The snow is gone besides some dirty, icy piles at the edge of woods and houses. The skiers in my house are trying not to fall into depression over that, as it’s only March. I’m not holding my breath. I’ve never known to live here, and be done with snow by February. I’m sure this winter has one blizzard left in it yet.
Life just keeps moving, doesn’t it? I go from one thing to the next, to the next, to the next, trying to explain to pretty much everyone in my house that I can’t carry on more than one conversation at once.
This spinning wheel though? Oh, she is my friend. The little business that I bought the wheel from is owned by this sweet lady that I never actually met. It was too far of a drive, but I knew she could help me pick out the best one. We wrote several emails back and forth as I did my research, and she would point out how that wheel would do around kids, how it would hold up, how it would spin for a beginner, etc. She held my hand through the whole thing, and when I ended up getting the wheel, she threw in a jumbo-flier as a thank you. So, I just pulled out the jumbo-flier attachment, and I love this thing. I feel like that’s when my beginner’s spinning looked like this nice, smooth, consistent yarn, or at least part of yarn. I intend to ply it when I’m done with this second bobbin.
I’ve started spinning just a little bit everyday, like everyone tells me. It’s so calming. It’s like one of those Zen sand garden things. I have accidentally sat there for way longer than I intended because it’s just so hard to stop. The little girls just love to sit in front of the wheel like 2 little kittens and stare at it going round and round as I work.
So I’m not getting much knitting done.
My boys, though, have gotten bitten by the knitting bug, big time. Silje already knows how to knit, and is avoiding working through a big knot in her yarn right now, and has been sewing instead. I reviewed with David this last weekend, and I showed Elias for the first time how to knit. He still needs some hand holding. David just took off, though.
He hasn’t really stopped knitting this hat for the last several days, and now today I have to show him how to decrease for the crown. Sundays are usually his worst days, as sitting in church is so difficult for him. We give him various things to do, but he doesn’t like drawing, reading kids’ books, or pretty much anything. But Knut let him bring his knitting with last Sunday, and I just said he had to participate in the rest of the service, but could knit during the sermon. He did so well. We even had the best conversation about the sermon afterwards as he was able to listen so much better than he usually can. He was inthralled with the message and had so many thoughts about it.
It worked so well, that David’s Sunday school teacher suggested he brings his knitting into his class next week, to help him cope in there. I love our church. We may have found a solution to our constant Sunday issue too. Well, at least a solution for now. I never know how long a solution will last with any of my kids. We just take it a day at a time with all of them it feels like. New issues never cease to arise.
I wasn’t planning on him finishing this hat in just under a week, as Silje’s been working on her hat for a few months. Getting David knitting might be the best stash-busting project I’ve done in years.
So besides spinning, and teaching the boys to knit, I’ve been working on organizing our school stuff as next year’s curriculum starts to trickle in, and I’ve been working on my end of the taxes. Bleh. I finished last night, and felt like throwing a party afterwards.
This warmer weather has bitten our house with some kind of spring cleaning bug as well this week. We’ve been going through everything, and it’s just so refreshing. I’ve been loving the clarity of it. I haven’t been sleeping very well, though. Heartburn is starting to sneak into this pregnancy, a little earlier than expected. I’m already drinking my daily kefir, taking papaya enzymes when it’s really bad, and sleeping at an incline. Sleeping at an incline has been putting more pressure on my hips, and they just hurt. Plus Ingrid has been climbing into bed with me a lot lately. I’m not sure why, but I usually don’t mind because she’s such a fantastic snuggler. (Solveig is more of a fish out of water flopper in our bed, and that doesn’t last long!) Even though Ingrid snuggles well, I just don’t sleep as well when she’s there. Maybe she just senses the changes and wants to be sure I’ll still be there.
Life just doesn’t stop, but I feel so grateful to be able to share it with you, friends. What’s been going on in your life this week?
Elizabeth says
March 1, 2016 at 3:25 pmso glad for every good thing. God bless you. I am going to NYC soon myself! lunch with husband, tea with friend, and a trip to Trader Joes!
Sonya says
March 1, 2016 at 6:01 pmHaving something to keep hands occupied is huge around here, I’m glad to hear that knitting is working well for David. I find it much easier to concentrate if my hands are occupied, and something rhythmic like knitting is perfect. (When we bought our house we managed to keep our then nearly 4 year old mostly quiet for a good hour by having some cords with knots to untie.)
martha says
March 1, 2016 at 7:53 pmi am a newer knitter (since Oct.) so spinning is totally new to me! it does look like something i could find myself getting into. 🙂 It looks and sounds beautiful and relaxing. I love that you’re teaching your boys to knit. I might not have thought to teach my son, but maybe down the road he would be interested in it! He already likes to sit with me when I knit and he looks at books. We’ve had a few sunny + warm spring-like days here in western NC but maybe snow later this week! I’m sort of happy to welcome either. I hate to see the snowy cozy weather go, but then these spring days are so incredible!
