Tuesday, October 04, 2022

Come fall

Here I am finally writing to you, I never planned to be absent for a month but I have had quite a busy month. The price of the energy and the coming winter forced us (and many others) to gather wood to keep the fires burning during the coming months. All the wood work is done! Done! The piles of wood stand high and mighty. 

This morning I put into hibernation my roses and some other plants that I hope will survive in cool temperature with little light and water until next summer. Almost all fall work is completed and the house and the yard should be all set for the winter, just one big job remaining… well, it is not big, but quite cumbersome. When the trees are bare and the leaves have fallen, the roofs need to be cleaned and the water spouts and gutters emptied from the fallen debris. I am the one who climbs the ladder and some of the gutters are high. I am very uncomfortable when I climb as I am little bit (read: a lot, horrified!!) afraid of heights… yikes, but once that is done, all is done. 

I say all is done; really for now, as the snow shoveling time and wood hauling time begins soon at earnest!!

I don’t want to spread worry or sadness, but I just have to say that this war in Europe is taking a toll on me. The war is on my mind all the time. Every single day, many times a day, I check the news and the worry and sadness creeps into my everyday life. Many days I have had a plan to write to you but somehow the words just turn into ashes and I feel that there is nothing to say. What can I say that matters? And I know my worry is useless too… These are so so sad times. I try to keep in my heart Victor Hugo words, ”Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” 

Some time ago I said something about sock knitting… my mojo gone or something… Cold feet have fed my inspiration to knit socks and since I have two more pairs and finished a third one that was a wip. I did use my three hand dyed skeins and it did make the knitting little bit more interesting. I cast on for a new sock, this time with Regia something, and I like how the yarn is dyed in stripes and this combination is very pleasing to my eye. 
Now that I have managed to keep a pair (one sock at a time) on the needles and there seems to be some progress on many days a week, it is quite easy to keep returning to them. I do not dare to put them far away from my daily circles because then I would forget them and the progress would suffer and it would be more difficult to pick them up. But when I have my first cup of coffee (with the news) in the morning, the sock is there, and I remember well what I did the last time, and adding a few rows becomes rewarding. I have thought about setting a goal of 30 minutes a day dedicated to sock knitting, but so far I have not needed to do that, I have done those 30 minutes on most days.




I started and finished my third (and so far my last) Shawlography shawl. This completes my trilogy of them. I like this last one the least. And it is because I did not like the main yarn, the color was good but the yarn was so springy and hard that it was impossible to knit nice stitches. I felt that they were square instead of soft, round ovals and no matter how well I concentrated on one single stitch, the moment I left it on the needle, it returned into this square form. How very frustrating all the way to the end!! Now that the shawl has been blocked and has had a few days out of my sight, I seem to like it more. In a few weeks I have forgotten the battle with the yarn and will grow to like it even more. 

Now onto something else!


You probably can guess what this something else will be. It is Mystery Shawl time!! On Thursday the first clue of the EVENT of my shawl year drops. I cannot wait. I have not bought yarn for the mystery because I really don’t need any yarn. This past week I did sort out my stash a little bit. I have huge baskets and I arranged my yarns, mostly fingerings and sport weights, occasionally some thicker ones too, into these baskets by color. So I have a green basket and a brown one, the biggest two are for the blues and the reds. The yellows and purples are quite moderate. Whites, beiges and grays have all their own too and all the mohairs share a same box. 


I am not quite sure what colors I will use for the shawl. There has to be main color and the contrast color, about the same amount of both of them and then one accent color. I have been contemplating on knitting two shawls… or then just one… but I am thinking of green, brown and gray… or purple, blue and beige… I think I will start the first clue with green or brown and then see where it takes me… 




As much as there is sadness, there are things that bring joy. This mystery knit-a-long is one, and the other is Mother Nature. Yesterday morning, I stared at the lake, as is my habit in the morning. The mist was moving, there was no wind and one moment there was lots of mist and the next it seemed to disappear to come back in patches. It was so so beautiful! I grapped my camera and walked down to the shore and tried to capture the moment, but I am afraid, these pictures just don’t do justice to the magic I was priviledged to experience.


I hope you are well and have found some joy!


Wool with you,

Lene


14 comments:

  1. I love hearing what is going on in your world. Ours is cooling down also, but not nearly as cold. However knitting socks is so satisfying and I'm coming to the heel turn on the 2nd sock of a pair and then...yea...a new color choice to make. Love your shawls they are all lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous21:37

    Just a quick note to say that I am sorry the war is taking such a toll on you. It is understandable, since you've gone from a fairly secure position to something less predictable as Russia's neighbor, but still unwelcome. I am thinking of all of my friends and acquaintances in Europe, and especially those in the East and North for whom the situation is unfolding nearest to home. Take good care!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous05:25

    You are so much closer to the war front, than I am, so I'm sure it weighs even more heavily on you. To keep on doing necessary chores, knitting, and appreciating the beauty around you is an accomplishment in these times! Michelle in Oregon, USA

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are much closer to the war front than I am, so it HAS to weigh even more heavily on you. To continue doing the necessary chores, knitting, and appreciating the natural beauty around you is an accomplishment in these times.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such beautiful photos, both the knits, and the lake. It's always a joy when I get a notification that you've posted. Thank you for sharing parts of your life with us!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ich freue mich sehr, wieder von dir zu lesen. Ich stricke und trage nicht gerne Tücher. Lieber stricke ich Socken oder Pullover. Die Fotos vom Nebel sind wunderschön. Im ersten Moment dachte ich, es wären Eisberge. Viele Grüße mitten aus Deutschland. Adelheid

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Lene, Your photographs are beautiful -- how lucky you are to live where you can see that beauty! And your shawl is so interesting and lovely -- makes me want to try out a shawl of my own. I am so sorry about this war, and the way it is affecting people I care about -- I am as far away from it as a person can get, but I feel for everyone who has it as a daily reality. Take care and stay safe! Cam

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you for writing and sharing your knitterly thoughts. I love when I finish a project and set it aside only to find I like it better after some time apart. The shawl looks great and I look forward to hearing about the mystery KAL!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous06:22

    Hello Lene, I am so happy you are writing again. I so enjoy your blog and your beautiful knitting projects. Your shawl is so inspiring. Absolutely beautiful. I just finished a pair of socks tonight. They felt like they were on the needles a long time. I am going to knit my second sweater. I hope it goes well. You live in such a beautiful area. I enjoy your photos. Take care, Marion

    ReplyDelete
  10. Knitting has always mede me feel good, need to do it everyday, knit on!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and a little of your life. I find your knitting, especially the shawl so beautiful. I hope it brings you some comfort. Sending you peaceful thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  12. How wonderful to read your words again and see your handi-work. Your knitting is gorgeous and your pictures of your area are stunning. I am so sorry that the war is taking it's toll on you...not surprising, but sad. Do take care and welcome back!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Elizabeth17:31

    It is so wonderful to have you back! I have been checking every once in a while to see if you have returned, and today I was rewarded. Beautiful work, beautiful words.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:50

    Nice post thank you Robert

    ReplyDelete