All for ME!

Hi all, I hope your week has been going well. Today I decided to join Kat and the others for Unraveled Wednesday - it seems like such a long time since I participated, and there's no time like the present, right? So here's what I'm knitting and [what I was] reading.

After making gifts for people, all of which I'm happy to say were very well and enthusiastically received, all of my current projects are for ME! In an unusual twist for me, instead of my usual three projects, I currently have four. I'm making a cowl (no photos yet), and have returned to the cardigan I started last spring (no new photos). The cowl is going pretty quickly and the cardigan should move right along when I can devote some time to it.

Other than those two, I'm working on the socks that were my New Year's Eve cast-on. I have finished the gusset on each sock, and can move on to knitting the foot. These are fun, I do love stripey socks!

I'm also making a capelet, which frankly surprises me, because I have never had the desire to knit a capelet. But there was a sample of one at the shop, and it was so ridiculously cozy, I decided I needed to knit it. So far I'm still working on the neck (it's a top-down knit), so this is all I have:

The yarn is Woofolk Flette Bulky in the Dark Brown colorway. When I posted this photo on Instagram, The Tim commented on how that was the weirdest looking piece of red velvet cake he ever saw. Because he is a laff riot, as you know. He'll be jealous when I'm cozy and warm around the house because I'm wearing my finished capelet, and he doesn't have that OR any red velvet cake ...

On the reading front, I am currently deciding what my next read will be. But I finished this book the other day:

It was an enjoyable read, a little bit of mystery but mostly a story of family, both those we make and those we are born into. I thought the ending was a bit surprising at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Not great literature or a deep thoughts book, but perfect for when you want to read something interesting and engrossing but not have to worry about lots of characters or family trees that go back to the 1600s or things like that.

I hope your making and reading is making you happy these days. I'm having a good time so far this year with mine. 😊

Reading and A Martini

This week I was ready for another Unraveled Wednesday, with my current book and three - count 'em, three - knitting projects underway.

I am nearly halfway through this book:

First of all, I'd never even heard of The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, so you can be sure that when I saw this, I was more than ready to find out all about it. This book is just so good, putting human stories of survivors along with official records and newspaper stories together to tell the story of what led to the flood, what the flood was, and how it changed everything. Like so many stories, it's about how the business/corporate desire for profit overrode considerations for smaller companies and immigrant populations in the area. I got to a certain point last night and had to put it down, because I was feeling so heartbroken for the victims and their families. But I'm ready to pick it up again and keep reading.

Knitting-wise, I've got three projects underway - all of them gifts. You already know about the Musselburgh hat I'm making for Pat, my niece Amanda's husband. That will be a Christmas gift.

 

I also started a pair of socks for The Tim that will be an anniversary gift, and have about 8 rows of the top ribbing on sock #1 done, so - no photo. 😊

The third project is going to be either a Christmas gift or a birthday gift for my niece Amanda (her BD is December 29). Since Amanda - as well as the rest of us - loves a good martini, I decided to knit her the Martini Party Shawlette.

Years ago, I participated in a yarn club where you got yarn and a pattern every two months. One of the months, yarns from The Plucky Knitter were featured, along with the shawlette pattern. I knew I would want to knit it someday, but it has lived in my stash waiting for its turn in the limelight. And the waiting has paid off, since I'm finally getting around to using it for the intended project.

This photo doesn't show them as bright as the colors actually are, but these ar the yarns I'm usings. On the left, the pinkish shade is called Cosmopolitan; the green, Appletini.  

What about you? What are you reading and/or making? If you are curious to see what is going on with some others, click on the link at the start of this post and treat your curiosity!

In Which I Read, Knit ... And Become Suspicious

Hello all, and Happy Wednesday! This week is moving right along for me, though I am still having a hard time keeping track of what day it is. I'm not sure why I'm having that kind of issue, but why ask why, you know?

Today I'm joining Kat and the others for Unraveled Wednesday. Even when I don't participate, I love seeing what everyone is making and reading.  

I just started this book on Monday:

Not great literature, but I had just finished a few intense books in a row, and needed a palate cleanser. I had read one of the installments of this series - OK, it was a Christmas one, so sue me - a few years ago, and remembered that I enjoyed it. So I thought maybe I'd start at the beginning to see if I wanted to fill in up to the one I'd read. So far, it's just what I was in the mood to read, and having never been to Key West in Florida, I'm enjoying getting a sense of the place through this book.

As far as my knitting goes, I've started on a project that will be a Christmas gift. You may remember that last year I made my niece Liz's husband Greg a Musselburgh hat. (Ravelry link) I had put my niece Amanda and her husband Pat in charge of "explaining" it to Greg when he opened it. When I was showing them how it worked, Pat said, "That is so cool, I would LOVE one of those!" But at the time, it was only about a month before Christmas, and there was no way I was going to make another one in a short time at the holidays.

