Hello, my Fine, Fibrous Friends. Please note that this post is illustrated with photos of all sorts of things that just happened to float to the forefront of my mind as I wrote. Many of them are a bit out-of-season right now, but you’ll forgive that I hope?
We are not living in funny times, but it’s OK to seek solace in humour (and art, and nature, and literature, and sport) on even the darkest of days. Laughter was my coping strategy when I had cancer, for example… that and growing vegetables… also, drinking wine. Just please don’t mistake my silly tone here for any lack of concern for what’s going on a thousand miles from my front door. I know from recent comments that many of you are weary enough already after two years of covid and so you wander over here for five minutes of lighthearted distraction. That’s fair enough. (I come here for lighthearted distraction too, my friends.)
Clearly somebody has invoked that most brutal of ancient curses, “May you live in interesting times.” Like, ouch. I don’t know who that somebody is, but if they’re a knitter then I hope that their best cashmere gets munched by moths and that they accidentally twist their work when they join in the round. Most of you are knitters, so you’ll appreciate the viciousness of these words and you’ll understand that I don’t use them lightly. I don’t want to live in interesting times. I want to live in an era of such tedium that future historians are driven to drink from the sheer ennui of lecturing on the subject. (Sorry, historians.)
But here we are, and so from here we must proceed. It’s our job to persuade the next generation to be generous of heart, empathic, concerned about the natural world, interested in others’ differing perspectives even when profoundly disagreeing, peace-loving, AND TO PICK THEIR DIRTY SOCKS UP OFF THE BATHROOM FLOOR RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME THERE WON’T EVEN BE A NEXT GENERATION FOR MUCH LONGER. Oops, got carried away there. It’s been a long day with a not-insignificant quantity of other people’s malodorous laundry. Sorry, sorry.
Meanwhile at Twisted Towers, spring cannot possibly spring soon enough this year. Every brave bulb that bursts into bloom this early should be awarded a certificate of merit to hang on the nearest fence, plus a month’s free mulching of home-made compost. These little beauties are an uplifting sight, even more so than usual this year.
It hasn’t been a ‘pretty’ – aka Instagrammable – winter here. There’s been no snow so far, and very few aesthetically frosty sunlit mornings – at least on days when I’m not working the day-job so can get the camera out. Mostly, we’ve had greyness and traditionally British drizzle, with a side order of gales to spice things up and redistribute the nation’s trampolines and wheelie bins into the branches of other people’s trees.
But I like to make the best – or the least-worst – of any situation, so whenever there’s a downpour, I shuffle the houseplants around so that every point of roof-leaky drip-drip-dripness is underlain by a thirsty pot of vegetation. Result! The plants are effortlessly watered and the floor is unruined. Win! Follow me for more horticultural advice. Or perhaps don’t.
I’m excited about the food-growing possibilities in 2022. This year, I’m focusing hard on growing my dinner vertically, since I don’t have anywhere near enough horizontal space. Dramatic photos will – all being well – follow soon. I’ve been lashing metal arches together with twine and I’m excited to show you the results.
And of course, I’m knitting. I’ve been working on a couple of characteristically Twisted designs for the Finnish yarn company, Novita. And I can’t wait to show you the results.
Meanwhile please stay safe, my friends. May your every stitch slip perfectly from your needle and may you never drop a single stitch.
Phil x
Beautiful tribute without a word ! Take care.
Thank you. You too.
Thank you for a lovely post and looking forward to your new Novita designs. Love that yarn & stock up whenever I am in Helsinki.
Thanks. And yes, their yarn all seems lovely. They sent me a selection and it’s all luscious stuff.
Thank you for your moving and heart-warming tribute. We pray that peace and sanity will prevail! 🇺🇦
Yes, peace and sanity would be so very welcome right now.
I love all the blue and yellow images – helpful in combatting our depression as we worry deeply but helplessly about them all.
Were you actually in Finland, up there ? Lucky bastards you Poms are to be able to jaunt off to any European country at will and without having to contemplate (a) having coughed up a small nation’s budget to do so and (b) the prospect of the next 24 hours of rivetting boredom ..
What IS that knitted article on which a small black creature is sneaking towards us ? I want it, please. I also want the lighter blue with the yellow vertical stripes in which I can’t work what you’re doing, regardless of what it turns out to be. I probably want everything you’ve ever knitted, if truth be known ..
You’re a good woman, Phil: you have a good and meaningful life.Long, long may it continue !
XO
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/marcus_wareing_kitchen_garden
I imagine you’ll become a regular viewer ..
Ooh thank you, yes that looks interesting! (The Marcus Wareing link.) Thank you!
Yes, I’ve been to Finland a few times, because I have a Finnish friend and we like to visit each other occasionally. It’s a beautiful and fascinating and proud country, and if Putin tries to steal it then HE’LL HAVE ME TO DEAL WITH! And yes, we can country-hop fairly easily, but your country is so big that it surely contains as much variety as Europe?
