Pumpkin Sunrise

  Not to brag, but we are on day three of blissful sunshine! It's funny to me that when there are endless days of cloudiness I long for some sun. Then when there is brilliant sunshine, I'm like a vampire squinting away wondering why the sun is so painfully happy. Don't worry, sunglasses cures my squinty-ness. It's a wonderful problem to have and I'll take the sunshine. Not only are we on day three of sunshine but we will have three days in a row of a daily walk. The roads are dry enough and getting my wiggles out is the best medicine. We continue to have snow everywhere but it is slowly melting away.  I've been doing lots of journaling this past week. I picked up some snail washi tape at an art store a few towns away that I thought was delightful. I'm not fond of snails but I am when they are on washi tape. I've been enjoying winter, it's my favorite season but I'm looking forward to a thaw and the arrival of springtime.  I thought I'd so yo

  I finished this l ovely cowl a few days ago and finally it's dry enough to give the project a proper photo shoot. If you haven't knit this heartwarmer pattern yet you should, it's fun. I did not change needles sizes for the different stitch patterns - I used size four throughout. I blocked this cowl to be wider than longer hoping there would be less 'bulk' around my neck.  I highly recommend this pattern and the wool, Knit Picks Twill was wonderful to work with! I have one and a half skeins left over for maybe a hat or a pair of mitts, how lucky am I? What are you working on this week?

  My weekend was nice. I spent each day doing what I love - knitting - reading - painting. While winter is giving us another 3-5 inches of snow today (I'll believe it when I see it).  I'm enjoying the soft signs of Spring pushing it's way in. Look at that brilliant sun beam on my clock at 4:30 p.m.! What a treasure to behold. We went for a walk yesterday in the sunshine and I soaked it in. Life is good. I've finished my cowl and it's getting a gentle soak, I can't wait to share it with you. How was your weekend?

This past week has been a snowy one, I'm not complaining, just letting you know that every day is a snow event day around here. I've worn my snow boots probably two weeks in a row now. Even though it's wintry goodness, there are signs of spring. The days are longer, the mornings are beginning earlier than ever. I hear birds singing when before there was silence. I started another art journal, this time in the A5 size (Stalogy 365 days notebook). The paper is thin and I'm hopeful that the paper can handle a bit of watercolor. As a true notebook fanatic, I have many that I pick up and write in. Journaling has been helpful with my thoughts, feelings and sorting out my days. Writing or sketching also stretches my creativity. I worked more on my cowl this week and have high hopes of finishing it over the weekend. It's doable but will I do it? Holly came out and graced me with a howdy do once this past week. I love how she just sits and stares at me. Frodo was under the

My knitting devotion has been on one project this past week and it's the color work pullover . I cannot gush enough about how delighted I am to pick up this project and add another row, then another, then another. Last night I completed all of the color work chart and am now swimming in good old stockinette. What are you working on this week?  

  How was your weekend? One of the things I love most about winter, and there are many aspects, is that the weekends blend into each other in sameness. Every weekend might just look like the last weekend and I can comfortably predict next weekend as well.  The constancy of sameness is soothing and calming.  I had a grand time 'rearranging' art and craft supplies Saturday morning. I have ordered another notebook planner cover and a new notebook (yes, another one). This one with hold art journaling. I have LOVED doing the daily haiku challenge and while I love the comfort of a small page I'm excited to branch out to a bigger space. I'll show you eventually. I've been pulling out various watercolor pan sets and using them. The top photo of the woodpecker was a set without black. Good gracious, I really don't like to mix black, but I appreciated the challenge. In the evenings I'm working on my latest fair isle sweater that I cannot stop knitting. All other proj

  I think my computer is possessed by the devil. It's been a bumpy start to doing this blog post but I believe I am over the bump. You know it's bumpy when you think you might need to buy a new computer... How was your week? I've been doing lots and lots of reading both fiction and non-fiction. I'm enjoying the mixture of both, but I'd like to finish a book or two this weekend. The reading list so far: Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach Bury Me at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown (highly recommend!) Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring I just borrowed Tradition by Jericho Brown and hope to read it this weekend. My knitting has been slow and easy. I've been knitting in the evenings while watching some TV programs. During the day, I've been writing my daily haikus and sketching. Also I've been doing lots and lots of journalling.  I'm writing more - I guess reflective personal essays for myself. I'm in a reflective mood I guess. I continue to meditate twice a d