About a year ago I started knitting little hexagons with my scraps of wool yarn. Not little hexipuffs for a Beekeepers Quilt mind you. (although I do adore that pattern too!) Just simple little knitted flat hexagons. I came across the hexagon pattern (it’s free by the way) quite a while ago and thought it would be really cute to make a scrappy hexagon blanket or throw using just my naturally dyed yarns.

I have since memorized the pattern months ago and average about 5 or so hexagons a week. This has added up to the pile you see in the photos. I have no idea how many I really have. Well over one hundred I am pretty sure. I started thinking the other day that it just might be time to start sewing them together and seeing how big it is going to be. I would love for it to fit my queen sized bed as a quilt but that might require a bit more hexagons!

I started to lay them out on my bed to get any idea of how to arrange them.

I just love looking at them. I also love that each and everyone is naturally dyed and I remember dyeing every single yarn that they are made with. In that respect it is sort of like a memory quilt too.

I’m hoping to start sewing them together tonight. I’m a bit worried that Gabriel might be coming down with one of the nasty bugs that are causing others to drop all around us. I certainly hope not but if he is I know what I’ll be working on if I need to sit with him for awhile.

*Edited to add: I just did up a Ravelry page for my notes. Here is the link

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Gratitude * Sunday

by Cynthia

~~~~~

This week had a lot of ups and downs for me in many ways. But Friday was definitely one that made me feel very grateful. In my last blog post I wrote and shared pictures from an impromptu field trip with three of my four children. That day turned out to be what I really have been needing to lift my spirit and shake off some of the weight that has been pulling me down.

For a little over a month now I have been keeping a daily Gratitude Journal. I used to do this years ago but stopped. I decided last month that it was time to start that nightly ritual back up again to help me get through some really hard times and not loose sight of the good that can still be found if one looks for it.

I thought for today’s Gratitude Sunday post I would share with you my Gratitude Journal entry for Friday.

Friday February 15, 2013

Today I am grateful for…

.: the gloriously blue sky today! :.

.: The sun, the feel of its warmth, the shadows it created, everything SUN! Oh, how I’ve missed you sun! :.

.: The gloomy-gray rainy skies to help me to appreciate a beautiful sunny day like today was :.

.: The sound of water cascading down the river :.

.: My silly little children that just LOVE tossing rock after rock into the water :.

.: Noting the still bare trees and almost feeling them stirring and getting ready to burst forth with their brand new tender spring leaves :.

.: Living in this beautiful, beautiful region of our country :.

.: My spirit finding peace today in the little nature walk spent with the ones I love so much :.

~~~~~

Please be sure to stop by and read everyone’s Gratitude Sunday posts today. I promise you will walk away feeling inspired! Thank you to Taryn for hosting it every week.

 

 

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Blue Sky

by Cynthia

Today was the most beautiful day! We awoke this morning to a blue, blue sky without a cloud in sight. After morning chores and an attempt at a lesson that fell short due to restless energy (spring fever perhaps?) I quickly threw together a spur of the moment trip to the East Fork Lewis River for a nature walk. It is now mid-February so I was hoping we could spot some signs of spring. We did notice the leaf buds on the blackberry bushes and a few shrubs around the river’s edge are beginning to swell. But other than that, the river and all its pretty river rocks are what really caught my little one’s attention.

They are like little moths to a flame when they get near water and rocks. What is it about tossing rocks into water that is just so exciting and fascinating? They were completely engrossed with this activity and probably would have remained so for hours I had let them. At one point I found myself thinking, “My goodness, there is going to be no rocks left in this spot here soon if I do not remove determined little Gabriel!” Luckily this little picnicking spot near the river also has a playground and that was how I was able to lure them away from the water’s edge- and all those wonderful river rocks!

After weeks of gloomy skies it felt so good to see that bright blue sky above and feel the sun. The fresh air combined with the sights and sounds of the river were enough to really lift my spirits after what has been a tremendously hard month. I walked away from this nature walk feeling so much more refreshed and at peace. I wish I could have bottled up all that blue sky and the flowing sound of that river!

I hope you all have had a beautiful week and have an even lovelier weekend. xoxo

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Somewhat Ridiculous

by Cynthia

Earlier today I decided to pull out all of my works in progress and take a good hard look at them. I am acquiring way too many unfinished or almost there projects for my liking these days. I intended to look at them all and see what was worth finishing and what was worth ripping out or frogging and putting the yarn towards another use. Once I had them all in a pile I suddenly felt rather embarrassed. I found myself asking, “Seriously, what is the matter with me? Do I have some sort of commitment phobia?!” Why am I getting to about the half way point on a pattern and then tossing it aside to start another pattern only to toss that one aside. Could it be a short attention span moves me from one pattern to yet another intriguing sounding pattern? I really cannot answer that tonight. Maybe I get sidetracked by life? Maybe the pattern suddenly becomes mundane? Or maybe a birthday/holiday comes up out of nowhere on me and I have to focus my attention on gift giving. Whatever the cause may be, I really do not like it and feel slightly anxious just looking at that picture. I feel obligated to complete each and everyone but honestly I don’t think I want to.

Gabriel’s new Milo vest (the pretty shade of blue yarn) is most certainly going to be finished and here soon. But I just started that one a few days ago so that does not count. Then there’s my Tea Leaves cardigan and that one too is going to be finished if only because I bought the most beautiful buttons to go with it– plus I really want to wear that cardigan before spring gets here. But see the various shades of brown yarn? That is a sweater I started for Gabriel over a year ago. It might still fit him if I were to finish it NOW. Also in that pile are 3 shawls, 1 scarf, 1 cuff to a sock, a diaper soaker that is at the grafting stage (if you have ever knitted a diaper soaker before you know what I’m talking about), and one almost complete fingerless mitt.

I was looking at each project, inspecting the yarn, debating what to do when I picked up the light pink WIP. I do not remember why I put this one down. I was really enjoying my work on it. It is going to be a very simple light weight shawl made just from the feather and fan stitch. The yarn is 100% Shetland wool that I handspun to about a sock weight. I purchased the fiber as a batt from a local farmer that raises the sheep herself. I absolutely love the yarn and am sad I put this one down. I think this one for sure is going to be picked back up and finished. As for the other works in progress? Well, Gabriel might be out of diapers before I get around to finishing that soaker! And you know what? I think I am okay with that.

So, how about you? Do you get in over your head with projects and crafts? Or do you knock them out one by one?

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