Truth and Beauty

There's a Japanese Proverb that says...

"If man has no tea in him,

He is incapable of understanding truth and beauty."

I have to admit this hits home with me on so many levels.

For one thing, I have come to realize that a properly brewed pot of tea is as essential to my work day when I sit down to my knitting or crochet,
as are the tools of the trade such as needles, hooks, yarn and scissors.
I simply cannot concentrate on the texture of the fiber flowing through my fingers or the soothing flow of rhythm unless I have a steaming cup of tea within my reach.

When I think about it even further, I believe the tea helps my clarity of mind by relaxing me, therefore enhancing the overall experience of beauty,
both tactile and visual, that my fiber art provides for me. 

Yes...

Tea most definitely helps me to understand both truth and beauty.
"Our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty."
James Norwood Pratt
Speaking of beauty, my granddaughter, Gabriella,
went on Pointe in ballet for the first time this week.

I have always loved ballet. Not only does it bring beauty into the life of the dancer but it has the potential to grab hold of every heart that experiences it and fill it with pure joy.
When I watch a ballet performance I am totally enraptured and lost to the world around me...
Lost in a magical fairyland where there is nothing but music, grace and beauty. We all need to be taken to a place like this once in awhile.
As we all know, it is inescapable that the world will always have its natural disasters, there will always be those who choose to tear down rather than build up; those who walk in the darkness instead of the light and do not know to seek truth and beauty. They don't even realize they exist. But they do.
Truth and Beauty are all around us at all times. They are in the things we do that give us great pleasure such as knit or dance or even enjoy that perfect cup of tea.
We also have only to look to the natural world
that God has so richly blessed us with.

Watching this dogwood tree change with the seasons gives me a deep sense of serenity. This photo has a somewhat overcast effect to it because it was raining when I took it but I like a good rainfall every now and then. We all need a cleansing rain to wash over us from time to time.
There are many kinds of beauty in nature.

I think God means for us to study nature and find the truth of ourselves within it. It is ever changing, bright with promise and constantly budding with possibility. This is the way He sees each of us I believe. Just as one who absorbs the beauty of a ballet from the audience, God not only has surrounded us in so much loveliness, He must be experiencing the same thrill the dancer gets from, not only His expression of beauty, but also our complete delight in it.
There will always be great sadness and suffering in the world. Please let me say here and now, in the face of so much that goes on, I am in no way ever turning a blind eye or deaf ear to any of it. Nor do I ever want to be perceived as doing so.
I take all of it to God in prayer...deep prayer.
What I am saying is this...
I believe that God wants us to always be seekers of His Truth and Beauty.
He wants us to have joy and peace in our hearts and our lives.
"A tranquil heart is life to the body..." Proverbs 14:30
In his book, The Greatest Thing in the World,
theologian Henry Drummond said this,
"No fever of unrest can disturb a soul which has
breathed the air or learned the ways of Christ."
When we do not seek truth and beauty
we are unable to walk in the light
and be the light that this world so desperately needs.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
God has blessed us in so many ways. His fingerprints are absolutely everywhere.
Never stop looking, never stop seeking truth and beauty.
No matter how young, no matter how old...
We all have them within us and within our reach.
"The kingdom of God is within you..." {Luke 17:21}
All we need to do is open our eyes and our hearts.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable-
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-
think about such things."
Philippians 4:8

Wildflower, I Think I Love You

This lovely Wildflower Shawl and I have had quite the journey together.

We've brewed many pots of tea from English Breakfast to Earl Grey and all the way to my favorite Rose Petal Tea. It's been sipped from bone china cups, porcelain tea mugs and sometimes sturdy mugs.

Together we have finished an entire audiobook series.

At times I was forced to lay my sweet little wildflower aside and work on various other items that were needed for customers. But always my heart was being pulled back to a wildflower that was dancing inside my soul.

You might say I fell in love with it. Truly, I think I did. Even while I worked on other things I couldn't wait to pick up this shawl again and watch it magically grow beneath my fingers. Each row and each pattern repeat just seemed to come alive all on its own. I could hardly wait to see the dance of colors that lay ahead.

