Yarn Along No. 50

this post contains affiliate links

This week's book is  Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve. I picked it up awhile ago but I'm just now getting around to reading it. I love her other books that I've read, so I was happy to find this one half off at a local bookstore!

The scarf is growing really well, so I thought I'd share some detail shots today: 

I love how the blue is coming back into play!

And here is a shot of the entire piece so far: 

Looking at this scarf like this, I just adore all these color shifts. I'm almost at the end of the first skein so this is the variation I've gotten thus far. Isn't it pretty? 

Yarn Along No. 49

It's nice to blog about books and yarn, isn't it? Not that I'm in denial about the topsy-turvy state of the world, but things like books and yarn are safe, in a sense. And pretty. Really, pretty is a good thing. 

I'm alternating between Kim and this book, which is part of a mystery series. The scarf obviously progresses; I'm near the end of the first skein. I think it'll take at least one more to hit the 50" mark. Next week I'll show you a full length shot so you can get a better idea of how long it is! You can sort of see here, how it's draping over the edge of the tray. I also think this is almost the entire color variation pattern, too, so I have a sense of how the colors will play out. 

One of the nice things about knitting is how you make something from nothing more than a bunch of yarn and two pieces of wood. The creative act is really soothing, at least I think it is. 

Yarn Along No. 48

(this post contains affiliate links) 

The scarf continues!

I really love the color variations here, so that makes this a fun project to work on. Instead of just doing the same pattern in a solid yarn, which would be pretty, too, there's the extra fun of seeing the colors change as I work it up. 

Kim is a Christmas gift book and I'm working through it. It's been interesting, so far, but I was sidetracked by reading all about the President's wives--I zoomed through The Residence, First Women, and Upstairs at the White House this week, all of which were great and I highly recommend them. And now, back to Kim. 

Yarn Along No. 47

It's baaaack!

For Christmas, I got some lovely Harmony circular needles, and I knew that I wanted to use them to start a basketweave scarf. I've been looking at this particular pattern for awhile but I just hadn't cast on yet. After three tries (!) I finally managed to stay in the pattern, figure out how to start a purl row on circular needles, and this is what I have so far: 

The yarn is Knitpicks Chroma Twist Bulky in the Vermont colorway. Needles are Options Interchangeable Rainbow, size 6, and the pattern is from Chicks With Sticks. One of the things I love about this is how springy the scarf is, since it's a bulky yarn being knit on size 6 needles. 

I have a feeling this is going to take me awhile, though...this is about five inches of knitted scarf, and the total length is around fifty. So you might be seeing this for a loooong time. But at least it's pretty!

The book, as you can tell, is well loved around here: In This House of Brede. Pleeeease do yourself a favor and read it if you haven't. It's fantastic. 

Yarn Along No. 46

Iiiiittt'ssss....

Yarn Along time! :) 

(I feel like being dramatic today.)

So today--still working on this square, although I'm pondering making it into a blanket. Because it can't be that hard, right, to sew the little knitted squares together? And that would be fun and useful. I love blankets.  (If you have a good source on how to sew the squares together, please let me know!) 

This book......it's a tricky one. I read it through once and thought what just happened. The author says in his note that it's supposed to be a retelling of The Magic Flute (The Mozart opera) but it's.....not. Sure, the title is one of the character's names. But it doesn't really work. 

So I finished it, and I was totally confused, so I think I need to read it again and see if I am confused because I just wasn't paying enough attention. I know. I'm weird. I'll re-read a book that may or may not have been good the first time around. Anyone else read it and can help me out? 

Yarn Along No. 45

So, here we are, back to the Wednesday Yarn Along!

I'm on the second book of the Mitford series, and I'm really liking them. They remind me of Alexander McCall Smith's books--everyday happenings, people living lives in their small towns, but you can't stop reading about them and immersing yourself in their world. Mitford is the American version of the Gabarone or Edinburgh of McCall Smith's stories. 

 (And yes....using up that washcloth yarn!) 

Yarn Along No. 43 (and a little bit about Mystery)

The scarf progresses! I'm getting so much better at purling. I've found that these are really great projects for me to get my bearings with new things, even though I know all of you are tired of seeing scarves and washcloths. I promise I will eventually give you something more challenging. Promise! 

