last day of november yarn along

       Thanksgiving is over and even though we lighted our first Advent candle on Sunday, and the Christmas tree is up and the decorating way on its way, the event that truly welcomes Christmas celebration into our family with full intensity is attending the annual performance of Handel's Messiah given by the local oratorio society/orchestra, which we attended last night. It was nothing less than glorious.

But with the balmy days of late and the carpet of leaves left underfoot, a source of confusion is created in my mind as we are on the brink of flipping our calendars to December.

 Nevertheless, I knit on, and I read books about godly woman.

 Women I want to emulate in their quest to know God, to serve Jesus, and to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.

These particular socks I am presently knitting, I named the Merry-Go-Round Socks; the color of fir and pine trees against clear blue skies with the golden glow of sunny days... yes, Merry, a word we hear quite often during this season... and the constant going round and round on the ribbing and knitting that sock knitting certainly affords. I am thinking I will do an afterthought heel on this pair of socks.

I have finished the Fair Isle sweater mentioned a while back.  You may read about it if you like on ravelry, or on my past post.

And on this last day of November I am thankful to be able to join Ginny's Yarn Along.

...with a grateful heart

Sense of beauty is the gift of God,
for which those who have received it in good measure,
can never be thankful enough.
                                                      ~ Gertrude Jekyll

 Why does one upload from a wide, or not so wide, array of photos?
It does not have the sphere of making the day any more lovely. But for remembrance sake I share several photos of our Thanksgiving Day feast at Witt and Clarie's house, a distinct place where I found myself breathing and relaxing on a grand scale on Thanksgiving Day. To me that must be a sure sign of  being hailed as a good host and hostess. It was a day of balmy temps, spoken thanks, and palatable food. Claire's curry pumpkin soup was my most favorite dish of all.

*Claire set a beautiful table from her assortment of dishes and thanksgiving decorations.
*Don and I brought the collards and pumpkin pie
*Claire cooked the brined turkey and other side dishes
*the day was so warm we sat in the garden and watched the bees
*until I became chilly and moved into a patch of sunshine
*Charlotte, our photographer of the day, sat on the deck for a spell with her chevron glass of ginger ale

Thanksgiving

I have much to be thankful for this day.  Beef stew simmering on the stove anticipating a side of buttermilk biscuits for supper, an organic cabbage fermenting in the larder, and a walk in the woods where even the brambly briers that grabbed the legs of my jeans scratching through to my shin did not deter me.


And a completed sweater.

You may read about this sweater on my ravelry page. 

fruit

Years ago I became aware of a Bible memory program that I liked, and I found that it helped me have a organized way to memorize God's Word. The boys and I would spend summer afternoons learning and reciting Bible memory verses that were organized into appropriate age groupings and particular subject categories, or Bible books, that made memory work easier for anyone who wanted to take on the challenge. Even Rose as a preschooler would belt out the verses from her ABC Memory book.

Most summers I will intentionally find bits of time to memorize Scripture.  Because of the development of smart phone apps I've now discovered Scripture Memory Fellowship has excellent helps for memorizing God's Word.

I am presently memorizing the book of II Timothy. Sounds ambitious, yet amazingly, the secret is dailiness. Taking time to be attentive to the effort of memorizing pays huge dividends.

I pray it will produce fruit in my life.

And speaking of fruit, scuppernongs are only in season briefly; I love their wine- flavored sweetness. 

and today's knitting...

These days I desire more time to knit, to actually squeeze knitting somewhere into the minutes of my day, unambiguously between this and that. Yet, irregardless of how much I want it or try to make it happen, some days it just does not happen.

However, today turned out with the grateful allowance of a few rows of knitting on my
 Ellen Cardigan while Charlotte was at her piano lesson.

I sat upon this lake's bank on a left behind beach towel stored in the the back of my car and gleaned  what was to me a feast of calm and knitting, with a bit of refreshment from a wee bottle of ginger kombucha on the side.

Serenity.

listing...fair isle knitting

Okay, I like to make lists. I have even revisited listography this summer. So it made perfectly good sense to begin a list at the beginning of the summer upon which I jotted down several things I hoped to accomplish during the summer. Intentionality precedes the process of making it happen I am discovering.

*Knit a Fair Isle Garment

My first attempt at Fair Isle knitting was the Baa-ble hat by Donna Smith. Since I had mastered English and Continental knitting a while back, my main focus was concentrating on having the floats become like second nature to me. I loved everything about knitting up this hat. This is a free pattern on Ravelry with modifications I found here after reading about the original hat pattern's larger sizing. And pom poms add such fun don't you think? Or maybe that is because the charm is in the fun of making them! 

Back in July a local yarn shop held a sale on all their yarns which enabled me to save big on the yarn for knitting a cardigan I had anticipated knitting since last year. It too is a free Ravelry pattern, the Ellen by Amy Christoffers. I only chose five colors to do the actual color work pattern, and I am pleased with the results. 

All I can say is I have found a new love...my daily knitting time is never enough, but then isn't that true of everything we love, being satisfied yet wanting more?

an august yarn along

Good Morning Wednesday!
 Knitting and reading, comforting activity for all seasons, sharing with all here.