But I tucked that away for later, and this year, Pat will get his own Musselburgh hat. So far, it looks like I'm knitting a pyramid:

But, having made one last year, I know that it will really and truly turn into a hat. 😀

Now ... you may be saying to yourself, OK, that's what she is reading, and what she is knitting, but why does she mention being suspicious? Well, I started the hat above earlier this week. Then, yesterday at my LYS job, I was assigned my next project for there. As a bit of background, we are assigned projects to work on while we are there, to showcase various yarns carried in the shop. I finished a watch cap on Sunday, during my shift, and so it was time for another project, and I was given the yarn and pattern to make another hat.

Well, here's why I'm suspicious, at least right now. The pattern that is for my "shop project" is from a very well-known designer. And granted, I didn't get very far into it yesterday, but at first read through, it seems suspiciously close to the Musselburgh pattern. It's the same concept when it's finished as well. Now I know that certain designs are kind of universal, and everyone tweaks them to make them their own, but I am just suspicious at this point. Since I'm knitting a Musselburgh at home and this other project two days a week at the shop, it will give me a unique chance to contast and compare, as it were.

I'll keep you posted. I kinda wish I had a deerstalker hat and a pipe, to be honest, LOL.

A HO and What I'm Reading

It's Wednesday, which means it's the day to join Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday! I've decided to join in, since I have a HO (half-finished object) and have started a new book.

First, the HO - this is the first completed sock of a pair of shorties I'm knitting. These went pretty quickly, probably because a) they are shortie socks, and b) the yarn is DK weight. Now I just need to get the other one going, and it will be finished pretty quickly as well (at least in theory).

I started this book the other day, and am so far really enjoying it:

It's weird and creepy but *very* readable! I just hope as I keep reading and hopefully finish it, that it doesn't disappoint.

This morning the weather was actually pleasant, so I was able to go out and take a walk. Coming home not soaked with sweat and having a hard time breathing just feels so nice!

I have a dr appt this morning, and then I want to attempt to wind some yarn for another project. It's one of those skeins of yarns that just seems to be a tangle, period. If I can find a way to try and get it to the point where I can wind it by hand, that will be a benefit. I realize that things happen, but it just annoys me when you have a skein of yarn that is so tangled even before you try to wind it that you don't even have a way to start. I'm willing to give it a try to see if it's salvageable, but I'm not dedicated enough to be a do-or-die untangler. I just hope I haven't wasted money on something I can't even use!

I hope all of your reading and making is going well. Take care.

When Breathing Is Possible Again

OK, I am not foolish enough to think that it will be perfect for the rest of the summer (as a matter of fact, tomorrow is supposed to be an awful weather day again), but yesterday and again today, the heat wave of last week is gone and breathing is not painful anymore. It feels so good to just move and breathe and not feel pain or like passing out. 

I'm joining Kat and everyone for Unraveled Wednesday today, and I always love seeing what others are reading and making in these posts. So here is my contribution.

On the reading front, I just started this book on Monday, and so far I am really enjoying it. To be honest, I forget how I came across it, I think it was one of those "If you like ___ you might enjoy this" things on Goodreads.

The main character is a private detective who is blind and he has a Seeing Eye dog, which of course I love because our sweet Hamlet was a retired Seeing Eye dog. But regardless of that, the story is really fun so far, and it's fascinating how the author makes the main character able to use his other senses to do superior work to some of his sighted colleagues.

Knitting-wise, now that I finished two things recently, it was time to start some new projects!  First up, a tank top:

I've made progress on this since the photo was taken, but at the time, it was actually supposed to look like this, so there's no need to think to yourself, "Oh poor Bridget, that's clearly a disaster." 😊

Then I decided I wanted to make a pair of DK weight shortie socks.  Here's what I have so far on the first one, and I got this all done in a couple of hours. I got it into my head that a pair of DK weight shorties would be perfect for walking around the house during the fall. I have never before thought such a thing, but I seized the day (idea?) and just went ahead and got started.

I also have a project I want to start for a Christmas gift, but I'm still deciding on the yarn I want to use. 

What are you reading and/or making? Be sure to see what everyone else is up to at the link above.

Easter Socks for ... Next Year?

Today I've decided to join Kat and everyone for Unraveled Wednesday, since I (finally) have a knitting photo to share.

