Yes, folks, right in the midst of harvest canning and preserving, lotsa work still to be done in the garden and yard, plenty of outside summer time tasks calling, planning and organization in getting geared up for fall chores and even doing a bit of work on the never-ending house remodeling, I am taking time to smell the roses.
I've been sitting and knitting. I've been in my quilt room working on (shhhh!) Christmas gifts. I have also been trying to do some reading in (gasp!) the middle of the day. But that's not working well because I keep falling asleep with the book in my lap.
Although I can easily be talked into doing some quilting any time, any day, at the drop of a thimble, lately my fingers have been itching to pick up the ol' knitting needles.
And so, that's what I've done.
I actually have two knitted projects started and am thinking seriously of another. The above pic shows the knit-from-the-top-down sweater I'm making for myself. A very simple stockinette stitch, open-fronted sweater to wear for that little extra warmth needed this winter. I'm planning wearing it over a turtleneck many days, if it turns out to be the comfortable sweater I hope it will be. The yarn I'm using is super-soft and has a nice, easy drape to it.The sleeve stitches are on hold, waiting to be done when I finish the body of the sweater which I'm working on now.
The edge ribbing around the neck and down the front is picked up and knit when the body of the sweater is done.I have to confess that all of the work on this sweater was not done while I was sitting on the front deck sipping iced mint tea. We made a supply run to the big city last Thursday and hubby was fine with doing all of the five hours of driving there and back so my time spent in the passenger seat flew by with my knitting needles happily clicking away.
Yep, I'm consciously concentrating on "letting" myself (leisurely) do things each day that I've put off (for way too many years) until "I have the time." I mean, duh! Just when do I think I'll "have the time?" When I'm 95 or 100 and don't have the energy to lace up my chore boots anymore? NOW is the time to start being nicer to myself. And I am.
Yeah for you!!!
ReplyDeleteJen - Yay, yay, yay! (Thanks!)
DeleteAmen, Sister! I've been reading in the afternoons too and when it makes me sleepy, I go lay down for a snooze. Such a luxury! I feel quite like the "bad girl"...Whaa Haa Ha! @;)
ReplyDeleteTami - Snoozing in the afternoon?! You ARE a bad girl! ;o}
DeleteYea Mama Pea! That's a pretty sweater. Can't wait to see it finished. You are so right that we all need to smell the roses more because life goes by in a blink of the eye.
ReplyDeleteSparkless - Papa Pea mowed the grass this afternoon and I REALLY took a few minutes on the deck to just stand, inhale and APPRECIATE the glorious smell of freshly cut grass. It was just lovely.
DeleteBravo! Yes-we NEED to MAKE time for fun. What is the point of it all if we haven't had fun along the way.
ReplyDeleteWe took off to Manistee this afternoon--a 110 mile drive for ice cream. Worth it too!
Sue - I'll bet you and hubby really enjoyed the drive there and back, too, didn't you? You know how to do it right, Dear Sue!
DeleteDo you per chance ,sell that common sense of yours ,I could use a dose!
ReplyDeletejudy - Common sense? Ha! If I had enough of it, I'd be in a lot better shape at this point in my life!
DeleteOh, good for you! I've been trying to read in the evenings. Almost finished Women and Money, by Suze Orman, before it was due back at the library. So I skimmed the last few chapters. I'm feeling a little more empowered this past week. Baby steps to finding my normal. Today I rearranged the bedroom, made the bed up with clean sheets, and now it's calling to me for an afternoon nap.
ReplyDelete~~Lori
Lori - Those baby steps are all you can take. Today was a gloriously blowsy, warm day here. Wish I had stripped the bed, washed the sheets and hung them out on the line to dry. Enjoy yours tonight, Friend!
DeleteThis was such a nice post to read. You are so right to do this. What's that saying: All work and no knitting/quilting makes MP a cranky girl". Well, something like that.
ReplyDeleteKaren L. - You're always so encouraging (and kinda wacky) and for that I thank you!
