Reload time
Yes, I know. It’s been an awful loooooong time since my last post in this blog; more than a year. A lot has happened in this year, all good stuff, no unfortunate events or anything (knock on wood), but still, it has been a crazy year. At some point, I felt really guilty for being absent from here. Really really guilty. And then I thought it over again and again; What’s the point of writing when you are in no mood? What’s the point of forcing yourself to do things that you usually love, at a time that you don’t want to, just because life has set other priorities? And, utterly, what’s the point of putting a beloved hobby into a dull checklist, waiting just for its box to be ticked? I decided that there’s no point. If this blog was another anxious to-do, then it would have failed. And I didn’t want it to fail; so I went on with living my hectic life with no excuses, no remorse; ok, only some-
By now, things have settled down. Α new academic year is heading to its end, major changes have come and gone in my morning office life, it has taken some time but we found a good and calm track. At home, the routine and the daily schedules this year have greatly changed, as the little Ladies of the pond are growing and along with them, their agenda is growing as well. Lessons, walks, meetings with friends, dance classes, math classes, everything had to be accommodated once again and carefully scheduled; that being said, I have to admit that I spent a great part of the year forgetting details of new daily plans, only to feel smashingly surprised when the phone was ringing and a furious Little Lady was screaming “where are you? We are supposed to be leaving NOW!”
This year, I decided to join a photography seminar; I’ve always wanted that, never found the time, but big decisions need little thinking, so on a cloudy October evening, I enrolled without a second thought, even if I had to sacrifice one of my three weekly pilates classes- lessons have been fun and interesting, some times less interesting but that’s ok, I’ve met cool people, I’ve been doing my homework and taking pictures of anything silly, like coffee mugs, lit fireplace, flowers, trees and buildings and couches and the Little Ladies and my mum… nothing worth showing you though, believe me. I still enjoy it, let’s see if there will be an advanced seminar for next year (well…advanced, yep, no comments please)
I was thinking the other day that the past time has been a bit lazy from a creative point of view; no blog posts, no serious instagramming other than showing past makes, no serious crochet- but then I took a look at my project bags, sitting quietly next to the living room sofa, and there they were- a ripple crochet blanket, which I have started in autumn and have then decided to name it “the anything but red blanket” as my intention was to use almost the whole colour palette and leave reds and oranges out; started with muted green and khakis and yellows, then moved to blues and purples and then… stopped. Just stopped. Just as it’s started getting interesting. Because I somehow got fed up with acrylic yarn. I mean, yes, it’s versatile, it comes in a thousand different colours, its soft and machine washable and it doesn’t cost you a fortune. But I thought enough. Leave the ripple blanket aside and let’s find some really nice yarn. Really really nice.
And I started crocheting a shawl with the most deep mesmerising purple lace yarn I’ve ever touched, Traumseide from Atelier Zitron. A pure, lush, hundred percent silk. Gosh, what a joy to hold this in your hands. It has all turned to a marvelous shawl, present for a beloved friend.
And then, one day, I felt I’ve missed knitting. How long was it since the last time I’ve touched knitting needles? Hard to find, but surely quite some years. So knitting time it was. I found my hands totally unused to knitting and slow, extremely slow. But once something settles into my mind, then it needs to be done. I’ve picked a beginner pattern, calming and with no surprises whatsoever, and ten shades of Malabrigo worsted. And the journey began. If it’s over yet? Of course not. The shawl grew and grew and magenta gave its place to pink and another dusty pink and then to three different shades of green and then blue and then, a few days ago, I thought that I can leave the last two blues wait until end of summer, when nights will start getting cold again. Because… it’s easy to find… I’ve terribly missed crocheting.
So, my latest purchase of hand dyed yarn from Briony at Spectrum Fibre Yarns has yesterday evening turned into a soft squishy ball of yarn and another journey has started; the colours remind me of fairy tales and unicorns and popsicles and I don’t know where this attempt will end, it’s supposed to become yet another shawl, but who knows?
And when this will be through, another yarn is waiting for me, dyed by Eleanor of Solstice yarns this time, the most delicate lace yarn I’ve ever touched, so thin that my fingers struggle holding it and my first try to start something has greatly failed- but as the song says, to everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season- and summer is close by and I know deep inside that this will be the season for the Ameratsu silk cobweb lace.
That’s the Cherry Frog reload in a nutshell. And since start is the half of everything, or so they say, I think I stand a good chance to get back to writing here more often. I’ll even dare to put a schedule.. no promise though. Thanks for not forgetting me and for stepping by. Enjoy your spring or autumn, whichever is the case at your side of the globe.
From a sunny and windy city, I’m sending kisses and hugs
xxx
Nora