It’s been warm and the first of the roses are starting to bloom. Monday the high was 77 F. We broke the record for May 3rd!
This rose, Lady Banks, has died back to the ground 3 times now due to really cold winters. Last year there were canes but no flowers. It’s so good to see it blooming again (about 2 weeks earlier than usual).
Other field notes: first butterfly and dragonfly sightings for the year last Friday.
I’ve collected the first of the dandelion stems for making twine. Once they dry out, I’ll begin.
I just finished a class (Plants & Colour hosting) with Sarah Dye Grace. I now want to make book after book after book…
There is lots of sewing gone on at the moment. I’ve had this linen table cloth for a long time but don’t use it much. Three cats and table clothes are not a good combination. It seemed time to find another use for it so I am made a top with it. There is enough fabric left over to make place mats as well.
I’ve just finished reading On Freedom by Timothy Snyder. It’s a heavy read in that it deals with the craziness in our world right now. I also found it hopeful. It builds a working definition of what freedom can be.
One of the most important concepts that Snyder discusses is that freedom isn’t about freedom from things but rather the freedom to do things. What do we value? What actions can we take to make our world a healthier place?
Another important point that Snyder makes is that freedom exists in community and in participation. As always for me, local seems the place where what we do has the most impact.
Some of the simpler things that Snyder suggests that we can do or that we need to keep doing if we are already: “We can all find settings where learning about others will help us to understand ourselves. Support a school. Help raise a child who is not yours. Volunteer. Read aloud at a library. Coach a team. Vote for candidates who favor parental leave…. Make a point of mentioning climate change everyday.”
There are more actions mentioned in a reading/summary of another of Snyder’s books, On Tyranny which can be found here. The harder things.
The “On Being” conversation that I mentioned in an earlier post with Jason Reynolds connects well with the concepts in On Freedom.
One of the things in particular I’ve been considering a lot is our individual stories. Through story we build understanding. We can create bridges. This may be why I want to continue blogging even if it isn’t the most popular format anymore on the internet and even though I suspect everyone who comes to visit is pretty much in agreement with these issues. It may be my experiences of the last few months, but I really feel the need to keep sharing the beauty that is in the world and that we have the power to create. It is a form of activism. Telling our stories however we can is also the global connection we can make with each other.
The conversation with Reynolds also brings up the issue that hope, and I would add being a participant, takes stamina and that we sometimes need to take breaks.
An expert at taking a break.
Reynolds says, “Moments of hopelessness I actually think are human. And I think we all should allow ourselves enough grace to take a moment to catch our breath, believing that the communities that we’ve built, which we should be building, will be there to sort of carry us with their hope until they’re out of breath. And then it’ll be our turn to take the baton and to do the same thing.”
There are things I am waiting for but I am also determined to just keeping going.
Two out of four of the squares I need for the sweater I am making.
I recently discovered the knitter/designer Maysa Tomikawa. I bought two of her patterns (the Penguin cardigan and the Matagui) and it makes me think I am going the right direction with my plans for this sweater.
Originally the orange was going to be part of the body but it has a very different weight and drape than the other yarns being used so I decided it would be better as a sleeve.
One of the things I’ve listened to while knitting:
Reynolds: “And I think through imagination, you know, we can find our hope because we can imagine a world farther or better or different than the one in which we live. But if you can’t imagine a world different than this, then that’s it. We’re doomed.”
I don’t have favorites…but I do love April (Come She Will).
It’s become a tradition to watch the movie Enchanted April each year. I am also listening to the audio book. The movie follows it closely.
It seems enchanted here too…
Found in the garden.
Boat building again. Since it didn’t make it as a daily practice the goal now is to make a year’s worth. I need to do a count. Even more so I consider them life boats.
And…one of the current sewing projects. KZstevens “One Yard Minimalist Top.” I see lots of scrappy tops in the future. The width can be modified, it’s just important to pay attention to the size of the neck opening so that it doesn’t become too big.
Still not finding many words but spending time doing things I love.
I recently discovered a channel on YouTube that I’ve been exploring, The Louisiana Channel. This interview with Shelia Hicks is one that I especially enjoyed. She talks about the need for softness. Also this one with Tavares Strachan, some interesting thoughts about storytelling.
I was sharing with coworkers that I’d finished a sweater that I’d been working on for awhile and also had reached the point that the quilt I’d been making was able to be used.
One of them asked if there was a sense of not knowing what to do next after finishing big projects. My response was nope, I already know what my next projects will be before I finish anything that I am working on.
Here are some of the next projects:
I’ve had this idea since Jude hosted “Whispering Hearts.” A quilt built around the idea of Mending Hearts. It’s another way to use up scraps. I am thinking that it will be comprised of six inch squares. I might alternate the other part of the heart on another piece of fabric or maybe have them all be on the back. Still working on the plan for this. I do think I want the top layer to all be solids.
There is also another sweater in the works. More stripes!
I haven’t forgotten about the orange square though! I’ve been searching for the rest of the yarn that I wanted to use with it. I’ve had this brown/white yarn for a long time and had started to dye it with indigo thinking I’d make a blue sweater. Last night I found it while looking for the pink/red yarns. The ball of orange yarn was a gift and will be added in as a second strand with the brown yarn.
I suspect that I will work on both sweaters off an on at the same time. The orange sweater may take some problem solving as I am making it up completely as I go.
And here is one of my assistants, Timber. The cats are good at making sure I take breaks. Timber is also an excellent pattern weight.
This sweater has been a three year project. I just need to find the buttons I’ve saved for it, attach them and then I can call it done. I won’t wait to find the buttons to start wearing it though.
What wasn’t good enough? The button band. It two tries to get it right but was worth the effort of pulling out the first try and knitting it again. So much better!
Details: All yarn is local for me except one skein that I bought from a special place in California. It all holds story. The green is an indigo/marigold hand dye that I’ve lost the label for, the brown is alpaca, and the blues are three different years worth of indigo dyed yarn from plants that I grew. That’s where the skein from California went. The pattern is from Amy Herzog’s Ultimate Sweater Book and is the yoked cardigan.
Field note: There is a chance of snow today and tomorrow but signs of spring are everywhere.
dreaming bee