It was like watching the wind blowing gently through a Summer field full of wildflowers...

And I was dancing in the sunshine with them.

I found myself being soothed at the end of a long day by the gentle cadence of the fiber, the remembered stitches, the flowing colors and the promise of beauty and warmth that seemed almost ethereal in as much as it was solid. Sometimes shawls have this effect on me. They conjure forth that "old soul" I was born with. They whisper to the heart of my romantic nature.

It begins with the first stitch...

Then as the shawl begins to grow it begins to work its magic on me and I find myself away with the fairies in my mind.

 I am suddenly wrapped in that shawl, because I can already envision it finished and flowing all about me, and I am twirling in the sunshine... or strolling in the moonlight... or just swinging on my front porch with the scent of rain and wildflowers surrounding me in the freshness of Spring.

I can't explain it, but there's something about a Shawl that Sets Me Free.

It makes me feel warm and feminine, yes.

But it also makes me feel free.

All of these emotions must be the reason shawls are really my absolute favorite thing to knit or crochet. I enjoy the process of everything I make typically.

But a Shawl...it just simply feeds my soul.

When I got all the way to the very end of this beloved friend, I realized I would have to eliminate the final row in order to have enough yarn left to bind off.

No problem. This pattern instructs to bind off purlwise on the right side so I simply bound off knitwise on the wrong side and the effect was the same.

It made absolutely no difference in the pattern or the beauty of the shawl.

As with all things in Life...

All I had to do was Relax and Breathe and think it through for a minute.

Then it was time for blocking. I will tell you this...

I always block everything.

Now, that being said, I don't always block it out as seen in this picture.

I have a steam iron that could blast the feathers off a bird in flight and I use it for a tremendous amount of my blocking. Steam blocking works beautifully for potholders, dishcloths, all sorts of random small articles and even some shawls. However, with a lacework shawl it really needs to be dampened and properly pinned out to be seen in all its intended glory. If we are going to spend our money, our time and our talent on something we need to see it through all the way to the final phase. Trust me on this.

Blocking makes a HUGE difference!

By blocking this shawl properly it gained 3 inches in length from top to bottom point and 5 inches in wingspan. That was after I had steam blocked it first. The final measurements are 18 1/2 inches from top to bottom with a wingspan of 62 inches. The pattern is Knit Picks Reflection Line and I used only One Skein of Chroma Fingering Weight in the colorway Wildflower.

I absolutely love the way this shawl turned out.  It's lightweight enough to be worn with the gorgeous points and lovely colors cascading down the front. The color striping worked up perfectly in this pattern like it magically new what to do.

With proper blocking the lacework holes opened up

and the points did their thing beautifully.

The whole asymmetrical affect captures my spirit too.

Plus the versatility of how it can be worn

makes it pretty much a perfect wardrobe accessory.

So ...

If you happen to spy a wildflower dancing in a field

that looks a little taller than the rest,

just drive on by ... 

"You belong among the wildflowers.

You belong somewhere you feel free."

Tom Petty

The Warmth of Home

Like the last fading rose, January is slipping away from us. Not that I am sorry to say goodbye. I hope she gathers up a serious portion of her frosty breath and blows it in another direction.

While I find the sight of its sparkling beauty magically enchanting,

I do not enjoy the frigid touch of it on my skin. 

Actually, there are things about Winter I do enjoy, such as:

afternoons wrapped in my favorite cardigan,

with a steaming pot of tea and an audiobook to accompany my knitting,

long evenings of family at home together and nestled in for the night,

the cozy glow of candlelight flickering on the walls all around me,

the beauty of snow...snow... I really do love snow,

pots of homemade soup bubbling on the stove

and the smell of cookies baking in the oven,

filling the whole house with that

"I just died and went to Heaven" aroma.

One of my favorite things in the world has always been for family and friends to enter the front door and immediately say, "What is that wonderful smell?!!"