I am so pleased with the Piper's Journey Shawl I knitted with Quince & Co Chickadee Yarn. I love its hushed green color, I love its calm drape, I love its gently curved design, and I love its baby softness. Could I say it more plainly? I love this shawl! And I am longingly anticipating cooler weather to wear it. And with the hotter than normal temperatures this August, it is good to dream of those days arriving soon.  I am still managing to keep most of my potted plants living, alas not thriving though, they need nothing less than rain from God's clouds to do that.

As for my end of summer reading,

Always, several books scattered from nightstand, to pool bag, from kitchen counter and beyond. I want to highlight two entirely different books in particular. My swimming partner mentioned a book by Kate Morton that she had loved reading. She loaned me her copy hoping  I would get pulled into The Secret Keeper and  find myself on the path of guessing  how the many twists of this novel would end. If you like a book with a mesmerizing story line that will draw you in with its many twists, I would suggest this book. The next book I want to highlight is a heart breaker for sure, but written so empowered with the marvelous grace and surrounding mercy of God.  It is a book that has left a dent in my spirit because of its depth and the truth of what Christ Jesus has paid for our lives, sinful, lost lives. Glenda had a very sad, tragic childhood yet God saved  her and redeemed her; the story she tells holds no bitterness for wrongs done to her and will leave you awed.

August day*book

  Day*book: a diary, a journal

Outside my window:
   Summer is screaming, muggy days of sunshine with occasional  t-storms in the evening, black-eyed-susans covering a side patch giving pleasure when viewed from an upstairs window.

I am thinking:
   To consciously breathe deep and enjoy these days of August; routine will be starting up soon enough.

I am thankful:
    For air-conditioning! ... and since I am presently sitting in my sewing room I am reminded how thankful I am for this room...and prayer, where would we be without that amazing provision given to us by our loving Heavenly Father?

One of my favorite things to do at the present:
       Fair Isle knitting, it is perfectly addicting!

                                                       Baa-ble Hat by Donna Smith(free pattern on Ravelry)

I am creating:

   My second fair isle knitted garment, a cardigan.

I am sewing:
    Completing an UFO from two years ago, a blue batiste nightgown.

I am watching:
   Youtube videos from time to time on a variety subjects.

I am wearing:
   White jean capris, a lightweight white sleeveless tee, and a gray and white striped shirt... and because I am at home, bare feet. This attire is unusual for me in that I prefer dresses and skirts on summer days.

I am reading:
   Rainbow Cottage  by Grace Livingstone Hill
    Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

I am listening:
    To a CD of Amy Shreve beautifully singing hymns as she plays her harp.

I am hoping:
    To finalize some hotel reservations for upcoming trips, out of town weddings.

I am learning:
   To walk by faith and not by sight. This takes daily prayer and focusing on His will; like I said, I am learning.

In the Kitchen:
    Boiled beets and washed beet greens for sauteing... I love beets, actually crave them at times. And since beets promote good gallbladder and liver health, having them as part of a regular diet is extremely beneficial.

In the schoolroom:
   Discendo discimus  which translates," While teaching we learn"
We are applying our minds to Latin studies once again, daily doses. Ask if Charlotte is happy...no,  perhaps asking her is not the best choice.  But, it is so good for me that we are intentionally setting aside time to review Latin.

Joining in with The Simple Woman's Daybook.

bring on the summer vegetables

It is nothing short of great pleasure to see backyard gardens, farmers markets, curbside stands, and  local produce at the grocery store furnishing a plethora of summer vegetables and fruits to please even the most finicky eater. 

I have a friend who wrote in her last letter she presently hopes to maintain something fermenting on her counter on a regular basis. That inspired me higher up and further on to taking a chance on fermenting okra recently. A simple brine with spices and garlic put into a jar along with fresh okra, then a five to six day requirement for the fermenting process on the counter, which only left the taste test. Not bad, actually! They have now been allotted a special place in the refrigerator, which will only improve their salty, slightly pickled flavor. 

A gazpacho was made with the abundance of tomatoes and other summer veggies and herbs. Due to several reasons of various matters, my husband and I are undertaking a five day mainly fruit and vegetable fast. We have survived the first day. I say that tongue in cheek; my husband knows this is a very good idea in mind and operation, but his body clamors incessantly for meals of meat and potatoes, and let's not forget his almost daily bowl of evening popcorn! I natter on with positive regard to our planned meals. After eating a full bowl of this delicious gazpacho, he commented," Now we are going to eat the main meal, right?"

It is only five days...

cartridge pleats successfully completed!

I am just around the bend from finishing my 1860 day gown. I successfully completed the cartridge pleats this afternoon while watching an episode of BBC's  All Creatures Great and Small. I gave my husband the full eight years on DVD for Fathers Day. He was well-pleased.

These pleats are not difficult in themselves to sew, yet it helps to have a few tips to keep from creating undue frustration. I found some excellent tips here for which I am thankful.

Now all that needs to be done is the hem, and perhaps some embellishment on the sleeves and front bodice.

bee bullions

A project of sewing bullions on a cream-colored linen diaper shirt.

Of course, it is for Ivy Elizabeth.

And of course, I will sew her some pink rompers to be worn with it.