Take Gentle Care

How many times have I said as a mom, “Be gentle.”  Especially when the wee ones were toddlers it seemed as though this phrase was on repeat.  Now that the girls are bigger, I don’t have to say it nearly as often.  Although maybe I need to say it like this – Be gentle with yourself.

I am coming off a very intense 3 days of events that I was in charge of at work.  For the past two weeks I have been caught up in a whirlwind of to-do lists and must dos.  My to-do lists had their own to-do lists and I was remaking them in my sleep.  I’ve rocked my step count – surpassing 20,000 steps many days in a row.  It’s been wild.  And now it’s done.

Sure I have follow up to do and thank you cards to write, but it’s done.  The events are over, the people went home, many of my very wise volunteers are on vacation.  I should be able to just jump back into everyday life, right?  I should be knitting up a storm now that I have time again.  Yet I find myself just sitting with my knitting (or sometimes just sitting without any knitting) and not doing anything.  I’ve been reading.  And even though I can read and knit at the same time, I don’t want to.

It hit me on the way into work this morning.  It’s ok to be gentle with myself this week.  The world will not fall apart if I only knit a little.  My children will get fed.  Everyone will have a warm, dry place to sleep in a (relatively) clean house.  It’s ok.  And maybe I’ll catch up on some knitting time this weekend once I’m well rested.  Maybe.  I need to ease back into the regular summer routine.  And soak up some vitamin D.

And let’s not forget, knitting is fun.  So how do you get your knitting mojo back?

 

It’s Possible

It’s no secret that there’s a lot of musical theater going on in our house.  Both girls have been involved in musicals this summer.  Addie was a Bird Girl in Seussical Jr. and Lily is a villager in Once on this Island.  I watched back to back showings of Seussical and have been singing “It’s Possible” ever since.  My favorite part (other than watching Addie bevel and swish) was when Horton asks JoJo if she dreams when she thinks.  JoJo replies, “In bright colors!”  I might have yelled in my head, “YES!” at that scene.

2016-07-02 18.17.10While I’m not always drawn to bright colors in my knitting (I am trying to branch out), knitting for kids is a great way to get some bright colors on the needles.  My 2 year old nephew needed some wool socks for next winter.  Enter this fun skein of Lollipop Yarn in Best Friends that I was able to snag.

 

2016-07-02 18.17.14I made the Tube Socks for Kids pattern as my nephew is growing fast and I wanted them to be worn as long as possible.  He really wasn’t crazy about trying them on during a warm July day, but I know they’ll get worn this winter.

*I have not counted these for Stash Dash yet even though they are finished and gifted.  I’m waiting until I finish this particular ball to keep the math easy.

2016-07-04 20.50.29

Since I had quite a bit of yarn left, including the green heel/toe ball that is included with the yarn, I decided to cast on immediately for socks for Lily.  These are tube socks as well since her feet are growing at a crazy rate.  The socks have been moving at a crazy rate as well, but that might be because they’re small and the only project I’ve worked on this week.