ReplyDeleteYay! You're taking time to knit...and it is something for YOU!!! You're an inspiration, my dear! :)
ReplyDeleteMama Tea - Wow, with encouragement like that, I may just spend my whole day, every day playing and leaving the dishes in the sink! ;o]
DeleteGood for you! I'm glad that you are doing this since I am knitting a shawl right now and the he(( with the messy garden LOL! I have just felt the need to enjoy things more lately, knitting, playing with my crafty supplies even though I don't make anything too awesome hahaha! We all need to learn to enjoy life now while it counts :)
ReplyDeleteErin - What you say is so, so true. But also hard to let ourselves do when we're so full of that darned work ethic!
DeleteVery nice looking almost-sweater! One day I'm going to learn how to knit. I can barely do a double crochet, so knitting is a whole 'nother ball (of yarn) game.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Renee - My mom was an expert crocheter but I never have done much with it. Prefer knitting way more. Maybe I'd like crocheting better if I learned to read a pattern!
DeleteSo glad you're taking some "me" time. I'm glad to see the sweater as I have the pattern but have yet to start it. One of my favorite colors you've chosen~jeans blue and it goes with just about anything!
ReplyDeleteKatidids - Ha! I chose the color for that very reason . . . it goes with anything! (Or jeans, as we seem to wear a lot!) With your talent for knitting, you could probably turn out this pattern in an afternoon!
DeleteLove the sweater you're knitting. We do the same thing - Hubby drives while I click away. It's soothing and we can spend time chatting. 'course I'm just learning to knit, so chatting is occasionally interrupted by cursing, but it's still a lot of fun. Take that "me" time - it renews us.
ReplyDeleteCr - Yep, so often we women are so wrapped up in taking care of everyone (and everything!) else but ourselves, it's hard to realize that we really do need the "me" time. The simple things that feed our souls. How much more important does it get than that?
DeleteYou, of all people, deserve the 'me' time you are setting aside for yourself now. I so need to take notes from you here. Why is it when we do things simply for ourselves, it feels sort of 'wrong'?
ReplyDeleteLOVE the color and pattern you've chosen. Please share the finished product with us too!
Lisa - Not just "wrong" but that big, ol', bad word SELFISH! How I struggle with that!
DeleteI will share the finished product . . . even if it doesn't fit!
Good for you! I haven't knitted in a very long time. I need to see if my hands and wrists will allow me to do it again. I like the sweater very much. I need a simple pattern for a shawl to through over my shoulders when I sit at the computer in the winter. If you have any links to patterns, I would love it.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about your distances from a major city. Do you have smaller towns closer? We are just 20 minutes from what to us is a larger town, Springfield but still in a rural are on the farm.
gld - I know there are lots of free patterns out there on the Internet but I've been out of knitting for so long that I can't steer you to any good links right off the bat.
DeleteWe live right outside our small town (1,300) but are about 120 miles from any good sized town. (You know . . . Target, Home Depot, etc.)
Love the sweater! And good for you for taking time to enjoy life. That's what it's for, right? :)
ReplyDeleteLeigh - If we don't enjoy life, what's it all about, huh?
DeleteA big hug and pat on the back indeed. I was sort of hoping you were veering over in that direction. That deferred gratification thing is good in some respects, but it's more important (IMO) to find the balance that is right for us and has a mix of what we have to and what we want to do that feeds our sould.
ReplyDeleteBully for you, Mama Pea!
LindaCO - Yes, yes, yes, finding that BALANCE. One would think that wouldn't be such a difficult thing!
DeleteEureka! I think you've got it! Kudos to you for being nice to yourself and not getting caught up in the 'guilties'. Life is too short not to fill most of it with the things that make us and the ones we love happy. I think I may follow your lead...
ReplyDeleteSusan - I need you to jump on the boat with me . . . to keep me on the straight and narrow if nothing else! I'll make sure you stay with me, too. We'll tie us together with yarn!!!
DeleteOh that will be so nice when it is done. Cant wait to see it. I guess a few more car trips and that puppy will be done ;)
ReplyDeleteJane - Now that I have it started, I find myself picking it up and knitting a few rows when I sit down to talk with anyone. (Good to find out I've got enough marbles left to talk and knit at the same time!)
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