July Yarn Along: Ends and Beginnings

Somehow the "new" year is already more  than half-way through, and I feel like I am in between ends and beginnings.

I finally finished my Balta top (hurray!), which I need to get photos of. But before that, I need to sew a camisole for it -- I knew I'd need a camisole, but thought my simple white tank top would do. Well, it doesn't "do." It looks quite odd, and I'm hoping that I can make something that will work -- the alternative would be to frog the armholes of my Balta and re-knit them with extra rows. Which does not sound appealing at all at this point! At any rate, it's good to have finished a project and cleared 4 skeins of yarn from my stash.

While I prefer to have two projects going at once, I'd been focusing exclusively on my Balta. Which meant that I was at a bit of a loss when I finally cast off the last stitch -- "between projects" is a limbo I do not enjoy. I decided to start my Ninni cardigan, which meant dealing with a dyeing issue I had with my KnitPicks Capra (a delicious blend of merino and cashmere!). So I started a pair of socks for Rosa, but I'm not sure if those will work out... Anyway, I think I have the dye issue worked out, but only have a few rows to show on my cardigan. I already love the feel of the wool, so I'm eager to see how it works up. Once again, I'm making my life more difficult by using the wrong yarn weight, the wrong size (partly to compensate for the former issue), and I'm altering the cardigan from crew to v-neck. Apparently I'm a glutton for anxiety?

Never fear, the pink yarn is just a provisional cast-on! 

I've also been "between books," but I've settled on to Beatrix Potter 1866-1943: The Artist and Her World, which I found last year at a local used bookstore. It's part biography, part artistic analysis, and all-around good reading. Beatrix was quite industrious, and I hadn't realized how much work she did even prior to having her books published. This book is rather thick and lavishly illustrated, much to my delight.

I'm also reading Kiss the Wave by Dave Furman -- not pictured, because I have it on Kindle and tablets don't photograph well. I've loved everything I've read by his wife, Gloria, and this book certainly does not disappoint. Dave's persistence in pointing to the Gospel as the source of hope is a very timely message, and has been such an encouragement to me. Though I suppose the cross of Christ is always a timely message!


Joining Ginny's Yarn Along: