Meandering toward 2023

It’s been a strange week. I don’t work anymore “outside the home” as they used to say, but I still have a sensation of being off work. I feel on hiatus, yet everything continues as normal. Time is strange.

I finished the I-cord bind-off on my first knitting project. It seemed like the bind-off was never-ending, but it did come to an end. I’m not totally happy with the colors I chose, too much contrast between the darks and lights. But it does float on my shoulders like a warm cloud. I still have to fix a few stitches and sew in the ends.

I am fiddling around with this little weaving. I’ve unwove and rewove multiple times. I started with three strands, then changed my mind to two. I started with a pink triangle, then felt more inspired by a petal shape. I didn’t plan on what to do with the pink between flowers until I started the second flower. Then decided to carry the pink thread along instead of cutting it. There are only six warps, so it’s easy to unweave! I think I’m on track now. The thought of cherry blossoms is cheery at this time of year. The threads are dyed with walnut and cochineal.

I made a lot of vegetarian food for Christmas. I used up my winter squash from the garden, just have one pumpkin left. I used up my red cabbages. This is a colorful dish of leftovers: squash, red cabbage, stuffed mushrooms, and spinach. We have done a lot of grocery shopping this week and the refrigerator is jammed.

Walking. I’ve been walking in the woods behind my house. I’ve avoided them for a year or two, for no good reason. This baby pine was so beautiful. I had to crouch down in the snow to take its photo. I wanted to lie on the ground, but it was very wet.

I turned around to take a photo of the trail sign where I exit the woods to walk on the road back home. This trail is well-marked now. When we first moved here, it was not and I once got seriously lost, in my own backyard, basically. One of those experiences where I passed my own bootprints in the snow going the opposite direction.

I never walk this route in reverse. I should try it. The path into the woods looks so welcoming.