This week brought the return of embroidery to my days and I am loving every stitch! My project is loosely based on these Snowflake ornaments. I picked three snowflakes, enlarged them and traced them onto Sulky Solvy and began stitching. I will use just 3 colors and once the “outline” part is done, I will do some stitching around them. So. Much. Fun!
The second project I began this week was a pair of Hermoine’s Everyday Mitts! Yep, I went to my Ravelry Library and looked at the mitt patterns I had there and these were the ones with the closest gauge to my yarn. I spun the yarn from a lovely tweedy batt that I got eons ago from a tiny shop in Beulah, Michigan. This yarn has been waiting a long time to become something and I think it is a perfect fit!
And I have some Gnoelle pieces to share, as of yesterday (there is a new clue out today) I have three parts of Noelle done… a scarf, a hat, and a messenger bag. Each has been so fun to make and I love the slow reveal of the gnome in December and coupled with some a fun story and some other surprises (yesterday was some Gnome Gift Tags… which yes, I have traced onto some watercolor paper to play around with!
My reading this week has been simply wonderful. I am reading Winter Solstice with Katie and I am enjoying this book very much. It has a really wonderful cast of characters, it is in a beautiful setting (Scotland), and in the most perfect time of year (Christmas). I am just a bit more than half way though but I am not rushing to get it done at all. It is such a lovely companion to my daily activities!
At night, I am reading the latest Kate Marshall mystery for Netgalley and it is the perfect light mystery to read before bed.
I also picked up the latest book of poetry from Billy Collins, Musical Tables. It is incredibly enjoyable and the perfect way to start my morning quiet time! The poems are short but meaty… Collins likes to make you think beyond the words on the page.
So there you have my early December making and reading. I hope you are taking time to find things you enjoy about this season!
As always, if you wrote a post to share – please leave you link below and thank you!
December’s wintery breath is already clouding the pond, frosting the pane, obscuring summer’s memory… ― John Geddes A Familiar Rain
This mornings constitutional with Sherman was all about December’s wintery breath… and frost on the ground! It was a morning that we needed our woolies!! The frosty cold weather showed me clearly that I need a new pair of walking mitts! I am going to toss the handspun stash this morning to see what I can find to make myself a new pair of mitts!
The weekend had a bit of a mad rush feeling to it. A throwback to days long gone… perhaps you all will remember as well. That mad dash to get back on the “School Track” because vacation is over! Yep, that was me… I realized that I had homework due on Monday! Yikes! So I hurried and watched the video and then spent a chunk of Sunday getting the homework done. I am sharing my attempt at making an ordinary window box extraordinary. There is lots of room for improvement… lol.
In the plus column… my washes have improved dramatically. I think this is a combination of using better paper (I am strictly using Arches paper now) coupled with my better understanding of how to apply a wash. Anyways, I am very proud of how I have improved!
In the needs lots more practice column… graded “things” … and in this image, the graded thing is flowers. I have much to learn in this skill. Good thing I like painting as much as I do! Haha
I also gleefully dipped my toes back into doing some embroidery this weekend. I saw these thanks to Kym last week and while I am not making a set of ornaments… I have purchased the pattern, blown it up a bit and have begun Star Stitching! I will share my progress on Wednesday!
And!! Gnoelle (thanks Vera, that name is perfect!) Knitting has begun! No spoilers, but let me assure you that thus far (two clues in) the differences are so fun! I am amazed at the genius of Sarah Schira! Not only does December have knitting clues, but she includes a fun story as well! December Gnome Knitting at its best!
Happy Monday all! See you back here on Wednesday with some Unraveling!
This quote sort of sums of December for me…the end of a year, the end of a word (which has been a very good word for me!), the end of my being 62, the end of my Year of Gnomes (yes… I am doing a +1 in January… there is no way you can quit gnoming cold turkey! haha)
And with all those ending things, it is so hard to not look ahead to what is coming.
I don’t want to do that and so I am going to daily remind myself to savor the day… be full of the moment… and not filling myself with the anticipation of what is to come.
Do I need to do some planning and thinking about January? Yes, I do… but I am not going to allow that to overtake the Celebration of December!
Now, how about some things that have been on my mind recently!
Remembering —
Christine McVie. Her death came as a gut punch to me this week. I will forever remember her singing this:
Infatuated (with) —
Three hand knits have found me circling back to look at them for a while now. I have been in the ‘wait and see’ mode… waiting to see if this infatuation I have for them will grow into a lasting love… which will mean I can cast on with confidence!
Kate Gilbert’s Nouvelle Vague (From Knitty Deep Fall) or really… a Clapotis Gradation. IMO, the Original Clapotis has the preferred shape and I had I had knit one eons ago but maybe I need a new one? I don’t know, but I am enamored of the idea of doing one in the Fade Fad. But the fad idea has halted me from moving this from infatuation to project.
Drawing Sweater. Oh my. Sweater as a work of art… absolutely. And when I first saw this, if I had the yarn to knit one in my stash, I would have instantly cast on. But then I saw this….
