Greetings dear Unraveler’s and happy Wednesday!
Every year, when I turn the calendar to October, these words from L.M. Montgomery echo in my head:
I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
Yes, October is my hearts delight! There is so much to love… the light as the sun comes up is just magical. The return of some cooler weather that stirs the desire for autumn-y foods. The cooking of those autumn-y foods which fill the house with the best smells! Normally, leaves would be included… I do so love the trees that change from deep green to a palette of colors that are a delight for the eyes. But this year, I fear that those colors will be more on the brown palette… thanks to the very dry summer we had. But despite that, I am happy that it is October!
Moving on to the elephant in my room… the bout of Knitting Nojo I am having! Yes, nojo… not mojo. My desire to knit has up and left… I did force myself to finish Monkey Sock One and cast on Sock Two. But force is the correct word… and forced knitting is about as fun as it sounds. I have not picked up the gnome part in a week… so I am still in the same spot as I was last week with Clue Three.
A few days ago, Ann Wood dangled the idea of a bit of fall stitching… in the form of an Autumn Book. Twelve pages… one for each week. And, of course, I jumped right on that idea! My pages have been cut from an old pair of jeans. It is soft and lovely to stitch on. The ideas are percolating away in my brain… but I am starting with some acorns made from scraps of fabric from a sundress I made for Vivi eons ago! And I figured out the acorn caps yesterday afternoon… I had a sample piece I wove (eons ago) to work on my weaving tension. It was not large enough to do anything with and the colors are perfect… I began stitching the first cap on yesterday afternoon! I like how it looks!
Page one, underway!
Yesterday, I began the October stitching as well… a month of leaves! I have decided that this will help my “changing leaves” deficiet thanks to the long dry summer!
September stitching is finished and I began October!
And my September painting was very productive! A little video of my pages:
I tried some new things this month… and I learned a lot. A double spread is not optimal because of the seam in the middle. And I had so much fun just painting… not from a picture, but just paint. I also made some “watercolor swatches” that I have cut apart and plan to put them on the cover of my book! That book is fantastic! It lays flat! I will be able to paint a double spread if I want! My plan is to take that book to Erie with me next week and use it as my journal. I will do some painting outdoors and I am excited about that!
Now for the best part of my week… the reading!! And thank goodness I am not having the same hiccup with reading as I am with knitting! This week’s finishes are two amazing books! First, Marjan Kamali’s The Lion Women of Tehran! This was a book I did not want to stop! It begins in the 1950’s in Tehran and runs through the end of the pandemic and it is a story that at times brought tears to my eyes. (Okay, make that many times… many, many times!) It is beautifully written and has absolutely moved into the “best books I have read this year” hallowed space! I highly recommend. I listened to the book, and the narrators are perfection! (Mozhan Navabi and Nikki Massoud)
The next book that I thought was just as magnificent was the debut novel by Susanna Kwan, Awake in the Floating City: A Novel. The writing is perfection… and it is a debut novel!! How I mercifully stumbled into this Netgalley read was the cover. It (coupled with the title) drew me in. It is classified as a dystopian novel, but I did not think it was dystopian so much as really just a book about relationships. Relationships with others and the relationship we (try to) have with ourselves. It is about feeling adrift (sort of like a floating island maybe) and trying to find connections in life. It is really an incredible story and I am so sorry it won’t be published until next May! I also shed a few tears as I read this book.
I also started listening to the next Read With Us selection… It was not a good start as it is absolutely not a book you can listen to “in the wild” … oh boy. (And yes, I could have just listened with my hearing aids, but I don’t like to do that.) Thankfully, Matt Haig’s latest came available on a library hold and it is off to an infinitely better start!
And there you have my week… what about you all? Do any of you have something to bring back my knitting mojo?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!
Your knitting mojo may have temporarily left, but something that has helped me in the past is knitting dishcloths. Plain, patterned, whatever you’d like, and then I give them away. If knitting dishcloths doesn’t sound like fun, I can highly recommend weaving potholders. I’ve probably only woven 12 or 14 but I have a folder with lots of ideas, patterns, and colors. Your stitching is so lovely and you’ve been reading some wonderful books so I bet you will be busy making even if it’s not with knitting.
I hope your knitting mojo shows up. Maybe you just need to feel a slight chill and get a yen for the warmth of wool? But your stitching is a lovely way to pass the time until it does, and I really enjoyed your flip through your watercolor book.
I’ve been stitching more than knitting these past few weeks. The urge to knit comes and goes…I figure it’s not a race, but rather about enjoying what I am doing. Your sweet little acorn caps are charming Kat! And I like the idea of stitching leaves. Your painting, as always, is so nice to see – thanks for the video!
I must have found your knitting mojo! I am completely engaged and excited. I think it’s the falling leaves. Love your socks and the stitchery!
I lost my knitting mojo a while ago . . . it shows up in fits and starts these days . . . but it’s slow going. (And that’s okay.) Your painting and stitching really makes up for the lack of knitting! There are so many great ways to “make”!
And just in case folks think they missed our Read With Us announcement for the next book . . . we’ll be announcing it on October 8. But we always announce it early to the Zoom participants, so that’s why some readers are already “in the know.” 😉
Your stitching is lovely and your painting is fantastic! Thanks for the video showcasing your talent!!
Your stitching is wonderful and the painting is amazing. I am in awe of your artist abilities. Perhaps let the knitting rest a bit and let the painting and stitching lead the way for now. Or the other thing I do is look through my stash and find a beloved beautiful skein of yarn and see how it speaks to you. Sometimes I just let it sit beside me in my stitching/knitting spot.
I love the stitching you’re doing! When I’ve lost my knitting mojo, I don’t try to force finishing things. I try to focus on other crafty pursuits. When I feel more ready I try a small easy project like a hat to get the satisfied feeling.
Oh, Kat! The creations you’ve made during your time of Knitting NoJo are just amazing! All of that stitching is incredible; and your watercolor video! Your paintings are gorgeous and your video is perfectly precious. An incredible week of making!!
If it wasn’t for dishcloths, I’d be knittin’ nothin’ at all. 😉