Sunday, August 23, 2020

While Miz Kittling Knits: New Tricks

As many of you already know, I've been a hermit this summer, spending my time knitting, watching television, rummaging through closets, and-- above all-- reading. (Always reading.)

This past week I did finish two small projects: adding beads to some Christmas cake stand mats and beads and fringe to a winter scarf, but my main occupation has been knitting afghans. Compared to previous years when it would take me two to three years to complete an afghan, so far in 2020, I'm just about to bind off my fourth.

As a result, empty bins have begun to appear in my craft room which meant emergency replenishment orders and yarn for four more afghans.

My go-to pattern book has been Leisure Arts' Big Book of Quick Knit Afghans. I've used it so much that the cover has come off and I have to use a binder clip to hold all the pages together.

I don't like sewing things together, so making these afghans in one piece using big needles and a heavy-weight yarn is perfect for me. These patterns call for US needles sized 15 and up and a double strand of worsted weight yarn, so it's easy to see that they would knit up quickly. But I don't always follow the instructions. (Life's dull if you can't be a rebel once in a while.)

Instead of using a double strand of worsted weight yarn, I've been using one strand of Lion Brand Homespun Thick and Quick 100% acrylic yarn. This yarn is every bit as warm as the double strand of worsted but-- in comparison-- is as light as a feather. I've just been careful to use patterns where stitch definition is not important.

Let me show you two afghans I've knitted. One is for me, and the other is for a yet-to-be-determined recipient.

 




This is my afghan, and it's perfect to snuggle under while reading a good book. It's a basketweave pattern using Homespun Thick and Quick in a lovely lavender color called "Purple Aster." In trying to get a photo in which the pattern showed up, I couldn't show you the true color, but I might make up for it in the next photo.








This afghan was made using the exact same yarn, and the photo gives you a much better idea of the color. The pattern is called "Sunny."








What have I been watching while I've been knitting up a storm? I'm rewatching a favorite UK series called New Tricks about a Detective Chief Inspector relegated to a new cold case squad for a minor transgression and three retired police officers who have been called back in to help her.

This series has it all: good stories, good acting, a wonderful cast, and one of my all-time favorite theme songs which is sung by one of the actors (Dennis Waterman) in the series. The humor can be laugh-out-loud funny, too. 

I have to admit that when some of the original cast members began leaving the show, I began to lose interest because the chemistry between the originals was sheer magic. Sad though it may be that I lost interest, that still leaves me with eight seasons to watch-- and I'll probably watch the others, too, just to refresh my memory about why I didn't care for them as much. Now that I come to think of it, I probably should have begun watching in reverse order, shouldn't I?

New Tricks is currently available on Amazon Prime for any of you who are hooked on British crime dramas like I am. I hope you'll give it a try.

9 comments:

  1. I don't have Amazon Prime, Cathy, so I hope New Tricks comes to Acorn or Britbox soon. It sounds terrific. And those afghans are beautiful.

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    1. Too bad I can't loan you my DVDs. For some reason, I don't have seasons one and two, so I watched those on Prime then switched to the DVDs because Amazon loves to cut off the credits and I wanted to hear the entire theme song at the end!

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  2. Gorgeous afghans--perfect for the cooler weather when it gets here. Of course, I keep the one my mother gave me years and years ago on my reading chair all year round. It is a comfort in so many ways.

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    1. Yes, indeed. I still have the two my mother knitted for me many years ago.

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  3. Afghans are gorgeous. I would imagine that your mother's afghan is a comfort, especially in these difficult times.

    And as for New Tricks, I saw some episodes a few years ago, and I will watch more if I need more shows to watch.

    I'm glued to the political circus on TV. And reading, too. About to start Eva Dolan's new book.

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    1. I never cared much for circuses of any variety. I'm so hopeful after the DNC, and I'm not about to watch the RNC because all that would do is give me the world's record on highest blood pressure ever recorded.

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  4. Don't watch the RNC. I have MSNBC on and the sound low so I don't hear anyone, but I agree. If I heard any talks, my blood pressure, not normally a problem, would skyrocket.

    Plunging into books and snacks is the only way to cope, and in your case, knitting. And a friend is quilting.

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  5. I coincidentally started watching the first season just last night. The chemistry between the actors is so far the best thing about the show.

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    1. It's magic, and something they lost down the road when members of the original cast began leaving.

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