perse, but the actual company as our CEO resigned on Friday after 17 years. You know, change and transitions are always difficult and often times a bit bumpy. I will just need to knit more in order to calm down! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting. I hope to have a finished object for next week, but no promises can be made about that!

xoxo

books, yarn and stuff...

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 21:41:00 +0000

Summer is off to a slow start in the weather department here in the Pacific Northwest.

Last year at this time we had already had several days of over 90 degree temps--and we did have a few of those during late Spring but now we are lucky to get into the mid 70's which is how I love it!

I am very late to the Yarn Along party over at Ginny's, today, but am sharing a photo I posted on Instagram yesterday. Work has been super stressful this month (my co-worker has been out since 6/8) and when I ran out of the office to get a bit of lunch, I stayed in my car for just a couple extra minutes and knit a couple of rounds-and then I felt myself sigh and relax and the rest of the day felt better.....until that *one* insurance call I had to make!

I am still knitting these vanilla socks and still reading Me Before You. Yes, I am a turtle! I still want to read A Man Called Ove next.

So, tell me.... reading anything good? Find any new patterns I should know about?

Oh I forgot... I splurged today and purchased a copy of Making. Have you seen this? It has a couple of recipes, knitting patterns, crochet patterns, sewing and embroidery....well, it just looks about to die for and I hope it is here by next week!

xoxoxo

yEaR sIx

noreply@blogger.com ( Kim) — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 08:24:00 +0000

Hi everyone!
My goodness. How can we be at year 6? I kind of pooped out on year 5 but I am back in for Year of Project 6.
Seriously--where do the years fly off to?

After a big slumpy break from blogging this spring, I feel like I am ready to tackle it again--even though I don't have all that much to share at times, I do miss the. connections made. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with keeping up with regular blog posts and actual knitting and reading and working and being a wife and a Mom and a Mimi, that I don't always have the time to comment on all my friends' blogs--I try to leave meaningful messages and those kind of comments take more time. All that to say, I try my best to keep up but if you only get a "great job" comment from me, it probably means I am at that moment over my head with life!

Now, on to my Year Six, List Of Impossibility! I think we might end up calling it the year of the shawl if I make it through even 1/2 of this list!

That pile of yarn pictured above is a chunk of the yarn I want to use for some of my projects. Is that all the yarn I will need....ummm, don't tell my husband, but no!

**The Shawls--

Alluna--with some golden Wollmeise (pictured above with the cream next to it)
Crazy Magic Boomerang--with a Zauberball I own and maybe even two more shawls using the Zauberball which is pictured in the upper left of the picture above.
Interval Shawl--with 2 yarns I purchased for a Steven West pattern I no longer want to do
Lionberry--with some pale pink alpaca
Riff Shawl or Reimu --with some golden Road to China I own with a contrast added
L'Enveloppe--yarn already purchased
Emilana-- maybe new yarn, maybe stash?
Alleviate--with my pretty gradient in the middle of the picture above (gray and ice blue in the middle)
Sand Layers...
Asterism...
Ode to Autumn...

** Socks-- I want to try to do a pair every other month, so in essence giving myself 2 months to do a pair. I am in the middle of my first every pair of vanilla socks that actually fit!

Vanilla Partridge Socks...
As Vanilla As It Gets...
Blueberry Waffle Socks
Hermoine Socks
Honey Badger

** Mitts:

Small Flower Mitts...
Bunty Mitts....
Topiary Mitts....
Alice Mitts....

**Sweater:
Featheweight for myself when I hit the 25 pounds lost mark..

**For the Grands:

Finish Millie's sweater for Fall
Suzanne sweater for Lyddie
Granny's Favorite for Rosie
3 hats using crazy striping yarn I purchased in Portland, pattern to be determined
3 little Pumpkin Heads for Fall
3 little bunnies for Easter-maybe Little Lollipop Bunnies..

**Items to finish, pictured above:

Norby Hat, rosie pink in upper right hand corner above
Millie's Granny's Favorite sweater, deep red in the forefront above
Ashburn--technically not started but soon, very soon--the gold,gray and blue in the upper left
Summer Night socks--using Arnie and Carlos Regia
Easy Shawl, purple zauberball, pictured in the middle

**My Cozy Memory Blanket, pictured below. Still working out exactly which methods and techniques I want to incorporate. These blankets appear to be all the rage amongst the podcasting crowd. Here you can see my basket with my scraps of fingering weight yarn...

Well,,, there you have it!
The list.
Will I knit all of this list? {::snort:"]
Hardly!
Will I knit things not on the list?
Absolutely!
I really, technically use this list as a guideline for the coming year, because I am practical like that!

xoxoxo