Stitching Life Together

A welcome rain is falling this morning. I finished Jonah's little gray sweater. Photographing a gray sweater on a gray day is not optimal but I think you can see it against the quilt. This is a larger version of last year's Flax sweater. Jonah is growing and by winter, he will have grown some more. The sweater looks big to me but he is a good sized little guy. He loved last year's sweater, so I am hoping he hasn't changed his mind. As he cruises into the terrific 2's, his opinions will develop and change. If so, my daughter can find a good home for it. The sweater, knit on size 6 needles and a familiar classic pattern, was an easy peaceful knit during pre and post cataract surgery.

I also finished the scrap quilt underneath the sweater. My quilts and quilt fabrics are hopelessly out of date but that doesn't bother me. I love using pieces from other quilts and from family and friends. I enjoy working with the humble nine patch block. The pattern can be arranged in many ways. The nine squares in the block are predictable, and easy to piece from small bits of fabric. Heaven knows I have plenty of fabric scraps on hand.

I added the half-square triangle and split blocks for fun. It makes me happy to break a few quilting rules. Some of the spacer blocks came from a very worn tablecloth I bought at a second hand store. I used it as a dresser scarf until it fell apart and then saved the embroidered sections done by an anonymous woman. I mended the fabric near one of the motifs so I could put it in this quilt.

I don't know why or when I started piecing these blocks and tossing them in a box. Last September, after my daughter and family moved to the East Coast, I was straightening up the basement family room and came across the box of blocks. I carried it to my corner of the couch and began piecing the top. Although I didn't think about it until now, I realize I did what I often do. When life changes or throws me a curve, I often stitch it back together.

I finished the quilt a week before cataract surgery by threading my needle under a magnifying glass. The tiny almost invisible hand stitch securing the binding is called a blind stitch, quite the accurate term for this summer's stitching. By August, I sewed mostly from muscle memory. At least the last blind stitches are on the back of the quilt. They are staying in the quilt as they are part of this previous year. My new glasses lenses are due to arrive by Friday. I can't wait. While I am grateful for medical technology and an excellent ophthalmologist, I am anxious to be able to read a knitting chart and any book I choose. I am celebrating with a trip to the library.

Until then, I hope everyone is safe and dry. I wish you a good week this mid-September.   

September Threads

Early September days pull me from the generous tomato/basil harvest of summer toward autumn. My favorite little summer bouquet of old fashioned sweet peas and black-eyed susans decorates our table. The lavender is blooming so I add a bit of fragrance to the old syrup pitcher. The sun warms my back. As I walk, I savor bright marigolds, a lush bed of impatients, and the red/purple morning glory vine cascading over a neighbor's railing. I share parsley in my herb garden with very hungry caterpillars that will become butterflies.

I finished this summer shawl. The yarn is lovely, a very slight blush color in a light fingering. After reading the Ravelry notes of others, I made the shawl slightly smaller than the pattern specified. It is still a generous size. I think it will be good for summer wear which is one of the reasons I chose the yarn and pattern.

Until I get new glasses, I am happily knitting away on Jonah's sweater. I wonder if it is too big. This afternoon I am going out to find a toddler sized sweatshirt for comparison.

I had a lovely birthday weekend. My son was home, the little guys sang Happy Birthday via FaceTime, and my dear sister knit a beautiful pair of two color mittens for me. Both children gave me flowers. My husband brought me a latte and helped me order some new knitting needles. September is also the birth month for my grandfather and first grandson. That grandson and his family will be visiting here the end of September.  As awful news spirals through the newspapers and media, I give thanks for all that I have and do my best to offer kindness and support to others. I also knit on.

Yesterday the prevailing summer breezes shifted, coming from the north. When I walked I saw two trees with small streaks of red. Looking from the top of a hill, I noted muted browns showing along the edge of some trees. September threads connect us to a new season.

What threads connect your September days?

Life as a Monet Painting

Summer continues with its glorious colors. The bright cone flowers and black-eyed-susans shout joy amid vibrant green leaves. This season a cataract is growing in the lens of my left eye. I debated about whether to write about it but decided to be honest. Cataracts are one of the unavoidable processes of aging. The vision in my right eye is good but constantly adjusting to the increasing cloudiness of the left. The good news is surgical removable is low risk with excellent results. Last week I saw an ophthalmologist and scheduled the procedure to be done in three weeks. Hooray! I'd have it done tomorrow if I could but at least I am in the queue. I have a new appreciation for clear vision and good ophthalmological care. I think of others who can't afford treatment and/or cope with more serious, not so easily treated vision issues. I also recall some former students with significantly impaired vision. They struggle with poor vision all of their lives.

In the meantime, I am adjusting to life as a Monet painting. Reading from a Kindle works well. I am not driving on the highway. If the glare and light of a day is too challenging for driving, I call on my husband or a friend for a ride.

Wonder of wonders I can still knit with light colored yarn, a repetitive pattern, and good lighting. As my husband says, "thank goodness." I set aside some socks on size 0 needles because I want to try an after thought heel and I can't see well enough to pick up the stitches. They will keep. I finished the HItchhiker - most of it knit during the miles from Minnesota. I continue to work on the Gemma Shawl. I put the stitches on a dark needle for contrast. Where there is a will, there's a way.

I cast on a Flax Sweater for my youngest grandson. Last winter, the same sweater was a big hit. The yarn washed well and the little blonde guy was handsome in soft gray yarn. Best of all, he liked the sweater. Once he grabbed it off a chair and crawled over to his Mom so she could help him into it. I ordered the same yarn and am knitting the next size up. I have washcloth yarn for garter stitch, if necessary.

If my photos are slightly blurry, know that they will improve in a few weeks. For now, put on those sunglasses, have your eyes checked regularly, and enjoy the flowers.