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Category: Knit (page 1 of 25)

Unraveled: Stitches and Pages, 0718

July 18, 2018 / / 2 Comments

Joining in with Kat & friends for another Unraveled Wednesday – sharing current knitting and reading…

This week I’ve started into the final lace section of my Shades of Green shawl. While I started into this section with the correct number of stitches, I still managed to bungle the first row of lace pattern – unraveled back, reknit and still had issues. But, onward with the knitting! I ran out of color #2 midway through the final section that used it – so we’ll see if I have  enough of color #3 for the full lace as written.

On the library reads front, I’ve just finished Dead Line – the fourth installment of the Liz Carlyle thriller series that I discovered in June. This continues to be a cup of tea that I’m enjoying working through as books are available. Over the weekend I was transported to Atlanta 1962 as I read Visible Empire, set in the aftermath of a true story – the Paris airplane crash that claimed the lives of 103 Atlanta arts patrons. Now I’m started into The Atomic Weight of Love  – not far enough into the book for any comments on it yet.

What is on your needles these days? What good reads are filling your time?

Recently – June 2018

July 5, 2018 / / 3 Comments

Ah, JUNE…a month filled with the “official” start of summer…heat…humidity…summer rainstorms…fresh produce…and more…these are the things that filled my JUNE days…

Focusing…continuing to devote time to my job search…networking events…personal branding…connecting with local job seekers…initial interviews, and more…knowing the right position is there…

Reading…a total of 13 books during the month…an assortment of reads to be shared in upcoming book posts…6 NetGalley reads…the latest installments in some serial stories…and an assortment of others…the debut novel, A Storied Life, from Leigh Kramer was a delight to read! (And also sharing reads on the blog: here, here, here, and here.)

Knitting…diving into a fade project with my Shades of Green shawl…I’m now into the third green and nearing the final extended lace sequence…

Spicing…placing a good size order with our favorite The Spice House from Chicago…we had been talking about needing to make an order when there was a campaign to buy spices to send to Sailors and Marines…that was the nudge we needed to get an order placed and also share some seasonings with those aboard the USS Truman…Yes, the “California Seasoned Pepper” is a favorite so we didn’t mess around & ordered a pound of it – it’s frequently used in place of black pepper around here. The “Gateway to the North” has maple sugar from Marinette County so it is apropos to have – & is delicious on pork. Excited to try their “Everyone’s Everything Bagel Blend” – I’m looking at you, hard boiled eggs & fresh tomatoes. The “Lakeshore Seasoning” is a favorite way to accentuate farmers market produce. A good Garlic Salt is a pantry staple. And finally going to give a try to making our own vanilla extract.

Marketing…starting our Saturdays at the farmers market is definitely our routine now. A couple of weeks have included meeting up with friends at the market and introducing them to our favorite vendors. All market visits end with delicious local iced coffee/cold brew for each of us. A bonus is when our salsa stand is serving up chorizo tacos to start the day.  Of course, all the fresh produce leads to all sorts of fresh meal fun…

Cooking…Chorizo + Potato Tacos in lettuce shells…simple, flavorful, refreshing with the crisp of the lettuce…once with market Yukon gold potatoes and once with sweet potatoes…recipe inspired by a segment on America’s Test Kitchen (PBS) – but we thought tortillas were an unneeded starch…

Cooking…Asparagus, Kale & Lemon Risotto…using cauliflower rice….this was simple, bright and paired wonderfully with pork…recipe from the Whole30 Recipes feed on Instagram

Cooking…BLT Coleslaw…a delicious twist on coleslaw that combines the best of a BLT with fresh cabbage and provides a great side dish…will be making this again, for sure as we are getting tomatoes from gardener friends…recipe from the Whole30 Recipes feed on Instagram

Jamming…making a delicious Sweet & Sour Jam from a NetGalley cookbook…this Golden Beet & Apple Jam is a fantastic addition to all sorts of plates – a little dab brightens and transforms leftovers, sandwiches and more…

Cooking…Zucchini Pancakes with LakeShore Dollop…putting market zucchini to use with a simple supper side…recipe from The Spice House, it popped up as a suggestion when I last ordered our favorite Lakeshore seasoning blend…

Cooking…a Sheet Pan Salad for a Sunday supper…started by wilting a kale, blueberries, peaches and sweet onion and then adding pork chops to finish…

Streaming…watching Miss Butterfly’s choir camp concert streaming from the music hall at The University of Texas on a Saturday afternoon…

Watching…Mom & I have had some eclectic viewing between Netflix and checking out library DVDs…a bit of a British series streak: Home Fires, Rosemary & Thyme…starting into A Place Called Home in Australia…movies including The Founder, the delightful Ethel & Ernest, A Monster Calls….

Looking ahead…nothing major on the horizon in July…but more market runs, books, knitting & job focus are filling the time just fine…

What filled your JUNE days?

Connecting up with Leigh’s What I’m Into link-up and Kristen’s What’s New with You? link-up.

Unraveled: Stitches and Pages, 0620

June 20, 2018 / / 3 Comments

Joining in with Kat & friends for my first Unraveled Wednesday! This is a weekly opportunity to quickly share current knitting and reading.

