The morning sun streams in as I take photos of my knitting and sit here writing. Later I will take a walk. We are enjoying a quiet week. I am happy to be home baking cookies. Half of my holiday cards are waiting to be written. I am taking my time because I enjoy writing a brief personal note. The remaining recipients will receive Happy New Year wishes. My view is that real mail is welcome whenever it arrives.
I will link this post with Unraveled Wednesday hosted by Kat. The Red Wool Peddler's Shawl is back on the needles and last night I finished knitting all the previously unraveled yarn. That always feels like a win to me. I hope to write a few notes on my project page about the mental gymnastics required to knit the pattern. The red alpaca is cheerful and warm in my lap.
I also sorted out my spinning and finished the gold sections from two braids of Polworth fiber. As Kat once mentioned, some fiber has a definite preference for the direction it wants to be spun. I also fell into a habit common for beginners. I did too much pre-drafting making a very thin single that kept breaking. Here's hoping this third skein isn't too different in thickness from the previous two. If it is, I'll save it for something else. Spinning singles to ply into yarn to be knit into a project does feel like magic.
Jonah and Norah are enjoying Wake Up Bear, It's Christmas. This book was a favorite of my two children so it is fun to share again. When I opened Christmas on the Great Plains, I found the bookmark. Years ago, my kids cut an uneven strip of white construction paper. Then one of them out a circle from a chocolate coin wrapper and stapled it to the top of the bookmark - twice. When you are nine or ten, two staples is always better than one. The makers must have carefully washed and dried the wrapper because there are no grease marks on the underside of the paper. Then they carefully drew red and green crayon lines down the length of the strip. It makes me smile.
I am reading The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny. This latest Three Pines story begins between Christmas and New Years and so is a nice coincidence. I find it refreshing that two male characters, Armand Gamache and his son-in-law, both in leadership positions, admit they are wrong and apologize. Penny's writing about the tangle of beliefs, opinion, freedom of speech is timely and well done.
However you choose to mark this season, I hope it is filled with love and light.
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Your cookies look delicious. I would like to read The Madness of Crowds, but have only read Louise Penny's first book, Still Life. I have some catching up to do. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Glad you are at least getting some sunshine. It is cold, cloudy and gray here and has been all week. Merry Christmas to you and I will see you in the new year!
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting here knitting with the sun coming in through the window, and reading your gentle words makes it even better. Your Red Wool Peddler Shawl is beautiful and I think that is a great yarn and pattern match. That bookmark makes me smile, too! Wishing you and your family a lovely Christmas filled with love and light.
ReplyDeleteThat gold yarn is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteLove the bookmark. LOL What a sentimental find.
Merry Christmas.
Oh my! I do love your bookmark. One of the ones I use is one that Colin made (or his teacher??) when he was 5 or 6. I cherish it. The other two are ones my Dad gave me. I cherish them too. Your week sounds lovely Jane. Peaceful and easy going...as they all should be. Fletcher opted to make some Christmas calls this year rather than send cards. I like that idea too. I can't wait to start walking again. This week has been busier (work-wise) than I expected...but still, no plans to go to the office until 2022. A win for sure!
ReplyDeleteYour knitting is so pretty ... and season appropriate! Madness of Crowds is one of the books on my next week pile. I didn't know it took place between Christmas and New Years and now I'm extra committed to actually reading it next week!
ReplyDeleteKnitting with yarn you made is the greatest joy ever! I really enjoyed Madness! (and I am enjoying State of Terror thus far!)
ReplyDeleteI think that shawl is going to be such a treasure when it's done. Even when handspun is uneven, I find that it makes such a wonderful project because you can tell that it was all made by human hands.
ReplyDeleteWhen I finished The Madness of Crowds, I realized that I didn't really remember how the murder investigation was resolved -- what stuck out for me was the relationships and how the characters have evolved over the course of the series, and that's why I so enjoy reading the books.
thoroughly enjoyed Madness book she is a wonderful writer. That red shawl is stunning and perfect for this time of year. Merry Christmas and a very very happy new year!!
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