The Impulse to Make

When the spirit moves me, don't try to hold me back. Last week I saw the Lacy Baktus shawl on a friend and loved it. I was immediately obsessed. It's long enough to do a generous wrap-around, or worn over a coat, or on the head and tucked around.

The pattern had just the right mix of interesting, but not too interesting that I couldn't chat. This is important criteria for me as a knitter right now. I knew just who I wanted to knit this shawl for and knew just the right yarn for the project. The right yarn is a merino and alpaca blend from my friends at Good Karma Farm, in a colorway called Peacock Feathers: so beautiful, soft, and perfect for a recipient who wears emerald green like a queen.

While I awaited the yarn's arrival, I was itchy and twitchy and ready to start the knitting! It's my favorite moment of anticipation, of imagining the making, thinking about the pattern, yarn, any modifications I might foresee, etc. It makes the actual making that much more delightful.

Now I am knitting and loving it.

little fairies made by my friend B.

I am knitting for this friend because I miss her. The knitting makes me feel closer to her: I carry her in-process-Peacock-Feathers-Baktus-Shawl in my bag and it brings my thoughts and attention to her. I think about places we've been together and moments and ideas we have shared. Yarn stores we have visited!

There's no timeline on this knitting. It's just happening and will be finished when it is done.

As you can see, it is the season for cinnamon rolls.

Girl Time Today

I had some time with the ladies today, eating a delicious lunch and doing our various projects. I was ATC-ing, there was knitting (a wildly curly Noro scarf in blues and greens, like a tide pool; a tiny pink collar for a tiny little knitted flower person; a green sweater hoody for a big teenager) and sewing (little pouches, with embroidered symbols for each child, such as a ladybug). I have yet to upload the ATCs of today, so for now here's a few from the past few days or so.

"Who Knows the Happiness of Fish?" below, is a reference to my grandma who, when she was living with my mom and brother, would repeatedly ask: Do fish sleep? This one is already in the mail to my brother who would field Grandma's questions differently, as the mood struck him.

Here are two by Jonas, from that night when we were in the groove together! This one, below, uses origami paper, a magazine close-up of an autumn leaf, and part of a card from Joanie! I won't tell you who it's for...Here's "Happy!", a springy inspired piece, also by Jonas.

Finally, in our recent excavations, I unearthed this headless, hapless fellow. He is a maple sugar candy guy, all crystalized and weird now after who knows how long. Probably someone started to eat him, beginning with the head, and some Mama interrupted the feast and "put him away for later." Much later, as it turned out!

Still Knitting, of course

Knitting Socks 2-at-a-time!
Yes, I am boldly going where I haven't gone before and trying every knitter's dream of not having to knit a second sock (after finishing the first)! It's really crazy setting it up, but the pictures are great in the book, and it has a handy spiral binding (as all knitting books should). You use one 40" long circular needle, which looks absolutely nuttily long, and it was a real process getting my hands on one (I had to order out of state!). I am getting the hang of it, and loving watching two socks manifest at the same time. With the new Noro sock yarn that Joanie gave me, it's especially yummy---they don't look the same and that makes it even more interesting! "Better than watching golf," as Barbarina once sagely said.

ATC update...
Jonas and I had such a nice art date the other night. He actually wanted my advice, artistically, on designing some cards of his own. Knock me over with a feather! He is usually prickly about receiving any help or suggestions, being that he has such a clear vision of his own. It was a great Valentine's gift, to work with him.

These are two of Jonas's. At left, the word is "Enchanted." At right, is "Cozy," and it's my Valentine from him!

Below is one of my new favorites, "Ask for More Art." The lines of text at top and bottom are from a poem by Stuart Dischell, and read "I really did meet a blind girl in Paris once" and "She put on her lipstick in the dark." The scribbly writing is from the journals of Van Gogh. And what a cool advertisement for supporting the arts, that included the central slogan!

This one is "Birthday Fortune" and it reads "You are heading for a land of sunshine." So far, not yet, I will keep you posted.
And "The Warmth of Friends:"

This is my dining room table in ATC mode, actually it's already in the process of being tidied. So you can't see how messy and lovely it really is!Back to other creative endeavors of the day!