Also, my friend Alice below is quite right to identify the cat/pond as part of the knitted/crocheted chair cover that I made a few years ago.
May you stay safe and well and remain nowhere near Putin’s suitable-to-nuke list of countries.
Putin’s gone mad, everyone’s saying it. Let us hope he’s not as mad as that, Phil.
This may help you to identify the “knitted article” 😉 https://thetwistedyarn.com/2017/01/25/about-a-chair/
Thanks, m’dear!
Like you, I could do with a good dose of Less Than Interesting Times. Then I watch the News, and realise that, actually, I already have it.
It hits so much harder when they really do look like People Like Us, doesn’t it. For all that it shouldn’t.
I have blue hyacinths in bloom at present, in yellow bowls. As they were planted back in January, this is entirely unplanned on my part. PIty certain Other People hadn’t been planning better enterprises.
But yes, let’s be really British, have a cuppa, and joke about it a bit, otherwise we might all be weeping, and that wouldn’t necessarily help either.
All the best with training the Twinnage to put their dirty washing in the right place.
Beautiful photos with such significance. Humour is not making light of a situation it is a way of coping and carrying on, which is needed right now. I had almost stopped following you as I thought I wasn’t knitting much and certainly not to your standard but this article is inspiring Xx
Thank you Alison. And I completely and utterly agree with you about humour.
Thanks, Sharon. May your hyacinths thrive and may Ukrainian strength prevail.
As for the twinnage picking up their dirty laundry, I daren’t be quite THAT optimistic!
Thank you for your lovely post. The photos were all sublime. I myself just starteta wonderful thing to have knitting as a creative endeavor and a way to share what is on my heart.
Knitting is a wonderful balm to the soul – enjoy! May it enrich your life and bring out your creativity.
Thank you for your photographic tribute to Ukraine. Blue for the sky and gold for the wheat fields. My Ukrainian father-in-law passed away eight years ago. He would have been heartbroken to see what is happening in his country 💙 💛
Oh gosh, you must be feeling this even more deeply than most. What is happening in your father-in-law’s country is an utter tragedy, but the whole world knows that the brave Ukranian people have right on their side – may they prevail, despite the odds.
Thanks for the tip on watering indoor plants, I’ve never managed to keep a house plants alive… outdoors I go for low maintenance stuff, except for the roses… I do feed them every once in a while. I have lived thru some interesting times, my high school and college boy friends fought and died (and some came home) in the Vietnam war, my country was attacked with airplanes killed thousands in NY city, young men my daughters age fought and died (and some came home) in our 20 year war in Afghanistan, now yet another war is raging… with terrifying consequences for the entire world … Boring times would be nice, but I fear I won’t live to see them.
Yes, Vietnam must have been horrific for anyone involved. I’m sorry that people you personally knew did not come home. What an utter waste of young lives. I can’t help being an optimist and hoping that we as a species will learn something from the current craziness, but I fear that we won’t. Meanwhile I’m just busy admiring the people protesting in Russia against the war – I cannot imagine the amount of bravery you’d need to do that.
Here’s to boredom. May it descend upon us all.
Having just read the BBC News…your post was just what I needed. Thank you.
And thank you for being kind enough to say so. There is hope amongst all this madness. And the brave Russian people demonstrating against the war each deserve a medal.
Love the blues and yellows. Nice words today.
Thank you, and thank you!
Thank you for your quiet tribute to Ukraine threaded through a post that was like balm to the soul.
And thank you for such richly generous words.
So nicely observed.
Mother Nature is a cruel b**** this year. Thunderstorms tonight, Spring-like temps and snow Monday night. In a world gone mad I have to rely on my gardens. The lilies for my new garden are ordered and arrive later this month. The seeds for the veggie gardens and the new fruit trees goes out this week, plus more grapes for Hubby’s grape arbor. Here’s to hoping MN let’s us have a Spring at all. In a world gone crazy, the gardens are my sanity. About the dirty socks, Hubby learned the hard way. After 19 years of picking up after him I only washed what was in the hamper. When he had to wear my obnoxious socks he had an epiphany.
Thank you for your kind and soothing post. You are helping a lot of us find a little more sanity to hold on to. Let’s hear it for yarn!!! Teresa
Teresa, yet again thank you so very much! And yeah, in addition to the war-craziness, there’s also the climate-craziness. Sigh. May MN behave herself so that you and Mr Teresa can grow whatever you want. I love your approach to your husband’s non-sock-sorting, but the problem is that my children are, well, children, so people will complain to me if they arrive at school unsocked. Again, I sigh.
Thank you, Heather.
You are a gift to this world. Thank you.
And you are more generous than I deserve, but thank you. To anyone reading this, Alys is most definitely a gift to this world, especially with her gardening skills. Her blog is here: https://gardeningnirvana.com/
[blushing] Thank you so much for your kind words. xo
Bless you Phil. It’s all a bit much isn’t it (heavy English understatement). I turned off the tv last week as my poor brain and subconscious can’t take anymore.
