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The ceiling of a delicious restaurant.
The Providence Athenaeum.
Backyard view.
The fox came by.
Rhode Island was cold, but beautiful with the snow and creatures that I don't get to see here at home. I didn't catch a glimpse of the neighborhood fox, just its tracks, but enjoyed the birds that came to my sister's deck for the seeds they fling out for them.
I'm back, but not. Catching up on sleep, laundry, house, thoughts, etc. Hope you're all well and warm.
Yesterday, Moon wanted to do something together, but I really wanted to stitch. We finally agreed to hang out together on the couch, talking, and each doing our own kind of creating.
Compromise can be a very good thing.
I'm continuing to stitch the tree on the right-side border of "hypatia", and am enjoying the new tea-dipped colors of thread.
Tomorrow I fly off to Rhode Island to visit my sister for a week (because who doesn't plan a visit to the northeast in January, with a storm on the horizon to boot?!). I hope you all have a warm and safe week.
I keep the spindle next to the couch for late in the night, when the ability to concentrate on a knitting pattern is gone, and the light is too low for tired eyes to stitch on cloth. K commented on this the other night when I finally gave up trying to get the stitch count right on the sleeve cap, and began spindling. "You just can't stop, can you?"
"Nope, there's so much I want to do, and only one life-time to try to get it done in!"
Moonrover fiber.
It has been a while since "Hypatia" (the daily squares cloth), has received any attention. I had forgotten how incredibly soft and easy it is to stitch through . . . and how very happy this cloth makes me.
(Sorry for the dim photos. It has been gray day after gray day here.)
Recently I worked with Moon's class to create and clothe Colonial dolls. When I volunteered, I took some things for granted. I thought that most of the thirty fifth graders would have some sewing experience. Wrong. Most had never touched a needle or even seen a pincushion before. At my old job I began working with the children in Pre-K, so that by the time they were in fifth, they had some skills. While introducing the project, there was panic and disbelief. I assured them I hadn't lost a stitcher yet.
We all survived, none of the dolls are naked, and I think most of them had fun. Thank goodness for the few who had some skills, especially this girl and her nimble fingers, who threaded needles as fast as lightning!
Begun with a desire for justice and that crazy feeling that comes from thinking you are the only one who sees the truth. But things evolve, including me.
In the last weeks, some truth has finally come to light, things will be changing. Am I sorry that I'm not there to see it happen? I don't think so, but I am glad, so glad.
Even in the grayest of days, there are others (the chickadees told me so).
After, During, and Before.
"Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot. We'll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!"
Such a dark days . . . today there are thirty mile an hour winds, and sideways rain. Last night I dreamt of trying to buy raincoats.
Due to the lack of sunlight and good lamplight, there is not a lot of cloth stitching happening, but there has been quite a bit of spinning and knitting (not to mention Star Trek and hot chocolate).
(Moonrover batts, spun into singles and chain plied into 167 yards of sport weight.)
I had thought I was done with this, even though it felt like something was missing. There was an emptiness on the right-hand edge.
With the recent news from my old job, I realized there was room for one more eye, and thought. I'm hoping to be done with it today.
The latest knitting project, a sweater for me, because, after all, it is "Selfish Knitting Season". "How is that different than the rest of the year?" K asked. (After being reminded of the hot water bottle cozy, socks and hats that were unwrapped the week before, he modified it to eleven months.)
Feeling justified, I took my coupon, discount and no taxes in hand and happily bought a bunch of yarn while in Oregon. I'm also happily using the new stitch markers that Blue and Moon made for Christmas. One even has a little bell on it, so I jingle as I stitch along.
There has been some semi-serious cleaning going on. This small house takes some negotiating for the four of us. I've slowly claimed half of the living room as my "studio", which is selfish, but feels necessary for my state of mind. (And if the boys think about it, they'd realize that this benefits their state of mind, too. Or so, I keep telling them.)
Anyhow, I've cleared a large space in the center, which let me spread "uncertainty" out, and see how much more there is to go. Thinking the back was almost covered, it was a big surprise to see that it's only half-way done. The skinny vertical striped areas are what is left.
Today I worked on the constellation ship. Realizing that it's impossible to know how long a journey might take.
