Peach Coglo

Second Mitt

Joining Ginny for yarn along . . . .

Things are getting busier and busier.  It looks like the May Madness is starting to ooze over into June.  Thank goodness I have knitting and reading to slow things down a bit.  I am working on my second mitt, so things are a steady on that front.

I blew through (well mostly) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.  Now that was a wonderful book.  I learned a lot about myself.  It was a relief to see that other people recognize the frustration that introverts can feel in a world that prizes introverts.  I didn't get to finish the entire book as it was due.  I turned it in because I didn't wish to add to my already fined-up account.

I started reading If These Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home.  What an interesting book.  It has all kinds of information on some of the more practical (read kinda gross or embarrassing) history of us and our homes.  I have learned the Western history of the bed, underwear and baths.  The bedroom has only recently become a private space.  Back in the nasty centuries when people refused to bath because they thought water was dangerous (they were partly right), they used underwear to keep themselves clean.  Gross Alert:  So yeah, everything a body can produce was "taken care of" by the linen undergarments.  A person then washed his or her unmentionables instead of washing the body.  Ugh.  The Tudor and Stuart periods were pretty darn nasty.  I have also learned from this book that urine is an excellent stain remover.  The servants used to wash out those stubborn stains that the lords and ladies collected on their hunts with basins full of the stuff.  Amazing.  So if you have a curiosity about the history of things we don't talk about in public (usually), then you can't go wrong with this one.  Grossness Over.

What are you making and reading this week?

One Mitt Down

 Joining Ginny for yarn along . . . .

Another Wednesday and I fear I am not quite where I wanted to be with my knitting, but that I am where I need to be.  There has been much  to-doing around here of late which has meant less time knitting and reading.  I have cast off my first mitt.  Now on to the second.  I am saving the thumbs for last.  So far so good.  I tried my mitt on and it seems that even if the thumbs don't work, the mitts will still; they'll just be fingerless and thumbless mitts.  It is natural but still amazing to gain new skills from knitting a lot.  I dropped a few stitches-don't know how- while making these.  I managed to fix them-don't know how-but they seemed all repaired and knitted.  I hope they stay that way.  Somehow though I was able to figure out where the lost and dropped stitch was.  I am sure for most of you such picking up dropped stitches is a quotidian act.  It was monumental for me.  I was afraid of picking up dropped stitches from the moment I started knitting.  It's a bit embarassing to admit that I ripped out things rather than pick up the stitches.  I just couldn't see them.  Thank goodness the projects were tiny.

I have still been enjoying The Gentle Art of Domesticity.  Jane Brocket has found all sorts of domestic  art.  They are quite enjoyable.  One of my favorites is Train Landscape by Eric Ravilious.  I am also reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.  All I can say is "Amen".  This book gives me great insight about myself and I daresay justifies many of my "quirks".  I should finish up quickly as it can only be lent from the library for only two weeks.

What are you reading and making lately?

Moving Mitts and Stealing

Joining Ginny and many others for yarn along.  .  .  .

I simply cannot believe it's Wednesday again.  I know I say it every week, but every week I am shocked and amazed at how fast time speeds away from us.  When I was a child, days just went on forever.    So my mitts are moving along thanks to sweet Tracey of Clover.  Thanks to her I was able to make my thumb hole.  It was a weird thing for me-making an intentional space in my knitting.  I make unitentional spaces frequently enough.   The mitt is not hard as it is mostly knitting in the round with no purling.  I should be done with the body of the first mitt in less than an hour, then it's on to knitting the actual thumb and the next mitt.  Yeah, I'm going to be making more of these bad boys.  People better watch out come Christmas.

When I can, I have been devouring The Gentle Art of Domesticity.  Greg has made the oatmeal cookies from this book, and I will be making the chewy flapjacks hopefully soon.  I am becoming rather familiar with Lyle's Golden Syrup.  I absolutely love that lion on the can.  If you are looking for it, I usually find mine at Whole Paycheck.  The author, Jane Brocket, says it all when she states: "Embedded in the gentle arts is a slyly subversive streak that encourages free thought, individuality, creative self-expressionism, imaginative thought processes and not a little self-determination."

