Since the outbreak… I’m missing sitting at my local coffee shop knitting, drinking tons of coffee, & chatting the day away….
How about you? How are you holding up during this pandemic?
I read a recent article in Bella Grace Magazine…. is it a magazine? Or a book really? I love having it around, to read when I’m having a cup of coffee or tea….
The article was about 5 ways coffee can help you embrace the slow life… I think knitting also fits this purpose as well.
The five was were Brewing your own drip coffee from home, sharing coffee with someone, painting with coffee, reading about coffee, and mixing coffee into other intentional living practices.
I like the one about sharing coffee with someone…. my fellow knit squad….I encourage you to grab a copy, a coffee, and sink right in.
Coffee, whether warm or cold, is a comforting beverage that only gets better when we share it. One we drink because it just feels soulful.
How full is your head space? How do you unwind? To answer these questions, I spent three days with nature…come join me!
My husband and our family tribe took a 3-hour drive to Pennsylvania to the Allegheny National Forest, near my hometown (who knew this was essentially in my back yard!) We camped for 4 days and 3 nights spending most of our time on the Allegheny Reservoir kayaking.
The thought of getting to our camp site, setting up, and relaxing in nature was such a mood booster! We got to camp, and it was very humid and sticky….but that meant the smells of the forest were right there in your face, crisp and clean! The smell of the forest and pine trees are glorious!
Clear your Head Space tip #1…… Go to the park and take a deep inhale!
The smells really do quiet the mind and help me to relax and I know they will you too! It’s refreshing and clears the mind!
You can literally smell the forest in this pic! Photo Credit: Candee Brown
I can’t believe how refreshing the forest can smell… the earth, the dampness…. that alone helps ease away any stress that your holding up in your head!
Clear your Head Space tip #2…… Become one with the water!
We decided to get up before dawn, to head out to the water and watch the sunrise from our kayaks…. Boy, it didn’t disappoint!! The actual act of getting up early on vacation did kinda suck… but the payoff was HUGE! Since I was the first one in the water at 6:58 am… it was complete solitude. The water was as warm as a bath and the fog was spectacular! I had for a brief moment, the entire river to myself, alone, no other sounds, just my kayak breaking the water…. I put my hands in the water and became one with my surroundings. I took a deep breath and smelled the foggy mist…. AMAZING! It was so spectacular that I really wanted to cry because of all the beauty of nature.
Solo on the water before sunrise!
As the rest of my tribe joined me on the water, we sent the remaining morning & afternoon kayaking the reservoir. In total I kayaked about 7 miles that day. It was just the perfect day watching the sunrise and the fog lift…. I highly recommend you find a way to get yourself on the water and enjoy it… it really does make you forget about work, bills, cleaning… all the crap I stress about.
My tribe joining in the early fun!
There’s no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this…
-Anonymous
So after being on the water all day, we headed back to the campsite for much needed lunch and rest. I got some knitting in while we all relaxed. I’m working on socks for myself. The pattern is My Favourite Sock Recipe from Mandarine’s YouTube Channel… it’s knit top down. I’m using super-wash merino wool that is machine washable. These could become my next hiking & camping socks. I also worked on a camping hat during the drive down… I’ll have photos of that available soon on my Instagram page and details for my patrons on my Patreon page. Please consider becoming a patron today!
Clear your Head Space tip #3…… Relax around a campfire!
Sock Knitting time!
On Saturday morning we decided to head back out just before sunrise and do some more kayaking… this is when we saw a bald eagle trying to steal a fish in mid-air from an osprey! The fish got dropped and almost landed directly on my husband’s kayak!! What a thing to see!
Clear your Head Space tip #4…… Watch animals in their natural habitat!
We saw a group of little ducks on the water, they swam around each of our kayaks! We hoped some would hop on Candee’s SUP, but no…. We had a loon follow us a bit around the reservoir and we saw tons of fish jumping around! Back at our campsite were squirrels and chipmunks….little cuties! Animals are so lively and entertaining….definitely not thinking about work now!
We adventured back out on the reservoir later in the morning and spent the rest of the afternoon, kayaking in total for me about 9.35 miles. A thunderstorm was rolling in and we had to really book-it to get back to the dock.. all in all a fabulous, de-stressing weekend! I highly recommend you all get out there and commune with nature! It really does detoxify your head space!
Candee & I enjoying the sunrise from the water!
Morning Fog awaiting the sunrise
I hope you enjoy my photos and tales from the weekend, but I really hope you get out there and enjoy some nature for yourself! Remember to keep our wilderness clean and leave no trace!
I worked on some baby sweaters for little Della… cause let’s be real, she won’t be little for long… and I wanted to get her something knitted.
I found a pattern for a cardigan style dress. I modified the pattern to suit my needs by adjusting the sleeves a bit and shortening it from dress length, to sweater length. I used some leftover hand-dyed yarn and finished it off with some buttons from great grandma’s button jar. Its too cute for words! I do not even care if Della wears it… I just wanted a picture of her in it! It was such a fun project and it knit up so quickly that it was not a drag! Win! Win!
I also finished making the hubby some camping cozy socks to wear this fall hiking! They fit him like a glove! I’m not sure why I do not make more socks… other than they are a time suck…and yeah, I work full-time…boo!
I tried Stand-up Paddle-boarding for the first time on Lake Erie! I was scared to death!!! Afraid that if I fell off, that I would not be able to climb back on… well… I was the only one who did NOT fall off! I was happy but then, thinking on it later, wish I had fallen for the experience…. Guess that means I’ll be doing it again!
Yarny adventures are in store for the month on the Yarn Discovery Tour, and time get some podcasting done! Check us out on YouTube…. The Knitters Are Here!
