Quiet Time

I might gift myself a quiet day today. It's delicious-looking outside... not hot, with a gentle breeze... and nobody wants to do any deep cleaning on a day like that, or work to a deadline, or even fuss over supper, amiright?

Much nicer to sit and do some gentle work on a blanket so it's ready for the cool winds of autumn.  

Surprisingly (to me) I did make progress on this blanket over the course of the week, with two new stripes done!

 

There are ten stripes in each repeat, each made from three repeats of the same pattern I used in single repeats for the last, very very busy-looking, blanket. And I plan to do six repeats in total before I start the border, because I am a glutton for excess hot-weather crochet apparently. 

So far, I have two full repeats plus the two new stripes, which I have decided is pretty good going into July, even though there is much evidence to the contrary. Sometimes it's important to look at the positives, or else manufacture some. 

For example: it only takes me about two hours to do three repeats of the base pattern, which means it's quite plausible I can get through an entire 10-stripe repeat in two weeks, just watching a movie every day, something I definitely deserve to be allowed to do. And really, I only have three more 10-stripe repeats outstanding, which adds up to six weeks, which has me finished before we even hit September.

I barely have to try to make that make sense. All I have to do is ignore all the heatwaves coming in those particular six weeks, ha! And focus on how gorgeous it's going to look with our drapes, when it's done.

Today, though... I think I will focus on all the trailing ends I need to take care of before it's any fun to go on. 

 

And that means taking some quiet time with the blanket on my lap and a darning needle in my hand, out in the shade of the porch, listening to the birds and the insects and any passers-by enjoying the day a little more actively than that.

Hope your day is lovely however you spend it, and thanks so much for spending this bit with me. See you next Saturday! 

 

Unfinished business

Today is the first quiet one after a busy few weeks, and I thought I'd grab the chance to wrestle with some scattered knitting projects, starting with this random basket of mystery items.

Only when I looked more closely, I saw that all they need is to be wet blocked and tucked away for cold weather. YEESH.

So I nosed around some more and quickly found a pair of socks with yet-to-be-grafted toes.

Also these socks, same.

I mean really, what was I thinking?? To get so close and then just stop. 

Not unlike how I finally got the cushions out for the "new" (7+ years ago) porch furniture so we can actually use that summery crafty space again. Mind you we also have actual garden space for summery crafting, thanks to Pete and his ongoing efforts in the garden.

 

But I like the porch, with its solid flooring. No gaps, like the deck, and no dirt as on the flagstones. Or at least, not as much. If you've ever dropped a darning needle outside you'll know what I mean!

 

I usually need to concentrate hard on grafting so I get the needle movement right, but today it felt totally natural. 

 

Maybe I'm getting used to the process, or maybe it's just the peacefulness of sitting outside, where the sun is beyond the shady shelter of our roof and the breeze is soft enough to cool without blowing anything away. Either way, I grafted this toe without any stress at all.

Yesterday we ran into a neighbour on the street and stopped to chat a while, and then we remembered the porch and invited him to come sit with us for a bit. We had the BEST catchup and all noticed how sitting out there chatting, none of us looking at screens but enjoying the long leafy views, was relaxing and just plain nice. This is a discovery most people don't have to make - it's too obvious! - but after neglecting this space for so many years it was a delight to have the reminder.

The second toe grafted as easily as the first, even if it does have a blue stripe its partner does not.

Such a gorgeous day here. I've come inside to type up this hug, and through the open windows I'm hearing birds and insects, and young children playing and laughing. Hope it's as lovely where you are and that you have some restful time coming your way soon. I know I do, because I have some ends to run in...

... and another pair of socks to graft shut.

As always, thank you so much for stopping in and I'll see you next Saturday!

 

 

Cardigan conversion and hot weather readiness

Okay there was NO craftiness here at Hugs this week, where all my time was weighted toward house cleanup and long walks. Plus shopping for summer.

This lightweight floral cardi was an earlier purchase, but it needed some help if I was going to wear it to an event this coming week amid both heat and humidity. My favourite combo! Not. 

It's super cute on and will top my coolest linen floaty pants with some much-needed colour. It's also designed for airy gaps between the crocheted buttons. And there is no. way. I am wearing a T underneath. No extra layers in a hot humid scenario!

So last night, unconvinced it was worth dragging the sewing machine out of its cupboard for an interrupted line of tacking, I curled up under a good light and hand stitched this baby shut between the buttons. 

I did a blanket stitch for the closure seam...

SO RESTFUL. 

...and then for good measure, went over the topstitching using a running stitch with back stitch thrown in. I don't know the name of that one but is also very pleasant to do.

Do either of the runs of stitches show? Yes. 

Do I expect anybody to approach me with a magnifying glass? No.

 

Meanwhile, the hot weather has well and truly arrived here in Toronto. Some people love summer but for me it is the Time of Dread. I am a sweater weather person, ya know? Though I do appreciate the fact that most of our food exists because heat does. 

As I write this our windows are open to let in all the remaining scents of blossoms and greenery released by an overnight rain. I say 'let in' but really I mean 'give in to' because it is gusty out there! But sunny and so much less miserable than yesterday. 

To supplement our a/c this summer we bought a new table fan which is excellent (it's a Lasko Whirlwind, if you too need a compact but powerful fan that will oscillate or not per your whim.)

And to make our long ravine walks less uncomfortable than they've been with my heavier trail shoes, I bought a pair of really airy ones that got me home cool and pain free the first time I tried 'em! (Merrell Maipo 3 Aerosports, if you are looking for similar.) 

Oh! and here's a tip I got from Tom Bihn, after the urethane lining of my beloved and much-used Daylight Backpack started disintegrating into dandruff that coated everything I packed into it, owing to my not realizing I needed to waterproof the outside again periodically: that kind of lining melts off if you use rubbing alcohol on it! No pix of that project because it's a boring black backpack, but whew. So glad to have this thing cleaned up and back in circulation. Now to buy the waterproofer.

 

Yesterday I overhauled our front hall, putting boots into the back of the closet, pairing up the water shoes and putting them in grabbable locations, and weeding out the running shoes whose soles are officially past their best-by date. The results: amazing! but also a little sad because man that is a lot of shoes we go through. Almost feels like justification for more Birkenstocks, which can be resoled indefinitely, and the cork sides resealed. Ahem.  

(I kid. Even I am prepared to admit I have too many Birkenstocks.)

But I don't regret buying the pale pink suede Tulums that match my new cardi-top! 

They look a little frumpy in this pic maybe, but with long floaty pants they are really quite elegant. And so, so comfy. If I can't have sweaters, I can be consoled with the comfy.

Hope you're having a lovely day with a good weekend lined up, and thank you as always for spending some time here with me. See you next Saturday when... let's face it, you're not gonna see blanket progress, that's for sure!!