March Happenings.

Today has been a cozy, at-home-day watching British Murder mysteries, eating chocolate, and spinning. There was a scheduling snaffle at work and I ended up having today off which delights me to no end. Where I work I often find myself chilled to the bone while sitting at my desk so I determined that next year I will have a handspun & handknit lap blanket to ward off the chill. I'm thinking a lofty, woolen spun yarn should be ideal for creating a very warm blanket. All my odds and end skeins are destined to be in the run-up for the lap blanket.

Winter has relaxed it grip and we have warmer temperatures with the promise of Spring in the air. The little bit of snow we did have is gone, and small plants are popping out of the ground everywhere. We've also had quite a few rainy days already. The first portion of this year has flown by, so when I am home and it's raining I'm actually thankful. Then I have time to still  hunker down and do some winter-type knitting. Comfortable, by the fire, with tea.

I recently picked up my 2nd pair of Terpander socks that have been languishing on the needles for a good year. I have no excuse other then that I lost my copied out pattern with notes and don't know where I am in the design. Yesterday I looked at the pattern in the actual book and I am torn between completing it per the instructions, or just throwing on a few inches of ribbing to change things up and calling it good. I'd like to wear these before the warmth of summer has arrived. As you can see in the above photo, I had two different dye lots of yarn and never bothered to switch them between rows. So now I have a dual-colored sock going on. I don't mind, it's unique, if a little odd.

A few weeks ago before the snow had melted I stayed the weekend with a friend and we did some sewing. First up, I helped her make a duvet cover for her bed. It was my first time making a duvet cover and I was pleased with how it came out. We ended up closing it off with twill tape ties and all & all it looks great. Between runs to the fabric store for things we forgot (twill tape), I also picked up flannel to make myself a pillowcase, and then these little squares in the Strawberry Field's Revisited line. I'm not sure what they will end up becoming, but they were too darling to pass up.

Our visit included a marathon of Downton Abbey, and some pleasant winter walks. Also too much coffee, breakfast in bed, and lots of toddler giggles. It was a good weekend. 

Beach Days are Upon Us

Let's face it, sitting down to actually write a blog post is sometimes harder then it should be. I write a blog post and then before I know it a month or more has already flown by.

Life has been busy, early summer is in full swing. The activities and work pile up and before I know it the calender is booked to the gills. Is that even a thing? Probably not. But booked full it is. This coming week I have a dentist appointment, a wedding to play for, & an open house to attend, and then I get a little breather for a bit.

But in the midst of all the craziness there has been plenty of time for enjoying the beauty of summer and making memories with friends and family. We've already made half a dozen trips to the beach this season. The first time we went everything was frozen over and grey-brown. The lack of waves made for an eerily quiet, but beautiful, beach front. Now though, life at the beach is green and golden with plenty of hot breezes and water that is quickly warming up. We've had some days where it was all hoodies, cool air, snacks, and knitting. Other days were hot sunshine, wild winds, and a little bit of painting. And the last time we visited the rain fell steadily while we took refuge under the spreading branches of a tree and read for an hour or two. Each time is different, and each time is lovely.

I've found a nest with a clutch of eggs along the side path at our favorite haunt. At this point they're unidentified, but I hope to keep an eye on them and perhaps get a glimpse of them or their momma. I'll keep you all posted if that actually happens...

Spring for joy!

We have leaves on the trees, the grass is green & cool underfoot, everywhere there is the promise of new life, and the lilacs and apple blossoms are in bloom. Folks, it's official, Spring has arrived....and it is beautiful.

From Where I stand: Spring, Summer & early Autumn

For some odd reason that I can't quite place I like to document where I stand by taking a foot photo. Perhaps it comes from not liking to take the proverbial "selfie" and plaster it all over the internet. And perhaps it's just the fact that foot photos can make interesting compostions, depending on where you are standing & what you are doing at the time. Each one of these photos brings with it a special memory. 

Sinking toes in a mossy carpet on the bluff, a late evening walk down the pebble strewn beach, an afternoon of climbing on sun-warmed rocks, fishing off the dock, a sunny afternoon reading & spinning in the sand....and then there is the various bounties of the summer...dill for drying, mulberries to turn into jam, mint for tea, and sassafras leaves to dry for making filé. Lastly, the glories of autumn which came and went so quickly this year.

 What about you? Are some of these scenes familiar ones? Or would your series of "where I stand" photos look quite different?

Looking back & ahead: Holiday snapshots

This past May we went on a family holiday to one of my most favorite places on earth, a little cabin on a spit of land in the middle of nowhere, smack next to a glorious body of water. It is sort of tradition to go there on Holidays and for a blissful week we are off the grid and living electricity and gadget free. It feels so good to unplug and not worry about anything or anyone. No obligations, no place to go, no phones ringing.....just nature and family, making memories and treasuring our time together. And time does truly slow to a crawl as the pace of life becomes less busy. We have time just to sit and read or be read to.  Or time to sinply do nothing at all if we wish! We poke about looking for driftwood, or knit quietly while looking across the gently rippling water.

We beach comb a lot, looking for rocks that strike our fancy, sometimes strolling slowly down the beach, other times sitting right in the piles of rocks and sifting throught them for hours at a time. We clamber over breakers, clinging with our toes and finding spots to sit on sun-warmed boulders. We poke feet in frigid water and wade out too far in the hunt for the elusive "perfect" rock. And then there are the huge driftwood bonfires on dark nights. Lying on our backs in the cool, almost cold sand, we gaze at the countless stars twinkling in a blue-black sky. Sometimes ghost stories are told around the fire, & then with a healthy thrill of delight & terror shivering down our spines we scurry back through the dark, over the dunes & bluff to the cabin. The haunting call of the loon & eagle float across the waters and at night the wind whips up with a lonely moan in the tops of the pine trees. Cozy around the table, under the light of the lamp we read, knit, play games, sip tea,  until dark sets in and we retire early to bed. Morning comes, sometimes foggy & still as glass, other times sunny & marvelous. A walk down the shore at 6am with coffee in hand is a glorious thing indeed. 

As we slowly swing towards the winter months it cheers my heart to look back over these Holiday photos and reminisce about that lovely week. More then once over the summer I have longed to be back there. And so we shall be again, if the Lord wills it. But for now I will dream of mist, rocks, sand, and moss, and of wind murmuring in the pines, as I eagerly await the return of spring. 

A look back in photos: April.