 

I have started a Shades of Green shawl – I know that I have some issues in the 2nd lace section but I’m choosing to just move forward – I’ve decided that as long as I’m at the right stitch count at each section transition it will all work out. Also, I need to put some simple knitting on needles for when I’m watching a show or movie that requires me to be more engaged than lace may allow. The pattern is Washed Out by Joji Locattelli in shades of Winter Wonderland, O Christmas Tree & Tannenbaum in Twisty Toes Glimmer fingering by WIPyarns. This is my first time knitting with this yarn and with this pattern designer – and I’m enjoying both. Given this time of transition, I’m planning out some knitting projects for gifts & for me – there is no reason why yarn & needles shouldn’t be crafting wearables these days!

I recently came across a new to me thriller series . This morning I just finished At Risk by Stella Rimington– the first in the Liz Carlyle series. As I said on Goodreads as I logged this: Not sure how this thriller series wasn’t even on my radar. As a fan of the show MI-5/Spooks as well as Alias and several others in that vein, this series is definitely my cup of tea! This was a very clever story to introduce Liz Carlyle – a tale of both personal & ideological revenge coming to bear in a terrorist attack in the UK. A very detailed story – it was interesting to see how little, seemingly throwaway bits in early chapters built together to the full picture. I’m looking forward to working through this whole series.

Earlier this week I finished Love and Ruin by Paula McClain. This recent release returns to Hemingway’s Women – this time, the focus is on Martha Gellhorn. Martha became his third wife and their stormy relationship plays out in the pages. But more than just “a Mrs. Hemingway” we see Gellhorn as a writer in her own right – someone who jumps overseas to be in the midst of the global turmoil unfolding; someone who struggles to find her voice in the stories she tells – both news reporting and fiction storytelling. As I finished this tale, I was definitely interested to learn more about Martha and appreciated the afternote that the author included in the book – and am also intrigued to track down some of her own works.

In a totally different vein, I’m also reading a few new Southern flavors cookbooks via NetGalley & definitely plan to make some recipes from them to blog about & review – Corncob & Leek Stock – Pecan Cheese Crisps – Zucchini Cornbread Bites – Vegetable Purloo and so many more tasty treats are on my list. As I’ve been reading through both cookbooks, I’ve been calling out numerous recipes to Mom as possible things for us to try – so many things seem to call out for the great farmers market produce we are getting these days.

What is on your needles these days?
What are your recent good reads?

 

Frosted Cranberries

January 19, 2015 / / 1 Comment

As a new year starts & I begin my 9th year chronicling life here at Amy Artisan, it seems appropriate to start with a finished knit – it was discovering knit blogs in the fall of 2005 that set the wheels in motion for me to hang out the shingle here.

Always fun to wear a new hand knit!

Always fun to wear a new hand knit!

While knitting isn’t as prolific recently as it used to be, one thing is for sure…. as the holidays & associated travel approach I’m always reaching for a simple project to have with me.

In October, I pulled yarn from stash & found a cowl pattern that I thought would be the 2014 fall/holiday travel project. But, when given the option to knit during my TX & WI trips I didn’t – I just wasn’t feeling the yarn & pattern combo. So, the day before I flew home for Thanksgiving I ripped back the project & cast on for a simple favorite.

In detail

In detail

That Thanksgiving week at home in the ‘Ville ended up being prime for knitting. The majority of the knitting in this is basically built on my “go to” dishcloth pattern. By the end of the week, I was ready for the “lace” border which was Packers knitting early in December.

Blocking

Blocking

Once Christmas presents were wrapped & shipped, I spread out the blocking foam, dug out the blocking wires & in no time this piece was ready to wear. Over the Christmas holidays, this scarf saw plenty of wear – the reds and greens are certainly festive; however, I know the colors will serve me well throughout the year.

(Raveled here)

Flax Pond Farms - September 2013

Flax Pond Farms – September 2013

The yarn colorway name is “Christmas Candy” and that is definitely an apt description. But, I also thought of another name as I knit…Frosted Cranberries. The combination of reds and greens reminded me of the pallet of color I saw when I visited a cranberry farm and watched a dry harvest 2013 and the hint of silver thread provides a bit of frost to it all.

What’s on your needles these days?

Simply Green & Gold!

December 22, 2014 / / 2 Comments

A long overdue post about a knit that has been well worn this year…

Casting on...12/19/13

This time last year, I cast on for a simple holiday knitting project with a single skein of yarn I picked up when I met up with Vicki at her farmer’s market in July 2012. This colorway pays homage to a key ingredient of life in Northeast Wisconsin: Green + Gold = Go Pack Go!

I was deep in the project in Marinette when the Packers won their last Super Bowl. In fact, I can say that it was that season when I “finally” became a football fan – and indeed became caught up in the fun that is being a Packers fan. Along the way, the whole Artisan Family has become Packers fans, too.

The Simple Things Shawlette was the perfect pattern for an easy knit to highlight the yarn. In short order, a finished knit was off the needles and then stalled for a bit before I blocked it. It was blocked in time for spring and saw lots of use this year. A fun punch of color against my light aqua spring coat. A frequent travel scarf with many of my flights and trips. A bit of Packers spirit in the office. It has truly been a “go to” piece in my wardrobe. (Raveled here).

As I prepared to celebrate my birthday by attending my 1st Packers game at Lambeau Field last month, I hoped the weather would cooperate to allow this shawlette to make an appearance. And thankfully, it did! It was a cold weather game so there were many layers – but I planned “right” so that this one didn’t have to get hidden in the mix (yes, I had another handknit cowl in my gear to layer on top of this if needed). It was so fun to cheer on the game with this green & gold handknit.

And, since I enjoy this knit so much, another Simple Things Shawlette is off the needles, blocked & in use these days – stay tuned for another knit debut in the coming weeks!

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