Below is one of the socks of a pair I am knitting, using yarn in the colors of Easter (or spring, actually, but I think they look like Easter eggs).  When I started these, I figured I could have them finished to wear then, but that doesn't really work when you go for about a week without knitting a stitch, so that was not in the cards for this year.  But Easter and springtime show up every year, so there's no reason to call it quits.  I made up a little pattern for the leg of the socks, but will do the foot in just plain stockinette.  

Since this yarn was divided into two skeins, I'm able to make two socks at a time - which means that at some point, I'll just have to finish the toe on the second one and I'll be finished!  I like when I can do that, but am too lazy to divide yarn myself when I'm winding it ...

I haven't done much more on the cardigan that I'm knitting, so no photos of that project.

I also just started two books, and am enjoying them both so far.

This is my at-home book:

It's so lovely so far!  I have a feeling this will be one of those books I won't want to end.

And this is my read-at-lunchtime book at work:

So far, I'm intrigued, especially since it takes place at a museum.  Though I read these kinds of things, or watch a show or movie about a murder in a museum/library/archives, occasionally I wonder as I arrive at work in the morning, "I hope I don't find someone's body."  Also, I hope *I'm* never the body found by someone else!  Needless to say, this doesn't seem to be a common crime, so it's not really something that keeps me up at night ... 😊

In other news, last night we walked over to a graduation recital for one of the students at the Curtis Institute of Music.  This particular student had Part 1 of his graduation recital a couple of weeks ago, and we also went to that one.  He is a double major in piano and violin.  The first recital was all piano, but last night was piano and violin, and he played both during one piece!  Well, OK, apparently there are pianos (even Steinways, like the Curtis uses!) that record your playing and play it back - actually, the way the keys moved, it reminded me of the player pianos from old movies.  Anyway, he had recorded the piano parts and then accompanied himself on the violin.  WHAT?  It was excellent, though I pointed out to The Tim that I think it would have been more impressive if the violin had played itself while he played the piano ... fortunately, I told him this while we were walking home, because we both got such a charge out of visualizing that I'm sure we would have been thrown out of the performance if I'd told him at the time.

Anyway, that meant I was up later than usual (for me on a work night - for most people, no big deal), so today I'm really tired.  I think I may need to be sure I have an extra cup of tea so I can be sure to stay awake until it's time to go home ...

Have a good day, and if you are working, I hope you too can stay awake!

Here We Are

I've been confused all week about what both the day and the date are.  I'm not sure why, but now I realize that it is Wednesday, March 30 so I'm at least straightened out for today.  

Today I'm joining Kat and the others for Unraveled Wednesday, to show you what I'm knitting and reading. I feel like it's been a while since I contributed, and the stars aligned for me, so here you go.

This is the cardigan I started at the beginning of the year.  It still has a long way to go, but I have reached the stockinette part of the pattern, with no increases or decreases, so that's progress, because the beginning felt interminable.  I'm hoping to get a lot more knit on this, though I'm not sure if I'll even come close to finishing it before warm/hot weather hits.  But if not, I'll just pick it up again next fall.  

The color is not really even close to how it looks in the photo - it's more of a deep teal, but when you take a photo inside on a cloudy day, you're lucky if anything even shows up, you know?

My other current project is the very beginning of a pair of socks in yarn with Easter-y colors:

So far, one cuff on one sock.  Hey, it's a start ...

I just started this book on Monday:

I'm not that far into it yet, but so far it's really really interesting, and I think I'm going to enjoy it.  Though I have to admit that every time I pick it up to start reading, I hear Bert Parks singing the Miss America song in my head. 😊

And that's it for today.  Have a good one, and go over and wish Kym a Happy Birthday today!

Very Little Knitting, Lots of Reading

Today I decided that I would participate in Unraveled Wednesday, with Kat and the others.  Because I do have a tiny bit of knitting to show, and I have been really busy reading.

I haven't knit for a while, for two reasons.  Emotionally, I've wanted to knit, but have not had the energy or strong desire to pay attention. But the real thing is physical - my right shoulder has really been giving me a lot of pain.  It's probably arthritis (frankly, I hope it's just that), but to make certain, I'm going to the doctor this coming Monday to have it checked out.  Primarily, because of the ever-helpful comment from The Tim: "You should get it checked out, in case it's a rotator cuff injury, and you need surgery." I feel that is probably not going to be the case, but when he makes comments like that, it sorta freaks me out and I want to be sure what is happening!

Anyway. This past Sunday, I decided to give knitting a try, and pulled out my Cozy Squares of Memory blanket.  It's been a long time since I worked on it, partly due to other projects I wanted to finish, and also because I don't work on it at all during the summer heat.  But I thought I'd try a couple of squares and see how things went.

