Kindness and Color

Before I start today, I'd like to say that I'm aware of all that is going on in our country, and in the world, and it makes my heart heavy. My personal response to all-of-the-things is to work as hard as I can to be as kind as I can to as many as I can while I move through my world. I hope that you are doing the same, even as you contact your representatives and post to your social media accounts. Kindness changes people so we can all help to make our world a better place. 

I also find it helpful to my personal mental health to take breaks from the gloom to remember what I am thankful for and to engage in activities that bring me joy...like, you know, knitting!... so I've cast on a new sweater with yarn that brings me joy

and a colorwork pattern that brings me joy

while I post joyful photos to my social media accounts!

Another thing bringing me joy today is the fact that, after living here nearly 5 years, we are finally repainting! 

Please excuse This Old House on the TV, but do check out that luscious purple on our accent walls...it is lovely in any light! 

And I'm loving the new bathroom color, in all three, as well! 

I haven't put much back on the walls, 

and two of our bedrooms are still patiently waiting for their new coats, but there is so much progress, and we are loving the house once again! 

Curious about our colors? Here's what we've used and where:

One more thing that's bringing me joy is these handsome goofballs

and these pics from my granddaughters! The oldest received a varsity letter in debate for her freshman year...so proud! Her sister is still working on her squishmallow collection while she also sings in the choir and plays soccer! 

There is much joy to be found, even though we live in a fallen world, so keep looking for it everywhere...and let me know when you find it. Shared joy is multiplied, and shared grief is divided, so find your tribe and share, share, share! (If you're in the path of the current arctic blast, maybe use the internet...)

Thanks for stopping by to share my joy today, and Knit in Good Health! 

Stick Season? Not quite...

It's not quite the 🎶 season of the sticks here, in northeast Ohio, but it feels pretty crunchy in our current state of drought. Even our wetlands parks are looking dry...

Despite the dry, it is still a beautiful autumn, with lots of green plants for our friends to hide in! Can you spot the praying mantis? He (or she?) certainly spotted us!

... and our mums are looking lovely on the front stoop, in the company of pumpkins! 

Temperatures are dropping, which made today the perfect day to bake an apple crisp...yumm!

It's also a great day for knitting. In fact, I've heard that today is I Love Yarn Day, something for knitters everywhere to celebrate! I think I'll celebrate by admiring the finish of three hoodie sweaters for three darling boys!

And perhaps I'll celebrate a bit more by casting on a new sweater for Pretty...I have three possibilities on my mind, but I'm not sure which to start: A Christmas cardigan or vest in green, with colorwork...

A pullover in cream and minis, inspired by Daisy Jones and the Six...

Or maybe something in blue?

Yeah, I dunno either. The only thing I know for sure is that it is too late to cast on for a Halloween sweater...which I was never planning on anyway...lol! 

Stick season is the perfect time to knit sweaters, so watch me now, hey! 🎵 Work! Work! I'll work the stitches, baby! Work! Work! Stitches driving me crazy! 🎶 🙃 Lol

Yeah, I love Ohio, and it's almost the 🎶 season of the sticks...so, I suppose I'll turn up the tunes and get busy with my needles! I hope you'll sing along! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Itchy, Twitchy, Knit-along Fingers

The gals in my local Ravelry group have decided on a January knit-along. A colorwork sweater pattern, the Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan is the sweater we will knit. Well, about half-a-dozen of us will be knitting Plum Frost...we were sucked in by the lovely, fair-isle knitting in multiple colors, and also by the steeking. 

Pictured is a version of the Plum Frost knitted by
Joyrider1978 on Ravlery. Isn't is lovely?

For those of you who don't know what steeking is, here's the short explanation: For ease of knitting, so you don't have to work purl rows on the back-side of your cardigan pieces, you knit the entire piece in the round. Around, and around, and around you knit, using two (or more) colors, until the sweater is finished. When the knitting is done, you bind off and you have a lovely pullover. Of course, if you want your sweater to be a button-up cardigan, you still have one final step.

Hold on to your hats.

You get out your very-sharp scissors, and carefully snip all that detailed color work in half, then add button bands. Yes. That's right. You cut it apart. o_O

It can be a daunting task, but I've been told that if you have knit your sweater with a "grabby," wool yarn, it's really not that big a deal. That's what I've been told. But I've never done it myself. Still, I've signed myself up, and I've already bought the yarn...

...so, I am all in on this one. I am still struggling with one aspect of this knit-along, however. I'M NOT SURE I CAN WAIT UNTIL JANUARY!!! lol! 

I am also struggling (a bit) with the steeking. I love the look of a cardigan as much as the next knitter, and I am sure that I am up for the challenge of steeking, but I often end up sewing my cardis closed to solve "gaping" issues...and the more I think about it, I am not sure that I can cut this knitting, then knit button-bands and sew on buttons, if there is even a chance that I will think about sewing the thing closed later! =/ So, right now at least, it's looking like I'll be knitting a pullover.

Have you ever steeked? How did it turn out? Did you end up sewing your cardigan closed, and how did that make you feel? lol! I'll keep you posted as I change my mind, over and over again, and then as I Knit-Along with my group!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!