Evolution

Leigha

This morning we woke up to frigid temperatures, again. For the last few days we’ve awoken to temps in the 20s, but in the coming days we’ll be hitting the 70s.  This wide variance in temperature makes it difficult for the members of my fam to stay well; the Mister is recovering from flu, I have sinus plague.  Thankfully the gremlins are pretty okay.  Freezing mornings like this morning make it pretty easy for me to decide how the littles and I will spend our day… hot tea, cuddle puddles, and crochet.

Today is the start of the Cosmic Crochet Along being held by the Bowltech Hookers.  I stumbled onto the Bowltech Hookers, a fan group for Bowltech Woodturning, in my search for hand turned wooden crochet hooks.  I have my first set on order and cannot wait for them to arrive… T minus two months!

So since this morning was the start of the CAL, I spent some time getting ready.  Pattern printed, stitch markers ready, yarn chosen, hot tea made.

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One of the things I love most about crochet is the evolution that permeates it.  Not like the evolution of the art, but how easily a project can change.  The white yarn? That was meant to be a different blanket.  Then that project was abandoned and the yarn was determined to be two baby blankets.  Then that idea morphed and this yarn became destined for the cosmos.

I’ve spent a couple of hours working on through the first few rows of the pattern, and I’m not sure I’m in love with the single color white for this one.  I originally wanted it because lately my palette preferences have been simple and calm and white reminded me of the stars in the sky.  But the white feels like it loses some of the texture that I actually love about the pattern.  So maybe the yarn’s journey will evolve once again and become something else.  I don’t know yet.  The yarn will let me know what it wants to be if it decides it wants to be something else.  For now, it’s enjoying the growth of a star.

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That’s the beauty of crochet.  Its fluidity.  Its forgiveness.

Anticipation

Leigha

Starting a new make, or WIP (work in progress), holds the same excitement for me that Christmas holds for my children. I can’t sleep and I wish like mad time would speed up and the night would hurry up and be over so I can just get on with it.

That’s the status of things today as I sit here typing this. I’ve spent the day furiously trying to finish my Sweet Pea blanket by Lucy over at Attic24 so that I can have a (mostly) clean slate to do the Cosmic CAL. I’m still several rows away from being finished, and in all likelihood won’t be finished before tomorrow. But that won’t stop me from trying.

I’ve really enjoyed working my Sweet Pea. This is the very first proper blanket I’ve had the stamina to finish. Usually I lose patience and boredom sets in, leaving me with half a dozen half finished blankets that either get frogged, sent out in the donation bin, or to the trash. But this one hasn’t lost me, despite the constant child-related interruptions, and I think it’s because the color changes have been beautiful and have led me on an adventure. Out of the pale greens grew darker green stems that led to light pink buds and finally deep fuchsia and violet sweet pea blossoms.

Individually, I don’t really love any of these colors. But together it’s perfection. Lucy has a way with colors. She has a fantastic eye for it. I can’t wait for the final reveal of this lovely.

In the meantime I’m going to sit in my zebra chair with my anticipation. The anticipation of a completed sweet pea and the beginning of the cosmos.