Snow Days
This week the weather finally gave me some serious snow fall. Around six inches fell over Tuesday and Wednesday and disrupted many of my plans. All the disruptions were welcomed because I was knitting instead. See? There's a benefit to snow, besides the beauty of white scenery and chilly wool wearing weather. The days are getting longer and January continues to be a quiet serene month for me, I am happy.
Yesterday, my babysitting time was cancelled and the gym was cancelled. I sat and knit for a few hours on my second mitt. My mantra was 'just one more row'. One of the benefits of knitting for me is that while I am concentrating on the chart and all the knitting, my mind is empty of potential worries. I never get tired of being grateful for the calming craft. The rhythm of knitting empties my wrinkled thoughts and allows my mental vision to positive feelings.
This week, I've been analyzing the grocery budget and tweaking it a bit. I confess during the month of December, the spending was a free for all. In my defense, I had a full house for over a three week period. But now it's just the two of us. The cupboards are bursting with various items that I did not use. So I'm creating menu plans to eat up the 'stuff'. I'm also digging deep into the freezer for forgotten frozen left-over foods.
I'm motivated to not impulse buy.
Along the theme of paring down and using what I own, I keep eyeing up my yarn stash! I want to start a new project so very much. But if I did that, the sweater would never ever get finished. I must soldier on - focus - and - resist the urge, for now.
I'm still determined to finish one sleeve by Sunday night!
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| the mitts |
Such beautiful photos, Karen! I know the temptation of a new project so well. LOL! I'm having to hold the course on my projects as well... all the while daydreaming of what I will start next. I've been emptying out the pantry, fridge and freezer of things accumulated over the holidays (for us most of this month). Trying to get ready to work on a better eating plan. Ha! Enjoy your cozy knitting days! blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDeleteYour snow photos are beautiful, and like you, I welcome the chance to slow down on snow days. That happened this week, but now I have lots to do today. I'm going to be rushing through the items on my list so I can get back to what I really want to do - knitting and reading. I hope your weekend includes plenty of time for the good stuff and sleeves!
ReplyDeleteLove those snow photo's! Serene indeed.
ReplyDeleteThose mitts are so beautiful! I hope one day I will find the courage to try color work. It looks like you have to be focused and precise to make it work - two things I'm not at all.
Good luck on finishing the sweater. You can do it! ;-)
I just love the white stillness, with just the sound of the wind.
ReplyDeleteWe only had a smidge of snow -- Rudi swept it from our sidewalks, rather than having to shovel, which was nice (since other people are terrible at dealing with their sidewalks, and bricks get slick!).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the snow gave you some much loved knitting time. We didn't get quite that much. We stayed home the day it snowed, but then it was clear enough to do our errands the next day.
ReplyDeleteThe snowy photos are so beautiful. It's nice when the other plans got cancelled you could have some more knitting time! Your mittens look amazing! I love them. It is hard to fight the urge to cast on another project when you have another on the go, I always feel this way with knitting projects and also books. I always seem to end up juggling a few of each at the same time. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteYour winter wonderland is a delight, a real feast for the eyes. Love the mittens, you have such a talent. We too are eating all the goodies accumulated over Christmas and trying to sort through the freezer.
ReplyDeleteLove love love those mittens. THey make me happy to look at them. I wore my gloves yesterday and realized I must make more. They are so useful. Fiddly yes, but very useful. SIgh. Finishing shawl first however! I too am content in winter. From 3 oclock on I knit, i relax I talk to my kids on the phone. Im very content
ReplyDeleteYour snow pictures are beautiful and calming. I find knitting to be almost like a form of meditation for me...very soothing, relaxing, all the good stuff! Here's hoping you can get a sleeve finished. And those mitts I just LOVE!!
ReplyDeleteYou can do it! Just keep swimming!
ReplyDeleteWe never have snow days in NorCal valley so I'm a bit jealous that you're day can be spent knitting because of canceled plans from weather. Love your colorwork mitts!
ReplyDeleteI don't like snow but it does make for beautiful photos. I hope Frodo and Holly are getting to know each other a bit better.
ReplyDeleteSnow days are so welcome. Your photos are lovely. Oh, the siren song of a new project. I think it was Brenda Dayne of the Cast On podcast who said her favorite project is always the next one. I think of that when I have the urge to cast on something new instead of finish. The mittens will be so nice to wear. Keep on knitting.
ReplyDeleteDecembe does seem to have that effect on our grocery budgets...at least it does here. I bought a lot of things for baking and then schedules got rearranged and I found that I didn't need to do as much baking early! So, since Christmas week I have been slowly putting thing to use and the pantry is beginning to look a bit more like its old self.
ReplyDeleteThose mitts are gorgeous, Karen. I love that pattern. And I'm glad you got the snow...you know, so you could knit more. :) xx
Beautiful photos! Your comment about the calming nature of knitting resonated deeply! My favorite thing about knitting! The new year is such a lovely time to pare down (I understand December "free for all," yikes!) and I actually start thinking about Lent (I'm also Catholic). I love these quiet days! Peace to you.
ReplyDeleteWow, you've really made a lot of progress on the second mitten! Nice photos of the snow, too; here it's just really wet again.
ReplyDeleteThe snow is very beautiful in your pictures - I am glad you are enjoying the extra knitting time, those mittens will keep you warm when you do eventually venture out. Enjoy your weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are getting our first real snow of the winter, eight inches and still snowing. My plans are canceled and I'll spend my day learning to watercolor and knitting, too. You'll have your second mitten finished this weekend, from the looks of it.
ReplyDeleteYour house looks so lovely blanketed in white! We had a snow day last week but didn't get much accumulation. I am in love with your mittens! They are so festive. Have a great weekend, Karen! xx
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of snow and how lovely it looks. I'm sorry it kept you from the gym although you got to have a nice, quiet day.
ReplyDeleteI sat down with a notebook and penciled down ideas for February's switch. This morning I finished the raglan increases for my Flax. My goal is to finish it by late February. I understand about not wanting deadlines. Even if it's a relaxed one I get stressed; I even get stressed having to bring a dish for a potluck. I can be such a cream puff!
I am so envious of your snow. Who knew that Wisconsin would every be lacking in snow? When my kids were growing up, they had tons of snow days. Now that I'm a teacher, we haven't had one in a decade.
ReplyDeleteI am just in love with your mittens!
that snow is my dream. it's been too hot down under to even walk outside - or at least you go outside to hang the laundry out, then run back inside!
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful snow images are making me feel so peaceful. Knowing that you are tucked inside cozy and knitting even more so. Those mitts are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour mittens are so pretty and I just LOVE your dark, moody snow photos.
ReplyDeleteLooks magical! I start missing the snow...
ReplyDelete