One Little Word: February 2020

It's hard to believe that it's already the last week of February! This month always goes by quickly for me, but this year it seems especially speedy. I suppose that's because it's been a busy month -- lots of meetings, appointments, and days off to mess with the usual schedule. Throughout this month, however, I've really been making an effort to focus on my word for the year, savor, and today I'm linking up with Honoré and friends to look back at my word over the last month.

Much of the way the word is manifesting itself in my life has to do with being present in the moment and noticing what is happening or how I am feeling in that moment. There doesn't necessarily have to be anything profound in that moment; I think I mentioned last month that one noticeable way I'm savoring is to focus on my first sip of coffee in the morning rather than drinking it while multitasking, as I am apt to do. Rather it's about the pause and the mindfulness and how they allow me to savor the moment.

Part of the reason I selected this word was because I've had some very sad reminders in the past year that life is short and unpredictable. I can do everything right -- eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, etc. -- and bad things can still happen, so I want to be sure to enjoy every minute of my life that I can. Life is busy, of course, and as a working mother, I'm frequently juggling my many responsibilities, so it's taking some time to adjust to the realization that I might not have to get everything done and, more importantly, I don't always have to get everything done (or at least not get it all done quickly). My first priority will always be my family, and they have to come first, even to the detriment of doing things I love, like knitting and reading. Last night I spent time I would have preferred to have spent knitting instead untangling and rewinding two skeins of yarn that Rainbow brought home from school so she could use them for her after-school finger knitting class. It could have been a frustrating experience, but instead I chose to focus on how nice the yarn felt in my hands and how thankful she was that I spent this time detangling so she didn't have to do it. She was so excited to see the skeins caked up that the time was really worth it.

As we head toward spring, I've also been savoring the signs in nature that it's coming. I can see the spring flowers along our driveway starting to poke up leaves and the rose bushes shooting out new branches. I always love this time of year, even though I will complain about winter not letting up its grip, because I always find it a bit of a miracle that nature manages to come through year after year despite the abuses we throw at it.

I've noticed a change in my approach to my knitting projects as well. Whereas before I've always seemed to be in a hurry to finish projects almost as soon as I've started them, I seem to have gotten more comfortable with having them in progress. I've really been enjoying working on my Darkwater, and as of today, the body is finished and the first sleeve has been started.

I really love working with this yarn, and the finished fabric just gets better and better the more it's worn and washed, so I'm really looking forward to having the finished sweater but thoroughly enjoying the journey to get there.

Likewise, I'm savoring my handspun socks, which are now about 75% complete.

I've got the pattern memorized at this point, which means that I can take a step back from my focus on the stitch pattern to appreciate the whole experience of knitting with my handspun, something that's always a pleasure.

Now I'm off to see how everyone else has been living with their word for 2020!