Stepping into the Season

This week the sun shines and the sky is bright blue. Walking in a mid-weight jacket, cowl, and mittens is glorious. My plan is to finish my small amount of shopping in the next few days so packages can be mailed next week. We will see - the best laid plans oft go astray. Today I am cleaning before getting out the nativity set and Christmas stockings.

In the meantime, I ponder how to step into this season. How will I hold kindness, grace, hope, and peace at the same time? This week I gather with two longstanding groups of friends to celebrate the season and our friendship. Although the dates happen early in the month by chance, the gatherings are a good way to begin. One group came together through our work as educators and makers, the other group over books. I treasure the fellowship in both groups. No matter our differences, we have each others' backs.

Over the weekend, I finished the raspberry sweater. I am pleased with it. I knit it for warm casual wear and it is comfy. I don't have a photo today because my photographer is not home, my hair over one ear is sticking out six ways to Sunday, and I am wearing housecleaning duds. There is real life and then there is life that is just too real.

I pulled this shawl project out of hibernation. Every now and then I try to create a project with yarn and patterns on hand. A few years ago, pattern sales on Ravelry were a siren call. I am trying to do better. Last night I knit the color change for the third time. Color change in the moss stitch was awkward. I shortened that panel in order to change color in the garter stitch ridges. Then I tried the white yarn but the contrast was a bit jarring. I went back to the darker shade of blue. Just getting my money's worth out of the yarn.

This shawl is meant for wrapping up at home and I enjoy this yarn so I'm going to let the slow easy knitting carry me into the season. I have two more non-knitting projects this month, jelly in the kitchen and a little bookmaking. Then I'll bake a few cookies and write cards, two of my favorite things to do.

I am listening to The Dutch House. I wondered if Tom Hanks' narration would be a distraction but it is not. His emotional expression is subtle but appropriate. For some reason, the way he enunciates the chapter numbers makes me smile. Patchett is one of my favorite writers so I am enjoying this novel.

As I link with Kat and the Unravelers, I wish you an early December full of promise and peace.