Someone had a busy week

Check out the stems on my amaryllis friend!

Compared to last Saturday, that's amazing. Especially since we had about 10 minutes of sun this past week, and not all at once either. 

On the other hand, this onion that's spent a little too much time in a dark cold space managed to put out some pretty impressive greenery too. I decided to shift it to a sunny window to see what happens. 

Love the deep purple / fresh green colour combo. Am I wrong to think of fingerless mitts, looking at this closeup? 

Regardless, here are some fingerless mitts that are getting good use this winter, albeit with a pair of fleecy gloves underneath. If it's not cold enough for twined mitts, this is what I'm wearing. 

I handspun the yarn for these years ago, and knit them not long afterward. I still can't believe I got all the singles even enough to make something functional! I used the Ferryboat Mitts pattern from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas... my goodness, I love the whole aesthetic of their patterns, and they're so clearly written too. I made so many pairs of their Turkish Bed Socks when I was a perpetual knitting machine. I wonder if I need a new pair? 

The answer is Yes, naturally, but not till I get this new manuscript finished, so I'd best be off and make some progress on that. I hope you have a lovely weekend and as always, thank you for joining me for part of it! See you next Saturday.

Hello and no

I totally forgot to bring my amaryllis out from the dark before Christmas, and I wasn't sure how it would do when I finally thought of it a week or so ago. But look!

I was so in love with this plant last winter - the flowers were punchy but the GREEN BITS! They were so tall and silky and spongy, I ended up keeping it in the window for ages until all the strength went out of them and they fell away. It was my favourite stage, once the flowers were done. Maybe a life lesson in there... showy is great, but steadfastness is greater?

Either way, it's nice to see something emerging into the world with optimism when everything outside is Cold Snap. 

I've been using the Cold Snap to double down on staying in and writing at a fiendish pace. I wasn't trying to go farther with my current project, but deeper, the better to set themes and voices for the pages to come. I love doing that and it is much easier work when there are no social obligations or errands to run, or when those things can be put off because nobody else wants to be out either unless they half to.

In other words, January is my favourite month, ha! A bond I share, improbably, with skiers.

It's probably the only one. I considered going out for a walk today to celebrate getting a chunk of work done yesterday, and...

 

No. Tomorrow will do just as well, when the Snap snaps and takes the frostbite risk with it.

Hope you've been able to stay safe and warm this week - thank you for stopping by today and I'll see you next Saturday!

Darn

 Aren't these socks beautiful? 

They all have mates, of course, but I thought fanning out the different colours of wool/mohair blend would make a nice picture. 

These socks were all knit with yarn from Stoddart Family Farm, which no longer produces yarn of any kind. And that's sad because it is the nicest hefty yarn I know... Sylvia was so amazing at hand-dying, and boy does the yarn from the goats and sheep on her farm, and the one next door, make luxurious socks. It is a delight to wear anything I make with it. I am very, very grateful I overbuy everything I fall in love with, just in case, because I still have a stash of it and have many more Sylvia socks in my future.

 

These socks have something else in common, too. They all have a problem like this:

sigh. Mostly on the heel, as here, but sometimes on the toe.  Even torn up, the stitches still look so pretty to me. Ethereal, no less.

But you can't walk around in a sock like that. It's time for me to get darning! 

Meanwhile, we had a big storm this week and when I looked out, all I could see was rain slapping the windows and our plants bearing up as best they could.

At the start

In the middle when I started to worry
about power outages...

And a day or two later

I think there's a lesson to be learned there... stuff happens that's less than ideal, and it's hard to take, but then circumstances come along, like sun and wind, and change things up so you can carry on after all. Still, when it comes to the socks, I don't think wind is gonna cut it. It's gotta be me.

Somewhat related but not really, I am just so excited about this plant I am looking for any excuse to show you: I got an amaryllis for Christmas and while the blooms were astonishing and lovely, the foliage stuff that's going on now is fabulous!

I mean, so vibrant and unexpected. Even the shade of green is thrilling.

(and yes, our dining table is pretty much a plant parade ground these days. I need to find other horizontal surfaces that want a green friend.)

I know I'm supposed to do something with this bulb so it blooms again next year, and I do intend to ask the friend who gave it to me how she manages that part. But if it means sticking it in a dark cold space right now and not getting to look at these strong green shapes every day, I'm not up for it.

 

Hope you have something wonderful going on to make up for the hole-y socks in life! And I hope I see you here again next week.