Wabi sabi for me means a kind longing, like homesickness, for things loved. My grandkids and kids are so important to me and living away from them can be really hard sometimes. Oh, don't get me wrong... we love our new life in Savannah and especially enjoy being able to go to the beach in shorts and a tshirt to soak up the sun... and walking under the spreading live oaks dripping in Spanish moss... BUT there is absolutely NOTHING in the world like a grandchild's hug! - and those great hugs from your children. Skype and FaceTime certainly help, but you can't send those hugs through the Internet. At least not yet! They make your toes curl and your heart skip a beat! They are a taste of heaven here on earth! So I guess you can say... part of my search for wabi sabi... is found through family!
The heart ache was getting to me for those hugs, so I convinced my dear hubby that we needed to go get some hugs!!! We took the sleeper train out of Savannah Christmas Eve as I had to work at the SCAD's Gutstein Gallery that afternoon. We arrived about 5:30 Christmas night into Boston where we were staying with daughter Kim and her wife, Laura and their daughter Maja.
Kim fixed dinner and we sat down to relax and who should arrive, but... not Santa... But Kjell and Charlene and little 4 month old Ollie who looked huge to us as the last time we saw him he was brand new and his knees were still curled up to his chest! What a wonderful surprise as we didnt expect to see them until Monday, but they made a special Xmas visit from their home in Providence, RI. Ollie's a happy baby boy and came in his wool sweater that I had made for him! Oh... my heart was singing!!! What a wonderful Xmas.
Better yet.. Kris and hubby Bobby and our other two grandchildren Abby (almost7) and Chelsea (5) came for a full family gathering the next day from Albany (unfortunately Erik in Dubai and my brother Jeff in Berlin were missing,) but it was wonderful! A very very merry Christmas, in deed!
Let's see... What have I created?
I started making a sweater for me... That I wanted to wear with a handwoven shawl to some of the many the holiday parties we were fortunate to enjoy with our new Savannah friends.
Then I went into Swedish Yul Tomten production. Using an Alan Dart pattern, I created - if I don't say so myself - adorable Swedish Christmas gnomes. Each grandchild received a Tomte of their own and a book by to go along with it. My next project is to make a tiny one to sit on my spinning wheel of my own handspun yarn.
Then I knit fair isle sweaters for both Ollie and Maja (now 16 months) And matching mittens and hats. I used a cute Norwegian helmet like hat for the pattern that I found for free on Ravelry, but unfortunately the one I first knit for Ollie was WAY too big and he has a big head. Maybe he will be able to wear it when he's 12!!! I measured his head and made adjustments and knit him a smaller one! The smaller size fit Maja perfectly too!
I designed and knit some items for Abby and Chelsea as I heard a secret from Santa that they were getting new American Girl dolls. Abby wanted the Hippy doll Laini, so I knit her a turtle neck sweater to wear with the jeans I bought on Etsy...and for Chelsea's Kit doll I made a poncho and slouchy hat to go with her Etsy skirt set. The best news was that they fit!
In the train station waiting for the hour late Amtrak, I took out my #15 needles and my first handspun art yarn I had created during the Jazz Turtle workshop last May. I rolled into a soft ball and knit a simple hat top down to make sure I had enough yarn - I had JUST enough. I only had about 18 inches left - and it fit - warm yet light for cold wintery Boston. (though the weather was quite mild when we were there.)
So that's about it... My current project is on the loom... A light airy cotton shawl for our oldest son, Erik's partner, Pune as a housewarming present. You see, I have more hugs to collect... I'm going to spend my next big, bad birthday in Dubai with oldest son Erik and Pune and their 2 pups in their 37th floor apartment overlooking the city!!! So think of me on that long, long flight the night of February 4th! I'll be back home a week later very tired, but grinning from ear to ear!
HAPPY NEW YEAR'S HUGS to YOU!!!
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