Transitions

(thanks to Didi and Bop, grandparents, for this photo...)

We're in the midst of a big transition over here.At the beginning of September, our three year olds started to go to preschool for a much longer time...nearly matching a regular school day.  It has been both wonderful and exhausting for us.  On one hand, I will never forget the Wednesday after Labor Day this year.  It was the longest time I'd been by myself, in my own house, without the boys, since they were born.  It was both a huge relief...and a shock.  I almost didn't know what to do with myself!

Maybe that's a lie.  I've been working myself into a frenzy, trying to clean up 3 years of messes...both in the household and in my work life, which has mostly been on "pause" for a long time.  It is both exhilarating and hard!  I've submitted a grant application, articles and ideas and even sent off my resume to one (very long shot) editor job.  It's been exciting. 

Part of that blitz was re-issuing this pattern for sale: Wrap-Around Cardigan 

 

I'm excited to say it is now again available!  It was briefly a Knit Picks exclusive pattern, but copyright returned to me...many moons ago. 

 

The other hand--going back to the metaphor above--is the hard part.  We are all still very tired out here.  It's hard to learn to nap at school (and my boys are not great sleepers still, being exhausted during the day doesn't mean we sleep through the night!).  When the dudes come home, they are exhausted and fussy, and I don't blame them.  I too am out of sorts, trying to juggle some sort of new/old work life, the household, and two three year olds in transition.  In a sense, we're all navigating one of those overgrown late summer/fall gardens.  The flowers are over our heads.  We're trying to find our way....and the bees are busy, the flowers fragrant (all good things) but we're a bit lost still.

 

On that note, I wanted to make sure to wish my readers a happy Rosh Hashanah--happy 5775!  Happy New Year.  May it be a sweet, productive, happy, healthy and fulfilling one.

Wishing you all good things,

Joanne

wool, it happens when you least expect it

While I was visiting my family in Virginia (in between teaching and book signing adventures), my nephew's nursery school had a sheep shearing program. This wasn't entirely a surprise...

In fact, probably when my mom started this nursery school in 1970, she hoped it would always have events like this as part of the program. My mom (now retired) went on to many other things professionally, but she is incredibly proud that all her children and now, her grandchild, are at this special preschool.

A few months ago, I got an email from one of the teachers, asking me to make suggestions about a sheep shearing program. I replied with lots of ideas...and then I forgot about it. After all, it's not like I lived nearby!

It just worked out that the day of the shearing, I was in town. (no advanced planning...) My dad took me out to run an errand and suggested we just drop by. The sheep being shorn were lovely clean Icelandic sheep, part of a small "boutique" flock. I wanted to support the efforts of the shepherd, who worked hard to introduce small children to the joys of a sheep haircut or two. So, when my father pointed out this milk chocolate Icelandic fleece as his favorite, well, I bought it.

As the afternoon went by, my father became more definite about his plans. Now this fleece would be yarn that I'll spin up for my mom to knit a vest or cardigan for him. My mom said "worsted weight, please!" and my dad said, "Oh, and you can maybe give her the yarn when she visits Winnipeg in December!" Oh, right...it's a spinning order now! No problem! Yes sir! (Insert big smile here for the man who drove me to all those spinning lessons at age 12...that deserves instant service, right?!)

The fleece arrived in Winnipeg in a box (with a few other kinds of wool, but that's another story) and as soon as our heat worked again, I gave the fleece a quick wash. Now it's upstairs in my office, and I've started spinning the first bobbin. Never mind the enormous stash that I moved here this summer...this wool is butting in line as per my dad's request! We'll see what I can find time to get done by early December!
It seems like the perfect milk chocolate wool to feature with Halloween candy leftovers, doesn't it?!