Tomato Bisque and the Courage to Cast On

Similar to the underdeveloped tulips on Jessie’s grave, my knitting has lay dormant since the end of February.   I’m not quite sure why.  Maybe it’s the reading glasses that I can’t quite maneuver.  They allow me to see my knitting, but the pattern is blurry.  Then when I drag them down my nose, my airway is hampered.

Jessie's Tulips Waiting for Sunshine

I know it’s not the standard not-enough-time excuse, because I’ve had plenty of time to lounge on the couch and watch season one and two of Downton Abbey — not once, but TWICE!  (Side note:  THIS SERIES IS THE BEST!)

I’ve thought about my blog, I’ve thought about knitting, I rummaged through my yarn, I looked at the unfinished beautiful black sweater in Isager 2 Alpaca; and I went and cleaned the bathroom, walked the dogs, and made Salsa Fresca.  I finally decided to stop fretting about the knitting and just let it be still — let it lie dormant.  Don’t worry — it will come back.  But. . . secretly, I was worried. I often just stop doing things that I once enjoyed.  I had even stopped knitting once for 18 years — albeit I was busy raising two boys, but I didn’t knit.

While I tried not to worry, I read.  I read several good books and found a few inspiring blogs (which, I will list below).  Friday night, I was looking for a new book for my Kindle –surfing through Amazon, and there was one I had placed in my “wish list” several months ago:  “A Life In Stitches:  Knitting My Way Through Love, Life and Laughter,” by Rachel Herron.  Rachel’s writing is absolutely lovely:  refreshing, fun and full of inside knitting jokes.

I downloaded it, started reading Friday evening, and finished it Saturday afternoon.  Rachel used a quote from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of the Yarn Harlot, “small actions repeated over and over, lead to astonishingly large results — stitches become sweaters, words become books.”  That quote gave me the courage to cast on.  I knew right where to begin — I knew exactly what to do, and my fingers itched to be twisted in yarn.  I thumbed through my baby patterns until I found Rasmilla’s Elvira and uncorked the tub containing my stash of Isager 2 Alpaca/Wool.  Nestled between the charcoal and frosted ivory, was the deep russet, which reminds me of savory tomato bisque.  With the ridiculous reading glasses perched atop my nose, I cast on 80 stitches.  It felt good, it felt right, it felt as smooth and comforting as tomato bisque on a foggy evening.

I knit through the first balmy spring evening of the season, reveling in the texture of the simple, delicate lace pattern.  This morning I woke at 4:20 and hopped out of bed with all the enthusiasm of my son on opening day of baseball tryouts.  I had it back.  I haven’t had IT since, “Sleepless Nights and Frozen Berriers.”    IT wasn’t gone, only sleeping dormant.

I LOVE early morning knitting before the birds or the frogs awaken.  I settle into the couch cushions, listening to the hum of the tea kettle, and my little Cairn Terrier burrows next to me carving out a place on the couch with her sleepy paws.  At 5 a.m the birds awaken, light begins to creep across the window, and my tomato bisque comes to life.

Early Morning Tomato Bisque on my Bridal Veil Shrub.

It’s just a start, something fresh as spring and waiting to grow.  It needs some sunshine and some warmth from the friction of the needles before it fully blooms.

What has inspired you lately to cast on and knit with all your heart?

Here are a few blogs that are fresh, fun to read:

Yarnagogo.com — This is Rachel Herron’s blog, and she is funny!

knitsofacto.com — Annie has beautiful words and pictures on her blog that truly inspire, and I love that she, too, has a houseful of dogs.  For all of us Downton Abbey fans, she also has a pattern for a beautiful and free Downton Hat.

I wish you all a beautiful Spring filled with hope and hours of happy knitting!