One stitch at a time

 

Knitting is a wonderful craft to learn.  My daughter taught me (a lifetime crocheter) about three years ago; but I still consider myself a novice. 

Yes, it's a little intimidating in the beginning, but isn't any new skill when first learning it?  I've crocheted for so long now I don't even remember the difficult part.  I just kept at it and now it's second nature.  I've even taught myself to read 'some' crochet patterns; but I usually do my own thing nine times out of ten.   

In 1995, I was introduced to singing Gregorian Chant in Latin.  (I'd fallen in love with chant a few years before that.)  My first thought:??? What am I even doing?? I hadn't learned to properly pronounce or read Latin -- and I'd never considered myself having a good voice.  But somehow after lessons spanning September into late December, I found myself leading a women's schola, singing the Christmas Midnight Mass! And for almost 30 years, I have led a schola off and on regularly until my thyroid surgery last year. That changed my voice entirely.  I still sing the chant, just not as a leader (or publicly). 😃 You don't want to hear that! 

But let me get back on point.  Knitting has taught me a very good lesson.  It has taught me to be patient with myself.  Learning something new is hard, and mistakes will be made.  It's all part of the process.  But instead of giving up, if you keep trying, the mistakes become part of the learning process.  You learn what not to do while learning what works! And if all else fails, take out the yarn, roll it back up and start again.  No harm done!  That seemed ridiculous to me in the beginning, but I've done it and it taught me something.  It taught me it's ok to begin again.  

Isn't that what we do every day?  We try, sometimes mess up, get frustrated, but if we're smart, we begin again.  

Knitting is a little like prayer as well.  I mean, each row is just a row - one stitch at a time.  It can take a minute to see ANY progress.  Prayer can feel slow and as though nothing is happening.  But one line at a time --- one word at a time, we begin to see or rather feel a change.  The words soften and it feels more like meditation and conversation.  Finally, we begin to see a larger picture and not just the moment.   

..............like our knitting. 

• Giving gratitude for a little cooler day and RAIN!  September is right around the corner.  

Until next time, Pax tecum,

kellie 

An August daybook

 Dearest friends of Terra Dulcis! Greetings - glad to see you here; even if it HAS been a minute.......

I'm going to follow the old tried and true recipe for a day-book entry; what today (this week) looks like; my current project(s); meals I'm planning; prayers I'm praying; hopes I'm hoping.  You get the idea.

OOTD:  blue knee length shorts (it's multiple days of 100 plus here right now), a dark pinkish shirt I got for a dollar at GW just yesterday.  Of course I washed it!  Hair braided off to the side.  

Listening to:  the blessed AC blowing into the room, the clickety clack of the keyboard.  The peace of a quiet day at home.  

Current project(s):  I just finished a knitted blue and grey blanket.  Currently I'm almost done with a lovely pastel piece (knitted) but I'm adding a side border as it isn't as wide as I'd like.  Recently, my niece put some of my work in her online 'shop' and the items were delightfully received by the audience.  That's a confidence booster for sure!  So, slowly I'll try to get some fall/winter items together for her to present.  Since I love to do the craft, I just make items not knowing really where they'll end up eventually.  I'll concentrate on carry-all bags, scarves, beanie hats for the coming season.  And maybe a couple of throws/blankets.  

What's cooking?  We've had chicken and dumplings (rotisserie chicken/premade canned bisquits, etc.) prepared in the crockpot.  But I put the dough in too late, so had to transfer to a pot to 'simmer' the dumplings the rest of the way.  Will I ever learn??  Tonight, grilling burgers and tater tots.  We'll do spaghetti or tacos one night, maybe take out on another, and our standing bean tostada Friday night dinner with fixin's.  As usual I don't pre-plan real well on some nights and fly by the seat of my pants, but the freezer usually comes to my rescue. 

 Reading anything? - Not reading too much this summer.  I'm concentrating on the crochet/knit projects and getting some swimming in before the season ends.  Some of my favorite prayer books stay close, but no reading for summer pleasure as I used to.  Not right now anyway. 

Praying:  Speaking of praying, that's heavy.  Prayers for my husband, my children (their spouses), grands, siblings, our friends who are like family, the sick, the dying, our parish and priest, the state of the world.  Praying for rain, as dry conditions have reached dangerous levels now.  No longer is the landscape covered in green.  It's turning brown and crispy.  Rain isn't even projected in the future forecasts at this point. I know when it does start to rain, summer quickly turns to a wet and cold Autumn, and I'm actually quite fine with that.  

Planning:  Well, I 'hope' to plan to do a little work on this old place before winter hits.  Some of our walls/ceiling in the kitchen need fixed.  But I'm at the mercy of my other half getting this done.  I've harvested some sunflower and other seeds from my plants this week, and am excited to see if they germinate next spring. 

 

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes which was read this past Sunday.  

By the Grace of God, I am what I am.  

Pax tecum, until next time, be blessed, kellie