November 2024 Knitting Update

Hello! This weekend was something. Other than working at the library on Saturday, I spent nearly the entire time either cooking/cleaning or outside. Luckily I had a captivating audiobook keeping me company (In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin) and was able to take my knitting outside as well. So despite it all, I was able to make progress on my reading and knitting goals.

Friends, I’m on the home stretch with my Cloudesley sweater:

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I’ve made it to the hem – just about 20 more rows to go and then I can finish the sleeves and the collar. I’m aiming to have this done by Thanksgiving and think it’s totally possible to be wearing a new handknit on the big day! I can’t wait to block it and see how the cabling pattern on the back blooms. This will be a great sweater for this summer. Here’s my Ravelry details.

And for now, I’ve finally made it to the top of the waitlist for the audio of The Mighty Red and am looking forward to some audio/knitting time tonight after the kids go to bed and my workout.

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I’ve decided to join Andrea Mowry’s Fall Sock KAL Challenge. This is the one where we cast on Thanksgiving day and try to finish over the weekend. I did it two years ago when the pattern was Bear Paw (my Rav link) and was able to finish in time. This year she’s chosen a pattern that are just ankle socks and don’t look too complicated (Oxbow socks on Ravelry), so I think I’m going to try again with my leftover yarn from the Bear Paw socks two years ago. A year of Farmer’s Daughter Sock Squad is too tempting! Is anyone else joining along?

(Also, I thought the start was Wednesday before Thanksgiving at 4pm? But it looks like it’s actually Thursday this year. Perhaps I’ll aim for a midnight cast on? Yikes!)

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This is what’s left of a hank of Sarah’s handspun that she sent me almost two years ago. I used a small chunk of it for my Tessellated Vest last Thanksgiving and want to use the rest of it in a colorwork sweater this winter. This yarn is fingering weight and I’ve been looking through Jennifer Steingass’s patterns on Ravelry, so I’m thinking either Norwood (Ravelry link), Goldenfern (Rav link), or Anaashah (Rav link).

Anyway – my head is spinning with possibilities and I’m looking forward to settling in with a big colorwork sweater this winter.

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If you made it this far in this post, then I’m going to be honest with you: I am losing my mind. I’m overwhelmed in almost every way and am so very tired. I’m not doing well in general and will likely have a sporadic presence here over the next several weeks. I’m not saying this for sympathy but am trying to stay honest and explain why I’ve been slow to respond to comments and other blogs lately.

AND – the time I’ve spent knitting over the last couple of weeks has been a wonderful gift. To see something grow and become what it’s supposed to be has been so helpful. At least something is going right (so far)!

I hope your week gets off to a good start and you find time to engage with something that gives you hope. Take good care.