handstories

december 2013

    It is a dark gray New Year's Eve afternoon.  The year of 2013 is done, as is the working words onto this cloth.  In a few days I will start spending some time pulling together the loose spots, figuring out how to finish the edges, and deciding whether or not to correct some misspellings ("narwahl" being one of them..."arrrgh" to late night stitching!).  But for now, I'm going to tack it to the wall and just look at it all, all of this year's stories . . . and wonder about the next's.

     Rather than starting a new daily cloth piece in this new year, I'm thinking I'd like this to be The Year of Finishing.  There are so many "not quite there" pieces and places in my life right now.  It's time to stitch down the loose threads, and tidy up the edges of a lot of things, or at least a few more of them.

    I hope that 2014 holds peace and enough for all.

a nar-what?

    We're off to Oregon for time with the relatives.  I'm looking forward to meeting my six month old great-nephew.  His parents have a tendency toward sea themed things for him (it runs in the family!).  So, I knit up a narwhal.  He's a kinda goofy.  The pattern called for a chopstick inside the tooth.  That didn't seem like a good idea for a baby, so I used stuffing instead- making it fat and wobbly.  No one said compromise would be pretty.

Narwhal:  An Arctic whale that has a spotted pelt and is characterized in the male by a long spirally twisted ivory tusk projecting from the left side of its head.  (Fyi- a group of narwhals is a pod, school, or a run.)

cozy wishes

    It was a very merry quiet holiday.  Things are in slow motion in a lovely, tea filled napping kind of way.  

    Above is the hot water bottle cozy (based on this pattern) I knitted up for K, to counter his nightly statement of "It's so cold!" as he crawls into bed.  In the early years, I'd have extra quilts on my side of the bed, now it's him, with me on the other side experiencing a general global warming.  I wonder if we'll balance out eventually?

    I hope you're all cozy and filled with all kinds of happy flavors.

possibilities

    There is something about those first few stitches.

    When I have no idea where I'm going, and anything is possible.

    This morning at 8:00 a.m., first snow, and a two-hour school delay.  Who knows what today will hold?

pink gingham recovery

    Blue and Moon need new curtains, so off to the fabric store we went.  Blue wanted Boston Red Sox red.  Moon wanted that top striped fabric.  I wanted to scream.

    But then I saw some pink gingham . . .  and bought them exactly what they wanted.

    When I was twelve, I was moving into a new bedroom.  I was promised that I could choose how it would look- paint, curtains, etc.  I  begged for a blue bedroom.   I was told, "That's not very girly, how about a nice pink?"  Still, I wanted blue.   I left for camp saying, "Anything but pink, but please can it be blue?"

    I came home to pink walls and pink gingham curtains.  There were excuses given, and guilt trips about how I should be grateful.  

    Blue's red curtains are done.  Moon changed his mind about wanting striped curtains, he wants pillowcases instead.   I don't know what he's going to end up choosing for his curtains, but I'll be glad to stitch anything, so long as it's not pink gingham!

    P.S.  I have a blue bedroom now, but that's another story . . .

oh, curdled compost!

    We're busy!  Counting the days till Winter vacation.  Poor Twinkle, she watches us come and go, over and over.  We haven't had our usual morning stitch, petting, tea,  and more petting on the couch this week.  She has to wait until evening for anyone to sit still.  Sigh.  

    And just in case you think we're not having any quality family time . . . this evening Moon and I spent a moment inventing curse words . . .  "Oh, nickels!",  "Light-switches and tofu!",  "What a bag of frozen peas!" and our favorite is up top.

multi-tasking and survival skills

    "Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either."  Elizabeth Zimmerman.

    Being able to knit with beautiful squishy colorful yarn, while at the same time, ticking off Christmas gifts is a very good thing.

    Another grand thing about that hat, is that it got me through a very strange event last weekend.  We were invited to join relatives at a Christmas concert, and, oh my goodness . . . Two and a half hours of Jesus meets Vegas- including an Elvis impersonator, Christmas movie clips, Santa, Rudolph, a reenactment of the nativity story, and the Hallelujah Chorus. It was everything you've ever seen in December, and then some!

    Being able to knit in the dark is a very very good thing!

conjuring a constellation

    Which ever way the stars are tipped, a sailing ship shows up.  

    A starship in a sea of stars.  

    The stars have been connected with straight lines of white running stitches, and the curves of the vision are being outlined with pale blue.

    It seems that night skies have been filling my thoughts more than usual for months now . . . I wonder what that's about?

    P.S.  Over in Diaries, Jude's creating and joining stars in wonderful ways.  I'm so appreciative for the many ways she has connected the dots for me!

one-fifth-ish

    Singles.

    Two-plying.

    The first bobbins of the BIG spinning project are done.  It's quite cheery and squashy.  The constantly changing colors are keeping it interesting enough.  Trying to stay consistent in the thickness is the challenge.  Instead of whirling the wheel at the usual top speed, I am working against my nature and treadling as slow as possible, only enough to keep the wheel turning.  

    That's happening in other areas as well.

    We're off for a few days . . . wishing you all a cozy weekend!

star-crossed

     A new twist on "uncertainty".  It's hard to see, but there is a line, criss-crossing itself from one edge to another.

     An old trick remembered . . . using the sliver of soap for drawing stitching lines.

    Marking the spots where each length of thread ended, and another began.

    Imagining this cluster as a constellation, still pondering . . .

     I just looked up the phrase . . .

    star-crossed [stahr-krawst] thwarted or opposed by the stars.

    Hmmmm . . . I think a new definition is in order . . . still pondering.