Ordinary Days

Hello. This January morning the sun is out and the breeze is picking up. Mild temperatures make for good brisk walks, quite welcome after the cookie extravaganza of the holidays. I am working on a thorough dusting and cleaning around the house as I savor these ordinary days. Routine and order comforts me as I search for the peace of January. I look for it while walking a trail, watching the downy woodpecker at the suet feeder, and memorizing a winter sunset. For many reasons, peace feels elusive these days. 

Thank goodness for knitting as I vow never to order from Apple Online again. As the wisdom goes, we can't always choose what happens to us but we do choose our response to it. Knitting is as good a response as anything else. On December 3  I received a defective iPhone. Since then I have been trying to sort out and receive the replacement. Apple online shopping is just too automated for common sense. Cross your fingers, the phone arrives today. One more time, raise your needles and repeat after me - more often than not, shopping locally is the best policy.

As I link with Kat and the Unravelers, I have a little unraveling to report. The third or fourth time is the charm for some yarn I bought last June in Connecticut. I tried to knit this shawl into a pattern called Afetos but the lace defeated me. I used stitch markers, I color coded the chart, I added a lifeline, and I tried knitting from both the chart and written instructions. I looked for errata (there was none) so the errors were mine. I wonder if the lace symbols were different from other designs I have knit. Regardless my brain wasn't computing and tinking out lace over and over is not my idea of a good challenge or peaceful knitting. My favorite shawls have a boomerang shape and are knit from scraps, striping in colors and adding eyelets with reckless abandon. I decided to create one of those shawls from a pattern I've knit previously. I don't know if I will follow it exactly or add on some other type of lace border. If I don't use every inch of this lovely yarn, I'll have some leftover for another project and it won't have been shredded by constant frogging.

I also cast on a cowl as an easy carry around project. The lavender yarn was leftover from a pair of mitts. Sometime last Spring I bought two more skeins (gray and blue) of the same yarn in order to knit a matching cowl. This is a good knit for January. 

Currently, I am reading several books including Fever. This historical fiction novel is based on the life of Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. The hysteria and the way she was treated as a poor woman and Irish immigrant is an interesting story. Sometimes I wonder how much the progress we have made in attitudes toward immigrants. I have just begun Educated as our next month's book group selection so I don't have an opinion - yet. Rarely am I short an opinion (as my husband will tell you) so more on Educated later. 

My son sent me the link to an online newsletter called, "The New Paper." The news is delivered once a day as short bullet points with links if you want more information. The newsletter aims to send factual news without sensationalism and opinion. It is one way to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed or like I've stuck my head in the sand to avoid anxiety. It isn't my exclusive source for news but I do appreciate the clarity.

I am off to fold up the Christmas quilt on the coffee table. It is the last of the holiday decor to be put away. My sister made it years ago. I love the angels quilted into the corners and the crisp points of the compass in the center. She is as dear as angel that is for sure.

Where ever your knitting or reading takes you, I wish you peace this January.

P.S. I have had a few spam like comments in the comments. Currently I delete them as soon as I know they have popped up. I hope to find a better solution soon.