In Progress

I've been knitting a lot this month too - trying to keep myself focused on knitting but also have a lot of time to sit at various sports practices and games/meets/events.  Small project knitting is definitely getting done!

First up, I finished my 3 Colour Cowl (without the cashmere) by Joji Locatelli that was my Holiday cast-on.  Easy travelling project, fits in a purse or bag and is easy to follow, pick up and put down during sports events while sitting on very uncomfortable bleachers. Ends have been woven in and it's blocked now but still looks similar to this:

I also finished a bulky fair isle hat for a colleague at work.   I used a Caron x Pantone braid from Michaels, as she has very sensitive skin and also likely wants to wear this without worrying about taking care of a pure wool fibre.  I knit the hat in less than 3 hours during the 2019 Superbowl.  Game was quite boring unless you love strategic defense in a low-scoring game, but that meant I could focus more on the hat than the tv screen.  This yarn was great to work with.  It's affordable at $10 CDN for a 'braid' of 5 colours, and I purchased it on sale for 50% off.  Whole project was less than $5.00 and I'd knit another at full price.  The pattern is free on the Yarnspirations website.  In the debate about cost versus luxury fibres, I come out as a 'omnivore knitter' (more on that in another post) and use all kinds of fibres, including those easily found at a 'box' store like Michaels.

Speaking of Yarnspirations, I also like the patterns I find there.  They've started carrying Sugar Bush Yarns which are more expensive (for good reason - lovely yarn!) but a few patterns are free on the site.  I started Without A Paddle, a cropped pullover but am using Berroco Vintage Chunky in a dark purple colour instead, as I can buy it from my LYS at a price point that works for me.  It's meant to be knit in Canoe, a chunky wool/alpaca blend that is tweedy.   Mine won't be tweedy but I do like the way the Vintage Chunky knits up.  It's a bottom-up sweater with a yoke construction, so I'm done the body and am ready to knit the sleeves, then join them to do the yoke:

I have a few other projects on the go, or almost done but I'll save those for other posts as they have their own stories to tell.

January Review - Reading

Aside from all of the knitting (see my previous post) I also did a lot of reading this month.  I love my library and get most books from there.  I'm trying to listen to books while I drive, but my commute is short (not a complaint, just a fact) and I only get about 10 minutes of reading at a time so the book feels disjointed.  I've also realized I can listen to non-fiction but lose the thread of the narrative if it's fiction.

I belong to two book clubs and our picks for January/February were very different.  One is historical fiction, highlighting the impact of federal and provincial policies on the most vulnerable people - in this case, children living in care or in mental health facilities in the 1950's.  The book is well written with complex characters, a balance between narrative drive and character development, and a satisfying ending.

 The second is a psychological drama, set in the near future.  The story unfolds in an interesting way, and has one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a while.

I also read two books that are on my list to read to learn more about perspectives beyond my own.  Brother is on the Canada Reads 2019 list this year.  It's set in Toronto, and the narrative moves between present day and and the past.  Race, immigration, and the impact of these factors on the lives of the characters make up the themes of the book.  It's short, but emotional and timely. 

The other I listened to on audio.  I recommend reading a hard copy with a notebook and pen in hand, the book is packed full of thought-provoking ideas and experiences.  Coates writes a letter to his son, describing what it means to be Black in the United States.  I love books that teach me something, and this one has so many lessons to learn.  Rethinking and unlearning are key ingredients to an excellent book, for me.

February's list looks just as interesting and diverse in genre and perspective - more on that in a month (or less)!

January Round-up - Knitting

January felt good.  Productive but in a way that felt creative rather than deadline-driven.  I did a lot of knitting and rekindled my reading life.   More on the reading in the next post, but here's the knitting!

Lots of knitting due to my focus on only working on one or two projects at a time and giving each a designated time or location.  By this I mean that I worked on socks during the day or while dinner cooked (when possible) as they required a bit of focus and are more fiddly for me (at this point.  I'm a new sock knitter, so they aren't 'throw in my bag' kinds of projects yet).   I worked on sweaters in the evening as they are less portable and usually require less concentration for me right now.   I am knitting shawls/cowls/hats on the go as they are portable and relatively easy to do in congested locations (like on the bleachers at a sports event or practice). 

My finished objects this month:
Lyndon socks by Alicia Plummer knit in Patons Alpaca Blend - I'm trying to balance economical yarns and more expensive yarns this year - see the post at Knitted Bliss for a more eloquent explanation of how to incorporate different yarns into projects.

Lesley by Hannah Fettig in Cascade Eco+ (just learning about some issues related to Cascade Yarn, but I don't know enough to say more here yet - this has been in my stash for a couple of years) and the pattern was knit in pieces and seamed because I love seaming and like that knitting in pieces makes it less bulky to work on.

I also finally finished Bindrune by Amy Christoffers using the yarn I won from Berroco over a year ago.  It's super-warm and perfect for the Polar Vortex cold spell we just had this week:

This month I've also done some significant reading.  I finished