Do you ever have periods where all you do is think about working on projects but nothing gets made? Well, I’m on vacation, so I don’t have any deadline knitting, but since I made a swatch on the airplane, I haven’t picked up needles or hook. Of course, I have been dreaming up projects. The kids and I are at our little cottage in northern Wisconsin.
It’s peaceful and quiet (if you don’t count kid noises), but being a single parent even on vacation, I’m not getting much time to sit and relax, and by the end of the day when they’re in bed, somehow I don’t feel like doing anything but reading my book. (I’m on a mini-break from schoolwork too).
So during the day, even though I’m not crocheting or knitting, things filter in for later reflection. A scene or a pattern might catch my eye. Sometimes, if I’ve got my camera, I might take a picture. But I don’t go out to photograph stuff for designs. I’m happy to wait until they appear.
There are wonderful stones here, and I’ve had a habit of collecting them since I was a little girl. They’re always prettier when they are underwater, but I can’t help keeping them anyway. I love the ripples in the water caused by the stones and how the light catches them.
Sometimes, it’s just colors I see–like the pinks and yellows and greens on the crab apple tree on the lawn.
I thought about harvesting some crab apples–we’ve never been here so late in August before when they’re actually ripe. But since I’m traveling, I can’t really make jam or anything else. The kids have eaten a few, and say they’re tasty.
In my head, I’ve started knitting a scarf. I bought some pretty striped kitchen cotton (it’s hot here, I can”t think of wearing wool). I’m thinking of basing it on The Heidi Stitch. Or, maybe I won’t. I’d like a little cotton shawl to wear at the wedding I’m going to this weekend. Probably I won’t make anything. It’s been that kind of week.
So I’m taking the rest of the trip to recharge my creative batteries, and soon I’ll be surrounded by family at my cousin’s wedding. Then home for the start of school for kids and me. How are you enjoying the end of the summer?