Hello Reader,

What's Happening?

It feels like the calm before the storm.

Students of all ages are preparing for classes to start. The season is starting to show the first hints that change is coming. Greg and I are both in the beginning stages of planning some significant trips. A new baby (!) is about to arrive in the extended family.

A flurry of activity is on the way, and I'm finding myself treasuring the calm moments here and there as they come:

• A catch-up session with a dear friend.
• A walk around the neighborhood.
• A quiet evening on the couch.
• A baseball game.

Are you feeling any of that build-up of activity? Hitting the back-to-school sales? Filling in the calendar with late Summer/early Fall activities?

We're making some plans around here with the holiday season in mind. They're really exciting, and I can't wait until we can share more with you, but as we've been thinking through them, it keeps hitting me that we're just not that far away from the hustle and bustle, are we?

What am I learning?

As you look forward to the ramping up that is inevitable around this time of year, let me remind you of something many of you already know: Knitting (and other related activities), have health benefits documented by medical studies. From increasing serotonin to lowering heart rate, research shows that spending some time with the yarn is a really good idea for your physical and mental health.

Maybe now is a good time to pick up the needles or the crochet hook again. Maybe it's time to expand your skills and try something new to keep your brain engaged and focused on something healthy and productive? Or maybe it's finally time to give yourself the gift of learning how to knit or crochet and gain all those healthy benefits for the first time.

I don't remember a time when I didn't knit through busy times. I knit through home school lessons, during athletics practices and in between games, waiting for appointments, and on long car rides. Running out the door to the next thing included grabbing a knitting bag, and I often had one or more projects stashed in the car in case I forgot the bag at home.

I liked the idea of being productive even when life got busy, and I often had commissioned pieces I was working on for other people, so I needed to make the most of my time. But now, I love the idea of reaching for some calm and beauty in the midst of a hectic world.

What am I Knitting?

The baby's blanket is coming along, complete with one doozy of an error that I'm choosing to leave alone. If this blanket's life path is like Pancake's blankie's, maybe someone will mistake it for one of those design choices where the knitter wanted to demonstrate humility by not creating something perfect and offending God (have you heard of that tradition of the intentional error?). It wasn't a design choice. It was a colossal oops.

However, if this blankie follows Bacon's blankie's life path, no one will be able to tell there's any sort of pattern at all within three years. The child will be warm and know his Granny K loves him. That's what matters.

I'm also working on this scarf/shawl that I picked up the yarn and pattern for while on a recent trip East. It's brainless and meditative and just perfect for the kind of relaxing mental health benefits we're talking about here. It occurs to me that I happen to have a nice pairing of a stimulating project and a relaxing one. My brain should be very happy.

What Else?

The happiest flowers in the yard are providing some surprises lately, showing these pink blooms among the yellow. They popped out like heat sensors when our temperatures started hitting 100 degrees regularly and we seem to keep a few all the time now. The unexpectedness of them makes me smile.

What's Up With Mr. Darcy the Sheep?

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Mr. Darcy's pals Lizzy and Emma relax in the shade of Pemberley and demonstrate their breathing techniques.

What are you working on today?
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Happy knitting!

Kiersten J

P.S. - When you're ready, here's how I can help you:

1. ​Free Resources: Whether you're just starting or have been at it for decades, you might find just what you need to keep moving forward on your personal knitting journey.
2. ​Free 30-minute Discovery Call: Let's talk about what’s holding you back and where you want to make progress.
3. ​One-on-one Coaching: Get my focused attention to help you better understand and overcome your most frustrating obstacles.

Find this and more of my knitting journal entries at KierstenJ.com.