Minnie Pauline

I've only ever done one mystery knit along (MKAL) before. It was a lot of fun and I still wear the little vest I made. So I'm not sure why I don't do them more often. I am sure that the Sharon Show MKAL that Casapinka * (or rather, her cat, Sharon From Security) is hosting is seriously awesome. I mean. Run by her cat. Do you need to know anything else? SPOILER ALERT: the first clue is shown below.  I started knitting the day the first clue came out, all from stash. A few days later I was partway through when I decided that two of the colors looked too close when knit next to one another. (That's one stripe of gray and one stripe of green at the top. See what I mean?)  So I switched out the green for pink and moved on. I managed to finish the first clue eventually, and then my hands needed a serious rest, so I had some time to sit back and really look at it. I loved the pattern. I didn't love my colors.  I knew what I had to do. A few clicks and a small hit to my ban...

  The power of Nature to restore and inspire cannot be understated. Also the power of friends. I got to experience both last weekend (masked and properly distanced, of course) at  Innisfree Garden . I think I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking. Wouldn't you love to sit and knit here? I would! I can't resist celebrating signs of Fall. Wherever you are, I hope you're finding inspiration.

Maybe it’s a search for connection, or a need to see what other people are making that isn’t being fulfilled in this lockdown life. Or maybe being around other makers just makes me happy. Whatever. I’ve been creating a serious YouTube habit the past few months.   I started watching podcasts pre-pandemic, but it’s now become an almost every night habit. Periodically I run out of new episodes of the podcasts I’m subscribed to, and go on a hunt for more. I’ve found some amazing talent. Generous crafters (and others) that are sharing a little bit of their lives with the world. They make me laugh, they make me think, they make me feel connected to the world of makers. I’m truly grateful that they’re doing what they’re doing. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites here, in no particular order.                                             Toad Hollow/The Crafty Toads . These two...