Flutter. Wow, right? Anyways, in my brain, I would do this and steek it. Flutter is just so lovely… and maybe more useful than a sweater?
(be) Fuddled —
Imagine my total surprise when Spotify notified me that my Spotify Wrapped 2022 was ready for me. Huh?
We regularly listen to Spotify, but we *always use Steve’s Spotify* … as in I make the food, Steve does the music. I know, it is a massive contribution that he makes! LOL
Anyways, the *only* thing I have used Spotify for in the past year was to listen to podcasts that were only on Spotify.
However, the list was even more befuddling… I have never listened to any of these songs, nor has Steve ever selected any playlists with any of these on it! WTAF Spotify, WTAF!
(some word) Forethought —
As my year with Full draws to a close, I have had the curious incidence of a new word nudging me for some time now. I ignored it at first, but the nudges persisted and became more frequent. I have settled in to the idea of this word, but it is a bit scary as I contemplate “the how” of this word so I have been contemplating it lots. In lots of ways. So to make sure that I capture any and all ideas that pop into my head during the day… I have started an Apple Note(s) for it. Some ideas I am sure will be hilarious to look back on, but I am capturing them all. And, while I think this technically might be Word Cheating, I am happy to be filling the tiniest bit of my days with Word Planning 2023!
And I am even more excited to sign up for Ali Edwards OLW 2023 “class” and this year I think my word will work in such a way that I can do some journal documentation! Stay tuned!
And there you have some very varied RIFFing for this first weekend in December! See you all back here on Monday!
Welcome to the last day of November… and tomorrow begins December! And I am so ready for it!
Why? Well, tomorrow the first Holiday Christmas Gnome clue comes out! I have my yarn all set to go… and I am eager to begin!
And my Welcome December list? Well, it has so few things on it, I am kind of worried I am forgetting something!
Finish the tree.
Finish the watercolor cards!
Pick out some good somethings from the grandkids “Amazon Wish Lists” (really… Genevieve says this should be #1 on my list based on the number of times she has mentioned it in the last week! Hahaha!)
And that is it!
Okay and maybe finish Steve’s sock… in between Gnome Knitting and doing some Pressed Flower repeats!
Speaking of Pressed Flowers, I have 28 inches knit… I am still not done with the first “plate” of plötulopi but I am still wildly in love with this knit!
However, my reading this week has been… curious! I am roughly halfway through A Marriage Portrait and while I don’t dislike it; it certainly is not Hamnet. My struggle is the rather abrupt switching back and forth in the time line. I need to look at the date and then figure out where “this” falls in the non-linear story line. I better get a move on and finish it though, it is due this week!
I also started listening to Time Pieces: A Dublin Memoir by John Banville. Oh my. It is delightful (and the perfect thing to ease into after Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell!)
And there you have my making this week. What about you? Are you experiencing any Holiday Crunch Time Knitting?
As always, if you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below and thank you!
I spent much of this month in quiet *internal* contemplation. To start, there was lots of debating with myself but eventually the debates gave way to an exercise in finding joy… and really, what held the most joy of all!
What am I talking about? Well, the Great Christmas Decorating of 2022 (and beyond!)
And all this thought showed me that while some “things” help usher in the season, it is really more than that. And so today I will begin my decorating with a much pared down list…so much pared down!
And I confess… I am a bit nervous. Sort of like that feeling you have when you know you are forgetting something, and don’t realize what it was until you get to your destination. If it is *absolutely necessary* you go and buy a replacement and you have a wonderful time or you realize that you did not really need that something and you have a wonderful time.
Either way – I will have a wonderful time. And if I find that something is *absolutely* necessary, I can get it out!
And in the midst of all this angst, I realized that my year of pondering a full life was….well realized!
Living a full life means choices. Saying yes to things… and saying an equal number (if not more) of no’s as well!
Living a full life means having priorities… but ones that are not set in stone so that when something intriguing appears on your radar, you can switch gears and try it! (Watercolor Painting… I am looking at you here!)
And, perhaps best of all, living a full life means that at the end of the day, the week, the month, the year… you can look back and know that you did all the *absolutely necessary* parts and, most importantly, you had a wonderful time!
Oh… and for those wondering about those things that “made the cut” for my holiday decorating… here is my brief but spectacular list:
Outside lights, because Christmas is something to share.
The Christmas Tree… singular. One with lights, because Dark December, but with only those ornaments that hold the most special place in my heart.
One candle on the dinner table (it is out already!)
My Year of Gnomes gracing my mantel. I did pick up one fun NEW thing for this last Gnome… stay tuned for peeks into how they are all anticipating her arrival!
Finally, I want to thank Carolyn for hosting us all to share our Word Inspiration. Each month I am amazed at what you all teach me as you work through your word.
I have one final month to contemplate Full… and I am so excited about how I am going to close out this year!
See you all back here on Wednesday for a Welcome to December Unraveled!