The two squares on the right side - the stripey blue and the solid blue - were added.  Since they are small and do not take a lot of time, I thought this was a good test of whether or not *any* knitting would aggravate my shoulder, or if that just happened when I knit for long periods.  The good news is that my shoulder didn't kill me for the rest of the day, but the bad news is that it did hurt and I was more than aware of it, even after using a lidocaine cream and taking a couple of Tylenol.  So we'll see what the doctor thinks and/or recommends next Monday.

I've been reading A LOT since I haven't been doing as much knitting.  A mix of cozy mysteries and easy reads as well as more involved things.  Right now, I've started two books:

This is a loan from the library.  I'm maybe a third through it, and it's both interesting and sad, since you know what happens to the people you are "meeting" through the author.

This one is my reading-during-lunch book at work.  It's both fascinating and disturbing.  But so far a really good read!

*****

In other news, nothing much is going on with us.  We brought our boy home on Monday.💔💕  The kitties are, I think, even more confused than they already were.  They keep sniffing and rubbing the box with his ashes, and then looking at us and crying.  But we're glad he is back with us.  

Pip had his 11th birthday on Monday, with treats and a new catnip toy.  He was quite pleased with it all.  Milo the Koodle got a catnip toy for Valentine's Day, so there were no arguments involved.  The Tim and I had some birthday cake to celebrate, so all the way around it worked out ...

Work continues to get worse, with pretty much no help from our HR department.  I have been applying for any type of jobs right and left, hoping some poor sap will actually decide to ask me for an interview, but needless to say, nothing is happening so far.  Apparently I have too many skills for unskilled jobs, and am too old for others.  But I continue to hope that the aforementioned poor sap shows up soon!

That's it for now.  I hope you are having a decent kind of day.

If At First You Don't Succeed ...

As the saying goes: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  I am generally willing to try a few more times, but there are occasions when I have decided something just isn't meant to be/to happen and I give up and move on.

Which nearly happened with my latest knitting project, the first thing I have started in 2022. Late last year, I decided that I should try knitting a cardigan.  I love cardigans, but the ones I have are either very lightweight or not really suitable for wearing outside the house (you know, those "fave" ones you put on when you are cold and they last for years and they look terrible but they are THE BEST).  I had some worsted weight yarn that I wanted to use, and so I started poking around for a pattern.  At first, I was going to try the Catbells Cardigan, but then decided that it was just a bit to involved for my first go-round; then, I fell in love with the Bookworm Cardigan (Ravelry link, just so you know), but decided that since the yarn I was planning to use was a bit dark the pattern wouldn't show that well.  Then - and I don't remember how I came across it - I saw the Wildhorse Cardigan (another Ravelry link), and decided that was the one!

Or was it?  I read through the pattern and thought I understood it.  So I cast on, knit the set-up row and then got to Row 1 and ... WTF?  I followed the directions, but it just didn't work out.  So ripped out what I had and started over - three separate times!  It just didn't make sense to me.  So I sent an e-mail to the designer, who immediately responded.  Which was very kind of her, and I sat down again to give it a shot and once again. NOPE.  I knew it was supposed to work, and trust me, the actual instructions seemed incredibly clear but I just could not get it.  So I sent her another e-mail, and added in that e-mail that I realized she was not there to hold my hand every step of the way, so if she didn't really have the time or desire to help, I understood and would put the project away for another time.  Because I really do know that sometimes I can leave something for a while, come back, and immediately understand how it works.

Well, not only did she write back again - but she included a drawing to show me *exactly* what she meant!  She said in the e-mail that "I really want you to be able to knit this cardigan."  And you know what?  With the drawing, the light bulb went on in my head and it all made sense.  I managed to get it going, and not only did it make sense, but I kept wondering why it had puzzled me so much.  I'm defintely writing back so that the designer knows how much I appreciate her help.

For reasons I will never understand, I can't add the photo to this post, so I will give you the Instagram link so you can see what I have so far.  Clearly I'm gonna need a longer needle!

Reading-wise, I have two books going.  This is my read-at-lunch book at work:

This book was originally published in 1957, written by Ruth Adam, and it is so enjoyable!  It's also not that long, but when you can only read in half-hour increments, the going is slow.  

My reading-at-home book is this one, which I think I may be the last person on earth who hadn't already read it:

It's much longer than the above book, but I'm really enjoying it, even if - like most books set in this time - I'm just really upset and angry about Nazis.  I'm a bit more than halfway through.  Not surprisingly, they are planning to start filming a limited series of it on Netflix in March of this year. I'm glad I'm reading it first, because a) I almost always like any book better than the movie/dramatization, and b) I hate it when book covers get changed to reflect the dramatizations, even when people I like are in them.  It's one of my pet peeves.

