The long and winding road
Monday March 02nd 2009, 10:13 pm
Filed under: Amaryllis,Knit,My Garden

narcissus trying not to trip over its feetAnybody else do this? I find I tend to go through bursts of playing with my dye pot, where creating colors in my wool or baby alpaca is what I find myself focused on day after day. Or winding up balls of yarn for the sheer sake of winding and the sense of anticipation it brings–and that it lets me be engaged with a particular texture or shade or colorway for just a short time and then lets me go right on to the next.  Or times when, enough of all that, I need to sit down and knit and see something actually materializing and getting done!  But each phase tends to go in spurts.laughing amaryllis

It bugged me lately that I hadn’t been able to ball up yarn hanks all these months.  That I couldn’t expand my project possibilities into my whole stash; I was limited to the ready-to-knits.

Last week, I found the black cashmere (yay!) and got the first hank of it ready to go; I did it, but I had to take a good long rest afterwards.  This evening, I finished winding Amanda‘s Huarache yarn she gave me in Vermont lastamaryllis November, and I’m wondering which yarn to wind next after I finish typing this.  My arms and standing-up time are getting better at this.

But the groove in the record that my diamond needle keeps jumping back to?  (That’s an anachronism, kids, go ask your folks. Heh.)  Taking pictures of everything blooming, celebrating spring giving birth to life.


22 Comments so far
Leave a comment

The yarn and the flowers are lovely Alison. I am so glad to hear that you are getting stronger physically again.

Hugs sweetie.

Comment by Tiny Tyrant 03.02.09 @ 10:17 pm

So glad you’re getting stronger. ‘Way to go, girl!

Humor – Ah,this is a continuation of yesterday’s foolishness. With the aid of Alison’s Gherkin, the following popped into my head:

There once was a fellow named Perkin
Whose citizenship was Merkin
 He tried to kiss Flo
 Who firmly said, “No,
“cause you have a face like a gherkin”.

Comment by Don Meyer 03.02.09 @ 10:29 pm

I know what you are saying. I go through bouts of prepping yarn – for knitting, dyeing, or just to have it skeined up real pretty. Then I go through bouts of knitting, dyeing, petting. Luckily, one phase always leads to another good phase!

Comment by Amanda 03.03.09 @ 4:35 am

We have early spring flowers starting to bloom here as well despite the snow from this weekend! I would love to be able to take the colors from my Grandma’s crocus bed and dye some yarn to match, I am betting the dark purple and golden yellow would go together beautifully 🙂
It is so nice to see you back up moving and ffeeling better everyday!

Comment by Danielle from SW MO 03.03.09 @ 5:15 am

In due time, all will be 100% again for you in the energy department. Record in a groove…lol, the kid at Best Buy last week didn’t know what a zip drive was on a computer when asked by another customer. Things change so quickly.

Comment by Joansie 03.03.09 @ 5:43 am

I do that. I get my fill of one thing then move on to the next delight. I’m glad you found the black yarn. Life is good. 🙂

Comment by Toni Smoky-Mountains 03.03.09 @ 5:50 am

I KNEW you’d find that cashmere eventually! On the flower note — I have been buying daffodils at Trader Joe’s out here for the last couple of weeks. I need spring desperately, and they just smell like spring to me! They open their cheery little faces, and scent my living room, and make me forget we got 3″ of ice-covered snow yesterday, that I now have to chip off of my steps. {{sigh}} I envy you your outside daffs.

Hooray for returning energy! Winding skeins into balls is one of my favorite things, too!

Praying as always…

Comment by Pegi 03.03.09 @ 6:19 am

The flowers are gorgeous & the yarn looks scrumptious! I’m so happy for you that you’re feeling stronger. I’m glad the cashmere finally cooperated & let itself be found:)

Comment by TripletMom 03.03.09 @ 6:55 am

I had to clear the driveway of four inches of snow yesterday, so the beautiful flowers are a welcome sight. Thanks for the harbinger reminder!

