Today I have a bunch of random things to share and I am making them fit TGIF. I think it works.
And so let’s get started!
Teaching (myself?):
Last year, I mentioned that I had some socks in need of some mending… well, the number has grown since then. How is it possible that all.the.socks. are wearing out all at once? It is boggling my mind to be sure! And, ironically, this arrived in my email the same week the latest sock become “holy” … a darning “class”? Okay. I am in! And the same day a darning mushroom was on sale on Amazon and it seemed inevitable. It is being delivered to my house today (along with some darning needles). I have 4 pairs of socks in need of heel repair and I am determined that I will learn how to do this and have the end result be four *comfortably* wearable pairs of socks! (and then I can fix the uncomfortably repaired pair!)
A Healing of the Heels is in order!
Getting (uncomfortable):
Speaking of uncomfortable…it needs to get real, Gentle Readers. Very real. Uncomfortably real… this is our year to be uncomfortable. I lowered my reading goal this year… for a reason. I wanted to spend more time reading things that made me uncomfortable. Things that will help me see beyond my white privilege. Things that will help me better understand what the BiPOC community experiences on a daily basis. Things that will make me uncomfortable…
This thread by Nikole Hannah-Jones. It opened my eyes. It shocked me. And yes, it now has me wanting to find all of MLK’s writings that I have never, ever read and get uncomfortable! (and to have some wearable reinforcement…I have asked Steve to get me this for V-day instead of flowers)
In (my worry corner):
The past 3 weeks have been rough. My son’s girlfriend started the COVID Train… she was exposed and then, sadly, came down with it. Which meant, of course, that my son got it. (She was quite sick, he had a slightly milder case) and yesterday another family member let me know they now have COVID. (It’s my sister who is not boosted… who is living in group housing… and is now in isolation… which I don’t think is good for her at anytime, but right now, I think it’s especially bad.) I realize it is but a matter of time… so to speak… until we all have it with numbers skyrocketing. But my worry level is off the charts… (add to all this there was a tragic accident on Monday at my son-in-law’s place of employment … a boat … and I am really needing for my people to be close enough that I can see them, hold them, and feed them…)
Finding (diversions):
This week it was all about occupying my mind… so I wound the Base 12 yarn and cast on that Hitchhiker. I also wound so many skeins of yarn… enough to fill a HUGE knitting bag… and started Gnome One in the Year of Gnomes. It is a pattern I purchased but never knit! Welcome to the start of ADVENTure Gnome! I have started on the hat and I am loving how this looks… now to figure out the ball at the top of the hat! LOL
A Worry Hitchhiker seems so appropriate but coupled with the silliness of Gnome Knitting… there is a bit of balance.
Both knitting projects are excellent diversions because they require me to keep track of something physical… in other words, they are not mindless knits!
I also was shocked to find that Stacy Abrams book, While Justice Sleeps, was available on Overdrive so I downloaded it. And yes… it is lovely to have breathing space between reads to be able to read something totally unexpected!
And that is all I have for this week! Have a great weekend and stay warm if you are in the path of this bitter cold!
See you all back here on Monday!
I am waiting a few more days to be certain, but it looks like the virus *may* have peaked in Allegheny County. Not to say that we’re out of the woods yet, but I’m hoping things will continue to improve. The virus is making its way through my best friend’s family right now; it started with her 4-year-old, of course the only one who wasn’t vaxxed!
I am with you in making this a year to be uncomfortable. I am really trying to read more authors of color and to get a better grip on my own privilege. I wish more people would make the effort.
Stay warm, my friend!
I do love how you creatively made things fit TGIF and your healing of the heels! I’ve knit quite a bit of worry into various Hitchhikers, so I hope yours (along with your gnome) serves as a way to set aside your worries (for a while, anyway.) Stay warm, breathe, and knit.
https://jackie-es.com/the-designing-day/repairing-a-hand-knit-sock-with-a-knit-in-place-patch.php/
Bonjour! I’ve used the instructions in the link above with much success to mend my own hand knitted socks and urge you to give it a try. BTW, I’m also in Allegheny County (O’Hara Township) and have enjoyed reading your blog adventures for several years. Take care and stay cozy!
Visible mending! Whenever I have to mend a hole in a pair of hand-knit socks, I use a contrasting color of yarn. Try it! It’s fun!
Your uncomfortable reading is something we all should do. I need to read the books I bought in the months after George Floyd was murdered. Mostly, they have sat on my bookshelf making me feel guilty. Uncomfortable but smarter would be a better choice.
I
Sorry you’re having such a stressful time and hope everyone recovers quickly. Your “coping knitting” plan is sound!
I too like the way you made your thoughts fit a TGIF post. It’s hard not to worry about Covid right now. I hope everyone gets well soon. I’m glad your knitting is seeing you through.
Both of my kids and their spouses all got Covid at the same time a couple of weeks ago, so my worry was very focused. Everyone is well again, back to work, etc. (Some had it worse than others, but no one was spared symptoms.) (All four were vax’d and boosted.) Anyway, I hope all of your family folk recover quickly and easily. My great grandmother taught me to darn socks when I was still a little girl. I am very much out of practice now, but love to see “visible mending” and can’t wait to see what you do with your socks. (And that little stripe-y gnome hat is so charming!)
my sister who is vaxxed and boosted and vigilant at wearing a mask got covid last week and luckily no one else got it. I pray your anxiety goes away and your family members heal up quickly. I am so WEARY of this pandemic.. I lowered my reading goal because I didn’t like reading for the sake of reading the number of books. I want to read because I’m interested in my books.
Oh my, I can’t wait to see more of than gnome! Love the stripes!