Monday, Monday

Monday, March 23, 2026

Whew! All day yesterday it snowed. Tiny flakes for an entire day … and left us with about 4 inches of snow. Hopefully the last of the season. You won’t hear me complaining, though, because the snow means that we’ll have water in our well this year. I’m so grateful to have the snow because it means we’ve had a winter and spring will come (even though it’s technically spring already.)

Yesterday was the perfect excuse to spend the day in my atelier knitting! And, for the most part, that’s what I did. I wrote a newsletter for the store (work) in the early morning and had breakfast with my hubby but the rest of the day was dedicated to being in my studio – catching up with calendar details, bill paying, flight booking and knitting.

I spent the majority of the day working on these little (and I mean little) overalls. These are part of a gift that I’m knitting for a very special person and glad that I am nearing completion. Today the overalls are blocked and drying, pocket and all. I’ll begin (and hope to finish) a little shirt to go under them today. Once this project is done, I’ll start another one. I just haven’t decided if I want to finish another UFO or start a new one. You’ll find out when I do!

I also started a sample hat in brioche stitch that I am considering for a workshop at the store. I spoke to the boss about it on Saturday and she’s good with me doing it (and just about anything.) I had a very successful stranded colorwork workshop and she’d really like me to repeat that but I’d rather do something different and I think a 2-hour, one time workshop based on a technique like Brioche will be a good one. This particular hat is a 2-color brioche but the technique is basically the same whether it’s one- or two-color.

Two-Color Brioche hat for a future workshop

My Friday morning class is interested in doing the colorwork cup cosy that I taught in the other workshop so I will offer it to them and will maybe do it again one day but … it’s time to learn something new, right? I’m knitting for the first time with Malabrigo Worsted and it’s lovely to work with and very soft. I’m not sure how the hat will fit me but it’s really meant to be a sample for the workshop and the store, too. Hats are such a manageable project and a good palate cleanser, too.

Today I need to get a few tasks done around the house … bake up a batch of banana bread (in muffin form) to use up the overripe bananas and the laundry is overflowing once again. While the hubby digs us out, hopefully for the last time, I’ll be in the kitchen. I may also roast a bunch of veggies for lunches this week. I love roasted veggies with some couscous or soba noodles for lunch – hot or cold depending on the day. Tomorrow I’m back to meetings and preparation for a big event at Maine Arts Academy in early May … my role as board chair is nearly over and it’ll be fun to hand the reins to another board member and become “past chair!”

Gone knitting.

Knitting … or not?

August 1, 2023

We are having the most glorious summer weather and it has improved my mood significantly. The constant rain and gray of the early summer was downright depressing but today (and the last few days) is perfect!

However … I’ve barely been knitting. Life has taken a busy turn at work and in my volunteer world and, of course, my kids visited. As a result, not much knitting has been happening but it’s really OK. I’ve been working extra hours which gets me out of the “too empty” house and keeps my mind occupied. And I had my last meeting as president of our lake association. I’m now officially not the president and hopefully, after I help get the new president up and running, I will regain some time with which I’d like to spend one day a week sewing!

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I’ve made little to no progress on my Lane’s Island Pullover. I got one sleeve sewn into the shoulder and stopped there. Last Friday I attempted to get the second one done but my brain wasn’t in it. So, I started a pair of Pompom Sockkets (a free pattern on the Purl Soho website). I’m doing these in color blocks for all of the girls at Weekapaug this September. The first pair is for Kate who has a birthday this week. They may be late. I’ve not even finished one sock.

I did knit a chemo cap for a co-worker friend’s sister-in-love who has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of that horrible disease. She’s a red-head and she’s not a fan of wool so I chose a new yarn to the shop to give it a try. It’s a DK weight acrylic and bamboo blend and it’s got a very soft hand. I liked the color, too. The yarn is Universal Uptown Bamboo DK and it made a really attractive hat. I knitted the larger size of the Race for Life 2009 Chemo Cap. The larger size directions were incorrect at the end; the stitches didn’t end up at 5 without some “fudging” but I did two rounds of K2tog and it was fine.

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I have often said that knitting keeps me humble and this pattern, as simple as it is, reminded me to stay humble. It took me three tries to get the simple lace pattern correct. Ha! Ha! I continually forgot to SSK or K2tog in one of the (only) three rounds of pattern. Good grief! A rookie mistake from the one they call an expert … I’m still not sure I’ll accept that title.

Today is my first day off without a meeting or doctor’s appointment (I’m fine, just re-establishing relationships after too long without a primary care physician) and I’ve enjoyed a bit of porch sitting, a bit of catch-up, some laundry and the day is still young. I have to go for a walk and then run some errands. Or, I may sit and knit for a while and bake some muffins for my hubby since he was denied the muffins that went back to NYC with the kids.

Gone Knitting.