Any groundhog brave enough to poke his head out of a burrow in southeast Nebraska would see his shadow today. Of course, no matter the sunlight, we will have six more weeks of winter. This morning is bitter cold and clear. The next big snowstorm will be south of us and so we continue with this dry winter. Red-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, chickadees and finches brave the wind to come to the feeder. I'm happy to help them out but once again it's time to buy more suet and seed.
Today I'm linking with Kat and a group of makers for Unraveled Wednesday. This morning as I photographed my knitting progress, it struck me that knitting and winter have some things in common. Although the cardigan and the prairie shawl look much the same as they did last week, I have made progress on both projects. Winter weather is also in a holding pattern. Yet, one hour, one day at a time the earth tilts toward longer warmer days and one stitch, one row at a time projects do get completed. I enjoy the meditative quality of stockinette knitting as well as the peaceful feeling of winter.
Last week after a few evenings of steady cardigan knitting, my right hand and wrist began to ache. I realized both projects were on small needles and I was pushing a lot of stitches around in the sweater project. I went through my "up next" stash bin and chose this teal yarn leftover from the poncho I knit in 2020. I cast on a cowl that I have knit previously. I chose the project because it is knit on bigger needles and has some nice texture for interest. I am also trying to knit patterns I already own.
Three knitting projects is a sweet spot for me. What is your magic number? For me, three is enough variety to hold my interest but not so many to feel scattered. Late in December I wound up a skein of yarn for socks. I tried three different sock patterns only to rip them all out. The yarn is a slightly heavier fingering weight. The pretty rose color would be just right for February but that yarn doesn't want to be socks. The fabric I knit was as stiff as cardboard. It is nice yarn for some other project. I wound up another skein of pink with speckles and while winding I thought it was too thin for socks. The cowl is just right. This must be the Goldilocks approach to knitting.
I finished Ann Patchett's book of essays, These Precious Days, a few nights ago. Her writing is beautiful and what an interesting life she lives. Kindness and compassion abound in the title essay. I pulled Sisters of the Earth off the shelf to read at night. I have the second edition of this anthology of women nature writers. The variety is interesting and in the past a selection has led me to read more by a new-to-me contributor. It is good bedtime reading.
Between the cold and Omicron, it's been a rather quiet week. That's ok with me. Quiet is good. I hope you are having a good week.
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I do enjoy your comparison between knitting and winter. It seems that I pay attention to light about once a week and have been amazed at how much we've gained, but I don't notice the two extra minutes per day. My projects are much the same, inching very, very slowly towards completion. I'm glad you've found some Goldilocks knitting and it is a lovely color. I've put Sisters of the Earth on my list and hope to find it for some bedtime reading of my own. I treasure the moments of quiet amongst the frenzy of real estate, retirement, and furor of life.
ReplyDeleteLove your knitting Jane. The teal for your cowl is just delicious! I find myself in a more quiet mode in winter and really enjoy it. It is good to hunker down and be mindful. Sisters of the Earth looks like great bedtime reading - I looked at it on Amazon and so many of the contributors are familiar to me. My Dad always said that you could almost see the light changing daily in January - the days are quick to lengthen.
ReplyDeleteI love the knitting project and the cute Valentine quilt you have used as a background. If you like women nature writers, may I suggest Terry Tempest Williams? She is a Utah writer who is one of my very favorites. Her books Refuge is one of the most memorable books I have every read. Of course it is set in the local area where I live, and she was a professor (I think) at the University of Utah when I was a student there. Wow, that's been a while. Anyway, her writing is hauntingly beautiful and powerful from my perspective. Hope you have a good February. See you again soon. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour comparison of a large project and the long winter is spot on. Three projects is usually the sweet spot for me, too: one larger project requiring attention (like a sweater), one smaller project that's fairly mindless (a stockinette sock or hat), and one spinning project. Of course, sometimes there's a crochet project in the mix as well. I am glad that this messy winter storm is missing you. We're hunkered down at home and hoping for not too much ice.
ReplyDeleteI am with you on Winter and knitting... each day brings a bit more light and a few more rows! What a lovely analogy.
ReplyDeleteFor me... I think 2 projects is my sweet spot. Unless you add in a spinning project :)
I just finished These Precious Days myself, and I just loved it. (I'd like to be Ann Patchett's friend; I wish she lived next door to me!) I'm mostly a one-project-at-a-time knitter, but I can be just fine with two. ;-) As always, your knitting is lovely. XO
ReplyDeleteYes, we are getting through it stitch by stitch. I thank God for my knitting. And, Ive two projects O T N. Socks, and a shaw1 The shaw1 is on size us 10s . That should he1p
ReplyDeleteYes, Quiet IS good ... I actually had time alone (well, with Holly) in my house today for the first time in months. It was weird. and wonderful! I am also a 3-project person - a sweater, a sock, and something else ... chosen based on how complicated the sweater is.
ReplyDeletewhat is up with the aching wrists?? I have both wrists aching and I am assuming it's arthritis and refusing to believe it's a repetitive injury, so there. Lovely knitting and Three is my sweet spot as well, we are knitting twins.
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