Each month I create these Journal episodes and posts exclusively for paying members of The Kettle Community. They’re like little care packages full of seasonal observations, reflections, and resources. Enjoy, and thank you for supporting my work!
Hello friend,
A few weeks ago, in the midst of pulling together last-minute logistics for the book festival I had been planning since December and in between deadlines for my new job, I started feeling the pull to pick up my knitting again.
I’d made a few washcloths as starter projects back in the fall, but I have a lovely hand-dyed wool yarn and I wanted to make something wearable. So, I planned to try a scarf in a “broken rib” stitch, alternating knitting and purling.
The pattern didn’t seem particularly complicated, but as I knitted away, I noticed the needle was becoming rather crowded. And when I counted the stitches I realized my scarf’s width had ballooned from 35 stitches to 57 in just a few inches. Whoops.
After watching a few videos on YouTube, it became clear that, when switching back and forth between knit and purl stitches, I had been wrapping the yarn around the side of the needle instead of passing it between the needles, creating an accidental yarn over and adding stitches as I went.
Since I didn’t know when exactly I’d added the stitches, I didn’t know how to fix the problem, and I unraveled the entire thing; hours’ worth of work.
Now that I knew what was wrong, I (theoretically) could start over with the same pattern and (hopefully) do it correctly, if I was just able to remember how to correctly switch between stitches.
But at that moment, my overloaded brain just could not handle any more information.
I considered why I was feeling drawn to knitting in the first place, and realized that, at that moment, it was all about having a soothingly rhythmic, tactile experience—not mastering a project that may still be a bit beyond my very novice abilities.
So I picked up my yarn and kneedles, cast on 35 stitches, and did what I know how to do: I just knit, the same stitch over and over, all the way down the row. Then I flipped it and knit another row. And another, and another, and another.
The garter stitch, as it’s called when you simply knit every row, isn’t anything to brag about—but I still think it’s turning out a lovely scarf. Every time I sit on the sofa, I find myself reaching for my project, and my over-busy brain starts to calm down as my hands move. Mission accomplished.
Sometimes it just isn’t the season for purling.
Seasons - both literal and metaphorical - were on my mind as I recorded this month’s Journal episode. As we creep expectantly toward spring (is March hard on anyone else?) and I try to catch my breath after an incredibly busy winter, I’m thinking about how we are impacted by the seasons in our lives, and how we can either resist them—or ride them out as gracefully as possible.
In this episode, created exclusively for members of The Kettle community, I talk about the small signs of spring, like finding more and more multi-colored eggs in the chicken coop, that help remind me that the seasons really are shifting even on those days when the temperature drops.
I also share about the “Creative Solo Dates” (inspired by Artist Dates in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron) that I’ve scheduled into my calendar to ensure I get some playful white space in my now much-more-busy weekly schedule. I’ve also created a printable checklist of creative date ideas in case you’d like to join me.
And to celebrate my last month of Tea Sommelier training, I offer not one, but two tea recommendations!
It’s all below the jump. Thanks for being here, friends, and happy March!
Journal episodes come out at the beginning of each month, and are a benefit for paying members of The Kettle Community. To hear the full episode, see more photos, resources, and links, and find links to community events like our weekly Co-Create sessions on Zoom, our private Discord chat, and more, join us today.