The other book I picked up was Steal Like an Artist.  I enjoyed this selection very much.  It's a quick read and very inspiring.  One of my favorite pieces of advice from the author, Austin Kleon, is to "use our hands".  One way to do this is to get away from the screens.  As much as I love my computer and my community that is found "on" it, I love analog stuff-pens, pencils, paints, office supplies.  I am a semi-luddite.  This book, like The Gentle Art of Domesticity, gave me "permission" to revel in that.  Kleon also encourages us to engage and nourish our "side projects" as they fuel our main passion(s).  As someone who has a lot of interests, this was refreshing to read.

What are you making and reading this week?

Mitted Domesticity

It's Wednesday again and time to join Ginny for yarn along.

Well now that there is a bit more time freed up, I thought I would be able to work on my Toasty mitts.  Unfortunately I caught some crazy cold via Eden-oh man, walking, lovable petri dishes children are.  So now between coughing fits and laying flat out, and child care, I work on my mitts and read a bit.

The mitts are coming along very well-simple stockinette stitch.  I haven't gotten to the thumb hole yet so we'll see how I'm feeling about the project in a few rows.  As for books, I am reading The Gentle Art of Domesticity.  It is a lovely and inspiring book.  Even though I have yet to finish it, I know I will  definitely return to it again.  I also have a stack of Maurice Sendak books to read to myself and to any of the kiddos who would like to listen.  Some of my favorites of his are Pierre, In the Night Kitchen, and Outside Over There even though that one kind of freaks me out.  RIP Mr. Sendak.

What are you reading and making this week?

 

 

Toasty

What the what?  It's already Wednesday, time to join Ginny for yarn along.

Every week I am in disbelief at how fast Wednesday rolls around.  It's absolutely insane.  Well let's get to it.  I finally got started on my fingerless mitts.  It took a while to get the engine going.  May Madness started early and I am bushed already. But I pushed through it and I am happy to say I am moving along on my little project that's just for me.  I also realized that it's almost teacher/aide gift time again.  Not to add anymore to my plate, but there are a few quick projects I am eyeing.

On the book front, we are almost at the end of Then There Were Five.  I did put everything down for a new book called I Wish I Were Engulfed in Flames: My Insane Life Raising Two Boys with Autism.  I haven't decided how I feel about it yet, except that there are some parts I can relate to (constant questions, worry).  The author has a rather, hmm, bawdy tone, so be forewarned.  However, it is plain she adores her kids and would do anything for them.  One of her sons provides poetry and writings for the book also.  He is quite the interesting kiddo.  The author's writing is incredibly honest, and you will get a good peek into different types of autism.  I say that because every child's autism is different from the next.  "Once you meet one child with autism, you have met one child with autism."

I am almost done with Naturally Fun Parties for Kids.  It is a blast.  I cannot wait to try some of these ideas.  Actually, I will wait until after May Madness is over.

Well that's it for me.  What are you making and reading this week?

Finalement, a Decision

It's Wednesday, yet again, which is completely unbelievable.  Time really does fly.  I'm joining Ginny for yarn along. 

I finally decided to make Toasty mitts.  I chose the raspberry merino yarn my buddy Julie gave me.  They are a nice bright color and I think they will work well.  This seems to be a rather simple pattern except for the thumb and some craziness about a backwark loop cast on.  Yikes.  Now on to find size 7 dpns somewhere.

We are reading Then There Were Five and enjoying Enright's lovely words: "The willow lay along the bank like a scaly old dragon and arched its silver branches above the pool."  I am reading/perusing Monet at Giverny, Art & Fear and The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: Landscapes.

Well it's time to find those needles and cast on.  What are you reading and making this week?

Still Fretting

Joining Ginny for yarn along . . . .

I am seriously having a spoiled, first-world problem which in themselves are the best kind to have.  I am still fretting over what to make next.  I received some beautiful yarn and a book from my dear friends.  One of these dear friends is Julie over at Ninja Woman-artist, author/illustrator extraordinaire.  She gave me some yummy yarn (super soft mission falls in a beautiful raspberry colorway) and this book.  My other friend Heather also gave me some awesome yarn (maddy tosh that I will be using only pour moi; the kids can just forget it this go 'round).   Soooo I am thinking some mitts for me in the m.tosh, and perhaps something else for me in the raspberry yarn, and maybe the denim pinafore from the book for my Eden who is always asking for her own yarn.  She has been asking me to make something for her for a while.  Not being the fastest knitter, I need to get started.

