Have you heard of the 100 day project? It’s been on my radar for years, but I’ve never taken part. This year, I saw some inspiring posts well ahead of the kickoff and started thinking about how I might join. I quickly landed on a knitting project I cast on last spring and put down and thought, maybe this would be a good chance to finish it. But I also wasn’t sure if it would see me through 100 days, or, given it’s a project that requires some concentration, whether I could reliably work on it each day (because, #toddlerlife). So I started thinking about how I could broaden the parameters to make an achievable challenge. I realized I had quite a few colorful knitting projects planned, all using stashed yarn, and that committing to 100 days of colorful knitting was not only achievable, but a lovely way to leave behind winter and welcome spring. I resolved to finish my current knitting project (an Ursa sweater) in time for the start of the project, which I was sure was February 16th.
Continue reading “100 Days … of Colorful Knitting”Tag: WIPs
Around here, lately
I’ve been absent from this space lately — work and travel have kept me busy — but, thankfully, knitting hasn’t been missing from my daily life. Today, how about a little catch up on some highlights from the last few months.
I finished my Threipmuir and wore it to Edinburgh Yarn Fest!
At last year’s EYF, Jenni, Kate, and I had all bought some beautiful Birlinn Yarn Company yarn for Threipmuir. Jenni and Kate knit their beautiful versions shortly after the festival but, in typical fashion, I didn’t get around to it right away. Finishing in time to wear it to EYF was a near run thing … the jumper was just dry from blocking in time to pack it!
Since it’s first outing at EYF, Threipmuir has been in constant rotation — so constant in fact, that I’ve never gotten around to doing “proper” finished objects shots. The upside of this is that after two months of pretty solid wear (the vagaries of spring in the Northwest mean that, even this week, I was reaching for this very woolly sweater), I can report that it is, hands down, my favorite jumper. I absolutely adore the Birlinn Yarn Company Hebridean 4ply from which it’s knit (in fact, I might have bought another sweater’s worth at this year’s festival). I love the colorwork yoke. I love the easeful fit. I think it will be the jumper against which I measure all other jumpers from here on out — both literally (the sleeve length is perfect) and figuratively!
EYF itself was great — time spent with good friends, meeting new people, and plenty of yarn buying. I didn’t take many pictures, and don’t really think I could do justice to the whole experience, so I’m not even going to try! I’ll talk about the yarn that came home with me as and when I use it though 🙂
Right after EYF, it was off to Paris with Mr. N. It was a short trip for work, but we did get a free day to do a bit of exploring. I worked on recently cast on Pebbles and Pathways Socks in a Parisian park (how’s that for a tongue twister) …
And paid a quick visit to La Bien Aimee!
From Paris it was straight onto Virginia, where I spent a few lovely weeks with my mom. We took very few pictures, but cast on Olivias together:
And went through old knitting books in search of the pattern for this stunning cardigan, which my mom made shortly after she learned to knit:
On my return, I had some lovely friends come to visit, then it was off to Brighton (another work trip), but that didn’t stop me needing something to knit! Sleeves make such good travel knitting, that I, er, started another project … Bressay by Marie Wallin!
Seeing it all written out, it’s no wonder I’ve not been blogging much (and, in the process managed to miss my three-year blogiversary!) Though all the knits I’ve cast on during my travels remain, ahem, uncompleted, I did finish a longstanding WIP just last week … with any luck, I’ll have a finished object post to share later this week!
Until then, I better crack on with all these projects … especially as another trip to the US is coming up in just a few weeks!
Hope you had a great weekend — I’d love to hear what’s keeping you busy at the moment!
February State of the Knitting
Hi friends! It’s been awhile since I’ve shared what’s on my needles, so how about a little WIP round up? Right now, for me, it’s all about the knitalongs!
Late October State of the Knitting
Hi friends, and happy Wednesday! I realized it’s been ages since I talked here about what’ on my needles, so thought I’d put together a little Wednesday WIP round up, complete with some new project plans!
Nature’s Shades-along (and a bit of news)
Hi friends, and happy Thursday!
First, I wanted a say a big thank you to everyone whose read and commented on posts so far this summer. I’ve been rubbish at replying to comments (I think I’m just about caught up now), but I do read and appreciate each one. With the pressure of finishing, together with lots of good busy-ness, my time in this space has suffered. I’m looking forward to a quiet fall, when I’ll have time to catch up on all the lovely blog posts I’ve missed, and we can chat lots about woolly sweaters and autumnal things.
