Needle & Thread Weekend

It’s seems like so many of my blogger friends are feeling the way I am – off-kilter, unlike ourselves, and generally unsettled. But Juliann asked a wonderful question this morning: What brings you energy? And my answer (right now, anyway) is: needle and thread. I’ve been staying up a little too late every night thanks to my stitching projects and waking up easily each morning knowing that I have a project waiting for me.

A lot of us are finding comfort with needle and thread and stitching away. Isn’t it amazing how soothing it can be? I’ve only picked up my A Plump Wife project once or twice this week, but I’m heartened by how much more natural the act of stitching in hand has become.

Do you stitch in hand? Or in a hoop or Q-Snap? I only learned about stitching in hand about a year ago and it has revolutionized cross stitching for me. My threads would always knot and pull out of the needles when I tried stitching with hoops or q-snaps and it was endlessly frustrating. Stitching in hand has become a meditative and quiet process that has served me well over the last couple of weeks.

I’ve spent my evenings with either knitting or a cross stitch projects and watching FlossTube videos by some of my favorite stitchers. Two of my favorites are Lori Holt and Crosshatch Quilts. They both live in Utah, which I have a secret obsession with. So I sit on the couch, stitching, and imagining what life would have been like as a pioneer traveling west in a covered wagon (as problematic as that time was). I think of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her older sister, Mary, stitching through the long and cold winters on the prairie. And I think about how lucky we are right now – to have inspiration and tools easily at hand.

And I’m making some progress on my Flower A Day project. Like I said last week, I don’t actually finish a flower every day as the project is intended, but that’s okay. This project has taken the place of my morning journaling. I set a timer for 10 minutes and work until the timer goes off, but usually keep stitching for a few more minutes because it’s hard to stop. I try to set myself up for success everyday by preparing the next morning’s first stitch. I make sure the needle is threaded and the first leg of the first stitch has been made and the second leg is set up so that I can just pull the needle through as soon as I sit down. It’s a great gift to myself each morning!

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I’ve been knitting, of course. I finished my DRK Everyday Socks (Rav link) that I knit with Sarah’s handspun yarn. Friends, the yarn is delectable – she does such a great job! I’m worried that I’m going to wear a hole in these socks as soon as it gets cool, but I think I have enough yarn leftover for another pair.

I’m enjoying a couple of rows a day on my Veranda Shade Shawl (Rav link) – knit up with ontheround Nimble Sock in Bayberry and Sugar Cookie. This is a sweet project with very easy lace panels – perfect for the moments when you can spare some attention, but not too much. You know what I mean.

And finally, I’ve made it through the third yoke increase on my Shifty (Rav link), which I’m knitting with Sarah and Mary. This is such a fun and engaging knit, but it requires a good bit of my attention so I only bring it out after the two youngest have gone to bed for the evening. It’s knit in fingering weight yarn and there are already 400 stitches on the needle (I’m knitting size 4), with more increases to go! This is going to take a while so it’s a good thing I’m embracing the slow lately.

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I’m not sure what this weekend will bring for me – I never do! But I hope the weekend is full of exactly what you need. Take good care and stay safe!