No Time Like the Present

Getting down to some different-than-usual business

I haven't written a blog post since January of last year. That's a long time. Well, here we all are, quarantined, sequestered (I like that jury reference -- think there's a joke in there somewhere ...), "hiding from an army of Sontarans" as Jodi Whittaker says in her Dr. Who tweet on current happenings. (go to #messagefromthedoctor)

Dental offices like mine are closed for, as the ADA tells us, "until there is a return to safety." I think that means a long time. So, as a displaced healthcare worker who, when treating patients, uses loads and loads of masks and gloves every day (these are some of the items they are speaking about in the news when you hear the acronym "PPE"), and generally creates a lot of aerosols when I work, I am likely here, at home, for the longer haul. While I cannot work from home in my day-to-day profession, I can work from home in my own way. It's just time to pull out my special, not-all-that-secret-and-not-all-that-super-but-pretty-good-powers and do some other work.

During this time, I am fortunate enough to have a husband who can work from home, a place to live, food to eat and internet access. I have a yarn stash that has nearly reached hoarder levels over my knitting life, and creative ideas stacked up to match, and maybe surpass, the stash.

Like all of us, I have those projects -- those dreams, if you will -- that have been on the back, back,  back burner(s) for oh so many years. Since we are living in surreal times anyway, why not a little dreaming? It's a wonderful thing to retreat to your rich, inner life as an artist, whether your art be fiber-ish, word-ish, visual or anything else. You can create a literal "retreat" in your own mind by thinking about those things you love, you want to create, that make you happy. In my own life, this is an activity I turn to again and again when I need calm or beauty. And right now, so many of us do.

I think that, in this time, those dreams and inner worldly things can and should come out and play. Be pursued. And we can share them with each other. As for me, I am resurrecting my Ravelry shop and my blog, which was formerly abandoned and sometimes haunted. I will kick up my novel writing to epic proportions ( I have 2 going -- and have had for some time).

So my plan is this: 

1. A twice-weekly check-in on the blog.
2. I will share: something I am reading; something I am designing; a picture of my puppy Beans; and something random.
3. Random things shared may include: UFOs or things I always wanted to sew or knit but have not had the time; skills I am trying/learning; things I am cooking, etc.
4. Once a week, I will share how the writing is going. I am enrolled in Camp NaNoWriMo and the #100dayproject, and they can keep you honest!

So, let's get rolling! 

I am a huge fan of the Craftlit Podcast with host Heather Ordover, I have been a listener for only about two or three years, but I am sucked in. Binge listen? Yes, please. The podcast is a wonderful way to hear classic lit (audiobooks) complete with some Lit Crit, commentary, and fantastic research from Heather on the authors, times and places in the books, etc.

Current book for me: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

This is a book I've always wanted to read, but never got around to it. Thankfully, Heather offered it on the podcast and, of course when I consider the source, I'm in.  It has led to a convergence for me. Years ago, I designed and knitted a Fair Isle hat for my brother Tom, who is a former MP with the Navy and is now a Merchant Marine. He truly is a seaman, or A Seafaring Man. Now seems to be the time to finally work the pattern out, complete with sizes infant to adult large, and pop it into the Ravelry shop. I am finishing up one more sample, finishing charts and the written pattern and shooting it over to the pattern testers at Ravelry.


After that, I may have one more Treasure Island pattern in mind, who knows?

These babies are getting tassels. Working on the adult sizes,
with regular tops. Or flat ones. Your choice.

As for designing, A Seafaring Man hat is the latest, but I have some others too. Included in the queue are some cleanups to some existing free patterns I have that are long over due, such as Grandma's Christmas Slippers. It's just an "ok" pattern right now, offering a single size. I wrote it as a second (or first? Can't remember) try to pattern writing. I'll let you all know when I fix it. It will remain free, no matter how many sizes I come up with. : )

Beans the Chiweenie says,  "Weird snow in March here in the Portland, Oregon? Apocalypse? Maybe. So what! Let's go!"