by Kat | Dec 21, 2023 | General, Poetry
I have really been focused on “finding the joy” this month… some things have been bogging me down recently that have seemed determined to squeeze any bit of joy I might have out of me… so when I saw this poem on IG and then Kym posted something so perfect from the same poet last week…well, I don’t believe in coincidences. It was just the universe letting me know that it understood and was putting some joy in my path to pick up and hold on to when I needed it!
The poet is Donna Ashworth and the poem is Joy from Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper Reflection. I hope it brings to you more than what you need today.
Joy
by Donna Ashworth
Joy does not arrive with a fanfare,
on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.
Joy sneaks in, as you pour a cup of coffee,
watching the sun hit your favorite tree, just right.
And you usher joy away,
because you are not ready for it.
Your house is not as it must be,
for such a distinguished guest.
But joy cares nothing for your messy home,
or your bank-balance,
or your waistline, you see.
Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your
imperfect life,
that’s how joy works.
You cannot invite yer, you can only be ready when she
appears.
And hug her with meaning,
because in this very moment,
joy chose you.
My hope is that you find joy today… because she absolutely is choosing you!
A huge thanks to Bonny for making a space for us to share poetry! (if you want to join us, you can!)
by Kat | Dec 20, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Dearest Unravelers!
Christmas is now Looming Large… I hope that means that you have all the things you wanted to complete… completed. We got a bit of snow here in the ‘Burgh and I love it! YAY! I am feeling all the Christmas Feels with a spot of snow on the ground, a chill in the air, and a nice queue of Christmas movies to amuse me! (Thanks to all of you, by the way, for all your fun suggestions! I added several to my list!)
I am plugging away at my sweater… with my MacGyver Fixes…sigh. When one pays for a pattern one always hopes that it is error free… I realize no one is perfect and I do not expect perfection but what I do expect is some measure of responsiveness. However, here we are on Wednesday and the designer has still not contacted me regarding my question/the error. I could not see any close ups on the button holes (or the pockets) so I did what any knitter would do… I tried figured out what the designer might have wanted and then did what made sense with the pattern I was knitting and the functionality of the garment. However, if you decide to knit this sweater, please note that in size 7 there are some significant errors in the button hole construction and the rejoining of the held stitches to the pocket flap you made. (There are also errors in the sleeve transition from ribbing to the sleeve…but that one was easier to figure out.) Frustrating… yes but none of the mistakes have delayed the knitting… much.
I also figured out… successfully… the perfect necklace for Fancy Gnancy. (who is now hanging on Vivi’s Christmas Tree so I can share with you all!) I used Perle cotton and some “turquoise” beads I had and it worked perfectly. I then tacked the “necklace” down under the brim!
Fancy Gnancy with her pearls!
I am at a bit of a pause on my Mystery Gnome-man… waiting for the arrival of some florists wire to help his arms… well…. be arms! Still no picture… suffice it to say that he has sad, pitiful arms currently but once those arms have some wire threaded through… well, he will be putting Frosty to shame!
What I really should be working on are Temperature Circles… and I will be catch-up-stitching this week and next to get myself close to the finish! (I have much of November and all of December to go… so a good bit of stitching!)
The reading this week has been brilliant… just brilliant! I was lucky to get an email from Netgalley for Tommy Orange’s new book, Wandering Stars. I downloaded it and started reading and really had a very difficult time putting it down! It is beautifully written, heart-breaking at times… and very heart-warming at other times. I highly recommend it!
I also finished the third installment in the Max Tudor series… and delightfully the author led me down a bit of a rabbit hole with this week’s read… I was lucky my library had A Train in Winter available so I began listening to it yesterday.
I also read my last “week” in Poetry Unbound… drawing to close my almost year of Poetry as Meditation. This is a habit I am carrying to 2024 and Bonny asked what I might be selecting as for the year. After some consideration, I have chosen Poetry of Presence II: More Mindfulness Poems for next year. If any of you want to join me, I’d love the company!
AND!! Tomorrow I am ever so excited for Winter Solstice! Why? Well… that is the day I begin reading (again) The Comfort of Crows.… I will spend the year with Margaret… reading each week and adding my own reflections about my Backyard Year!
Now, a bit of Blog Housekeeping to bring us to the end of the year. I will be here tomorrow with my contribution to A Gathering of Poetry… and I will have a final update for my word on the 26th but there won’t be any Unraveled post next week. The next Unraveled link up will be January 3rd, 2024!
I will spend the first couple of weeks in January doing a bit of a 2023 review… best knits, best reads, etc.
Finally, I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas! I want you all to know how much I appreciate your willingness to share what you are making and reading each week… you all inspire me with your making as well as keeping my reading list full!
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Dec 18, 2023 | General, In This Moment
can have some residual weekend frustration….
Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.
― Elizabeth Zimmerman
Thrice now, in the course of My Great Cabled Sweater Knit I have stumbled across some less than clear directions in the pattern as well as some significant errors with parts that have left my spirit troubled. (yes, I have messaged the designer but have heard nothing at all about my question.) I wish there was an EZ quote for Improperly practiced knitting… because it would have been most fitting for me this weekend!
