The Convalescence: Week 2

Stev’s doing fine, it’s the second week of her recovery and all is well. She’s already off of the heavier pain killers and is enjoying the constant barrage of visitors. Nikolyn has made her a flax-seed pillow with a reverse applieque and very stylized…um. Uterus. On it. It’s really cute, I shall have to get photos of it.

The store is holding together alright, I suppose, but more and more my future here seems somewhat limited and I am drawn again to my hopes of becoming a nurse. A dream deferred, as they say. So we shall see, life’s short and very long all at once so I’ll do my best.

The knitting of the blanket is done, and I must say it’s most attractive. Even the mitred mosaic squares in each corner. Yeah, I did that. I also made up the mosaic pattern for the border. It’s pretty simple, but I really like it. I’ve also begun the knitting of the first sleeve for Stev’s sweater. Omg, short row top-down sleeve caps? SO. EASY. Almost felt stupid having never done one before and then seeing how easily it could be done. I sort of just made it up, but I’ve heard that Barbara Walker has great instructions in Knitting From The Top and there are also good instructions in Knitting In The Old Way, which is a book I own and highly reccommend.

137

This is blog entry 137. I can’t believe it. That’s a rather arbitary number, but what it really means is that I’ve already written 136 other posts. That just seems rather…a lot. And yet you clamor for more! I am happy to provide, of course.

Some reasons why October is an important month for queers and lovers of queers everywhere.

October 12th was the anniversarry of the death of Matthew Shepard

October is GLBT History month.

And it’s Halloween. Which is like Gay Christmas for some of us.

Onto the knitting.

I’m working on borders for a blanket that one of my customers did not finish because she died of leukemia. She was about my age. It sounds corny, but out of all the squares and all the people who added to that blanket…Bethany’s are my favourites. Maybe because I know the rest of the blanket is just a guess. A supposition of what she would have liked, of what she would have done and I am a person who likes to know. At least I know those two squares of hers are exactly as she would have done them, because she did.

Stevanie is having surgery today, which makes it more imperative than ever to finish her sweater. After all, once the girl is up and about again it will be nearly Christmas and that is definitely a time of year to have lovely handmade gifts.

My Slow Descent Into Domesticity

Today I found myself looking at vintage candy dishes on Etsy.

It all started with baking my own bread. Then I started wearing an apron and cleaning on my days off. I thought, “If I plan my meals, I can save some extra money by buying things on sale and using leftovers smartly.” After that it was a small jump to start baking all of my own bread-things like dinner rolls, foccacia, and the like. I found perusing my cookbooks even more fun that usual, I put away all of my laundry (if you have ever lived with me, you know how utterly shocking that is), and then to top it off I bought Jane Brocket’s book.

Oh dear. Jane’s blog has long inspired me with her beautiful photography and essays on a slew of domestic topics from knitting socks to the profusion of tulips she plants each November with her son’s help. And now I have her in my home, or at least on my bookshelf.

This book is extraordinary. Jane goes the whole-hog in her own home, surrounding herself and loved ones with saturated colours, whimsical cakes, and gorgeous quilts. I hope to someday take my own home and make it my own on the scale that she has – But Jane is well aware that all of us may practice our gentle arts to different degrees and encourages us to do whatever it is we like. Whether you like to knit, sew, cross-stitch, bake, or arrange flowers, Jane wants you to explore your sense of color and subject matter, to do what makes you feel safe and provide comfort in your domestic space.

That’s not to say that Jane does not also advocate for stretching ourselves to find new things that please us – Recombining colours, mediums, or experiences to heighten our enjoyment or just to broaden our understanding. One thing is certain, for all the time she spends cultivating her relationships and domestic space, Jane is anything but a homebody – intellectually or otherwise.

I would say that if you enjoy seeing what somebody else has done to make their home, and you enjoy finding where others draw inspiration, you will more than likely enjoy Jane’s book. I will say, I don’t read it for very long stretches. It’s like getting lost in a Fairy Land – If I stay too long, I may never wish to come back!

As a plus: We just got this book and a few others in stock. Please check them out, they’re all wonderful!