A Gentle Landing...

A friend sent this New Year greeting. 

_What I Learned On The Way Down_

By Jac Flanders

“Not knowing what’s coming next is the New Year’s secret ingredient. We can’t imagine so we party—usually the biggest and loudest of the year. We cover our anxiety with a lover’s kiss at the stroke of midnight, blow paper fizzy things at each other and drink champagne. We wish each other luck and leap into the New Year like base jumpers and sky divers, not knowing for sure who packed the chute. As the televised thousands cheer in Time Square and the ball of crystal lights blazes overhead, we look for someone to hold onto, someone we trust, someone who loves us, we close our eyes and pray--for a gentle landing."

May you be blessed with a gentle landing.

 

Half A Hat

You have heard of

a half a house.

Before you... you see

a half a hat knitted

by daughter #2.

I love the color sequence.

But then again, of course,

I would. We can go into

any store and come out

with the same purchase

on any given item

While Jenn zooms

away on her hat project

I am snared by the 2-in-1

sock puzzle.

Kudos please. 

I have the 2-in-1 stitches on

and they are knitted into

two separate layers

(one within the other).

Shush! 

The knitting goddess punishes braggarts.

I have learned that if you want to make anything

but the smallest size sock you need longer needles

(I'm using 6 inch double points). And it

would behoove the knitter to knit American style

with the right hand and Continental with the left.

A skill to be practiced another day...

We won't talk about the parameters

of putting in the heels. The day

is sufficient unto itself.

The Sassy One and daughter #2

are enjoying a knitting feast...

a binge if you will...

a very happy interlude.

Surprise!

I just ordered the 

Elizabeth Zimmermann DVD:

"Surprise Baby Jacket."

I read the pattern once

a long time ago. Duh!

Couldn't get there from here.

Nowadays all those

smart young folks online

are bragging about the joy of knitting 

the surprise baby jacket. SOOO.

I decided to surprise myself--

a goal for the new year.

I'm going to  decode

the magic hidden in EZ's

pattern... God willing

and I watch the DVD

more than a few times.

I always want to call the pattern

the Magic Surprise Baby Jacket.

Surprise and magic...

that's my call for 2110.

Stay tuned.

Join in.

Lucky Baby

Jenn (daughter # 2)

has followed the

Christmas theme:

baby hats.

Isn't it lovely?

Happy Christmas

Merry merry Christmas eve.

It has been a long journey.

'Tis time  to watch

for the Christmas star,

listen for the choir of angels,

follow the shepherds.

I am knitting a baby 

hat with a lovely green

flecked yarn. An appropriate

choice don't you think?

The baby isn't due 

until March... ample

time to finish this gift

for a good friend's next

grand baby.

I especially enjoy

this knitting pause.

Time to reflect

and be thankful 

for all of you.

Have a merry merry...

God Bless!

Holly Jolly Christmas

Our pre-Christmas rituals are right on target.

They follow a preordained pattern year after year.

The house gets snippy and has a breakdown

during the yuletide. Husband is replacing a beam 

in the wall  with a few well chosen words... 

not be repeated in Christmas company.

The mailman delivers photos of friends'

grandchildren and messages from afar.

My heart flutters.

I fiddle with a new knitting pattern.

Guess what? I discovered that 

the fringe I'm stressing about is really just

the same sequence I used for Sean's Mohawk hat

last year. Duh! Nana, kick it up.

For this year's moment of holiday joy...

visit Jane Brock's blog...

she just wrote _The Gentle Art

of Domesticity_. I have

to order a copy

Or visit the link ... Jim...

to see Husband's painting

of the "Black Hole" or his

latest burl bowl... a lovely

vessel even I couldn't find it

in my heart to fill it with yarn.

Or Jame's blog to enjoy

Grace's Christmas art and

Frances' witticisms.

Happy Knitting!

Happy Holiday

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year

Peace and Joy

Nothing New Under the Sun

Just when I get to thinking

there isn't anything under

the sun... 

Swish! I'm confronted

with a brand new idea.

A friend commented 

that there is a weaver

in Florida who spins

and weaves Spanish moss.

My gracious!

Now there is a concept

that would never have

occurred to me.

Read the article

and watch the video.

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article968162.ece

There is something new

under my sun.

I want to be...

 Yesterday I read the Yarn Harlot's blog.

She is learning to weave  on a rigid heddle loom.

She wove a lovely plaid scarf.

And I caught the wave.

In my other life...

you know the one

where you were young 

and foolish. I was

a weaver.

I have three looms

and all the accessories

and haven't touched a loom

for maybe ten years.

Weaving is time consuming.

It requires patience and

and a steady beat.

It faded out of my life.

All those skills lost...

atrophied from lack

of use.

But yesterday all that enchantment

it just flooded back. I could be a

weaver again.

Another step back

into another era...

I feel a great desire

to grasp another lapsed

joy.

"I was lost..."

There is an old hymn:

"I was lost and now I am found..."

Can't remember the rest of it

or even the title but I do feel as if

I've been a lapsed blogger.

I have been knitting.

Took the knitting backpack

to Orlando for the stamp show

and to Mt. Dora to enjoy the

Christmas lights. Had a fine 

dinner with a cousin I hadn't

seen in years.

Guess you could say I

have been picking up stitches.

The Christmas knitting is in the mail.

My newest passion would be scarves

knitted lengthwise and listening

to Enya sing Christmas music.

I wasn't really lost

just misplaced.

Missed you.