Winter is supposed to be a time of rest, reflection, and renewal. It is the time to recharge ourselves so we are ready for the opportunities spring brings.
Of course, this is not how my winter has gone. I think I need to stop saying out loud what I want, because I seem to be tripping a jinx. I wanted to spend more time with my Cuddly Hubby. I wanted to stay home for the end-of-year holidays. I wanted to catch up on Disney+ and Netflix. I wanted to travel less in the early part of 2023. I wanted to catch up around my home, play more games, and get work done on stalled projects. What happened in my life instead has been a big, "No!"
Tomorrow I head back to Pennsylvania for three weeks of resetting my mother's
home. This process is increasingly bittersweet. It is good to connect more
with family and friends. There are things I find that kindle warm memories.
But I also miss my home in Georgia. I'm grateful the cool weather in Georgia
meant the cherry blossoms lasted an extra week this year, even at the expense
of the azaleas. I'll miss the dogwoods, as they are just starting. I'm
grateful I got to teach at Carolina Fiber Fest. And I'm grateful I was at the
Piedmont Area Mensa regional gathering last weekend. Spending time with my
husband, pets, friends, and colleagues has become even more important as I
navigate the emotional storm.
Like any good knitter, I am working on a grief project. Last month's post was about swatching for the big orange blanket. If I were driving, I would bring it with me. I am flying. I can not assign valuable luggage space to this project. It will sit until I return.
This is the current state.
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Blanket block graph. Each row equals two rows of knitting! |
My design has two different blocks. There is the diagonal block from my previous post. There is also a block of double-moss, which is essentially a checkerboard. The yarn wound into balls in the picture is yarn used from the swatching process. I have 32 skeins not yet wound. Already this blanket is taking over the couch. One of the things you can't see clearly in the photograph is how the block at lower right appears lighter in color because it is covered with white cat hair. Both cats have been seen sleeping on this project.
Life goes on. The first week of March, I fit in a presentation on fixing mistakes for Atlanta Knitting Guild. The next guild meeting I might attend would be August. Even that one I'm not certain.
I hope I'll see some of you virtually at the end of April for the The Knitting Guild Association Next Level Knitting Conference. The cost is $125, but this is probably the best value in online learning, as you have access to all the videos for all the sessions for six months. Wherever you are in your knitting journey, the conference has something to offer you.
I've also just published "Quotidian Quest," a sock pattern that is the festival sock for Blue Ridge fiber Fest 2023. If you'd like to learn toe-up socks in person, that class will be one of my offerings in the lovely North Carolina mountains in early June.
Although I'm not teaching there, I plan to attend Maryland Sheep and Wool. This year is the 50th anniversary festival. We shall hope for beautiful spring weather and happy sheep that first weekend in May.
Like any large project, I plod onward, one stitch at a time, with confidence
there is a spectacular finished object at the end.
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