As is my wont, I'm re-reading Outlander. Again. I usually do this at least once a year. At the moment I'm in the middle of book 7, An Echo In The Bone. As I was re-reading, I came across this passage, which I liked and thought I'd share: 

"I talked to Mama a little bit about it," Bree said after a moment's thought. "She laughed."

"Did she?" Roger said dryly, and got the breath of a laugh from Bree in answer. 

"Not like she thought it was funny," She assured him. "I'd asked her if she thought it was possible for a traveler to change things, change the future and she told me it was, obviously--because she changed the future every time she kept someone from dying who would've died if she hadn't been there. Some of them went on to have children they wouldn't have had, and who knew what those children would do, that they wouldn't have done if they hadn't...and that was when she laughed and said it was a good thing Catholics believed in Mystery and didn't insist on trying to figure out exactly how God worked, like Protestants do." 

--Diana Gabaldon, A Echo in the Bone

The reason I like this is because it's true. In general, Catholics are really comfy with Mystery. When I taught the kids about the Eucharist last week, they just went with it. Now, sure, there are the Eucharistic miracles, which show the validity of Transubstantiation (this one, from Italy, is my favorite), but there generally comes a point where we have to just accept mystery. We teach the kids this early on. We'll never fully understand the Trinity, or God, or really, anything else, probably--just like Bree and Roger can't ever understand why they're time travelers. 

Yarn Along No. 42

Linking up with Ginny. 

So it's been awhile since I've showed my scarf progress. Here you go!

And I'm reading A Time for Renewal, by Mother Mary Francis, PCC, who is also the author of my favorite Advent devotional. 

(Does Lent seem really long to anyone else? I have to keep reminding myself that I can't buy books because it's Lent. I know, it's been a week! But it seems longer. Or is that just me?) 

Yarn Along No. 41

First yarn along of 2016! For those of you who knit/sew/do crafty things, did you start any projects over the holidays? More likely you finished them. But I made some good progress on my scarf! 

I'm really, really liking working this. This pattern is my own design, although I hesitate to really call it a "pattern" because, it's not. It's just stockinette stitch with a knit border. But I have the notes up on Ravelry, if you want to join me in doing it. I think it's a perfect bridge from the washcloths (Lord save us from any more of those for awhile!) and the basketweave project that is still mocking me in my knitting book. 

As for what I'm reading: The Bethrothed is for Facebook book club, and Lords of Discipline is one of my Christmas books. I love me some Pat Conroy. I read The Great Santini when I was in Charleston, then South of Broad, and I got The Prince of Tides for Christmas, and just finished that. I'm saving Beach Music for the plane ride to LA< because it's big and fat. Perfect for a long plane ride!

Yarn Along No. 40

OK, so remember the gorgeous yarn I have? That basketweave was JUST NOT LIKING?

I decided that I'm going to use it--but not for basketweave. 

I've decided to work up my own stockinette stitch pattern, on size 9 needles, and make a scarf for me. I love this color yarn, and dagnabbit, it's going to get used, even if it's currently 68 degrees here in Columbus and not at all scarf weather. 

It's working up beautifully. I think part of the problem with the basketweave and this yarn was hat it called for size 6 needles, and this yarn really did not like that. 

The book is for a Facebook book club. It's good but it's dense, so I have to really commit to sitting down and reading it. 

Yarn Along No. 39

OK, try number three on the basketweave scarf! Ha! Well, I'm about to go for try number three. So here's just a nice picture of the needles and the yarn. Again. And my Advent book, which I adore. 

The biggest problem for me here is that you can't mess up, because of the pattern. If you drop stitches or something, the entire pattern looks off. So I have to be especially careful here. 

And since it's also Jane's birthday, here's some of my favorite Jane knitting things: 

Yarn Along No. 38

So, I can purl! Behold, an almost finished stockinette stitch project!

I have to do five rows of knit stitch and then cast off, and then it's done! Yes, I am crazy proud of this one. There are a few mistakes, but this was 1) practice and 2) for me, so I'll just deal with it. 

I can't decide whether or not I want to do another project like this, or try a basketweave washcloth, in prep for the basketweave scarf project. I feel like I want to secure my purling skills before I tackle basketweave projects, but I don't know if I want to do this same thing again. Maybe I'll try a stockinette stitch bookmark or something to shake it up a bit. 