To me this is what makes a house smell like a home. That's one of the things I love most about baking. Another thing I love so much about it is that the end result is always quite lovely; a real feast for the eyes. I like pretty food. Plus it makes our loved ones so happy. I also like the time it gives me to get lost inside myself and think over and sort out all the things swirling around in my mind and in my life. So I guess you could say it warms my kitchen and my heart. Although I bake year round and always love it,

I really enjoy it throughout the cold Winter months best of all.

If you would like to warm your home with the divine scent of butter and chocolate, vanilla and coconut, love and homemade goodness, then I have just the recipe for you ...

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter {room temperature}

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Large Egg

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 3/4 Cup Baker's Angel Flake Coconut

1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.

Cream butter for 3-4 minutes on high in a large bowl.

Add sugars and beat till fluffy and well blended.

Add egg, vanilla, coconut and chocolate chips.

Beat on low until blended.

Add flour mixture, beating on low till just blended.

With dampened hands, shape into 1 inch balls and space 2 inches apart on sheets.

Bake approximately 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

Yield: approximately 3 dozen.

Cool on wire racks.

Enjoy!

Trust me...

One won't be enough and ...

There should always be tea with cookies.

"Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth."

Alexander Pushkin

"Winter is the time for comfort,

for good food and warmth,

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:

it is the time for home."

Edith Sitwell

Soft Serenity

For those of us who live in the corner of the world where this time of year slowly brings Autumn to our doorstep, we are sitting on the edge of our seats with the anticipation of little children as we watch September once again walk out of our lives, taking with her the last random days of golden summertime. She must make way for her friend October who will bless us with her soft hues of russet, deep red, orange, brown and her own softer shade of gold. We see apple trees heavy with their fruitful bounty and porches decked out in their harvest attire of pumpkins, gourds and mums.

The days will become clear and crisp and the nights will be fresh with a hint of smokiness in the chill of the air. Each step Sweet October takes closer to our hearth makes us dream of cozy sweaters, thick socks and friends and family gathered with us around steaming mugs of cocoa, cider, coffee or tea.

For me it's always lovely hot tea along with my knitting projects to be worn for the cooler days ahead. This always includes a variety of fingerless mitts to suit different peoples fashion styles and this Fall it includes a few custom orders for some beautiful Shawls that I am so excited to make.

The one shown in the picture at the top is my own personal wrap. I have a customer who wants me to crochet one identical to it for her elderly mother who lives in Texas and gets very cold in air conditioning. Hers will be worked in grey and I am anxious to see this favorite accessory of mine made in a new color. As for the other two shawls I have been commissioned to make, I will show them to you when the journey begins ...

It really does thrill me when someone discovers I make shawls and orders them from me. These lovely articles have a language all their own and not everyone speaks it anymore. It seems to be too antiquated for some. Those of you who continue to share my love and passion for them know exactly what I mean.

Fingerless mitts and mittens are another one of my great knitting loves. There's just something about warm hands that make us warmer all over. I love fingerless mitts especially this time of year because they enable us to still hold onto those delicious hot drinks of choice, not to mention leave our fingers free for the many tasks of our day. Another bonus for me is knitting in the round on double point needles. It is my absolute favorite way to knit. There's just something about it that I find extra soothing. Maybe because it forces me to work just a touch more slowly and therefore is even more relaxing to me.

These are my newest mitts on my shop

They are just like Jane Austen might have worn... very feminine and lacy with a touch of old fashioned romance to them. This pair is a gorgeous shade of Cranberry Red, which is my all time favorite color. I am currently working on another pair in Charcoal Grey; my other favorite color. I also love all shades of pink and most purples. There is a beautiful ball of the loveliest shade of Dusty Lavender patiently waiting its turn in my knitting bag to be the next in line to grow into a pair of lacy mitts right after the grey ones jump off the needles.

I love keeping a pair of mitts in my work basket because they can be done in between other projects so quickly and easily. Plus they are very transportable.
I am busy stocking my shop with a few different options.

