Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. — George Eliot
Greetings AUTUMN!! (And, Greetings, Unravelers!) My most favorite season officially arrives this afternoon… despite the plethora of pumpkin spice things that have been in coffee shops near us all. I love fall and I am hoping that its arrival brings my Knitting Mojo with it.
Yes, my Knitting Mojo seems to have up and departed and I am a trifle worried about how long it has been gone! I did not do much knitting in the week before we headed to Erie because I had a long-assed list of “to-do’s” that needed to be “all-done” before we left. I did bring knitting on the trip, but the only knitting I did was a few rounds on Sunday when Steve watched the Steeler’s game. Other than that, I did not pick up any knitting at all during vacation.
Yesterday afternoon, when the last load of laundry was in the washer I made myself a nice cuppa and got my knitting…. and nothing. I struggled to settle in with the rhythm of the mindless stockinette and I started to have some worries about having enough yarn…so I started a sleeve to see how much yarn that would take but I only lasted until my coffee was done and I have not picked up my knitting since. I am not sure what the issue is because I have no burning desire to cast on a new project, which is curious because FALL! It is Knitting Season… right? Anyways, if you have any spare Knitting Mojo you can send my way… I’ll gladly take it! (so you get another golden blob photo, yet again!) And today I am chaining myself to my sewing machine to do some mending that desperately needs to be done. And if I can convince myself to stay put, I hope to sew another pair of pants, which hopefully will be wildly successful because of the alterations I made! It should be a much faster sew this time as I have the pattern all cut out and ready to go and I think I will be more familiar with the pattern directions this time around!
It was a slower reading week as well (as I explained last week…vacationing with a non-reader, sigh):
Portrait Of A Spy by Daniel Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I had originally given this 5-stars, but in contemplating the book over several days… I down graded my rating to 3-stars. Book 11 in the ongoing saga of Gabriel Allon seemed to hit a bit of a hurdle (or maybe it is more like a distance runner slowing the pace a bit to be able to finish the race).
I think this book kind of “jumped the shark” a bit… Allon has been taking more of a leadership role… directing from a somewhat safe(r) place, but then suddenly… he ditches all that and the book ends up in a bit of a jumble. Previous books felt more realistic than this one did. If you are reading the Allon series… I think you could safely skip this one and move on to #12.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I listened to this book slowly… over the course of almost 3 weeks… and still, I wished it had not ended. It is, hands-down, the best book I have had the privilege of reading this year. I listened to Kimmerer read it to me and it was excellent! I very much felt like I was listening to a dear friend share her wisdom, history, stories, and yes, her sacred world.
This book tugged at my heartstrings. It made me gasp with wonder and joy, and groan in frustration. As I listened, I could not help but be more in awe of my surroundings (I highly recommend listening to this while hiking in Presque Isle State Park… it really deepens the experience!) I have not been able to stop thinking about her writing and the things she magnificently shared.
If you read nothing else this year, read this book. If you want to better understand our relationship with the world around us, read this book. If you want to set your feet on a path to being a better steward of this world, read this book. I highly recommend it, even if you do not think you need any of those things!
What about you? How’s your Making Mojo doing these days?
That’s all I have for today, I will see you all back here on Friday!
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Wow! I can’t believe your knitting mojo has up and left! I sure hope it comes back soon Kat. I’m in that week before vacation flurry of activity, so my knitting hasn’t been much, but the desire is there! I have 3 projects I will be taking on vacation…hoping I get to work on ALL of them. Plus one stitching project. Braiding Sweetgrass has been on my radar for some time. After your description and Kym’s, I’ve decided to put that book on my Christmas wish list. I don’t want to get it from the library and then have to return it! Here’s hoping your sewing goes well today – I’ll look forward to seeing your new pants.
I have a feeling your knitting mojo will return soon! I’m that way, too. Sometimes . . . I just seem to need a little break. And that’s okay! (And I almost never knit on a vacation.) I felt the same way about Braiding Sweetgrass. It’s a life-changing read.
My mojo has been waning as well. I wonder if we’ll both feel more excited about knitting when the temperatures get more seasonal after this front moves through? It’s hard to feel excited about wool when it still feels like summer.
My knitting mojo has been away since mid July, but I did pick up my Heartwarmer cowl last night and knit a few rows on the last section. I’m hoping some cooler weather will have both of us knitting again!
I’m sending out an apb for your knitting mojo, and hope it will return soon (but the golden blob is lovely)! Mine has also waned but I think that’s just because I’m tired of my current project. I started Braiding Sweetgrass a while ago but it just didn’t grab me. With your stellar recommendation, I’m definitely going to give it another try!
nothing disrupts calm knitting than a shortage of yarn, it’s thrilling to win but devastating to lose. I was in Shadyside at Blick Arts and then swung over to Sewickley for the bakery. We were all over the place!!
🙂 with so many of us keeping an eye out for your knitting mojo, I’m sure it’ll be found quickly! kind of love the synchronicity of seeing review of Braiding Sweetgrass from both you and Kym today.It’s a lovely book – I’ve been dipping in and out for months now. I also just picked up Terry Tempest Williams’ Erosion and think you’d enjoy it too – the book is gorgeous, and I’m sure the audio is fantastic too.
You can have all of my knitting mojo – not being able to knit has it in full swing for me!
Sweetgrass…you just gave me a great idea! I like to have at least one ‘seasonal read’ on my list each season. I’m thinking I should put a note on my calendar to read this next June, and then make my way toward Presque Isle! (Sounds like it could be a good pairing with TTW, per Mary’s comment.)
Maybe once you crank out those new pants your needles will get jealous and come back ’round?
Have I mentioned how peculiar it is for you to talk about Presque Isle, knowing I’m living in “the other” Presque Isle (in Maine)?
I hope you had a great vacation! I tend to just lean into not having knitting mojo and using that time for other things. But hopefully the cooling weather brings some of it back.
I’m on the look out for knitting mojo. The gold blob looks lovely though. Mary mentioned Terry Tempest Williams. She is perhaps my favorite contemporary author. Her nonfiction is so thoughtful. I highly recommend, “When Women Were Birds” and “Finding Beauty in a Broken World.”