Monthly Recap: March

Hello hello! Before we get into this month's recap, I want to briefly outline a few changes to my cataloguing process for my knitting projects. Last summer, the creators of Ravelry -- a free database for knitters and crocheters which housed patterns, yarn info, groups, and more -- announced they were updating their website with new graphics etc. Unfortunately, NuRav proved to be an issue for many people, sparking migraines, seizures, and more. Despite this feedback, though, Ravelry will not be amending their design; this means that many users no longer have access to that platform.

As I mentioned back in October (see the post here), I created a shop on PayHip to host all my self-published patterns, and you can access it via the shop tab in my website header or through the link in my LinkTree. I will also be expanding the knitting portion of this blog to include stats that were previously tracked on Rav (such as yarn specifications, needle sizes, modifications, etc) so that you have a one-stop-shop, as it were, for any helpful pattern info! And I will try to link patterns to shops outside of Rav (provided the designer has one).

I hope this keeps my work accessible! And now, let's get on to what I've been working on (spoiler alert: it's not much).

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This month, I lost my knitting mojo. Any creative endeavour really is an ebb and flow, and that's okay! Sometimes you really do just need a little break. I wasn't feeling any of my wips this month but I did still manage to get one FO!

Best Beret by James N Watts - approx. 60g of 5530 Soft Donegal (100% merino, 210yds per 100g) by Studio Donegal - I finished it!! And I love the fit! I got a few wears in before the weather got too hot for a knitted hat, but I'll keep it on reserve for chilly, rainy spring days.

I did, however, get up to some other fibre crafting! I made a surprise weaving for a friend of mine who is currently renovating their home. I'm actually really proud of this one! I feel like I'm getting a bit more adventurous with shapes and movement within the weaving.

And in some other knitting-related news... a yarn order came in! *Cue crazy happy dancing* With the impact of Covid on my income, I put myself on a strict yarn diet: I told myself I was only allowed 2 purchases for the entirety of 2021. But when my friend Rachel of ZeeZee Textiles hinted that some of her colourways might not be coming back, I knew I had to act fast and snag my favs! And they arrived in all their gorgeous glory, instantly transforming what was a tough day (thanks, chronic illness) into pure joy. Y'all, these colours are SO much more astounding in real life! If you haven't checked out Rachel's work yet, this is your sign! (Also, make sure you visit her other knitting account... she's designing and knitting her own wedding dress!) Go visit my Instagram page to see the gorgeous new skeins!

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As you could probably guess from the lack of knitting content, my reading log continued to expand this month! Though I haven't met last month's record (7 books!), I made a pretty good dent in my TBR.

A Lover's Discourse by Xiaolu Guo - I was really drawn to this novel by the little blurb on Goodreads, so placed a request for purchase at my library. It's an absolutely gorgeous book, and I really liked the page layout and organization. The narrative is quite different from other books I've read; none of the characters are referred to by name, but rather only by personal connection (eg: "my supervisor", "his friend", etc). Also, there wasn't a particularly strong drive within the plot, instead reading more as a journal entry or snapshot into an ordinary life. And, *slight spoiler alert*, the novel doesn't have the traditional "happy" ending one might expect. I really appreciated that about this novel.

Girl, Gurl, Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic by Kenya Hunt - This collection of essays -- written primarily by Kenya Hunt but also featuring other writers, entrepreneurs, influencers, and activists -- was thoughtfully organized and an important read. I recommend checking it out from your local library.

The Hanging of Angélique by Afua Cooper - I think I originally heard of this book through TikTok, and was really interested to read more about Canada's (oft ignored) history of enslavement. I learned a lot from Cooper's research, not only about how enslaved peoples were treated within Canada, but also about the origins of the slave trade and the political and economic transactions between European countries which it influenced.

Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq - I had heard so many great reviews of this book that I knew I needed it in my permanent collection. I loved the mix of prose and poetry, the fluidity of moving between physical and mythic realms, and the almost musical frankness of Tagaq's writing.

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And that's it for March! At the time of writing this post, the motivation to knit is slowly coming back to me, so hopefully I'll have more knitting updates for you next month.

As always, you can follow along with my knitting updates on Instagram and Ravelry, and follow my reading process on Goodreads! Want a brain break? Check out the Knit Ewe Up YouTube account, where you'll find process videos backed by chill Lofi tunes!