These are the heavier, warmer cabled version that I love so much with their wonderful flecks of tweed.

 There are also some with a more intricate cable and a bit more length up the arm.

I absolutely never ever get tired of cable work.

It's classic, elegant and totally timeless.

Although I am a Summertime lover through and through, I must admit that when this time rolls around every year feelings of peace and soft serenity begin to settle in on me. Oh how I love going to the drawers where I store the items I have handmade for myself over the years and pulling them out. Old friends we are at this point. They lay waiting to once again wrap themselves around me so together we can be set free to discover all the hidden secrets this new Autumn holds for us.

It's as if they too know there will be mornings in the park picking up colorful leaves, acorns and pinecones, afternoons spent on the porch swing with my tea and knitting, and moments of awe when the most glorious sunsets suddenly fill the sky and I will need their warmth wrapped around me to step out into it all and soak in every drop of the beauty my heart and soul can hold of this magnificent season.

"Autumn, the years last loveliest smile."

William Cullen Bryant

Sunshine Through Lace

I'm just popping in for a quick 

Good Morning 

to all of you before I get on with my Friday.

I wasn't planning to do a blog post today but then I woke up to a morning full of

Beautiful

Abundant

Golden

Joyous

Sunshine.

finally.

Yesterday was cold, grey, wet, windy and even snowy.

Not the kind of snow that made a pretty blanket on the ground.

Just the kind that drizzled through the air all day and melted as soon as it landed.

But it went on all day long with not a single ray of sunshine in sight, not once.

It was however, a cozy day around here, for me.

I had my dear friend Amy for an afternoon of tea and knitting.

She comes at least once a week

{and twice if we can squeeze it in}

and spends whole lovely afternoons with me.

In the colder months we stay tucked in my warm kitchen with the kettle going,

a pot of tea always under a cozy,

my dogs napping contentedly in their bed together

and my little fireplace glowing.

Mack & Phoebe

Then as Winter finally gives up the ghost and Spring is reborn,

with my beloved Summer fresh on its heels,

we settle ourselves on my porch

{me on my swing, Amy on my vintage wicker settee}

and drink our tea and knit and crochet the afternoons away in the glorious fresh air.

On those days there's a smaller dog bed that is dragged out to the porch so the doggies 

can nap and "visit" with passersby.

I live on Main Street in a small town.

We have lots and lots of people strolling by all day long to have wonderful chats with.

When the weather is warm enough we're also joined by my song birds in their cages.

{Noah the Cockatiel and Spencer the White Dove}

 I carry them out and set them on the porch and they sing for the pure
JOY
 of it all afternoon...

and doze in the sunshine that trickles through the leaves on the big ancient maple tree shading the whole of my front lawn.

On this morning drenched in beautiful 

Sunshine 

there are so many things I am so thankful for...

Small, constant, homely, warm, every day, cozy things...

My simple yet "perfect for ME in every way" home

My Husband... Can't even say it all here.

My beautiful, wonderful children and grandchildren... God is so GOOD.

My entire whole family {you know who you are}

My dogs, birds, kitty cat and squirrels and bunnies I feed in the yard.

Mercedes

My knitting group who keeps me steady through life all through each season, rain or shine, in and out of my house every Monday night week after week, year after year.

A special friend who comes to my home to share a cup of tea and play with yarn and make the gloomy days seem cozy and the sunny days even shinier. 

The many friends, so close to my heart. I am blessed with an abundance of friends.

A very, very dear friend God brought to me right here through this blog

{you know who YOU are... we are spiritual sisters... talking, texting, praying, sharing all of life}

And finally...

I really, really am 

So thankful

for days of 

Sunshine through Lace

When I open my front door and see this sight

my heart knows Spring is just as anxious

to enjoy my front porch swing as I am.

Wishing you days filled with 

Happiness

Love

& 

Abundant Sunshine of the Heart

Danette

"Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourself in abundance."

Isaiah 55:2

A Cold Winter's Day

Once again

it is a 

Cold Winter's Day.

