Friday, April 1, 2016

april



April is promising to be a very busy month for our family. Brad and I were walking around our property yesterday morning, both feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that we have on our "plates" right now, and I just really felt the need to stop walking and just look around at our many, many blessings. I don't want to miss them all for the sake of busyness. These things that are going to keep us busy are not things we can help. Some of them were unforeseen. Some of them were commitments made long ago. But I do know that I am going to practice being very intentional in slowing my body and my mind down long enough each day to breathe in the blessings around me.

I finished spinning another skein of yarn. This one is my largest yet; approximately 355 yards. I love the different colors and how they blended when I was plying. The plying part was exciting because I wasn't sure which colors would end up with which, so it was a surprise as it flew onto the bobbin.

The kids and I took a walk into the woods two days ago. I was hoping to find a bit more green, but the forest floor was still mostly brown with the leftovers from fall. There were a few patches of green here and there and some brush that was greening.

There is an old apple orchard in the middle of the woods behind our home. It is one of the strangest things to me, to see an old orchard in the middle of a forest. The trees hardly yield fruit because its been neglected for so many years, but it's a refreshing place to visit and it just looks so strange in the middle of all of the tall oaks, maples, and pines. The area also stays surprisingly free of brush and undergrowth, which seems strange to me, and is another reason I really like it. I need to take my knitting back there this summer and enjoy some outdoor knitting.

I recently ordered three new knitting books. I had already looked through The Gentle Art of Knitting because I had previously checked it out of the library. I enjoyed it and liked enough of the patterns to go ahead and order a copy to keep. I also picked up two other books, Home and Away and Swoon Maine. I've had both of those in my Amazon wishlist for awhile, and I snatched them up when I had enough Amazon cash to do so. Both of them have some really amazing patterns that I will be making for sure. I am loving the photography in both, particularly in Swoon Maine. I do love Maine so I love having the scenery of that beautiful state in a wonderful knitting book. Two of my favorite things in one.

9 comments:

Billie Jo said...

I am doing the same...
I am trying to practice Mindfulness.
Trying to be mindful of the everyday happenings in my little world, as opposed to running through my day with thoughts and images swirling around.
Your photos are beautiful!
Have a cozy weekend with your people. : )

Rachel E. said...

a breath of fresh air...that is what your blog is. You put perspective in the day.

living from glory to glory said...

Lovely...

Mereknits said...

It is sometimes so hard to remember to just be int the moment when there is so much to do every day. Your photos are beautiful and the moments you captured are lovely. I also just love your yarn, well done.
Meredith

Simply Handmade Farmhouse said...

Amber, lovely, just lovely. Have a great week.

Mrs. Chrissy T said...

I pray for you to have a intentional and rich month friend. Blessings!!!!

Lisa said...

Your apple trees in the forest brought Narnia to mind...the lamp post. What a fairy tale kind of place your woods sound like, and what a dreamy place to spend time knitting on a warm summertime day. Will look forward to seeing what you create with your freshly spun yarn! xo

Leslie Kimel said...

You live in such a beautiful place, and you capture the beauty so wonderfully in your photos and writing. Your woods are just lovely with all the hills, and the light playing in the branches, and the apple orchard sounds so magical!

Emily Boyd said...

Did you make your daughter's hat? It's lovely!
I recently purchased Home & Away and I love it so, so much. I really need to buy myself a copy of Swoon Maine - it's about my home state, after all. :) Have you heard about the Maine Knits book? The Kickstarter campaign just ended, but it will have designs from Carrie Bostick Hoge and other fabulous Maine designers.

Emily
goldberryartisans.com