No Nonsense Knits (?)

The week before Christmas-- really?
For crafters, this is akin to crunch time. A very real phenomenon when you don't plan your holiday knits appropriately ("oh, it's only October! I have time!") and you haven't quite learned your lesson from the year before:)

This is what my life has looked like for the past month...a jumble of yarn and almost finished projects. In a good way!

Spoiler Alert for family and friends!

 Most of my gifts this year have been scarves and cowls. Simple, fun, and somewhat carefree projects; just right for haphazardly picking up the needles during that free 10 minutes during the day while the children are playing close by. My most  beloved pattern this season has been the Mile-a Minute dropstitch scarf using Noro Kureyon. 

 

 W and I had a great time rolling some beeswax candles for the playschool children's gifts. I am hoping that they will use them at meal or bed time...also included will be a small box of matches with a pretty fabric cover. The children love lighting our candles at meal and rest time.. it is a time of quiet and reverence; just what we need before eating or rest.

Pop-Pop was in town this past week and was dead set on taking W to see the Santa at our local mall, which happens to be huge and overwhelming. This was W's first ever trip to the mall and I wasn't all too thrilled about it. Never the less, I remember my father begging me to sit with Santa when I was in 8th grade (I didn't comply; I mean, what if someone saw me! haha!) and I knew that this meant a lot to him.
It was a sweet moment, for sure.

W went home to take a 3 hour long nap and awoke with a low grade fever. I notice this tends to happen when he gets overwhelmed or is out of his element. It is times like these that I feel so thankful all over again that I don't need to have him in the car every day, running errands, etc. It feels so good to be home, and I think he agrees.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, it feels most amazing to be home where everything happens as it usually does.

 

The briskness of the upcoming Winter season is invigorating and therapeutic for these busy days...for both of us.

 

Our time outdoors is the best work of our day. I can understand how young children still feel so connected to the natural world around them; how it is so inside of them, how it makes the most sense to them more than anything else. They so need it.  With so much going on in the ground below us; such preparation and slow growth, how can one not feel connected and good?

Deep below, Deep below, new life will Spring....