So there you go.  I'm joining Kat and the others for Unraveled Wednesday, so check out what everyone else has been up to lately!

Throwback Photo and My Latest Reads

Hello!  Since it's Wednesday, I decided to write a post for Unraveled Wednesday, and join Kat and the others to talk about knitting and reading.  

I am currently reading two books - one is my "regular" book that I read at home whenever the spirit moves me, and the other is my "lunch hour book" which I read at work during my half-hour lunch break.  Often the lunch hour book comes home at the end of the week so I can finish it, but it's easier to leave it locked in my desk drawer than carry it back and forth every day.

Here is my current regular book, borrowed from the library, which I just started reading last night:

So far, it's really interesting, and I'm curious to see where it's heading.

My lunch hour book which I started actually reading at home over the weekend is this one:

I'm a bit further into this one, and so far I like it.  Elly Griffiths is really good at setting the scene and giving you the feeling of place.  As it turns out, I currently have all of the books in the Ruth Galloway series, because someone in our neighborhood Buy Nothing group was giving them away.  I figure I'll pass along the favor once I've finished.  It's kind of nice to have all of them available and ready to read when I'm in the mood.

Knitting-wise, as I mentioned yesterday, I've been knitting on some makeup remover cloths for gifts, and still knitting away on the Musselburgh Hat I'm making for my niece's husband as a Christmas gift.  I don't have photos of anything current to show you, but I came across an older photo that I thought you'd enjoy.

A few years back when I finished a sweater I'd knit, I asked The Tim to take some photos of me wearing the finished item.  It was one of the first successful sweaters I'd knitted for myself, and I definitely wanted photographic proof.  He managed to get some nice shots, but the one that we enjoyed the most (for all the wrong reasons of course) was this one:

It still makes me laugh until I cry when I see it - what is happening here?  I think I was in between shots, but the expression on my face is the thing that gets me every single time.  I realize that most people would never share such a photo, but since I'm sure that somehow, this will be the shot that is used for my memorial service after I die, I might as well embrace it and share it here while we can all get a good laugh.

I shared this one Facebook shortly after it was taken, and besides the general hilarity that ensued, a friend asked if they could use it for their profile picture, hahahaha!  

Everyone's a comedian, right???

Cast On ... Unravel ... Cast On ... Unravel Again ... Cast On ... Oh and Also Read

The title of this post tells the story.  My latest knitting project is not nearly as far as you'd think it might be, based on when I started working on it, and the fact that once the initial part is done, it's just a whole bunch of stockinette.  

My current project is the Musselburgh hat, which is something that apparently everyone but myself and about twelve other people in the world have made.  I wanted to make one for my niece's husband for a Christmas gift, because I thought it was a good choice for someone with a bald head who spends lots of time outdoors.  I also decided to make it with two different colors, since it is a reversible design.

So I got my supplies together and sat down to watch a tutorial about the pinhole cast-on.  I followed that and ... it didn't work.  After about five tries in an evening, and then four more the next evening, I had something that kinda/sorta resembled what it should be, and knit for a bit.  But after knitting some more, I decided it just looked bad.  So I decided to try again with the other color and see if that worked better.  So I ripped out what I had, and started again with the other color, and after a few tries and a few more episodes of unravelling, it finally worked.  Well, it worked a lot better, I'll say.  However, now I've put it in a brief time out because of my overall annoyance at how frustrating it all was to start.  I have no additional photos at all to show you, you'll just have to take my word for it.

To use one of my mother's favorite sayings, "Oh for God's sake!"

I did recently finish two cozy mysteries of varying interest, so I have been reading even if not anything overly involved.  On my way home from work tonight, I'm stopping at the public library to pick up one of the holds that has arrived for an actual physical book.

Hopefully this will be a good read.  If not, at least I didn't purchase it, I can just return it to the library earlier than it is due, and the next person can try it.

You'll just have to tune in later to see if I read the book and/or if I make amends with the hat.  Until then, it's just one of life's mysteries, you know??  😉

Glowing in the Dark

I thought I'd write a post for Unraveled Wednesday before I left for a dr appt.  I think I have *just* enough time.

So I have been reading a lot lately, and for the most part enjoying it.  I recently gave up on a book that so many others have liked, but hey that happens.  My current book is this one:

I am only a couple of chapters in, but so far it is keeping my attention.  Hopefully I'll want to keep reading, since I'm always annoyed when I decide to give up on a book - though at least now I know it's OK to do that!

Knitting-wise, I just finished the first sock of a pair, and am hoping that it's colorful enough ...

