Wednesday, March 25, 2020

One Stitch at a Time

The sky is gray but sunshine is predicted for late afternoon. Yesterday while we walked, the clouds parted to a gorgeous blue sky and the temperature rose to the mid-50's. I saw a purple crocus bloom. The bird song speaks joy. Spring has arrived. 

Knitting keeps me in the present. I'm enjoying the stockinette stitches in the gray sweater and the garter and lace stitches in the shawl. Stitch by stitch, row by row, we knitters make things. Our hands hold needles as we pull one loop through another to make a stitch. Each stitch, like each member of the community, is dependent upon the integrity of the others around it. Most of the time, stitches line up neatly on the needles. The best we can do for each other is to stay home. I am thankful for such a warm comfortable shelter.


I am working away at the gray sweater and shawl. Yesterday I cast on a pair of vanilla socks so I'd have a portable project. I feel better when I have a project bag ready to grab on the way out the door. Socks provide lots of stitches and take up little space. I probably won't knit too much on this project and I hope I won't need it for a health emergency but it feels like good insurance.


Jonah's current favorite Face Time read is The Runaway Bunny, an old sweet story by Margaret Wise Brown. I'm still reading A Writer's Diary by Virginia Woolf and am less enthusiastic about the last third of the book. It is an interesting view into her mind and work though and I plan to finish. These days I'm also reading a mystery, A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden. I've just begun but it is well written. The victim and his sister are part of the art world in Victorian London. Mysteries are good escape reading and the genre is predictable. 

Locally, this evening at 6:00 p.m. First Plymouth Church is giving a "Carillon from your Car" Concert. Everyone stays in their cars and listens to music from the bell tower. The music is audible from as far away as a mile. I am making peanut butter sandwiches for a car picnic. I may even bake a few cookies. I've been resisting the urge for cookies but if I make some with oatmeal, dried fruit, and nuts, they will have some redeeming value. That's my cookie story and I'm sticking to it.

As I link with Kat and the Unravelers, I wish you good health and safe shelter.



11 comments:

  1. I broke down and had a molasses cookie today ..........well, it's not WHITE sugar, right?

    Your outing sounds like fun. Enjoy the carillon.

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  2. You've written comforting words about comforting things. Your description of knitting stitches, your shawl, and that old favorite of ours, Runaway Bunny, brings calm. Carillon from your Car sounds lovely, especially if it's accompanied by a healthy cookie or two. Enjoy!

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  3. I am envious of the concert! And I say cookies during these days are a necessary item! I love your analogy on stitches! YES!

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  4. Oh that bell tower music sounds lovely. Stitch by stitch and step by step.

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  5. Oh, Runaway Bunny was such a favorite of mine as a child! I'll bet in these times it's a very reassuring story for a child to hear. The concert sounds lovely and a great way to lift people's spirits.

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  6. Oh how I loved reading Runaway Bunny to Colin. Comforting and soothing words from you as always Jane. Your writing is calming. The concert sounds like such a fun idea - enjoy! And definitely yes to the cookies!!

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  7. I, too, loved reading Runaway Bunny to my kids. It's such a comforting read. I hope you enjoyed the concert. What a lovely idea! I am heartened by all the creative community "happenings" popping up all over the place. XO (And I appreciate the book suggestion. I need a good mystery right now, I think!)

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  8. any cookie with oatmeal is a 'healthy' cookie. What a nice get together via cars. the plumber is coming to look at my faucet so how exciting to have a new human in the house (six feet distance of course).

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  10. Reading your post was a most welcome pause. thank you! I LOVE the idea of casting on a portable project for "insurance" ... I haven't worked on my mom's socks in weeks and maybe I should just double-check that I have them ready to go just in case.

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  11. That sounds like a happy thing to do right now!! MUSIC

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