Happy New Year from
Karen at Stone Soup

Everyone is busy during the holiday season, so I won’t give you excuses about why I’ve been away. We all shop, cook, go out, stay in, get colds or flu. We all need time out for one reason or another, but everyone gets crazy at the end of the year. I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe holiday, and a happy beginning of 2018.

Some of us did, but fortunately only a few of us came down with colds or flu. Not me anyway, I don’t have time for that stuff!

I started knitting again for the first time in more years than I can count.  Yep, I’m not sure what inspired me, but I bought yarn around April or May, and with the help of my friend Susan, I jumped in.  Susan gave me directions, and started me on the right path, it was Susan who encouraged me to, ” keep going, it will all look ok when your finished!”  I’d pick it up and work on it, I’d put it down because I was over it.  Sometimes it felt right to be knitting, other times it was too hot to pick up the yarn, or I was too hot to pick it up.  Then the last three or four months were right around the corner.  My knee was bothering me, I was not inspired to paint or create in any way, and that included knitting.

Soon I had knee surgery, and surprisingly for me, it was pretty easy.  My doctor said, “I told you it wouldn’t be bad!”   Yes, but everyone else said it’s the worst surgery to have.  I admit the first week was the worst, but after that everything started to get easier.  By the end of the third week, I no longer needed pain medication, and was getting around quite well.  Not a bad experience all in all.

The holidays arrived far too soon, and with the help of our beloved internet, almost all of my shopping was able to be completed online. I only went to the “mall” once, with a trip to See’s Candy for chocolate covered cherries for John, my son-in-law.  He looks forward to those, and rarely gets special treats  throughout the year.   So  he measures my love of him by the size of the box of cherries.  A pound box indicates  I only like him, a two-pound box indicates I love him a lot!  I do love him a lot, he is the best son-in-law a mother could have!”

Meanwhile, our Christmas was over in a flash, and New Years is smacking us in the face….Another year older and all that.  I started working on my knitting again, and since I was able to spend  New Years Eve alone, I had plenty of time to knit to my hearts desire.  My hubby, Les always has a concert on NYE, and I’m usually at my grandsons since his parents usually work.  But this time was different and almost special since I didn’t know what to do with a NYE alone.   I didn’t want to be out driving,  curling up sound good, so that’s what I did….curled up with my needles, and yarn.  Needless to say, without interruption, I finished two fronts, and a back of a sweater coat.  Not just any sweater coat, an   “Artsy Fartsy” sweater coat.  After all I have an image to uphold.  Two sleeves left, and the fun begins.  Meaning…. putting it together, blocking it so it actually looks like a sweater.   That’s where I am at the moment.  I’m counting on Susan’s help to actually make it look like I can recognize it.

Just playing, trying to find inspiration!

I continue to have zero  inspiration  to paint, sketch, or create in my studio, and  most of my friends are void of inspiration as well.  I’m thinking this must be a time to replenish our creative energy.  It’s gloomy, chilly, (not as chilly as the rest of the country) but our blood is thin here in Southern California, and we are on the coast.  It’s damp!

More yarn…and there is more….

The other day I got a bit carried away and browsed through Joanne’s Fabric  looking at yarn.  Of course, right there on the shelf was a skein of yarn that started calling my name.  I continued looking, but this particular color or multiple of colors yelled at me, and I had to return.  I gingerly put it in my cart like a small puppy, and walked around with it.  (I know Ceasar, the Dog Whisperer would say to pick a calm puppy that kind of ignores you, but this puppy spoke my language.)   The colors were perfect (not calm), and I found other yarn that had a little bling that complimented it.  What was I to do?

This I got off of FB, and found it good advise!

Today, as we wait for promised rain, and maybe even a thunder storm, I have many things to accomplish.  Have a great week, stay healthy, and if you don’t have creative inspiration,  it’s OK!

Thank you for all my new followers, and for all the people who have followed me on my journey.  As Stone Soup suggests, I am a mix of many things,  not just paint, and brushes.   I appreciate your input, your ideas, and the energy you provide me with.   I’ll be back soon….Stone Soup