:Knit:

This is a quick post today because I’m commuting to the city for work then racing back to get home before noon so I can run payroll — I need to pay myself … right?!!!! LOL!

Crafting:

My crochet throw/blanket is in timeout for now. It didn’t do anything wrong but I’m on a hat knitting binge right now. Three members of my executive team and a senior director really had my back in 2020 when I needed some extra support. I thought of buying them gifts but decided that some handmade love would be so much better. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, it’ll be hats, hats and more hats for the next couple of weeks because I gave myself until February 23rd to get them done so I can mail them all on the 24th. I’m using scrummy yarn so you’ll have something pretty to look at while I overload you with hats! LOL!

One of my coworkers gifted me some wine (you can read the story of that person here) so as a thank you, I made him a hat. I’ll be dropping it off at work today, I hope he likes it.

Project Details:

Pattern: Ribbed Watchman’s Hat (this link leads to Ravelry. Please note that the new interface has caused accessibility issues for some users).
Yarn: MadelineTosh Chunky in colorway Tart (yarn base discontinued)

Reading:

I’m still reading The Water Dancer (blogged here). I’m used to Ta-Nehisi Coates‘ non-fiction style so his fiction voice is throwing me off a bit. The story is an interesting read so I’m taking my time with it before I decide if I like it or not.

As a sort of palette cleanser, I read one of my favourite books — Maya Angelou’s “Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now”. My oldest copy I got in 1995 from a friend and I read this book EVERY YEAR since! My absolute favourite story in this book of shorts is “New Directions”. It’s a story of resilience and starting from where you are, no matter your age. It focuses on the aged old premise that its not how you start but how you finish. My copy of this book is well loved and once again, it hit the spot where content was concerned and an extra boost of inspiration welcomed.

I hope your week is going well and if you have Presidents Day off, I hope your long weekend is just what you need it to be.

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesdays where you can see what everyone is making and reading.

You start out giving your hat, then you give your coat, then your shirt, then your skin and finally your soul ~ Charles de Gaulle

I think we can all agree that decency is getting a bad wrap these days. The world feels harsh, angry and intolerant. Some of the most basic courtesies have been thrown out the window in the name of individualism and strength.

I work with someone who is like that — individualistic, often mistaking bullying for strength. It’s okay for me to say that he despises me because he does but honestly I don’t let that drive me crazy … anymore. I’m leaving him to wrestle with his feelings and work out why he does the things he does.

We were in a meeting recently and he made a proposal that everyone in the meeting disagreed with. He got more than an earful from the other participants of the meeting but I remained quiet. I disagreed as well but I thought he was getting more than enough heaping of dissent and didn’t think my adding to the chorus was going to add anything new or decisive to the conversation. I’m not sure what possessed him but when I went into the office 2 days after the remote meeting, he’d left 2 bottles of wine at the door of my office. I could have left them there but that definitely would not help an already tenuous relationship. In return, I’ve decided to give him a physical hat, a proverbial coat, shirt, skin and use what is in my soul.

Don’t be mistaken, I’m not a saint by any stretch of the imagination but as a woman of faith and for the sake of behaving in ways consistent with my upbringing, in this case, I decided to forgo the way I really wanted to respond in favor of doing the right thing. So as a thank you for the wine, I’m knitting him a hat. I’m about half way through and wondering if I’m going to be playing yarn chicken with this (help me Lord … LOL!). I aim to get it done this weekend so when I go to the office next week, I can leave it for him as a surprise. He likes taking winter walks, so this hat should be a good companion for him.

Pattern: Ribbed Watchman’s Hat (this link leads to Ravelry. Please note that the new interface has caused accessibility issues for some users).
Yarn: MadelineTosh Chunky in colorway Tart (yarn base discontinued)

The color is hard to photograph so take my word for it when I tell you the colorway is amazingly richer in person. The yarn base is divine so this knit has been an absolute pleasure so far. Is it just me or does everyone else love to see the stacks to ribbing pile up? Just so very lovely!!!

Hope you all are well, warm and safe. I can’t wait to see what everyone is up to this week.

Joining the YOP (Year of Project) blogging crafters for another Sunday (week 6) of crafting and blogging. ❤