You can guess my reading material-my new book and this one.  I am also "reading" Ravelry.  When I am not reading my knitting books, I am reading Monet in the '90's,  Then There Were Five, and finishing up Art & Fear.  Last but not least, I am almost finished reading Naturally Fun Parties for Kids.  I am over the moon over this book.  It guides you (with a prep time-line no less) in making cool fairy, spa and beach parties for kids.  It is a treasure to say the least.  I'll have a full review up soon!

What are you making and reading this week?

The Eggs

Joining Ginny for yarn along . . . .

So I finished my knitted eggs.  I used the Sparrow's Nest egg pattern from Purlbee.  Ah, it was so simple.  The only hinky part is starting out on dpns with such a tiny amount of stitches.  But with time, even that torture improved.  Also, Imene suggested another method which I am looking forward to trying.  Since these eggs are so easy, they are a good in-between project as they knit up fast.  I used some malabrigo worsted weight and some self-striping sock yarn too.

Now I am on to thinking about what should be my next project(s).  I am determined to have at least one project on the needles for myself and while the other project can be for someone else.  There are some birthdays coming up in June.  Helena and Elijah have each requested that I knit them something.   Perhaps that is my first step.

As for books, we are on to Then There Were Five.  It's delightful of course.  I am also still reading Art and Fear, as I wait for people's appointments to end.  It's a good one too.  It's a quick read but there hasn't been a whole heap of time for even the shortest of reads.  I'm hoping to change that.

What are you reading and making this week?

Will One be Enough?

Already Wednesday . . . one, two, you know what to do.  I'm joining Ginny at small things for Yarn Along.

I am so happy to make it to this space today.  I was starting to feel a little doubtful.  It's been a very full past few days with a visit to NYC to see my bro and hear Deepak Chopra (more on that in another post), a PPT/middle-school planning meeting, some art-making and organizing, birthday celebrations, and just life in general. 

I am hoping to get started and actually finish some knitted Easter eggs before Easter.  I am starting to hope/wonder whether one will be enough.  I think I know the answer to that one.  So we'll see if I'll be on time for this year or super-awesome early for next year.  I'll be using the yarn I bought during my WEBS excursion.  I think I am going to like the self-striping yarn.  It's like the yarn does the work for me.

Right now I am reading Art and Fear along with the slew of books I mentioned last week.  I am really enjoying this book.  I am working on a commission right now and this book is making things a lot easier in my little worried brain.  We finished The Saturdays and we are waiting for Then There Were Five to arrive from Slamazon.  I am still moved by Ms. Enright's writing.  She strings words together in the most amazing ways.  Here in The Saturdays, she described walking through a snowstorm:  "All other sounds were furred with quiet by the snow; the hoots of boats came muffled from the river, ..., and people walked without a sound in the feathery dusk." 

What are you reading and making this week?

Felted Balls-Part Deux

It's Wednesday and time for yarn along, joining Ginny at small things.

Amazingly, I finished knitting my felted balls and now it's time for the actual felting.  I've run two through a long hot cycle and two through two short cycles.  Let's just say more felting is needed.  I could stop now, but things are a little more loosey goosey than I would prefer.  Consequently the felting continues.  If I make these again, I am definitely going for the larger balls though no one seems to sell them, but that's probably just me.

While this project continues to felt, I am starting on my knitted Easter eggs.  Hopefully these will be a quick knit.  It's gotten chilly again and I am wishing I had finished some mitts for myself.  I might just go ahead and start on some, though it will probably be 202 degrees in a few days.  Hmmm.

I have a stack a books a mile high, well, maybe a half-mile high.  Needless to say I am not really reading them all, but using several as references and reading necessary excerpts here and there.  We are gliding along with The Saturdays.  I am reading a chapter in Just One Thing called "Befriend Your Body".  That's pretty self-explanatory, though pretty darn easy to forget.  I am also jumping around in The Backyard Homestead.  This is an awesome reference book.  It tells you how to rotate "crops", staggering small plantings, identifying which plants like to be together and which are mortal enemies, and all sorts of useful things.  Now I just need to get outside and plant.  Perhaps when this crazy week ends we can get out there and start digging.  I am also haphazardly reading The Impressionists, as well as, a book about Claude Monet.  The client for whom I am working is into his blue/green/purple waterlilies palette so I thought it best to referesh myself. 

Hey, at least they are all colorfuly and Springy.

Well this is about all I can handle for a week.  What are you reading and making?