Stitch 'n Dish

Tag: happiness

  • It’s spooky season!

    It’s spooky season!

    As I work to finish my Lost Souls crochet shawl, I find that I’m easily distracted by some of the cute pumpkin-centric patterns that are popping up everywhere. It started with late night yarn-scrolling, which I try to do instead of doom-scrolling, because it’s better for my overall state of mind. On one such scroll,…

  • A mini craft

    A mini craft

    Sometimes being “crafty” can be short, sweet and simple. Tonight I was running a few errands after work and stopped by the local “dollar” store to see if I could find a small bottle for an idea I had earlier in the day: a DIY reed scent diffuser. The reason I chose a DIY option…

  • Summer odds & ends

    Summer odds & ends

    Change can be a challenge to navigate, and I am always grateful to the examples set by my grandmother and great-grandmothers on how to keep moving forward when life gets messy. I think it was their generations’ version of meditation, which tracks with so much of the research today around how crocheting, knitting and other…

  • Finding joy

    Finding joy

    The truest forms of joy do not come from BIG, EXPENSIVE things. It most often shows up in the faces of those we love, but it also sneaks into our lives in the form of silly little projects that capture our fancy for a moment. I call that “joy finding” – and have come to…

  • Hunting and gathering fiber

    Hunting and gathering fiber

    Audiobooks are a wonderful companion for exercise, and for those who are otherwise engaged in solitary tasks – such as crocheting, knitting, or sewing. Sometimes they even unexpectedly give us insights into those same activities. Such was the case this week when I was working on my latest tote/market bag. As I noted in my…

  • For no particular reason

    For no particular reason

    Sometimes I get into a funk and wonder why I’m spending time and energy making things that don’t seem to have a specific purpose. I also sometimes get down on myself about the mountain of yarn, yards of fabric or tubs of supplies. I know I’m not alone in having an occasional moment of despair…

  • In the bag

    In the bag

    I finally finished my red, white, and blue cotton bag for small shopping trips. I made it with Lily Sugar ‘n Cream yarn and using the Yarnspirations free pattern for their Mesh Bag. It’s perfect for quick trips to the store (I take it to the drug store when I’m picking up vitamins, etc.) I had previously…

  • Change is inevitable. Yarn helps.

    Change is inevitable. Yarn helps.

    The past year has marked a significant SHIFT in my life. It wasn’t the birth or death of anyone close, but it was the end of an era, so to speak.  Last year in June, my oldest grandchild got his driver’s license, and suddenly, I was freed from being on call as my daughter’s backup…

  • An essence of immortality

    An essence of immortality

    My time spent with yarn and hook or needles is usually contemplative. Sometimes I’m deep into the Netflix series I’m binging, while at other times, I am lost in memories and thought. As I spend more time with retirement advisors and financial analysts to plan my exit from “the grind“, I have also been thinking…

  • Comfort in stitching

    Comfort in stitching

    Like most crocheters and knitters, I always have several projects in progress. I’ve found over the years that various moods or states of mind will align better with some projects than others. For those stressful times where there’s a lot of chaos or uncertainty, nothing beats a basic knitted piece like the wrap pictured above.…