I really love the extreme in the day-to-day actions of summer living in New England. On the one hand, there's the carefree, moment-to-moment visits to the beach, camping trips by the river squeezed in, every meal possible eaten outside, and so forth - the general frolicking and fully enjoying of the precious moments of warm weather and sunshine.
And on the other hand, there is the 'work' and preparing for the season to come. Certainly, it isn't like generations past where the labor for winter was so intense....but still, there will be the lack of local, fresh food to prepare for by canning, preserving, and freezing it now. And there will be the need for warmth, combined with the frighteningly rising cost of oil that necessitate cutting, chopping and stacking now.
I really appreciate that reminder to seek that balance - staying present in the moment, trying to enjoy what's 'right now,' while also looking ahead and preparing for what is to come.
I think that 'looking ahead' might have been what prompted me to cast on for these mitts. With some luscious summer-colored "Savannah" yarn from The Fibre Company (a wonderful mother's day gift from my loves), I just made these Maine Morning Mitts (from the book The Knitters Book of Yarn, but the pattern provided as a free pdf here). The pattern worked up easily, the mitts are super comfy, and I know I'll be wearing them lots this fall and winter. And likely, they'll remind me of the beach days of summer on which I knit them. The threads of the seasons, tied together, in a way. I like that.
Oh! And for anyone who gets The Parents Journal with Bobbie Connor carried on your local NPR radio station, I'll be on the show today talking about "promoting children's creativity." If you miss it, or it isn't carried in your area and you're interested, I'll share the link to the excerpted show on podcast when the link is up.
