A Bit of Whimsy | 6.24.22

A Bit of Whimsy | 6.24.22

The wee break I took last week inspired a new way of thinking about blogging…much needed inspiration.

Welcome to A Bit of Whimsy!

I am a person who is incredibly serious. Joking around is not easy for me and I don’t spend enough (any?) time creatively playing. However, I am working on including more lightness in my days.

These whimsy posts will help me be accountable to adding some playfulness to my week! (And if you find that you need some whimsy in your life, I invite you to join me!)

You must not ever stop being whimsical. ― Mary Oliver, Wild Geese

Okay, Mary Oliver… I am lisenting!!

One thing I did not imagine when Sarah Schira launched her Year of Gnomes was the whimsy that it would bring to my days. Silly me… can a gnome be anything but whimsical? Previous gnomes were fun, but this with this month’s gnomes – whimsy took over!

You might have seen Gnombleberry and Gnewt on IG, but here is another look at them. I stepped outside of the pattern and created something that fit me… a poem reading gnome with an over the shoulder bag. And a wee pocket for Gnewt… who is not at all certain that poem reading is for him, but he is going to try! It was all so much fun!

**Details for those interested. I knit the bag per the pattern instructions then I pinned the bag where I wanted it to sit on Gnombleberry and knit a single I-cord. I threaded the I-cord on a darning needle and went through all layers of the bag to create the folds you see. I knotted the I-cord and secured it with a stitch or two under the hat brim to make sure it stays on the “shoulder”. I used florist wire in the arm to bend it how I wanted. Gnewt’s pocket had zero fore-thought… I determined where it looked best once I had attached his arms and then picked up three stitches, and knit them in stockinette for 4 rows, slipping the first stitch of each row. I used the tails to stitch it to the body. And stitched Gnewt’s hand into the pocket to keep it secure. Look for more gnome creativity in the coming months!

The other very whimsical thing I have been engaging in is watercolor painting. It is very much a work in progress… and the struggle is very real. But I am sharing my latest attempt… the lavender in the tiny Patrón bottle. I am learning every time I pick up the brush and for now – that is a comfortable start. FYI… highlights and watercolor are a true challenge for me so the wee bits of highlights you see here are courtesy of a white Gellyroll pen which shows up more in the photo than it does in the painted image. But… I am learning!

Finally, the last bit of whimsy for this week came courtesy of Krista Tippet and The Pause.

And there you have my whimsical beginning! Now, I am heading out to spend some time soaking up the peace of the wild things (while pulling the gajillion thistles that pop up seemingly overnight in my gardens!)

Happy Friday everyone! See you all back here on Monday with my June word update!!

 

 

 

Unraveled Wednesday | 5.4.22

Unraveled Wednesday | 5.4.22

I wish I could be perky and cheerful today… but I am not. The leaked news this week was a gut punch… although I was expecting that very outcome, reading the leaked brief made it a reality that I don’t want to accept. In my life, I never imagined that I would lose rights… and it is just so damned wrong and it makes me mad as hell that the SCOTUS and the GOP believe women are not capable of making their own decisions about their own bodies. It feels very… dystopian … and so effing wrong…sigh.

Anyways, I did finish last month’s Gnome and I thought I should show Bonny that her arms are now attached!! Meet Gnorwen! I made one last year for Steve’s mom and I really liked her so I am thrilled now to have my own Gnorwen sitting on my mantle now. I do not have plans to make ice cream cones for her to hold… rather I think she is perfect as she is! (although, to be completely honest, I am contemplating knitting a tiny uterus for her to hold)

Apparently a bit of angst is apparently good for knitting… because I am one very short sleeve away from a finished Tegna! Woo! I should have the stitches picked up today and a completed sweater shortly after that! I need to weave the ends in and give it a nice bath and then I am ready for summer! (now if spring would just stay here! ha!)

On the reading front, things are moving slowly. I am still making my way through The Books of Jacob. I have about 200 pages to go and I really don’t want it to end! I did have one finish this week… I raced through another Allon book… they are hard to put down!

The Other Woman (Gabriel Allon, #18)The Other Woman by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whatever hiccup happened in book #17, The Other Woman is back on track. It was full of intrigue…someone’s service has a mole and people are paying with their lives.

It is fast paced and Allon is back in excellent form!

I highly recommend this series!

That is all I have today, what about you? What are you lingering over?

As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!


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