pumpkins and little knits

i have been away in my little hidey hole
most of the time, sleeping and mending
then
in front of the cable tv at me mum's
knitting like a mad woman, living on tea and movies
felt like college vacations all over again
minus the boy angst and bad hair choices

incredibly, this pumpkin patch is just in my little corner of life
gourds inscribed with the names of sweet children who live
a mere stone's throw away from this,
the neighborhood pumpkin patch

i am a handcrafter of gifts from way back
winter solstice and christmas
the theme of giving is so resonant with my heart
this little gansey inspired sweater with hat
will be squirreled away until December
for my wee niece of two years

i lived in San Francisco for a decade
and would gladly travel miles to see
the Great Pumpkin rise from the pumpkin patch
now i get to see the round, orange orbs daily
and smell the loamy earth beneath their vines
as they worm across the grounds
seeking sustenance


i am a little bit crazed with impatience
to create a gift for all the loved ones
in time for the holidays
so that i might not spend every night before christmas
laboring away like an elf on amphetamines

on the one hand
life is gloriously rich
full of treasures from my friend's "p" patch
the generous cooking we share with one another
my wealth of local camaraderie
and the art materials i still find in my closet

on the other
my fight for employment of the general persusasion
continues on like a droning voice of frustration
as i cobble together my pennies to make dollars
and my dollars to make sense of things


today, i bask in blue skies, crisp turned up collars
the return of knitwear to the dressing schematic
and the energy to walk a couple of miles
a fresh pot of soup on the range
and a renewed vigor in my step

hello all - i am back

bubble pop gee whiz

might it only take a trip outside
to chase the cobwebs
coat them with glossy shine
colorize them
create "happy"stance?

bubble pop
gum gooey drop
i can open wide and drop the goodness inside

no need to select
whatever rolls down the shoot is mine
kaleidoscope of tones
flavors nearly natural
no need to grab what soon at hand will be mine

knitting for the nearly new
my little niece has just turned two
she points to her knitgear that she proudly wears
and with her wee deep voice delares
"auntie made this"
my heart skips a beat and pumps for joy

for her
anything
my knitting needles do fly
this is my happy thought for many a life mile

Lilac it is!

Oh, sweet completion - at last, you are mine! This little sweater and sun hat set, made from Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece and knit from the top down ala Zimmerman, are for my dear niece of not even two - and I had thought to have it for her by Easter - and then Mother's Day, ahem. Why do I always think I can be Miss Knittin' Machine and have things miraculously completed in nonhuman time, with room to spare for a bath and the reading in it's entirety a small book ,by, oh say, Tolstoy?

This sun hat pattern has been in my collection for years and now, at last, I have a chance to put it to use - big smile here. Fiber Trends Pattern CH-18 Garden Party Hat. Auntie has added her own color flare for the inner ring of the flower, so that my little niece can match the hat with many choice bits from her wardrobe. A clothing collection that I get to add to on a weekly basis since my sister doesn't mind my thrift store finds!

The only last touch that needs to be attended to is to put the madlycreative label that I purchased from Bauer Designs on etsy.com into the neckband. Somehow my family always seems to request that their pieces have that bit of finishing - I think it may have something to do with familial bragging rights.