Good thing the Bread Gods were in the house!
My attempt at a Christmas Boule!
by Kat | Dec 15, 2023 | General, In This Moment
It’s been a long week in my neighborhood… but at long last FRIDAY has arrived! I am going to slow down and savor this weekend… but first, how about some good old TGIFing to get the weekend started!
Thankful —
I am thankful for so many things! Things like long conversations with my son, funny texts from my daughter, my son-in-law being home for the busyness of December, the end of a long word journey, the arrival of winter next Thursday (when I will begin my year long journey re-reading Margaret Renkl’s Comfort of Crows), new insights discovered in a re-reading of Wintering, and reading the last weeks in my year long Poetry Unbound read!
Gathering —
I am gathering some of those new insights discovered in my re-read of Wintering… and planning a bit of a Wintering Reclamation of Space! My closet needs a bit of a tidying… as do some other spaces in my home (dear Basement, I am looking at you!!) And I confess… I am so very excited for these tasks. I am also going to spend some time finding another poetry book that I can read as a weekly devotion next year… poetry remains the best part of my week and I will treat myself to a “new to me” anthology of poetry to carry me through 2024.
Inspired —
Yesterday’s Gnome “clue” was a coloring sheet and it has inspired the child in me to emerge! I shared my start with Vivi yesterday and we talked about colors for the books on the shelf and the plant. Although, she wondered where the Christmas tree was… and now so do I! Which has made me think about an artist I follow on IG who paints similarly delightful little scenes. She shared a free image for the holidays, and I have plans to play with it a bit after Christmas!
Festive —
I have been trying to bolster my joy-quotient this month and next week I have jotted down a couple of Christmas-y movies to queue up next week while playing a bit of catch up on my temperature circles. And that makes me wonder… are there movies that you watch every year to shore up your Holiday Joy? Please share them… I’d love to add a new movie to my repertoire!
And with that… I am off and I wish you all the best weekend! See you all back here on Monday!
Photo by Susanne Jutzeler
by Kat | Dec 13, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Dear Unravelers!
Despite us being at the midpoint of December… there is lots of joy to be found. Yesterday was all day sunshine and it was glorious!! And yes… I have, of course, added to my list… but I should have those few things finished soon and my list finally complete!
I have done some Mystery Gnome Knitting this week… but I will share no spoilers until after the end of the knit-along. However, I do confess that I love the direction that this gnome is going! He is SO CUTE!!
Sadly, this week, there was some unraveling again… because of course there was. Rather than *look* at the pattern closely at the beginning of the “parting of the back” cables… I just assumed and knit along. I guess I am glad that I only had to rip back 12 rows and I am even more glad that I managed to get all the stitches BACK on my needle with no mis-crossed cables! A knitter warning… you might want to knit something entirely uncomplicated if you are going to watch Leave the World Behind… just saying. I am almost back to where I had to rip back… with the correct patterning in the “parting” section! Woo! (and I know this week’s photo does not look much different from last week’s photo… but that perfectly placed cable needle is pointing to the change!)
The reading this week has been so so good! I finished my second read though of Katherine May’s Wintering… and I loved it even more than I did the first time! Or maybe I just “got” different things listening to her. I finished a new mystery from Viveca Sten (of the Sandhamn Murder fame) and it was just okay.
As I finished the “just okay” book, a timely email offer me the opportunity to read Tommy Orange’s follow up to There, There… Wandering Stars. I jumped at the offer and this book has grabbed me from the opening sentences and I likely will finish it later today… some reading time with it will be my reward for doing a spot of housework.
What about you all… what has rewards await you this week?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Dec 11, 2023 | General, In This Moment
Involves a “sometimes” quote…
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. ― Thich Nhat Hanh
As December races by, I have been trying to focus on finding some joy in the days… And despite joy being most-times fleeting and hard to find as December marches on with all the stress it can bring. I am trying to slow down and look for joy in my days.
Slowing down is a very good place to start… and to smile!
This morning I am so happy for the slowing down process that is making sourdough bread… and what a joy it is to smell bread baking in my oven! The latter is absolutely something that puts a smile on my face!
My advice to you all… bake something today, and revel in the joy of it!
Have a Joy-filled Monday everyone!
by Kat | Dec 6, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Dear Unravelers!
December is almost a week old and I have the decorating done. I have one mystery gnome in process and one ornament gnome almost done (no image because I think the recipient checks in here occasionally!)
But I do have some Back Seas that are flowing along beautifully, as you can see above! With each row, I am more in love with this knit! The pattern is just so brilliant!
This week’s painting class dropped yesterday… so that is on my list for today. Thank you all for your kind comments about my painting from Monday! You are all so sweet!
The reading this week… brilliant! I finished The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store and a new mystery from Tess Gerritsen, The Spy Coast. Both were winners, for sure! Currently in my ears is Katherine May’s Wintering (which is the perfect listen right now) and at night I am reading a new series by Viveca Sten (of the Sandhamn Murder Mystery Series.)
