by Lisa on February 22, 2012
5. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumble Bee
This is for the frenzy of Christmas knitting or when a deadline looms.
4. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony
When you have a serious mistake to repair or rip out.
3. Beethoven’s Ode to Joy (Ninth Symphony)
This is for those stretches of pleasant knitting hours. No rush just joy.
2. Pachelbel’s Canon in D
Starts slow and picks up speed much like a project going well.
1. Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus
Blast this one for triumphant completion of any project, especially your first one.
by Lisa on February 16, 2012
When my son went off to college last fall I knew things were going to change at our house. I knew I didn’t have to buy as much milk every week. I knew our texting bills would increase. I knew I’d send more care packages than any freshman had ever seen, teehee. But I didn’t count on some of the other surprises that came my way.
I was surprised to find that I no longer had to set an alarm clock. My bod likes to get up at 7:30 every day. It just wakes up then no matter what time I go to bed. Since there is no longer a kidlet in the house to get off to school I can wake in my own natural rhythm. So nice.
I was surprised by how long it took my husband and I to have a full load of dirty dishes so we could run the dishwasher. How many a meals a day had that kid been eating anyway? His after school snacks had taken on epic proportions so there were many more dishes to do. And laundry. It takes just the two of us a lot longer to make full loads of clothes that need washing.
I was also surprised to find something left in our empty nest, my dear husband. As a family we’d been so focused on college for a year and now it was all up to the kid to spread his wings and take off. Dear hubby and I have found a new rhythm and it’s nice. In fact we took off this week on a whim. Well not entirely, he had a work conference and invited me to tag along. What fun. It is a surprise to find out there is life after the day-to-day of raising our kidlet. It was a blast while it lasted and I know we are not turning in our parent status. But I see a new kind of parenting on the horizon, and a new way of being a couple. Both are very pleasant surprises indeed.
by Lisa on February 7, 2012
One of the delights in my life is working at Piedmont Yarn in Oakland, CA. Yes, I get to knit at work and yes, I am surrounded by great fiber to choose from. But my favorite part of working in a yarn shop is chatting with the folks who come in. It’s always fun to see what they are working on or to figure out a problem together. And I’ve met knitters visiting from out of state and overseas. Fun times. Every now and then one of these lovely people will share a bit of wisdom, a little something that gives me pause and makes me glad to be in the community of knitters. Such a bit of wisdom came my way yesterday.
When you buy a hank of yarn it needs to be wound into a ball or cake before you can knit with it. Not every new knitter knows this and many have been surprised with a tangled mess. Sometimes this is enough to make a person throw up their hands in disgust and even leave this “dreadful” hobby altogether. Not so for one knitter. Confronted with a hopeless tangle she started to pick it apart to make a ball she could work with. She told me she didn’t mind so much since the yarn was beautiful and she loved looking at it. She also discovered as she worked that if she pulled too hard the whole thing became a tight knot but if she relaxed and loosened everything up she could find a way to detangle a little bit more.
“My yarn taught me a couple valuable life lessons. When I am in a tight spot or tough time if I relax and do not hold on so tight it will be easier for me to find my way out. And even in a tough time I can look around to see the beauty beside me and take heart.”
Don’t hold on too tight and watch for beauty.
