Stasia's Place Of Grace

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

 

Can Fall Be Far?

We had temperatures in the low 60s today - it was lovely. A hint of the crispness of harvest time was in the blustery breeze. Sweater weather...

I knit a gauge swatch for my Peace Fleece Everyday Cardigan in the Zarya Fog colorway:

I love this yarn. It is very sheepity - smells natural but clean, feels soft and lanoliny but not greasy, knits easily and evenly. Feels almost like my own handspun, but definitely more even! Great product from a source that makes a difference. Miss Kary altered the neckline on the one she knit - I'm thinking of making a ribbed, foldover collar for mine. Well, let's just get the body finished first before we start dreaming, shall we?

I love a pattern without a row gauge. Like Claudia, my rows are always off. Unlike Claudia, I haven't the mental powers to adjust patterns accordingly (she is amazing!) I prefer to just "knit until it measures so-and-so inches" without worrying about the number of rows.

The Peace Fleece kit is great - it comes with yarn to make any size of the sweater, handmade cherry buttons, a card telling the Peace Fleece story, and a label to sew in when you're finished. There's even a ruler on the back of the pattern... only it wasn't printed correctly on mine, so it's not accurate! I did write and let them know, because it's such a neat idea, to have a ruler handy all the time like that!

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Fall is my favorite season. I love seeing the colorful oaks and acorns on hikes in the nearby forests. The acorn is such a wonderful symbol of personal potential and possibility, and the oak a symbol of longevity, strength, and creative fulfilment.

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am embarking on a new creative journey this season, so I got a new journal to help log my progress. I also got some acorn jewelry to wear as talismans during this phase of personal growth:

The lovely oak leaf and acorn sterling heart pendant is by the wonderful folks at Dragon's Treasure. Lots of Celtic, Viking, and historic jewelry can be seen at their site.

The hand-tooled oak leaf and acorn leather journal cover (comes with hardbound journal, replacements available at any art store) and pewter oak leaf and acorn barrette are by Oberon Designs. Check out their varied designs - they also create great pewter bookmarks that would make neat, inexpensive gifts (after Fall comes the gift-giving season, remember!)

I'll tell you about the Springer card in a little bit...

The roses are from my "Arizona" bushes - this strong grandiflora just keeps blooming! I have had cut flowers for the last three weeks now. They smell lovely - not all sweet and cloying like some roses - their scent is just how they appear - like peaches and cloves. Fresh, fruity, and long-lasting. You can sniff again and again and it's always just as strong - you don't "get used to it" and become unable to smell it as with some others. I think next year I will plant many, many more of these... if I can get Jeff to dig up some lawn and make a rose bed for me, because I'm out of room for more plants now!

Speaking of plants...

David Austin "Charles Darwin" English Rose

Charlotte Brownell and Peace Roses
with Black Eyed Susans and Russian Sage

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Fiona likes to snuggle up in cooler weather. Here we find her relaxing with her favorite magazine... and a special issue on Whippets at that!

Ok, so, that Springer card in the photo of the journal... I read about a rescued English Springer Spaniel, who lives on Nantucket, in La Vie Claire magazine. His name is Oliver, and he is really from England.

Oliver's face reminded me so much of Val that... well, like an 11-year-old girl, I wrote a card from Valentine to Oliver. On Crane's Springer Spaniel stationery, no less. (They don't have it any more, but they do currently have Pugs and Border Collies...)

I guess I didn't freak out Oliver's owners too much, because today Valentine received a note in reply! Only... Oliver thought Valentine was a girl. Oops! Maybe we should have signed it "Valentine ALEXANDER Wussow". (Valentine is so good-natured, he wasn't offended.)

It's nice that there are still people in the world who don't think you're a complete psychopath when you send their dog a letter. And who also have Springer Spaniel stationery. :-)

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May you have a lovely, creative day tomorrow... no matter what season it is where you live! I fixed the Tag-Board and my funky smilies work again, and you can write as much as you'd like - please do! Tell us what you're working on, and where we can see it!

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