I finished  North and South yesterday--great read!--and now I'm on to the book of the moment, or one of them--Rising Strong. A lot of my friends are reading it and I'm sort of late to the party, but I'm enjoying it so far. 

Yarn Along No. 37

It's back!

So my Excellent Crafty Friend Sarah is going to help me with my knit/purl troubles. I can do both stitches, but when I have to combine them, it's not good. Bad things happen. So I'm hoping being Sarah's padawan leaner will help me out here. 

Here's the first few rows: this yarn is called "fairy tale", and it's one of my favorite colors. 

The book I'm reading is one I've been meaning to get to for awhile--Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, which describes the class conflict between Margaret Hale, a minister's daughter who was raised in and around London, and her new surroundings in the working-class North and the people she meets there. 

Yarn Along No. 36

It's been awhile since we've had a Yarn Along here, but now it's back! 

So this is another bookmark that's going in my gift stash--don't you love this yarn? The book is the third in the Neapolitan series of novels--there's four, in total, so I'm more than halfway through. These are very different that contemporary American fiction, but that's not stopping me from enjoying it. 

Yarn Along No. 35

I've started another bookmark in the Atlantis yarn. I really love this color way, especially on my Sunstruck needles. Sunstruck needles are actually my first love, in a way, because they're what I first started knitting with, and I've never had any problems with them. 

Since I've never been to Boston, I obviously must read up on the city before I get there! 

Yarn Along No. 35

So, are you ready for the awesome progress I've made in a week? 

Behold!

I know, I know. You're rolling your eyes at me. But I've been so taken with "kondo"-ing the house that everything else has really been secondary. However, while watching Turandot today, I started working on another bookmark with new yarn. This is called "Atlantis", and it's so pretty and easy to work with. 

Reading: Middlemarch and Finding God's Will For You. 

Yarn Along No. 34

So I realized--it's September. That means I need to start thinking about knitted Christmas gifts. I have some beautiful yarn I use for bookmarks, and I want to give out some of those this year. So project purl--and the evil yarn--has been temporarily set aside, while I work with these beauties!

Yarn Along No. 33

So, here's how far I've gotten on the stockinette stitch washcloth: 

I know. Sorry! The knitting time sort of got away from me this week. But I have lots of movies queued up on my DVR and I'm hoping to get in some solid knitting time this week/weekend. I'm also trying to find a solid website for purling demonstrations. Anyone had any ideas/links? 

Reading hasn't changed much: still on Middlemarch, and I'm down to the last two books in my Pink Carnation series re-read.

They're good fun, if you've never read them. Really good summer reading (as summer winds down). I'm also hoping to pick up a copy of The Martian at the library today, because the movie looks really intriguing. 

Yarn Along No. 32

So, I haven't actually started knitting anything. But behold the pretty yarn!

This is going to be another washcloth, but in stockinette stitch. Eventually all of this will pay off in being able to knit really awesome things. But I'm not there yet. 

As for what I'm reading: Still Middlemarch, and Persuasion for the last installment of the Great Jane Re-Read, which will go up next week. 

Yarn Along No. 31

Ta da! They're finished! The washcloths are off the needles and that project is done!

But now I need a new one? 

So, again, there are probably two projects on the horizon. One is another scarf for the VA project we're doing in Lay Dominicans. Another is conquering the purl stitch, which means.....

more washcloths. 

I'm sorry, folks. But really they are the easiest way to learn this. I don't want to start a scarf and then have to rip out tons of rows. One day, I promise, my YA entries will be epically awesome, with wonderful projects. I'm hoping by the end of the year to start a basketweave scarf with a wonderful yarn I have in my stash. But first, I gotta get the purl stitch down. 

So, a washcloth it is. I'll have the colors and such ip next week, I hope. Or maybe I'll make one super fast and we can move on from there with speed. :) 

As for books: Middlemarch and Emma. Emma I will be finishing quickly, because it's tomorrow's Jane Re-Read Entry Also Sky Burial, which is a nonfiction book about a Chinese woman who goes to Tibet in search of her husband, who is reported dead by the Chinese army--but she doesn't believe it. Thus far it's been an interesting look into Tibetan culture and an engrossing read. 

(And have you entered my giveaway yet? It runs until Friday!)