There's about a foot of snow on the ground

and the temperature is only 5 degrees.

So I have spent part of the day

sitting in my kitchen,

by a sunny window,

knitting a stack of 

heart shaped cloths

and

enjoying a supply of new books,

along with a nice pot of tea.

Since my last post

I have made a couple more cupcakes as well.

I gifted them to my 

Monday night

Knit Night Girls

and they loved them!

I am so thankful I have plenty of yarn on hand

and a good supply of patterns.

It sure helps me get through a long Winter.

Phoebe,

 on the other hand,

prefers a 

Long Winter's 

NAP!

Christmas Tea & Knitting

As always, it's a mad dash to the finish!

My days seem to be filled with constant
knitting,

crocheting,

&

endless

Cups of Tea.

The house is finally decorated

and the tree is trimmed.

I have put the finishing touches on one project,

have another half done

and one more to start.

Phew!!!

I am trying hard to stay a step ahead of St. Nick.

Next Tuesday Scott & I will celebrate our

 30th  Wedding Anniversary.

:)))

We are leaving early Monday morning for a get away to a

Victorian Bed & Breakfast.

We will not be home until Thursday afternoon.

I am SO EXCITED!!!

My last little project will travel along with me.

It will take us about 3 hours to get where we are going.

Between the trip there and back I should come home

with all my

Christmas Knitting

finally done.

In the meantime,

may you all make it to your own finish line

{as I know we are all making the same mad dash!},

may you all stay warm and cozy

and most of all

stay full of good cheer

as you enjoy this magical season.

Be Blessed,

Danette



Beautiful Baskets

Is there anyone out there who shares my

Obsession

for

Baskets?

Aren't these the most

Beautiful Baskets?!!

And the really cool thing is...

they were

Handmade

by

My Very Dear Friend

Carey.

I am so amazed by her talent!

Each one is lovelier than the last.

It is hard to choose a favorite.

Carey has long been a

 gifted knitter

&

absolute

Queen of Crochet

but this too.....

Come on now!

So much talent in one sweet person :)))

And by day

she's a

Nurse Practitioner.

This little beauty is

mine all mine :)))

She made me a

Tea Basket

for my birthday!

And filled it with teabags

&

a handmade teabag dish.

She even signed the bottom for me.

As much as I love baskets...

there's nothing that compares to

Good Friends!

Thanks Carey ~

I love you!

Deja Vu

As Summer has finally given way to Autumn I have set my needles and hooks to warmer work. Still, however, I must admit to a bit of a backward glance. These last roses that I dried from my garden, along with a sprig of lavender, inspired the color palette for my latest crochet project. Being ever fond of soft hues of

 purple

 and

rosy pink

 I love yarns that have a blend of these colors along with more earthy tones like

amber

and

green

   They take me straight back to my little cottage garden. So when I spotted this heavenly skein of  kettle dyed Malabrigo Yarn I had a moment of Deja Vu. Although the sumptuously soft merino wool will keep me wonderfully warm, the colors mingled together will help me find my way  to my Summer Garden through the long Fall and Winter ahead.

As you can see, even my tiny helper is excited over it. He's guarding it so the cat doesn't snatch it while I pour myself another cup of tea.  

When I started crocheting this I intended to make a full sized Granny Square Shawl. They are so pretty and actually quick to make. And I am so cold natured. I need as many layers as possible!

 And why not be arrayed in 

The

COLORS

of

the

GARDEN

Now this is what just one skein does. Maybe I should leave this one at this length and wear it as a neckwarmer. Or maybe I should head for the yarn shop for just one more skein 

{I only purchased one ~ but Heaven knows that can be remedied!}

and grow it into a proper Shawl.

What do you think?

I will take a vote from my Knit Night Girls this evening as well.

Either way, it just gives me an excuse to buy more yarn and make this lovely pattern again....and again...

I see several neckwarmers and shawls in my future.

Afterall, the Holidays are just around the corner.

And I live in an estrogen dominant family!

Oh!

The color name of this gorgeous yarn?

 

DEJA VU