I’ve been spending more time thinking about this post than I have spent writing it. It’s been almost one year since my last post, and I can’t even begin to describe how much has happened since then. I won’t attempt to comment on the current state of global affairs. Instead, I’ll stick to what drew me to starting this blog in the first place.
Funnily enough, I’m now back in Calgary, which is the city where it all started. Rewind to 2015, and I was getting ready to set out on a year-long adventure which once was the main focus of this blog. Now, traveling to another country feels like a faraway luxury. Believe it or not, there is already snow on the ground here (making me question my decision of moving away from the much milder winter weather in Vancouver). That said, these cold temperatures, combined with being cooped up at home with a cuddly cat on my lap, is likely the main reason I’m now writing this post. Christmas is just over a month away (as crazy as that sounds), and its high time to begin the process of knitting up some handmade gifts (yes, my era of “selfish knitting” is over).
Knitting wise, there are a few patterns in particular that have caught my eye.
Late Bloomer Mittens
@tdoeswool has knit up a beautiful rendition of the Late Bloomer Mittens by Kristin Ledgett, featured in the latest edition of the making magazine. I’m intrigued to learn what type of stich was used to create such elegant looking flowers.
Ulla Sweater
Then there’s the Ulla sweater by Gregoria Fibers. The light airiness of the wool, combined with the bell-shaped sleeves, and v-shaped ribbing around the collar, make this sweater look like an absolute dream to wear. I may have lied when I said the era of selfish knitting is over, as this is definitely something I’d keep for myself!
Kune Kune Cowl
I’m in love with the texture of every single one of Olga Buraya-Kefelian’s patterns, and the Kune Kune cowl is no exception. Their 3-d effect is unlike anything I’ve seen from any other designer. Up until now, I haven’t actually knit any of them, only admired them from afar. However, just in time for the holiday knitting season, I’ve signed up for her Secret Headband advent knit-a-long, consisting of seven mystery headband patterns, released weekly from November up until Christmas. I am typically a very slow knitter, so we’ll see if I manage to keep up with it!
But enough about knitting. The truth is, these past few months, I haven’t been knitting very much at all, aside from (finally) finishing up the Ondawa sweater as well as a cute mini Flax sweater, which felt like such a breeze to knit after the cables in the Ondawa!
We adopted a cat earlier last month, and it’s made me wonder why we didn’t ever get a cat sooner. She loves cuddles and has already learned a few tricks, including a very endearing high five. She is also very intrigued by my knitting – although she has tried playing with my yarn more than once, she is quickly learning that this is unacceptable. After many months of not knitting, it took finding this book in the library to make me pick up my needles again. As of yet, I haven’t quite decided whether making my cat wear a knit hat is a form of needless animal cruelty or just plain adorable.
I recently learned about the most fascinating instrument called the theremin, and it’s amazing I had never heard about it before. It was invented by a Russian physicist 100 years ago, and is played by altering an electromagnetic field between two antennas: one of them controls the pitch, and the other controls volume. The performer’s hands don’t actually touch the instrument itself, which makes it all the more impressive. Leaving you all with a beautiful rendition of a “Clair de Lune” duet featuring a theremin playing the main melody, to ponder over.
Happy Sunday everyone.