Ah, Summer!

For me, summer starts officially this afternoon, seeing as today was the last day of school. I will have to go back to organize and clean, but that's easy stuff.

I celebrated with a pitcher of Rishi iced tea, peach rooibos.

And I admired my new t-shirt. I'm sure you can see why I HAD to have it:

I wasn't planning to buy any shirts at all, but last night I went to a Night Market (a street fair held in the evening) with a friend and I could not resist this adorable T!

And speaking of shirts, I'm embroidering another one. You can't tell, but it's blue chambray.

I finished the Lambkin Lid, destined for an August baby. This is the toddler size and it seems large, so I think I'll make a baby one, too. It's one of those projects that flies off your needles!

And last, but not least, I went stash shopping for yarn to use in the Through the Loops Mystery Shawl 2017.  Kirsten Kapur recommends using solid yarns for this pattern. Most of my fingering weight is self-patterning or variegated. I was surprised I was able to find two solids that would work together.

Tomorrow I'm off to take a class at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee. I may visit the market there, too!

Stitching & Listening Outdoors is the Best

I couldn't help but snap another shot of backyard stitching after work yesterday. The yellow puddle of yarn is a Lambkin Lid from Drop Dead Easy Knits. I'm using a Encore DK weight. I like to use sturdy, washable yarn for children.

The sock is Idlewild, also from Drop Dead Easy Knits. The product is cute, but it's a bit tedious of a knit. I'm determined not to let it become a UFO, so I try to knit a few rows every day.

Idlewild is written by one of my favorite designers, Kirsten Kapur. I like her designs so much that I'm going to try a mystery knit-along for the first time. She has a mystery shawl KAL starting June 15. It'll be a bit tricky because I'll have to find a café with WiFi.  Have I mentioned that I'm going to Copenhagen next week?

Don't you love the basket? It's my new way of keeping my focus on just a few projects at a time. Plus, it's easy to carry stuff in and out of the house.

As for listening, I've been making my way through King Leopold's Ghost on Audible. It is devastating and enlightening. It explains why African nations today have so many challenges.

Three more days to summer!

After Work Yesterday

It was the Monday of the last week of school and a beautiful day. So, I had a bounce in my step as I walked home. My favorite flowers are in full bloom, like this:

and this:

And best of all, look what came in the mail:

These luscious goodies are from Andi of My Sister's Knitter. A while back, I was the lucky winner of one of her give-aways. And I was VERY lucky.

Let's take a closer looks at the Great Lakes Tweed. The good news is that she has plenty more yummy skeins in her Etsy store.

Quaere Fibres also has a tempting selection on Etsy. And Andi is so thoughtful. She picked out Hanukkah Self-Striping Sock Yarn for me.

Both of these skeins are so beautiful that I'm not sure they'll turn into socks.  I'll need to be patient; sooner or later they will tell me what they want to be.

Thank you so much, Andi. You made my week! And it's a week when I can use all the support I can get!

The Pleasure of Process Knitting

It isn't often that I go for a whole week without posting, which tells you what these last weeks of school are like for special ed. I was unprepared for how hectic these weeks would be with finals and trying to help kids with final projects and assignments.

Maybe that's why I wanted some knitting that would be pure pleasure. I fell in love with Quill, a hat in the most recent Taproot, and I just cast it on on a whim. I'm using Tosh Worsted in Composition Book Grey, which is luxuriously smooshy. The pattern and the yarn together are heavenly.

I need some pleasure here as I brought home a pile of work. When I think about the fact that school ends on Friday, I don't know if I'm more excited about summer or worried about getting everything done!

Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy

Some of you asked about the material I was using to embroider on a linen t-shirt. The answer, of course, is Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy.

I stumbled on it while cruising the Internet, and this site convinced me to try it. You can easily trace onto it with a permanent marker. Then you peel off the backing and you have a sticker that goes right on your fabric. It's very easy to sew through.



You wash it off by swishing it around in warm water (thus, not so good for wool thread). It takes some work to get all the Fabri-Solvy out, but it does come out. In fact, the linen T is hanging in the basement, drying after I swished it for a while.

As you can see, I am already working on the next project: a stylized ocean on a sleeveless denim dress. The kelp "sticker" was large and a bit hard to handle, but I got it on where I wanted it.

Now you know what I'm going to be doing this weekend! (And work. I am actually bringing home my work computer.)

Hope your long weekend is nothing but fun!

UFO on an UnraveledWednesday

I've finally gotten serious about the second Idlewild sock. These are very stretchy socks, so if you make them, cast on fewer than you normally would.

I'm almost done with This Close to Happy, and I have to say that it is a disappointment. The subtitle calls it a "reckoning with depression," which it is not. The book is more a memoir than an examination of depression. Up next, I think, is The Lonely City, which is a book of essays.

I'm joining up with Unraveled today

Cold and Decluttering

I know that some of you are already suffering in the summer heat. Steph is probably jealous that I'm sipping hot herbal tea, wrapped in a sweater, and wearing fingerless mitts. But it is cold and rainy here, and I am more than ready for a bit of summer!

I'm trying to declutter my house -- something you'll no doubt hear me whine about for months -- but a girl has to take a few breaks, right? So I decided to do a quick and easy embroidery project:

I'm not a fan of coloring, but I picked up this book on clearance because I thought it would be good for embroidery. The linen t-shirt is a cheapy from TJ Maxx.

I'm going to do it in blues to match a particular skirt. I just hope it gets warm enough to wear a t-shirt here soon!

Knitting and Reading

A few days ago I pulled out the book Sequence Knitting on a whim. The next thing you know, I'm stash shopping, and I came up with this beautiful skein of Kindred Threads, which  is dyed right here in Wisconsin. This skein is so old that this particular yarn isn't listed in the Ravelry database

It is well on its way to becoming a Derain scarf.

I finished The Signature of All Things, and I have to admit that it gets really slow after page 300, and I skimmed the rest of the book. Where have all the editors gone? And I've just started This Close to Happy, writer Daphne Merkin's account of her struggles with depression. It got very good reviews, so I'm hopeful that it will be interesting.

I'm joining with Unraveled today -- and you might want to, too!

Happy Mother's Day

Whether you are a traditional mother and/or a woman who has nurtured others, I hope you are having a wonderful day.

I started mine by working on The Fair Isle Tassel Hat. A baby project just seemed appropriate. Although I'm simplifying much of the color work, I did have to figure out how to use three colors in one row, a new skill for me.

It is a beautiful day here, so I'm off for a little walk and then on to my parents' place for brunch.

Almost Done!

The Summer Camp shawl is almost done.  At first the scallops on the edging seemed confusing, but I'm starting to see the logic in the pattern. It's quite clever.

I have to confess that I never got this pattern into Ravelry. What I can tell you is that the blue yarn came from Sun Valley and the speckled yarn is a Hedgehog Fibre variety. Both are luscious!

I would consider making another one of these. While it was designed as an easy summer project, it also worked well as a winter project for a bone-tired teacher!