The Tim claims that I will glow in the dark when I wear these - he said I should save them for when the weather threatens a power outage.  😀  I'm really happy with how this one turned out, and especially pleased with my Shadow Wrap Heel, even though it is kinda wonky - but not bad for a first try!

Want to know what others are making and reading?  Head over to Kat's blog, following the link above and find out!

Reading, Knitting, and Naming a New Winner

Thank you for all of the nice comments about my finished shortie socks.  I'm still working on deciding what socks are next, but I'll keep you posted.  

Today I've decided to join Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday.  Lately I've been doing a lot of reading - more than I've been knitting, actually.  But at this moment, I'm about 3/4 of the way through this book:

I forget when or how I heard of this, but I'm enjoying it.  I can't say it's going to be my favorite book ever, but most of the characters are interesting, and there's a lot to think about while reading it.

This past Sunday, I finished the body of my summer tee.  I had tried it on before getting to the bottom ribbing, to make sure it was still going OK, and I am really pleased with how it looks:

After this photo, I did in fact finish the ribbing, and now all I have to do is the sleeves.  I know they won't take long, because they are short sleeves, so I'm hoping to get started on them today.  It would be nice to have this finished, and actually wear it before summer ends!

Now for the last part of what the post title says.  I have waited a couple of weeks, and have not heard at all from the previously named winner of the Grand Finale prize for Christmas in July.  So this morning I returned to the random number generator to choose a new winner, and that person is:

!!!KSD!!!

I actually received a note from her earlier this summer, so I have her address handy.  Kim, I'll let you know when the package goes out so you can be watching for it.  I feel bad having to pick a second person, but as I said, the first named winner has had two weeks to respond, so it was time to move along.  😊

And that's it for today.  Have a good one!

Reading and Making and Sweating

Hello on a heat warning Wednesday here in Philadelphia.  Today the temperature is supposed to be 95 degrees (F), with a "feels like" temperature of 103 degrees.  And guess what?  I have to walk across town to get my picture taken - YAY!  Not.  I have an appointment at SEPTA headquarters to get my SEPTA Senior Pass.  Because of Covid, you have to have an appointment instead of non-Covid times when could just show up during their open hours.  Anyway, it's worth it because having that pass will mean I will not have to pay to take public transportation, which is a benefit to being a senior citizen.  I just hope that my photo for my pass doesn't make me look like a person who was doused in a shower before it was taken.  Because I'm sure I'll be soaked with sweat by the time I arrive.  I do have enough vanity to wish that would not be the case.  But not enough vanity to reschedule, since I made this appointment two months ago and today was the first availability.  

Life contains such tragedy, no?  😉

ANYWAY - today I'm joining Kat and others for Unraveled Wednesday, and I'm excited because it's been a while for me.  So let's just do it, shall we?

First up, what have I been knitting?  Well, I continue to work on my summer top, and I am "practicing" (poorly, so far) the crossed stitches for the Hipster Shawl.  But I do have a HO (half-finished object):

One shortie sock off the needles!  And the best thing is, the second sock is very close to having the foot complete, so I can move on to the toe and have an FO!  This is exciting for me, since a lot of my knitting has languished lately.  It's not that I don't enjoy the projects, I just haven't been that inspired to knit.  But this one should be finished in the next couple of days.

Reading-wise, I just finished this book last night:

It was an enjoyable cozy mystery, with some different types of things from the usual cozy.  

Finishing it is good timing, since I picked up this hold from the library yesterday:

This will be the first book of this author's for me, and I'm looking forward to it.  I always enjoy mysteries, but I've been particularly in the mood for them lately.  It was weird to pick up an actual book from the library, since I've been mostly reading library books through Overdrive during the pandemic.  When I got the notice to make an appointment to pick it up, I thought "You mean I actually have to *go* there??"  (Our public libraries are still not open for browsing, etc.  And now, thanks to the delta variant, it will still be a while. Thanks, non-vaxxers.)

Follow the link above  - it's always fun to see what others are reading and making!

Apropos of Nothing, I Cannot Stand Vladimir Putin

With President Biden getting ready to meet with Putin, I just have to say that Putin makes me ill and angry at the same time.  Just seeing photographs of his face make me stabby.  

I know you don't care, but I just had to get this out of the way.

On to happier things.

I decided today to join in with Kat and everyone for Unraveled Wednesday.  I have a book I'm getting ready to start, and a knitting project that is well underway, so why not?

Over the weekend, I finished a book called Standard Deviation, by Katherine Heiny, that I really enjoyed.  And then for once, there was good timing, as one of the holds I had placed at the public library came ready!  So today, I'll be starting this book, and I can't wait:

 

 

I really enjoy the Inspector Armand Gamache stories, and the little town of Three Pines and the characters who live there.  On a side note, I used to have a co-worker whose favorite kind of weather was hot and humid - I mean to the extremes.  She enjoyed mysteries, and I recommended this series to her.  She tried one, and told me she couldn't read it, because it took place in Canada, and that was just a place that is too cold and it made her uncomfortable.  Weirdo.