Comment by Jody M 03.03.09 @ 6:58 am

The neighbor had blooming daffodils last week, they are buried under the snow now.

So glad you are feeling better and able to do more.

Comment by Laura 03.03.09 @ 7:12 am

Love all the way-back references. Beautiful flowers, yarn…

Comment by Channon 03.03.09 @ 8:09 am

It’s a good groove (and well do I remember getting stuck in a scratch!) — spring has most definitely sprung.

Comment by Jocelyn 03.03.09 @ 8:28 am

My daffodils are just now coming up – about 2-1/2″ of green, now covered by snow. So I LOVE seeing yours in bloom! Can’t wait for the weekend warm-up to see what else is in that bed! Prayers continuing…d

Comment by Debra 03.03.09 @ 8:37 am

You’ve caused me to consider my knitting preparedness. Now, I know many (most?) of us keep a bag of knitting ready to grab as we leave the house, or keep something in the car for unexpected times of sit and wait. I think you have demonstrated the need for a new category: yarn wound ahead. When I have the ball winder out, I should go ahead and wind something toward another project. That way I could always direct DH to the closet and have something brought to me should I become unable to get it. It doesn’t have to be major surgery – flu or sprained ankles could put me in the same situation.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 03.03.09 @ 8:48 am

All that beauty! I had to check out Amanda’s stock and scored me a fine skein! Can’t wait ’til it arrives. It’ll be a while ’cause it’s coming via my mom in Kansas.

Comment by LynnM 03.03.09 @ 9:52 am

New life indeed! I just bought a swift at Stitches West (I kept missing you at the Purlescence Booth), and love the ability to wind at will.

I’m doing a quick prayer shawl using your Julia’s shawl pattern (lovely for this variegated yarn). The circle of your love and attention keeps widening.

Comment by Renee 03.03.09 @ 11:31 am

it is still cold here, but there are definite signs of spring. A squirrel made a hole in one of the outdoor seat cushions and is busily balling up wads of stuffing for the nest. I’m fine with that, but I think Oscar will have a different opinion, so I’m waiting until she’s done nesting to tell him.

Comment by Diana Troldahl 03.03.09 @ 11:49 am

Know what you mean! I had a bout of knitting up 137 yards of merino today! I feel so lucky.

Thanks for the flowers! We are at least a month away from those…

Comment by karin 03.03.09 @ 2:40 pm

The flowers are so pretty. I keep checking our crocuses, hoping to see green. Of course, the single digit temperatures here in SW Ohio aren’t helping any. But I can still hope!

And I so got that comment about the diamond tip needle…sigh…. When my dd got stuck on a topic last week, I threatened to gently thump her head “to get her needle out of the groove.” She looked at me as though my last marble had leaped from my head and was spinning merrily on down the road. She may not be that far off, come to think of it…

Comment by Shirley 03.03.09 @ 6:39 pm

Hi Allison,

I’m the lurker that greeted you at Stitches last Saturday, after I’d purchased your book at Village Spinning and Weaving’s booth. I was wearing the purple/teal patchwork jacket with the knitted collars and cuffs. I so understand today’s post as I quilt and knit and many times get “stuck in the groove” working on one type or part of a project. Sometimes it’s just what feels right at the time, sometimes I guess I just need the practice.

Continued health and strength to you. Once I’m caught up on a few other projects, I’m planning on starting one of your shawls. Thank you.

Comment by Debbie 03.03.09 @ 7:20 pm

I love spring, it’s my favorite season of the year, all the new life after a long, hard, cold, dead winter. I’m always amazed that the birds, flowers, trees and other things survived and thumb their noses at the bleak winter by breaking forth in all their glory!

Comment by LDSVenus 03.03.09 @ 8:24 pm

HA! The Cashmere has appeared! WOOT!
Thanks for sharing the beautiful spring pics!

Comment by Alicia 03.04.09 @ 8:18 am



Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)