Continue reading “Nature’s Shades-along (and a bit of news)”
Once Upon a Sock, August 2018
It’s that time friends … the first Thursday of the month where we talk about socks!
Not much to show this month! Just slight progress on my Waiting for Henry socks. I had such momentum on these while I traveled … I thought I just might manage to have a whole pair finished by this month’s post (imagine that!) But then I got distracted as soon as I got home by many other projects. Nevermind! I’m still in love with these. I had been concerned about the fit last month, and went ahead and blocked the first sock when it was nearly done, which sorted everything out (phew!). I then dragged my feet finishing the first sock, but was spurred on by #saturdaysockathon over on Instagram! I only recently started the second sock, and as with the first, the little colorwork section is completely addictive! Once I finish that, I am going to have to keep the pressure on myself to knit the rest of the vanilla sock (though the beautiful Once Upon A Corgi yarn should help with that!)
I used a bit of Leizu Fingering (which is in the colorwork) for the toe, and that’s the only think I’m not positive about at the moment. It’s a bit heavier than the sock body and feels a little stiff in comparison. But again, I’m relying on the magic of blocking to sort that out!
Hopefully next month I’ll have this pair finished, but until then, go check out what my fellow Once Upon a Sock-ers are up to this month. Check out Paula’s post and our link up — and feel free to join in as and when you’d like. And if you want even more sock knitting, head over to my lovely friend Kate’s blog … she’s got ambitious plans for an August Sockathon, where she sees how many pairs she can knit in a month. I love all the patterns and yarns she’s got queued up (and would totally join her if I, um, didn’t need to finish my dissertation this month!)
May the [sock knitting] force be with you!
xo K
Yarnalong: Lotta, Traigh, and The Sheep Stell
Knitting: What am I not knitting might be the more operative question! My knitting time has been very scattered among many projects recently, but here are two: my Lotta, which I have only been working on at knit night or in other social situations (chatting’s a great distraction from endless stockinette!) but is nevertheless growing, and Traigh, a lovely new shawl from Kate Davies. I haven’t worked on it in nearly a week (sniff) and can’t wait to get back to it as I am really enjoying the yarn and pattern.
Reading: The Sheep Stell by Janet White (Not Jenny Deski as previously stated — she who wrote a blurb on the cover — sorry about that!) I think I might have already posted about this book … I started it right before I left for the States, but then put it down to read Kate Atkinson’s Behind the Scenes at the Museum which I absolutely adored (on many of your recommendations, I’ve now also procured Case Studies) I’m not far enough in to say much other than I love Diski’s straightforward prose — I think I’m really going to enjoy this memoir. The cover art also makes me unreasonably happy.
Check out what everyone is up to at the original Yarnalong post!
I’ll be back tomorrow with a teeny bit of sock talk and then later this week with some plans for August … but for now, my dissertation is calling and I better answer! Only a few weeks to go til submission!
xo K
Summer Knitting
I’m sat at my desk, with the sun streaming in (well it was this morning when I started this post), and all I want to do is … knit.
Yarnalong: Lotta + Behind the Scenes at the Museum
Hi there! Just a quick post today as I’m still traveling, but I’m so excited about the book I’m reading that I didn’t want to miss this month’s Yarnalong!
Knitting: My Lotta Dress from the most recent issue of Laine is coming along … I’ve been working on it as and when while I’ve been traveling, and have just divided for the sleeves. As soon as I finish this clever horizontal detailing on the body, it’s just miles of stockinette …. perfect for working on while catching up with friends the rest of this week and for my flight back to the UK next Monday! I’m loving knitting with the toothy and tactile Tukuwool sock — I see more projects with it in my future. But I’m missing knitting along on it with my lovely mom since I left last Friday.
Reading: Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. I’ve been in such a reading funk lately … I have had such a hard time picking up a book and staying with it. I started BTSATM on my trip, though, as I’m reading it for a book club, and I adore it. The first person narrative grabbed me right away, it’s chronology jumps around in a way that’s fun and not gimmick-y or confusing, and I love the richly textured picture it paints of a family’s life in post WW2 Yorkshire. I’m not all that far in, but so far, so good!
Head on over to the original Yarnalong post to see what knitters and readers all around the world are up to! What are you reading and knitting this week?
Porch knitting
Hi friends and happy … what day is it again today?
It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve been at my parents nearly a week! It’s been lovely to be able to hang out with my family, have a break from writing (I sent off a draft of my dissertation right before I flew!), and cast on a few new projects … I’ve been enjoying some quality time sitting out on my parents’ back porch, knitting and listening to the birds.
fiber and sustenance 