Yarn Along

Nothing is getting done at my house these days.  Operation “Get Out of the House and Not Climb the Walls” has backfired, and there’s so much that needs to get done at home that I feel a bit overwhelmed by it.  In a matter of 2-3 days I’ve gotten so behind.  Yesterday we went to the library again, and I saw a “librarian’s pick” selection while my kids were checking out.  I sighed and told the lady “I wish I could read a book…”

Obviously, I know how to read.  I just feel like lately I get to read or knit, and I’ve had a few deadlines I’ve tried (and sometimes failed) to make.  I wish I could finish reading my vacation book Kristin Lavransdatter.  The kids are way too needy these days to allow such a luxury.  My mind is on so many jobs that are getting undone around the house.

Soon Knut will be back home.  By soon I mean weeks, but still: harvest is temporary.  I miss having him here in the evenings to settle me down and just set this tone of relaxation for the night.  I miss him doing the supper dishes while I read to Silje and David before bed.  I miss talking to him during daylight hours.

Last night he came home, and I showed him the kitchen books I picked up at the library.  We sat down at the kitchen table, and just looked at pictures and pointed things out for well over an hour.  It was way past midnight when we got to bed, but both of us were just craving some sort of hanging out and talking about something besides, “I need you to stop by the bank tomorrow,” or “Did you get to washing my work socks today?”  It was an hour of lost sleep well spent.

It’s not that I’m not thankful for this harvest, because I am.  From what I can tell, things seem to be doing much better than expected out in the fields.  There’s been a lot of worry about that with our lack of rain this year.  I’m so thankful and excited they’re pulling in a good harvest.  I’m so thankful, so, so thankful that Knut has a good job that he loves.  With all the discussion on the economy in our country these days, it’s very evident that many people are struggling with employment, and that’s one thing that we don’t need to worry about right now.

With all the troubles in the world, my unfulfilled desire to just sit and read a book…maybe with the attached far off dream that I will read said book on a clean couch with no laundry on it…just seems a bit trivial.

I have been able to knit, which is made possible by the fact that I’m at the “mindless” portion of my cardigan and I can knit during school time, or knit while parked and waiting for the older kids to finish their choir practice.  I can pick up my knitting for 5 minutes while talking to someone, but I can’t seem to pick up a deep book and read it while getting interrupted every 30 seconds.

If someone points out that I can also do a few dishes in some spare 5 minutes, instead of knitting, you may get punched.  Just sayin’.  Don’t mess with a farmer’s wife during harvest.

Slowly but surely, it’s making progress.  I was very excited that Quince and Co. finally got the color “lichen” back in stock in their “chickadee” yarn, so I was able to order more and not worry if I’ll have enough to do the collar I wanted.  I’m really eager to get this pattern out, as so far it’s fitting great (well, except over my pregnant belly) and I’m on the first arm, just knitting around and around and around and around.  It’s very therapeutic.  I’m just so pleased with how it’s turning out that I want to share the pattern…and perhaps make another one.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  I have to get on a Christmas stocking for our little girl due to arrive just days before Christmas.  I shouldn’t even allow my brain to go to another sweater from this pattern, but it’s just been so fun…  I’ve named it the “Clarity Cardigan” and I hope to have it published around the end of this month, or beginning of next month, depending on about 1,000 things.

Anyway, I hope I can still participate in my “Yarn Along” discussion if I don’t have any reading to report.  I haven’t even done my devotions for 3 days.  Ironically it coincides with the number of days it’s taken for me to get horribly behind in my chores.  But who’s surprised by that…