Knitting-wise, my summer top is coming along nicely:

I'm knitting this pattern, and I have to say, that it is very well-written so far, and a nice enjoyable knit.  Enough that you have to pay attention, but also a pattern where you can get into a rhythm once you really get started.  And if you know me at all, you know I'm enjoying knitting with this color, so it's a win-win kind of project.

Head on over the Kat's blog to see what others are reading and making.  😊

Getting Close At Last!

I know it's Wednesday, but for whatever reason, I wasn't expecting it to be Wednesday.  You know, like I have any control over time ...

I thought I'd join Kat and everyone else for Unraveled Wednesday today, since I have a book underway and have been working on a project that is getting closer to being finished.

First up, this book, which I am really enjoying.  It's interesting, and a little bit creepy.

Right now, I'm about halfway through - it's very readable and the characters are intriguing.

As for knitting, I've been spending some time on the sweater that should have been finished by now, but is not - but look, it almost has two completed sleeves!

I think I'll finish up the second sleeve by the end of this week, and then there is just the collar to go.  I would say I can't wait to wear it, but instead I'll say that I'll be thrilled to have it next year when late fall and winter arrive.  😊

I have a dr appt to have my right elbow looked at for the pain I've been having, since I am not convinced that it's tendonitis.  It doesn't bother me where tendonitis usually does, based on what I have read.  If there is any way to help it feel better, I want to find out!

And that's about it for now.  Time to get moving ...

A Whole Lot of Not Much and I Am Easily Amused

Seems like it's been a long time since I've participated in Unraveled Wednesday with Kat and everyone.  The main reason is that although I've been reading, it's been slightly less than usual, and though I have been knitting, it's been way less than usual.  I've been having a flare up of arthritis in my right elbow, which was always annoying but now happens more frequently every since I broke my wrist a couple of years ago.  It gets to the point where it even keeps me awake if I move too much when I sleep.  It doesn't necessarily hurt more when I do knit, but it hurts more *to* knit when it's doing its thing.  So all of my projects are the same, with only very small progress on each one.

In any case, I decided to post anyway, because I am close to finishing a book that I have found to be really interesting, and I saw a freebie pattern yesterday that I thought was really amusing and worth sharing.

First up, I'm nearly finished with this book:

This has been a good read, both in the premise (the narrator is the wife of Jesus), and in the depictions of life and society at the time it is supposed to be happening.  Admittedly, I'm also imagining some people starting to read it and then getting to a certain point and thinking "WHAAAATTT???" and being shocked, dismayed, or whatever, and frankly that amuses me.  

As for the freebie pattern, someone shared this on Twitter yesterday, and not only is it free, but it's very timely:

Meet Jabby the Friendly Syringe!

This is a free pattern from Mochimochi Land, and it just cracks me up.  Not only because it's stupid cute, but because when else but in the current climate would it be considered appropriate to knit a friendly syringe??  Think about it - say, two years ago, people would have been saying it promoted opioid abuse or something, right?  

I can hear the sanctimonious outrage in my head: "Disgusting! She's reading a book about Jesus having a wife, AND sharing a pattern to promote drug use!" 

As you can see from everything here, I do a good job of finding things funny for all the wrong reasons.  Good times.

******

We had a lovely Easter, if another quiet one since our partners in crime couldn't visit to undertake the decoration of Inappropriate Easter Eggs.  Hopefully next year we can get the band back together.

The weather here in Philadelphia was beautiful, and we had a leisurely day just relaxing and hanging out with Pip, Milo, and Hamlet.  The Tim fixed a really yummy Easter dinner, and we did what we could as far as consuming chocolate in honor of the day.  If only life could be as pleasant all of the time, right?

Wrapping It All Up for Unraveled Wednesday

I am joining Kat and others today for Unraveled Wednesday, but doing something a bit different.  Instead of telling you what I am knitting and reading right now, I'm going to use this post to wrap up my knitting and reading for 2020.

Here's everything that I knit during 2020:

I will say first and foremost, that I have the Covid-19 lockdown for having so much knitting to show for one year.  I have never ever had 24 total projects for one year before, and on top of that, I not only filled my Box-o-Socks, but instead of 12 pairs, I knit 13 pairs of socks - a record for me, that's for sure!