What about you this week? What are you consumed with?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
by Kat | Dec 4, 2023 | General, In This Moment
Is for celebrating weekend successes!
Success Number One:
The schedule was much better. And Sunday’s bake… well, it was spectacular! This was a much lighter, airier loaf with tender crumb and a crisp crust!
Success Number Two:
Getting back on the Watercolor Horse might have been a bit scary, but it felt so good and it is a good start to this 4-week class!
And today… I hope attain the Put Up The Christmas Tree achievement. I have all the ‘bits’ ready to go… I am thinking that some Charlie Brown Christmas and The Polar Express will help keep me focused!
Happy Monday all! See you all back here on Wednesday for some unraveling!
by Kat | Dec 1, 2023 | General, Welcome
December’s wintery breath is already clouding the pond, frosting the pane, obscuring summer’s memory. ― John Geddes
Hello dear December… I feel both that it took you no time and a long time to arrive. And I find that is much of what you are about… holding two opposing thoughts together at the same time.
Cold is synonymous with December and those balmy summer nights seem like another lifetime ago. I do love the hushed stillness of a dark winter night. And though Sherman’s evening walk might be colder… the delight of all the twinkling lights of December in the neighbors yards makes our evening stroll one I very much look forward to! Granted, the noisy whir of the motors powering the “blow up” decorations overpowers the quiet, I still appreciate the neighborly efforts that make for a very festive walk.
But I do have some things that I both need and want to accomplish this month:
- Knit a few more wee Gnome Ornaments.They are a fun and easy knit… so their completion is not daunting and entirely doable this month.
- My December Mystery Gnome… the last clue always comes on the 24th… and I look forward to the way Sarah helps me ease toward that day!
- Swatch for a vest for Steve. I found a pattern which might be the backwards way to go about this… but he is so picky about clothes that finding one he likes was the biggest hurdle. I have the yarn, now I just need to “make it work”… which I am confident I can as long as I am close!
- Test drive a new schedule for The Making of the Sourdough Bread… I am testing out the new schedule this weekend, so hopefully my “time” math works for a Sunday morning bake!
- Paint… my class has started and I have my first lesson “masked” and ready to go. It is the ONLY thing on my list today! Yes, I am nervous! Haha
And I think that is MORE than enough for any December! What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish this month?
Have a great weekend, everyone! See you all back here on Monday!
**Photo by Jonathan Borba
by Kat | Nov 29, 2023 | General, Unraveled Wednesday
Greetings Unravelers!
It felt so odd to type the November date because my brain is firmly in December already! But it is still November and I still have a bit of holiday making to do… so I should be glad for these November days!
It has been a banner week of making… really!!
Sorry for the Dark-Thirty photo… but the levain did not mind the light!
Carole kindly reminded me about Tartine Bread, a copy of which I purchased back when Carole started baking sourdough. So last Friday, I made my levain and set it aside thinking that it would take some time. Silly me, it was ready and raring to go very early Saturday morning, and so I began my sourdough baking journey! The “Basic Country Bread” recipe is for two loaves of bread… this worried me a bit but I jumped in the sourdough pool with both feet and started. I did not plan well because I was baking bread until 11PM Saturday night (with lots of complaints from Steve about the hunger pangs the smell of baking bread was giving him! lol) Two very edible loaves were the result of my efforts because more carbs was just what Thanksgiving week needs, right? I feel a bit more confident about the process… and more importantly the timing of the process having one batch under my belt. Next time, I am going to halve the recipe… one loaf is a LOT of bread… two loaves feels a bit over indulgent! My starter is perking along in the refrigerator… as is some sourdough discard which I will be putting to use this week in a batch of soft pretzels!
It seems entirely miraculous to me that this bread did its bread-y thing with no added yeast!
As you can see above, I departed Cable Sleeve Island and immediately set off for the Back Seas… so I am making good progress on my Sweater!
I also reminded myself that Gnomes do not knit themselves! And so I have one more to add to the Ornament Brigade. The first girl joined the ranks… with a slight adjustment to the pattern. I bound off upon finishing the hat and picked up stitches under the brim to begin the body. I did a simple nose for her… and she has two pigtails!
Fancy Gnancy!
Meet Fancy Gnancy… who is not fancy currently. I need to figure out a beaded necklace for her so yesterday I googled crocheting with beads… stay tuned!
The reading last week had some highs… and lows. I finished Black AF History… and loved it! I think Michael Harriot would be the BEST history teacher… ever. He combines history, wit, and a good measure of sarcasm in a brilliant look at the history of America. And that reading low… well, evidently I am just not smart enough to “get” Daniel Mason’s North Woods. Bonny’s review of it being a bit “impenetrable” was spot on. It all sort of lost me in the Bug Procreation Portion. A collection of short stories that are interconnected seems like it should work, but for me in this setting… it all just did not. (However, ymmv – especially if you are smarter than me!)
I did hit the Wait List Jackpot yesterday when The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store came up for me! Woo! (I have started it but have no thoughts yet!) I also have Katherine May’s Wintering waiting in the wings!
And there you have my end of November making and reading! What about you? What are you trying to finish November with?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
