Fall Colours

• My knitting in the last week or so has been hurried - lots of little things that "need" to be done.  Interestingly enough, this is also what it's been like at home.  I feel like we've not accomplished much in any particular areas, but have completed lots of little "must do" tasks.  All good, and necessary, but there's not a big feeling of accomplishment when your day is filled with 5 minute jobs, and your knitting is full of one day projects.
• Hats.  Lots and lots of hats.  My knitting group is part of the women's ministry for a local church, and so we contribute knitted items for the church's annual Fall Fair.  I have several hats in the bag so far, and a couple of more in the wings.  It all needs to be handed in this Wednesday night, so with the deadline looming, my hands are constantly holding needles with little things on it.  Although I will confess my selfishness - even though I am not expecting a baby, there is one hat, made from the leftovers of my green Horcrux socks, that I simply cannot part with.  I love it deeply.
• Baby, baby, baby.  Most of the hats are baby sized, but I'm also working on a sweater (this is the back of it, here) for my friend who had a baby.  The gift I made her was very neutral, leaning towards "boy colours", but when I saw this yarn months ago, I knew it would be wonderful for my friend.  This little sweater is occupying my non-hat-knitting knitting moments.
• That Darn Robe is making slow progress.  I refuse to accept that my fascination with the baby knits is in any way a purposeful distraction from the miles of stocking stitch.  To prove that I have not forgotten this project, I keep it sitting on the end table in our living room.  It won't stop looking at me.
• I'm always watching for "knitting content" in books and movies, and found a new knitting moment this week!  I've recently started reading a series of books called the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon, and in my reading the other night, the Scottish husband couldn't believe his wife didn't know how to "clickit".  All children, boys and girls, were taught to knit their own stockings, and the men thought it was very funny to have to teach her.  I was amused at how excited I was to see knitting mentioned in an unrelated fiction book.
• In the podcast category, I've discovered a new one that I'm deeply in love with!  The Creative Mom Podcast is really amazing.  Amy does knit, although so far I haven't heard a lot of knitting content; still, her thoughts on creativity, and encouragement to step outside our comfortable and established mediums have been wonderful.  She also has an excellent speaking voice, and wonderful taste in music.  A weekly podcast, there are 60 some archived episodes, and I'm slowly rationing them out, hating the thought that one day I'll be all caught up, and have to wait a whole week for the next one.  Kind of like that feeling when you discover some talented author you'd never heard of before, and go crazy reading everything ever written by him/her, and then have to wait a year for the next book to come out.
• I've started a new creative exercise, partly inspired by the above podcast, of journaling something I see each day that speaks to me.  For myself, I'm using this as an opportunity to develop my relationship with God, so am looking for either moments when I see God working in my day, or insights into the Character of God.  It's been an excellent discipline as well as a creative outlet for me, although each day I'm wishing to express myself more and more, and I get frustrated when there's just not enough time in the day for it.  Maybe I should look a little closer for the Character traits of Patience and Acceptance, eh?
• Hooray!  I was just about to post this, when I heard the dog barking, and looked to see the postman walking up the path.  I ran quickly to open the door before he could ring the bell and wake the napping babies, and was rewarded to receive my first installment of the Woolgirl Sock Club!  I've never taken part in a club like this before, and have been impatiently waiting my first delivery.  When I saw the address on the parcel, I must have looked very happy, because Brian asked me who it was for.  I said, "Me!"  He looked at me with a smile, and asked, "What is it?"  "What do you think it is," I bantered.  He sighed, "Yarn?"  "Yup," I replied gleefully.  He looked at me a little reprovingly.  "Mom," he said, "you can't always get yarn!"

Comments

[Colleen]

Sure you can always get yarn. Nothin' wrong with that!

I'll have to check out that podcast, sounds neat. Keep posting about your journaling- I'd like to hear if it works well for you.

[Sarah]

I'm with the you can always get yarn school of thought :)

Great work on the little hats - I'm a big fan of little projects for the satisfaction of finishing something.

Your last post on fall touched a chord with me - I too feel the potential of this time of year - definitely the time I am most likely to start something new - last year that was knitting :)

[jo]

Great Autumn colours Charity!

[marti]

yeah for the woolgirl sock club, i am glad to see you there too. and i am really happy that you love cmp, it is one of my favourite podcasts!

[gina]

I love the part in that book where Jamie takes the sock from Claire and TURNS THE HEEL for her.

And Brian? Why not?

[marianne]

I LOVE the Outlander series... I actually have them all and have waited for ...years? for the next one?
What a great post, Charity, good going on all the little hats, feels good knowing all the sweet little noggins they'll be keeping warm,eh?
I need to check out that podcast...someday...
I think the journaling every day is a wonderful thing to do and yes, I understand that 'not finding enough time' for everything...
I took off on the woolgirl link and oh goodness! what beautiful yarn! Is the club closed off now? I didn't see anything to click on for joining....
...Brian...bless his heart...but I can't help but think about some day waaay in the future, when he's a man of 70 or so and will remember with a smile all the times the postie brought parcels of yarn and how joyful his Mum would be...
Yarn is always good. :^)

[Dorothy]

Yarn is a great thing to get. My Mr. always says that it could be worse, I could be into something that costs a fortune.

I hope you get a bit of time for those big projects soon.

[Carrie K]

I do like the Outlander series but she's taking her sweet time finishing it! Isn't it fun to run across a random knitting reference? It really wasn't so long ago that almost everyone knew how to knit.

That Darn Robe won't stop looking at you? lol!

[Lorette]

I'm reading the Outlander series, too!

And yes, Brian, you CAN always get yarn.

I have a simple practice of finding little things to be grateful to God for during the course of my day. Even when things are going "badly", there is always something to be thankful for, and often just the simple act of acknowledging that can turn a day around in a heartbeat. I think your journal idea would be a wonderful way to record these "little" things.