I have to say that for the most part, these were all fun, enjoyable, and rewarding knits - I learned new techniques, tried new challenges, and sometimes just enjoyed knitting with fun yarn.  My Social Distancing Sweater (bottom right) is probably the one thing I least enjoyed knitting.  I have to say the short rows really ruined it for me, and though I will wear it, it may not stay in my wardrobe for long.  Even though I finished it in the spring and put it away until cooler weather, the couple of times I've worn it, I have not really enjoying wearing it.  I'll give it a few more chances.  But everything else I knit for myself makes me very happy, and I'm pleased that I also was able to make so many gifts (though except for the ones I gave to The Tim, the others are still sitting in Florida somewhere waiting to be delivered).

Reading-wise, I read 81 books in 2020.  If you want to see the details, here is the link to the page on Goodreads where you can dig into them.  I don't know about you, but I always enjoy seeing this, and also being reminded of books I read and enjoyed, but forgot that I'd read earlier in the year.  Again, the pandemic helped with these numbers too - let's just say that a lot of my time this past year was spent knitting and reading.  I regret nothing.  😏

I can recommend a book I just finished, which is this one:

The story of two families - a family of immigrants from Cameroon and a wealthy New York family - that takes place during the 2008 financial meltdown on Wall Street.  It is interesting, heartbreaking, and frustrating, but readable the whole time.  You can read what I wrote about it on Goodreads here.

And with this post, I have been able to wrap up my activities for 2020 - a terrible year for the world, if a good year for some things.  I would prefer that Covid-19 never happened, or at a minimum, that our leadership would have done more for all of us so it would not be still rampaging worse than ever, but writing this post, I realized that this was the way I did my best to make lemonade out of the lemons that were last year.

Knitting, Reading, Celebrating

Brrr, it's cold today!  Which is fine with me, 'cause you know it IS November.  

Today I'm joining Kat and others for Unraveled Wednesdays to talk about what I'm knitting, what I'm reading, and then also a celebration for today.

I currently have two projects on the needles - a pair of socks which I have not been able to decently photograph, but if you remember last month when I showed some yarn and a project bag for holiday knitting, it's that - the colorway is called Slothmas, and the bag had Christmas sloths on it.  I'm nearly finished with the leg of the first sock.

The other project is a sweater that is going along nicely:

It took a bit of effort before it started going nicely.  I realized I would need to knit using the helical knitting method.  I could understand it in my brain, but could not get my brain to get my hands to understand it.  Then I watched probably the 5th video I'd tried on YouTube illustrating it and BOOM! it finally made sense.  Since then, I have really been enjoying working on it, and hope to have it finished before the end of the year.  If that doesn't happen, it's no big loss, but it's just a goal I would like to meet if at all possible.

I started this book over the weekend, and am really enjoying it.

I had been looking on Overdrive for one thing, which was not available, and this was one of those "You May Also Be Interested In" titles, and I decided to give it a try.  I think I'm about a third of the way in, and I like it a lot at this point.

******

We are also celebrating in our house today, as it is The Tim's birthday.  Needless to say, we can't go out to dinner or anything like that, but we are still ready.  He has requested a quiche for dinner, so I've decided to make a mushroom-blue cheese version.  Of course, for dessert, we have the white cake with chocolate frosting he requested.

And there are gifts to open, as one does on one's birthday.

All is well here - a cozy day together with the animals, reading, knitting (at least for me) and celebrating a birthday.  There will also likely be some watching of movies or some shows waiting for us.  We are lucky.

Books, Socks, and Anniversaries

Today I decided that I had it together enough to post for Unraveled Wednesday, which is always fun because I enjoy seeing what everyone is reading and making.  Here's my entry. 😊 

I am almost finished with this book.  It's pretty amazing to read, and gives you a true understanding of just where the author started out and how he fit in to his large family.

It's not a long book, but it is packed with so much.

Making-wise, I started a new pair of socks and am making it up as I go along.  If they turn out the way I want them to, I'll write up my notes and share.  Next up will be the heel flap, but here's what I have now.

You can't see the pattern too well there, so maybe this one is better.

Anyway, I'm enjoying it, and I *think* I'll like the way the end product looks.

*****

Today is our wedding anniversary, number 42. We had decided that this year, instead of gifts for each other, we would do something for our house.  Then I read that although there is not an "official" gift for the 42nd anniversary, that informally, the practice is property improvements, haha! Given our financial situation though, we decided that our gift to our house is that we were able to pay the mortgage this month ... 😏 But we are going to celebrate with good food, a special cake from our fave bakery nearby, and some sparkling wine, so it will be a fun day. 

Also, according to Google, we've been married for 15,330 days, or 367,920 hours, or 22,075,200 minutes, which is over 1,324 million seconds - whaaaat??!