Monthly Recaps: May & June
- kniteweup
- Jul 4, 2021
- 5 min read
Well, I really dropped the ball on monthly recaps... again. Although honestly, there hasn't been a whole lot to report on; I've had some life changes (a new job!) and some ups & downs in crafting motivation which means progress has been slow for ongoing projects. So I figured I'd just put the last couple months together this time!
Hereford Bull Cardigan by Mary Maxim - Hue + Me in "Desert" byTwo of Wands X LionBrand, Alpaca Blend in "Sable" and "Yam" by (held double) Patons, Lincoln Fog in "Mother of Pearl" (held double) by Patons - This commission is still in the works, though it's had a bit of a break while I work on some other projects. It's such a big, heavy project that I tend not to reach for it while we're in a heatwave (it was recently 42*C [~108*F] and I couldn't stand the idea of working on a massive woolly project)! But I'm excited to pick it up again soon; it's knit on such big needles that progress flies by!
Ruffle Romper by Knitting for Olive - 393 yds (124 g) Premier Cotton Fair in "Coral" - This sweet little number was a gift for the newest member of my extended family, and it turned out so adorable! I chose a lightweight, machine-washable yarn for this project to make it as sensible as possible for the wardrobe of a sweet little baby. That ruffle is such a great addition, and I loved learning how easy it is to create; I'll definitely be using that technique in my own designs at some point.
Venice Wrap Tank by Hand Tsou (@gorillaknits) - Isis Fibre Arts Fingering Sparkle in "Poinsettia" - I have had this yarn set aside for this project for almost two years now; I purchased it at Knit City Vancouver back in 2019! I thought the stellina in the yarn added a gorgeous little twist and would make this gorgeous wrap top really pop. While I'm not the biggest fan of knitting in panels and seaming later, watching the sparkles accumulate has made this project pretty addictive. Plus, it's the perfect project size to pop in my tote and take to work with me so I can knit during my breaks. Hopefully I'll get this finished up super quick so I can wear it throughout the rest of summer!
In other knitting-related news, I've had some wonderful stashquisitions! In May, I was the incredibly lucky winner of a giveaway hosted by Pigment & Ply, based in Essex, England. Jessica, dyer extraordinaire, offered me a sweater's quantity of yarn on any base, so off I went to search through my favourited patterns for inspiration. I ended up deciding on her DK base in the colour "Raw Sienna" for a Paloma Sweater (free pattern by Espace Tricot). The colour is amazing, the perfect muted terracotta! My mum actually decided to also order a sweater's quantity of Jess' colourway "Rose Quartz" for me to knit her a sweater in; she's still not decided on the pattern though, but she has plenty of time to think as I probably won't cast on until around September. Jess always knocks her colours out of the park, and I have a list of her yarns that I want to purchase once I'm no longer on a yarn diet (some of my favs include "Lady of Shallot" and "Clover Blooms")!
I also, in June, won a giveaway of a new quarter bundle pack from Daily Like Canada. You can check out the gorgeous fabrics, designed by Two O Nine Fabric Studio, in this reel on my Instagram. This bundle is such a sweet little combination of colours and patterns! I'm definitely going to learn how to quilt now -- the only question is: project bag, or accent pillow?
My reading has been slow the last couple months, as I worked my way through a massive tome of research (more on that below), but I'm still well on track for my reading challenge this year! Current status: 18/38.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - I'll be honest, I was totally attracted to the cover of this book! But in this case, it was perfect to judge the book by its cover: Nezhukumatathil's essays are personal, heart warming, and just as wonderful as the illustrations that accompany them. I definitely recommend this book for a quick read if you're interested in personal essays or meditations on the beauty of nature.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez - I won't lie: this book was a slog. Although I really appreciated Perez's inclusion of studies (or acknowledgements of the lack thereof), the heavy amounts of (admittedly bleak) data combined with a not-particularly-engaging writing style made it hard for me to get through more than a handful of chapters at a time. That said, Perez's research is so important to society, and I still recommend this book as an educational tool -- it really was eye-opening to see everything laid out plainly.
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles - My mum read this book and asked me to read it as well so we could chat about it, so I was happy to pick it up and give it a go. This is definitely not a book I would have picked up on my own -- despite being a book hoarder myself, I tend not to enjoy novels that centre around bookish themes (take, for example, The Little Paris Bookshop, or Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore -- a notable exception to this trend, however, is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which if you haven't read yet should definitely be added to your TBR!). Honestly, it met my expectations for it -- I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, either. The storyline is interesting (and inspired by true events), but the writing fell flat for me and didn't engage me. The best part of this book was the inclusion of Charles' research at the end; I would have much preferred to read a non-fiction account of the actual people. Still, if you're looking for an easy read that you can put down and pick up anytime, maybe give this one a go.
Our Animal Hearts by Dania Tomlinson - This book was recommended to me by a friend, who sold it as "written in a similar style to Tin Man" (which, if you don't remember, was one of my top books of 2020); needless to say my hopes were high for this one. I have to say, it's definitely not the same style as Tin Man, but it is a very interesting story, weaving together myth, magic, and realism. Although the novel is set in the Okanagan in the early 1900s (including WWI), I found myself constantly imagining the characters in the 1930s. Tomlinson's descriptions, particularly of clothing, just didn't fit my understanding of the early 1900s -- for example, a shocking lack of stockings, and hemlines that seem far too high; while this may have been a decision to illustrate the main character's more "wild" or "improper" upbringing, I found it pulled me out of the story with thoughts of "wait, I thought this was 1912??" That said, I'm definitely no expert on the era; I might look into it to learn more.
My next read is The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, but I'll save my thoughts for next month's review (which I promise will be published in a timely manner!).
So there you have it, a short post this time, despite it covering two months of updates! Hopefully I'll have more to report on next month for you. (I feel like I say that every month, but I do hope my mojo is properly back this time!)
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