Yarn Along 2015.6: Not So Brainless

Happy Wednesday!  It's Yarn Along time, everyone!

Last week, I mentioned that I had decided to do the Sunlight Shawl for Sad People pattern with my colorful yarn because I needed some brainless fun knitting.

Well. . . what a way to jinx myself.  That very night, there was a mishap involving a cat (still a kitten at 5 months, but a very large, very fast, very intent on stealing my knitting, kitten), my yarn, and many dropped stitches going more than a few rows deep.  This was after a family discussion with DH, DS1, K2 and I about expectations, rent to cover what their living here costs DH and I above and beyond our normal monthly utility and grocery bills, and adult/parental (meaning DS1 & K2) responsibilities in general.  So I was not in a right state of mind to deal with picking up all those stitches, through a lace pattern and a several rows of garter stitch both, and the cat was still trying to get her two paws' worth in the mix.

I ended up ripping out the whole 41 rows that I had done to that point.  This was after three attempts to fix what the cat had messed up.  Three unsuccessful, very brain-hurting attempts.  It was emotionally easier to start over than continue trying to fix what had been ruined.

*Sigh*

Try again.  It really is an easy, brainless knit, as long as you don't drop a whole bunch of stitches through several rows right at the yarn over part.  I'm okay at picking up stitches about six rows deep, as long as they all go in the same direction and connect to each other.  Not okay at picking up yarn overs every other row for about six rows on an increasing basis.  Thankfully, I have managed to keep the cat, aka the Yarn Thief, from causing any more disasters, although as you will see in a minute, she is still determined to take off with my yarn every chance she gets.  Currently, I have 72 rows completed.

my current knit, and my current read

a more 'true color' shot

Yarn Thief caught red-handed

 (notice open mouth on ball of yarn--right after I clicked this shot, cat and yarn were heading away at a rapid pace)

I just started reading Ben Hewitt's latest book, that his wife Penny co-authored, by the title of The Nourishing Homestead.  I've been a reader of Ben's blog for years; it's so down-to-earth and I can relate to many of the things he posts about since I do or have done a lot of them myself at this little place here.  It's too early to give an opinion on this latest book--although it does have tons of great pictures taken by Penny (I flipped through and looked)--since I only just got it from the library and have read a mere six page so far.

What are you knitting and reading this week?