…Joining Ginny’s YarnAlong, sharing what I’m knitting and reading…

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On Thursday night I went to try on the sock I was knitting on Jeff’s foot to see how much longer I needed to knit before starting the toe. And I discovered something. The sock did not fit him at all! The pattern is for a women’s size large and since I thought his foot size was probably a men’s size medium, I thought it would be fine. (Plus he has pretty narrow feet.) The other socks I’ve knit have all been unisex, so I guess I didn’t think about it too much. What to do? I was in a pickle with a little over a week until Jeff’s birthday and discovering my present wouldn’t work. So I sprang into action and made a change of plans. Did I have any yarn in my stash? A skein of Quince & Co. puffin in a beautiful blue colorway called Peacock. I knew Jeff would love it. I got on Ravelry and searched for hats with bulky weight yarn. I found the pattern Thorpe and asked Jeff if he liked it. (It wasn’t going to be a surprise anyway because he’d see me knitting it.) Jeff gave it the thumbs up and I got started. I didn’t have the right size knitting needles and that made me a tad nervous, but it’s worked out just fine. (Ravelry notes here.) I’ve made progress since the picture above. It’s the first hat I’ve ever knit from the top down. This morning, before Bracken woke up, I finished the first ear flap. I have the second ear flap to finish and then it calls for a crochet border. I’ve never crocheted before, but I saw some links to instructions on the method she uses in the pattern, so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to figure it out.

I finished ‘Parsnips in the Snow.’ What a wonderful book! I was touched by all the gardener’s stories. They all had such varied experiences, but one thing I noticed again and again is that many (not all) of them had memories and experiences of gardening when they were growing up and it stuck with them and shaped them for their entire lives. I started thinking about my own experiences. I thought about the farm my grandpa grew up on and my midwest roots. I remembered every time we visited my grandparent’s house when the weather was nice, my grandma would take us on a tour around her garden to show us what was in bloom. The way I remember it: my mom and grandma would be standing side by side with mugs of tea or a drink in their hands, pointing and going slowly from spot to spot, savoring each place of beauty the garden had to offer. My sister and I would run around the backyard and maybe I didn’t always listen much to what they were saying or payed much attention, but now the memories make me smile. My grandparents grew some vegetables in their backyard as well. My grandpa grew up on a farm and being a short drive away, I think they usually grew their vegetables over there. From what I saw, my grandma mostly loved to grow flowers (and she always had a full bird bath and bird feeders) and I think it’s the same with my mom. Whenever we had a yard growing up, my mom loved to plant flowers. I remember picking strawberries with my step grandma in her yard and I remember the shelves of canned peaches and pears they had in their basement. But I didn’t have any experience growing vegetables when I was young. That didn’t happen until I met Jeff. It seems each year that gardening means a little more to me. Spending time in the garden is soothing for my soul. It helps me balance the stress of other areas of my life. And I loved reading what the garden meant to so many others in the story. It was heartwarming and I felt a connection to each of them in a way. It makes me happy to think of the experiences in the garden that will shape memories of Bracken’s childhood. And there’s no place that brings me more joy than being out in the garden- surrounded by fruit, vegetables, and yes- flowers.

How about you? 

Knitting? Reading?