(ps. I found your blog a couple of months ago through Ginny’s yarn along and have enjoyed getting to “know” your family! thanks for sharing your lives here)
Rita Hjelle says
March 1, 2016 at 8:30 pmI LOVE that David is knitting and that he helped in church. I started knitting in church/bible studies/Sunday school, etc, abou 5 years ago, and haven’t stopped with some sort of hand project since. I havne’t knit in the last 2 years or so, it’s been hand sewing instead, but it makes a HUGE difference! I can make it all morning at church without getting restless and angry. When I was relying on doodling, it would make me very cranky.
I hope this keeps working for him! Or that he keeps finding things that do!
Deborah says
March 2, 2016 at 12:33 pmLife here in southern VA is at the beginning of welcoming spring… Yesterday was in the 50s and I breathed hallelujahs to see my kids able to play and run all their energy out in bright sunshine.
I’ve been spinning as well… The bug bit me two years ago and now? Oh it’s a lovely way to spend a bit of time while we listen to audiobooks. Dare I say I enjoy spinning maybe even more than knitting?
I love reading your posts. They make life seem hopeful and mirror much of our life with our kids ages and also some of our challenges. I need to work with my boys on knitting again- though they are loving their latchhooking and also have been enjoying making baby hats on a knitting loom. We are stuck on the hats at the moment because while I know how to finish a hat on needles I’m completely out of my box on how to finish a hat on a loom.
I’m at a point in our homeschooling that I have pushed and pushed them… And gotten away from what I want in our days. Time to relax. And read out loud. And draw things we see from in our backyard. And get back to the things we enjoy instead of pushing all the bookwork so hard.
I think there is a direct correlation between my pushing them so hard and pushing myself. Why is it so hard to recieve and give grace? And live fully in the moment?
I think our first assignment today will be writing down a free things to be thankful for. It will
help all of us refocus. Especially me.
Amber says
March 2, 2016 at 2:37 pmWow! Your spinning looks excellent! I can’t believe that you just recently started spinning. I never get to my spinning as much as I’d like, and my daughter has been begging me to teach her. Regarding your son and his knitting ~ I think it’s an excellent idea to let him knit during the sermon. I have often wished I could take my knitting with me. I take notes during our sermon because if I don’t, I have a hard time staying focused. I’ve often thought how nice it would be to be able to knit while I listen.
Donna says
March 2, 2016 at 2:57 pmSpinning has such a calming effect. I find myself either spinning a lot or knitting a lot. I can’t seem to find that perfect balance. Have a wonderful week!
Jennifer says
March 2, 2016 at 3:09 pmI love that the boys are knitting! Good on them. I had such horrible, horrible heartburn during my pregnancy. I know it’s an old wives tale about the baby being born with hair, but she had a full head of thick, dark hair. So I believe it. I had Tums everywhere. In my car, in my purse, beside my bed, in my suitcase… Good luck with that!
Mom says
March 2, 2016 at 3:57 pmWhat a wonderful breakthrough for David! This coping mechanism for this time in his life is helping him to absorb the Word of God in a critical time of his life. This is so wonderful! I’m glad you’ve found a good outlet in spinning wool as well. God is so good!
Jill says
March 3, 2016 at 12:22 amI tend to spin in fits and spurts – it’s all or nothing and I usually end up with a stiff neck. Lovely pictures.
Say Little Hen says
March 3, 2016 at 3:55 amThis is my first visit to your blog and I just have to say it looks lovely. I love that you are teaching your children to knit!
I’m hoping to learn to spin this year, seeing you write about it has inspired me again. One day soon I hope to be sitting at my little wheel. We’ve had the wheel for a few years, purchased at a garage sale, and this year I would like to finally learn how to use it.
Sarah x
Julia says
March 3, 2016 at 5:15 pmYour spinning looks great! I too love the zen of spinning. I can just feel myself relax as I start. Mom told me at a crafting retreat a couple of years ago that she is glad I found it because she could see how much calm it brought to my life.
annushka says
March 5, 2016 at 6:38 ambeautiful pictures
Emily says
March 15, 2016 at 1:16 pmI *love* that you allow him to bring his knitting to Church and that your Church is so accepting! The Body of Christ is such a beautiful thing!
May I share.something with you that uas helped me so much with pregnancy related heartburn? I drink a tablespoon of apple.cider vinegar mixed in a bit of apple juice with my meals. I think it helps me digest better & wards off the heartburn.
Have a beautiful day!