springy stuff

some images taken this week. The purple crocii and Kuan Yin were taken at Sherri's yesterday, the white crocus taken at my place the day before.

Eli's Shawl

My newest version of Colorjoy's Kristi Comfort Wrap, made for my friend Eli. It contains more than 7 different fibers, many of them hand spun and hand dyed. It was beautifully modeled today by my pal Sherri, in her gorgeous spring garden. She'll be visiting Eli on Thursday and will give her the shawl then.

Connections and reconnections

Winter is a very isolating time for me. This can be good or bad, or indifferent for that matter. This winter it felt pretty bad. I was just learning how to pilot my van with hand controls when Winter lay down ice and snow making driving dangerous. Then Spring has been long in coming. I'm waiting for a good dry day when Oscar can take me to an empty parking lot and help me get those reflexes back in practice. Depending on whether I pull down or push out, I either slam on the brakes or accelerate sharply. I needn't tell you its important to remember which is which when driving in traffic!

Even getting out into the yard has been difficult, I needed steady footing to be safe. Today I went out for quite a long time. I walked as far as I could, dragging my gardening wagon behind me. Whenever I needed to stop, I could sit on its handy lid, then go on when my ankle was better. I saw some lovely signs of crocus blooming, and tulip and daffodil noses. I do love my garden :-}

I spoke for a long time with a friend about a new love in her life. It was the first time we've connected in a long while, and it was lovely to hear the joy in her voice.

Right after, I returned a missed call and spoke for a long time with an old friend, who had just lost a beloved. She and I speak often, but don't see each other as often as we like even though we live in the same town. When I can drive again, I plan to kidnap her and take her to lunch. I was very sorry for her loss, but glad she knew she could call me to talk about him, and what a wonderful quirky guy he was. We also spoke of her work. She is a marvelously imaginative writer. Her stories have heart and I am blessed she asks me for advice and critique. It's one of the favorite parts of my life to talk to her about her creations.

Other connections are being made on the writing front. I'm involved with the RWAOnline chapter and contributing when and where I can. Today two new connections were made in that arena. I feel wonderful about it. I love writing, and I love the connections with other writers the group provides.

(image is of signs of spring from my family's land in Gaylord, Michigan taken a number of years ago)

Recent knittings

I've been knitting on two shawls the past few weeks. The first is a Kristy Comfort Wrap (pattern on COLORJOY.COM ) .The second is my own weird version of a Clapotis (available on knitty.com) with the yarn and stitch-twist changed to reflect my idea of a mermaid's tail, rather than the rather too hard-edged (for my taste) clapotis pattern as written. They are both gifts, and I hope to ship them out on Monday, done.


Writing update: I did 1000 words above the daily goal yesterday, and in my first session today, I wrote all but 100 of the daily goal. I will have a second session in a few hours.

Long Time No Laptop

*happy sigh*
I have a lap top again.
The hard drive crashed, and since I cant use the dek top more than a few minutes a session my computer time was harshly curtailed.
I had just comitted to joining some writer buds for a March session of our own NaNoWriMo (writing 50,000 words, a small novel, in 30 days) and the very next morning my laptop died.
Still, thanks to Oscar, it lives again, and I am back, and not taking it for granted.
My first session of writing today garnered almost enough to meet the daily quota. I'll have another session this afternoon, and probably a third this evening.
Why am I doing this?
Because one of my biggest problems is my 'internal editor'. I am going along wonderfully on a good storyline, and suddenly stop dead, and feel unable to start again until I make a decision on a plot point, or spend time researching some obscure fact, or rearrange the first 5 pages until I am happy with them. NOT good for me. Some writers edit as they go, but since I can be indecisive at best of times, starting to edit instead of just write can mean the story goes on the back burner for months. Even when I start with a great outline and full character sketches, I start worrying about which path is best, and lay the story aside.
The main reason for me trying to get those 50,000 words written is to prove to myself that I can write something, however crappy on first reading, that is long enough for publication. That has a beginning, middle and end that I can later wrestle into something I want others to read.
All editing will wait until the second draft. I want to leave room for the story to bloom on its own, and not try to control its path until after it's all out there on the screen.
The very speed and sheer volume of the daily word count required to meet my goal is meant to discourage pauses for editing. I have a terrific imagination, this exercise of writing as fast as I can will help teach me to trust it, I hope. And what better time than spring?
(image: black tulip, photo meant to contrast the sharp/hard/focus on the rock, against the soft silky tulip)

New Socks!

I've finished my new pair of socks. They are Koigu on #3 dpns ribbed all along the top of the foot for comfort. They are great for lounging, as you see, and light-weight enough that thy'll be great in summer.OTN A pair of bed socks for Oscar, same ribbed design, in Mountain Colors Evergreen Alapaca blend. I'm hoping ot have enough of that yarn left over for wristwarmers... yummy.