Blasts from the Past.

My knitting over the past couple of weeks has consisted of reviving old projects. I generally reckon to be a monogamous knitter, finishing a project before moving on to another but sometimes things get too frustrating or (dare I say it) tedious for complete fidelity knitting wise.

Do you remember this project from a while ago? The yarn is my handspun yak and silk dyed by Mandacrafts. Originally I was was a little over ambitious and chose a shawl that I liked but that was a bit beyond my fledgling lace knitting skills so I frogged it and began an easier project based on the leaf pattern which I blogged about here. I started to think that I must be completely useless and that perhaps lace knitting was just not for me as in every pattern row I knitted I found myself short of a stitch. As the fault was consistent I thought that perhaps I was making a rookie error somewhere so I undid it all and took the book and yarn along to my lovely friend Dawn for help. Dawn is an amazing person with a deep knowledge of all things fibre related. She is a shearer, spinner, knitter, weaver and designer and is very generous with her time and expertise. So we sat together and each cast on and began to knit to try to identify where it was all going wrong. Thanks to her experienced eye she was able to notice the error in the chart and correct it for me. Such a relief to know that I was following the instructions properly but that the chart had been either written or printed incorrectly. So now my project is growing and I am enjoying the knitting of it at last.


Earlier in the year I got bored of knitting the same old socks so I put these aside and only rediscovered them last week. They are currently fulfilling the role of my 'I don't want to think much' knitting.


This week's book is 'How to Know Higher Worlds' by Rudolf Steiner. This is our new study group text now that we have worked our way through 'The Philosophy of Freedom'.  'How to Know Higher Worlds' is a wonderful book where Steiner outlines the inner work necessary to allow us to develop our capacities to their utmost. Here is a little taste:

"Therefore we must begin our inner schooling by bringing devotion into our thought life. We must guard against disrespectful, disparaging, and criticizing thoughts. We must try to practice reverence and devotion in our thinking at all times."

It is a while since I acknowledged the existence of an outside life here at Misty Cottage. To be honest not an awful lot is going on out there in all this rain. Soon we will be getting weaners again which is always exciting and I am on the look out for some Khaki Campbell ducks for the garden and a couple more Aylesburys. The weather, although wet, has been incredibly mild which means that there are signs of spring in the garden.

 
One thing that  am pleased about is the fact that we are still eating out of the garden, parsnips, schorzenera (I have no idea how to spell that!), carrots, sprouts, kale and savoy cabbages with purple sprouting just beginning to sprout. 


We have done the seed order, which is like placing an order for Spring and we have got tomatoes sown. There is loads to do out there but I am a fair weather gardener and don't like to be out there in the wind and rain.

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