Wishing you sun filled day and happy plant sowing and book completing vibes.
Wishing you peace and other good things, too. It is indeed All. A. Bit. Too. Much.
Thank you for a clever post. Lovely to read and beautiful photos. Just what was needed, I have just turned off the news. I am going to knit socks and send over with a personal message. If any of your readers wish to join me please let them have my email address and we can maybe set up a plan. I have also run this idea with Winwick Mum. When things go wrong KNIT SOCKS! X
I like your thinking – I like it very much. PEOPLE, DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS?!
Lovely post and wonderful photos. Blue and yellow – such lovely colours together. May wisdom prevail and peace flow like a river. God bless. xx
Thank you. And yes, may peace and wisdom PLEASE prevail, for the sake of the 99.999999999% of us who aren’t psychopathic megalomaniacs.
Wonderful blue and yellow tribute!
Thank you.
I love Serenity Prayer by Brian Bilston
Agreed. His words are wise.
Your tribute touched my heart deeply Phil.
Gosh, thank you. Seriously, a deep and heartfelt thank you.
Thank you, Phil, for your take on life and your unique yarnery touch. You are appreciated. <3
As are you, because you always come here with such generous words. Wishing you peace and calm.
When my lad was old enough to dress himself, he got a laundry basket with a set of rules pinned on. 5p charge for each button left done up, tissue in pocket, sock left to be picked up. Worked a treat as he hated paying, but it did result in me getting the ‘Mean Mum’ award…
Thank you for the blue and yellow.
I LIKE your thinking! Need to implement something equivalent with my pesky blighters, even though they’re a lot older.
When my lad was old enough to dress himself, he got a laundry basket with a set of rules pinned on. 5p charge for each button left done up, tissue in pocket, sock left to be picked up. Worked a treat as he hated paying, but it did result in me getting the ‘Mean Mum’ award…
Thank you for the blue and yellow.
What a beautiful post. Thank you.
Seriously, thank you. I’m sorry I’m not in the pub tonight, but we’ve just had parents’ evening and the Stoic Spouse is too ill too look after the boys alone. Next time?
Thank you for your quiet but moving tribute to and support of Ukraine. Living in interesting (read: miserable) times is harder than living in normally difficult times, but knowing people around the world are openly supporting the victims of an illegal invasion makes it just a bit easier. Now, a question: do you have information on the yarn and the colorways of it in the 4th image down in your post?
Thank you Lynn. If anything good comes out of this hideous situation, it may be that people open their eyes and really see the importance of peace and truth and non-aggression.
As for the 4th photo down, it was a cowl that I chattered about here: https://thetwistedyarn.com/2016/04/29/the-moo-cowl-pattern-aka-simon-the-cowl/
Perfectly pitched post, thank you. Heartbreaking times x
1. Thank you. 2. Agree completely.
Thank you, Phil, for your uplifting post! From Germany, some countries seem to be very close right now, and my baby spend half of last night crying, so this was just what I needed now! Last night, I sorted through my stash and current projects, to keep a little order in that part of the world that I can control.
Please keep up your posts!!
Maria, thank you. Your country is doing so much more than mine to aid refugees, so respect from here to Germany. Carry on organizing your stash to maintain a feeling of order – that’s a completely rational response. Also, now that you’ve finished with Angela Merkel, please PLEASE may we borrow her to replace our selfish, corrupt, Russian-loving, incompetent prime minister?
Thank you for this, just what is needed at this difficult time. The pictures are uplifting and must have taken time to find. My husband is a retired police officer and humour got him through difficult times at work, we are devastated by the attitudes of a minority of this generation of police officers…his was not that sort of humour. The same humour enables us to live with his neuroendocrine cancer and associated treatments and both of us having mobility problems caused by age and osteoarthritis. We are lucky to have a garden with plants and birds to take us through the seasons.
Sending love in your direction. The emergency services are well known for using ‘black’ humour to cope/survive, and I can only respect them for this. May your husband receive the very best possible cancer treatment, and may you both have access to good medical care.
I love each and every one of your photos! What a brilliant way to show your support. ❤️
Not for the first time, I love the kindness and generosity in your comment. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the blue and yellow. The colors inspire pride in my heritage and help to assuage the sadness I feel for the suffering of men, women, and children in this senseless war.
Persist. Another ten years. Our two eventually did their own washing – knowing full well that bringing dirty laundry home from Uni/College/where they now live was/is Not On, not unless they were/are Absolutely Desperate. ( And there are launderettes near where they live) Admittedly the Lad brought a load of damp (but clean) laundry home once, it was a nice day, he pegged it out, and went back with dry clothes. He also irons, and is a good cook.
The Lass is now nursing, so rarely gets the time to visit, but is fully competent too. And they both text when they think of it! I call that a win.