Hello, Hello!
A little bit of a later post for me. I was driving to my office before the crack of dawn and thus didn't have time to post from home. A deer just missed my car (or I just missed the deer) on my way in this morning and then a fox ran across the road. Wildlife abounds!!
Now I'm at the office, breakfast has been delivered and the meeting is underway (which I am not participating in). I'll stick around until lunch is delivered around 11:30 and then I may just need to call it a day at that time! Meanwhile, I can now write and post for Unraveled Wednesday. As usual, I'm linking up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.
I really enjoy connecting with everyone on Wednesdays - there is always such great inspiration, wonderful recommendations for reading and sometimes a little enabling - LOL.
My knitting has seen a little bit of progress. First up is the initial green sock.
I will knit another 5 or 10 rows and then will knit the heel flap and turn the heel. If all goes well, that should go quickly.
Progress has also been made on the cowl for my SIL.
It is hard to see the pattern. I tried to pull it apart to show it better, but that didn't turn out so well. Basically after the ribbing, you knit 5 rows and then a pattern row...then 5 rows plain knitting and then another pattern row. The pattern is just yarn overs and knitting 2 together. Simple and easy peasy to remember. I do love these colors together and I think this will be perfect for my SIL.
I also broke down and ordered some Lopi yarn. LOL After saying I certainly didn't need any more yarn (and I don't, but...). A Lopi sweater has been on my mind for some time, but I still want to try Planetary. So...I ordered two skeins of Lopi (Galaxy and Pink) to knit a hat (and make a pom-pom). I can use a new hat and I'll see if this gets the idea of Lopi out of my head for a little while. Of course, there is the risk that it could go the opposite way and just increase my appetite for this yarn!
On the reading side of things, Fletch and I (finally!!) finished listening to The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. Not a favorite of mine and by the last third Fletch was tired of it as well. He said it was a little too much like "Field of Dreams" and I was just totally bored with it. Last night we started reading (not listening) to Mark Twain for Cat Lovers which I think will be fun. We only got through the introduction last night before my voice gave out, but will read some more tonight.
On my own reading I am thoroughly enjoying "Middlemarch" by George Eliot. What a book! So much dry humor in it and as Mary wrote to me, quite snarky in places. Colin and I are continuing to read the poems in Nine Horses by Billy Collins which are just wonderful. I also started The Book of Goose and am roughly a third of the way into it. I'm not yet sure how I feel about it...I want to continue reading, but I don't think I really like the book. That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, but there you have it.
Remember to head over to Kat's space to see what others are making and reading.
Your sock looks like Spring to me and that cowl is very pretty. It will be interesting to see what two skeins of Lopi does; I'm betting that knitting a hat might make you want a sweater (but that's not a bad thing)!
ReplyDeleteGlad you missed the deer (and the fox). From personal experience I can tell you . . . those deer will mess you UP!
ReplyDeleteAll those different books would have me SOOOOO confused. LOL I may have to give that Mark Twain book a try.
The pooling on the sock is gorgeous! The cowl is really progressing-nice work! Glad the deer/fox was a near miss and not an accident!
ReplyDeleteI had a near miss with a deer not long after we moved here. Dave put deer whistles on my truck, and they do seem to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteLove your current knitting projects! And you are inspiring me to pick up Middlemarch again (I also have it on an audiobook so I could try that). I'm trying to read more 'classics' this year and I think that is one that I should try.
ReplyDeleteI did like The Cartographers but I know what you mean about the last third. It does kind of go on.
Planetary seems to be this year's Big Sweater Knit so of course I will go check it out. Lopi is not a favorite but on the plus side it is fairly inexpensive (or it used to be, who knows these days!).
The cowl pattern and yarn god well together. I’m sure your SIL will love the cowl and it will become her favorite accessory.
ReplyDeleteI love the green in that sock!
ReplyDeleteLopi is my go to yarn for snowy days but I haven't even dusted off a single pair of Lopi mittens or my sweaters this year. Our weather people are going crazy with this weird winter. Cold, hot then cold and hot again but not a flake in the forecast. I think it will be near 60 today and we are stuck in the house because the tree people have the driveway full of equipment cutting down those trees that got damaged in the big Mini disaster.
I hope by now you are home or on your way there! Glad to hear you avoided the wildlife you saw on your way in. The socks and cowl are looking quite good, and I think your plan to knit a hat with Lopi is a great one to see if you like it (Elizabeth Zimmermann always advised knitting a hat as a swatch!). If you find you like it, then you've already swatched for your Lopi sweater!
ReplyDeletesure glad you missed the deer or they missed you! lovely socks and that cowl has such great colors, cheerful for these January days.
ReplyDeleteOh, goodness, do not hit a deer! (There's some Easy, Obvious Advice.)
ReplyDeleteI love the cowl yarn. Browns and blues are my favourite combination for so many things. It will be great to see its progress.
The Twain & Cats book sounds fun. President Lincoln also held cats in high esteem. (The best men always do.)
Oh my! I am glad the deer avoided you... or you avoided the deer, which ever the case may be!
ReplyDeleteYour knitting... gorgeous! I really love those socks! :) And, I agree, the colors of that cowl are so good together!
I hope that you find that "taste" of Lopi sets you on the path for some Lopi knitting. It is such a lovely yarn to knit with and it wears so well!
Stitchers buy loads of charts they don't need, you can buy yarn!!
ReplyDeleteI loved Middlemarch, too. (And "snarky" is a perfect description!) I can't wait to see what you do with your Lopi! (I can't knit with/wear Lopi. It makes me itch like crazy! I wish that wasn't the case, because the yarn is just gorgeous.) XO
ReplyDeleteI hate to admit it but I have never read Middlemarch. Maybe I should give it a try as I've enjoyed some classics. I tried the audio once but didn't get very far. I look forward to seeing the hat from Lopi. I have never knit with that yarn but it comes in such beautiful colors.
ReplyDelete