from my window

Upstairs I sit today. And I wrote a post you may read here.

A Simple Woman's Daybook...April 2015

 Outside my window...
the greenness awes me, if I could count the different shades of green the list would go on and on

I am thinking and praying for...
a dear friend that is having surgery today. Two years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and after chem, radiation, and now it has shown up in her other breast.

I am thankful...
 for merino wool rolags from Friends in Fiber which arrived at my doorstep today, dyed the most beautiful colors labeled English Garden, Dusty Green, and Nutmeg.

I am wearing...
a black linen skirt, a white linen blouse, and a cotton cardigan with a turquoise geometric shaped design running throughout it, oh, and Jambu walking shoes on my feet.

I am sewing...
a smocked pink nightgown for Charlotte.

I am going...
to do a little more cleaning, and then I plan to have a cup of tea and sit outside on the porch and read with Charlotte.

I am wondering...
if I should take advantage of April Cornell's summer cotton dress sale and order one of the dresses I have been admiring.

I am reading...
an autobiography by Reeve Lindbergh, the daughter of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Under A Wing.

In the kitchen...
braised chicken thighs with red potatoes and carrots, alongside beet greens sauteed in olive oil and garlic

I am looking forward to...
a day trip tomorrow to visit some local potters

                                                                          

                                                                                        Quote:

"Spring drew on...and a greenness over those brown garden beds, which freshening daily, suggested the thought that hope traverses them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps."

~Charlotte Bronte

                      And we did sit outside in the sunshine this afternoon with a spot of tea and a macaroon !                  

  Please join in and share your day with Simple Woman's Daybook.

the facts noted

"Sitting here with one's knitting, one just sees the facts"

                                                                                              ~Agatha Christie

And the fact is this sweater is getting closer to completion. I began this knitting project when snow was on the ground and the wearing of a wool sweater was a pleasurable necessity.
But now the fact is that the coming of spring makes one fully aware that this sweater will be added to next year's winter wardrobe. 
I will block this sweater well, and then hope it will still fit.

spinning once again

It has been twelve years since I lost spun, but today I began spinning on my Schacht Wheel.

I have quite a bit to revisit in relearning to spin, and she absolutely needs some TLC on her oily wood spots. But I am liking the gentle whoosh of this wheel and the feel of fleece in my hands once again.

what was I thinking?

My husband mentions at intervals set well apart in time (because he is such a patient man) that he is still eagerly awaiting a pair of hand knitted socks. Several years back I ordered some kettle dyed black wool yarn with the intent to knit a pair of socks for him. When the wool arrived, I picked up the black soft fingerling weight wool, rubbed it across my face and asked myself, "What was I thinking...knitting socks with black yarn?"
 But recently with the fortitude and the courage to what will seem like swimming the English Channel in a sea of inky waters...I begin the knit one, purl one ribbing on 2.5 double pointed needles.

Knitting in the daylight, outside on the porch works well. Yesterday, I sat by a window to gain as much of the day's reflection as possible, where I actually progressed to the K3 P1 pattern of this handsome classic sock. 

I am carefully making a plan to finish these socks by Christmas. This project will be pulled out throughout the long days of summer to add several rounds daily. As I knit my mind will think of the joy in his face when he opens this long awaited gift packaged in Christmas wrapping.

Then I will most definitely remember what I was thinking, with no regrets.

thistle

Put out the thistle and they will come...

Goldfinches at the feeder throughout the day, they feast determinately while we enjoy the females subtle beauty and the males vivid colour.

because He lives...I dance

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.

We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:3-4

a closing of a day

Night time rituals at my house have a way of hushing my soul inviting a settling down mood,  what I like to call a closing of a day.

* Oatmeal,  our morning's porridge, is put in a pan shortly after dinner cleanup to soak throughout the evening while we slumber.  Firstly, take 1 cup of dried oatmeal, 1 cup of water,  1 tablespoon of whey (fresh) and soak overnight. In the morning, drain and lightly rinse your oats, add 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the oatmeal; cook until done.
A note about whey. My preferred choice of whey is from fresh raw milk, but if you have no fresh whey in the refrigerator, lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar (I use Braggs) works wonderfully. What the acidic liquid is doing is breaking down the phytic acid in the grains which will make them more digestible.  An extra bonus is I find it adds to the flavor.
*Knitting time to soothe with its ongoing rhythm
*A hot shower, a lavender-scented lotion, a cozy gown and robe.
*A bowl of popcorn popped in a well-seasoned iron skillet
*A small kitchen tidy up; wiping down, dispensing all dirty dishes and switching on the dishwasher
*Night time prayer with Charlotte, and tucking in
*A devotional, Spurgeon's, Morning and Evening
*An easy read novel on the bedside table, until my eyelids can't stay open a second later

This is only a capsule of what the closing of my day might look like on a certain evening in late March,  the soft glow of our table lamps surrounding me before they are turned off and we sleep.

 Drawing the blinds, snuffing out the lights, shutting down ...

...making ready for the morrow.

perfectly matched thread

 My current sewing project is a silk dupioni dress for Charlotte.  It is a dress being sewn for her to wear on Easter Sunday, and again when she plays the piano at her recital in May. I am thinking of this dress fondly as the last "little girl" dress I will sew for her. Since she turns twelve in May, experience has taught me that it is a stretch to think girls of an older age will be content with wearing styles like this one.

Because I am hand stitching the four buttonholes, I have been on a search for the right shade of silk thread, checking out various online sites. I was not having much success, but while looking for buttons in my grandmother's tin button box my hands grasped this small spool of silk thread. The shade of the silk thread was perfectly matched to the silk fabric.

Did you happen to notice the price of the four mother of pearl buttons?  

an o'henry tea

O'Henry wrote a favorite short story of mine and there just happens to be a hotel nearby named in his honor which serves afternoon tea. I took a friend there this past week for a belated birthday gift.

"No friendship is an accident", he writes in his short stories from The Heart of the West.  I believe no truer sentiment could be penned in light of the friendships that have graced my life.

home knitting

"Knitting not only relaxes me, it also brings a feeling of being at home" 

~Magdalena Neuner

But then one of the many glories of knitting is being able to carry a project along with  wherever you might find yourself.

Places I have knit outside my home:

in a park
in a swing
walking a country lane

at a soccer game

at a swim meet

at a ballgame

in a gym

in a car

in an airplane

in an airport

in a doctor's/dentist office(this also includes orthodontist...)

in a train

in a train station

at a picnic

in church (not during the service, oh my!)

during meetings of various sorts

by the waves at the seashore

by the pool

at the hospital

at a friend's home

in a store, mostly knitting shops

while waiting... in several other places... while waiting... for someone... while waiting...for something to begin or end.

Where are some of the places you have knitted outside of your home?