reverie

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Jen

Pastel “Walking With Emma” by Mary Ann Prehn

A lovely piece of art reached me yesterday. The moment I saw the pastel, I was cast out into an intense longing, a reverie, washed over with love of what was before and what I profoundly miss . . . walking in the long shadows either sunrise or sunset, with Emma, with the beautiful healthy landscape of the oaks before they were assaulted by the wildfire, and Mary Ann has captured the true heart of it all in this pastel she made for me (perhaps after enjoying knitting some Walking With Emma socks?) Surely the artist is completely unaware of the fact that in two days it will be the four-year anniversary of the wildfire, for the timing is so mysterious, and although I am not sure why she has bestowed upon me such generosity, that aside, it is the miracle of the heart and mind and of strong emotions which have completely touched me. Thank you Mary Ann, I am so very honored to have this piece, and of course, I am certain Emma feels it too.

Emma was.

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Jen

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It takes every bit of bravery I can manage to post this, and take a break from tears. She seemed to want to live forever, and we were so ready to let her, but she died peacefully last weekend, her daddy and me with her. For nearly fifteen years her fur has lined the nests of generations of birds in this part of the mountain, and her memory does not escape the places we walked, they are forever etched along the landscape. Forever.

You can see All Posts Emma archived from the beginning of this blog.

Fourteen and a half.

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Jen

We’ve been hunkered down through a week long power out and biting our nails while Kincade Fire raged in Sonoma County very close by, and my friends from around the world have been worried about us from hearing about it on the news. California is once again the crazy Wild West, its been a rough last week in October, but November is at long last here. Oh, and today is Emma’s half birthday.

As a little celebration of Emma’s fourteenth half birthday, I am having a little two-for-one pattern spree for Walking With Emma (a collection of eight sock patterns) over on Ravelry , and for details on that, please check it out on my forum post here.

In any case, we’re busy hanging doors, tiling, and in general making our house more of a home every weekend. I suppose soon I ought to post some house project photos, but here is one ~~ the laundry line is up!

laundry line up, and Emma.JPG

Out in Autumn (early).

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Jen

jenjoycedesign© out in Autumn

We’ve spent two nights so far in the new house, so we’ve officially moved in, even though the construction mess is ongoing, we’re all just happy to be finally home. Now I’m busy cleaning out the tiny house to its former glory before two humans, a dog, and countless spiders inhabited it for seventeen months, while Jeff continues the finish building. I woke this morning early and watched the rose-gold sunrise, while Emma in her Help’emUp harness acclimates to the new front porch, as that was one of her favorite places before, where she use to spend hours napping in the early mornings.

jenjoycedesign© out in Autumn 2

jenjoycedesign© out in Autumn 3

We are back home, it is Autumn, and life is good.

home

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Jen

The phoenix has landed. I sit peacefully at my laptop parked on the large pastry board in the kitchen, while Emma naps near me, claiming her floor space in the kitchen as she had always done before. As I mentioned last post, we passed the final building & fire inspections, and now we can slowly move in over the next few weeks. I have spent the morning consolidating the construction area to one end of the downstairs floor, and vacuumed, so it feels so much more like home now. All in good time the finish work will get done; doors will be hung, furniture will fill in, although much more sparsely, and things will be again clean, complete, and calm.

Emma is comfortable in the kitchen, most surely she knows she has come home? This of course, is reaching the other side of the bridge to us, having Emma bring us home.

I will be posting more of the usual knitterly & spinnerly things against the backdrop of the rebuilt house as it takes shape, the floor plan nearly identical to what it was before, but with changes that are almost insignificant now. We are all three worn, bedraggled, and *very* tired, but we are home.

Walking With Emma: A Pattern

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Jen

From The Archives: January 2012 “Paws”

On the eve of the Summer solstice I am celebrating fourteen years

of Walking With Emma.

From The Archives: July 2018 “Out Walking”

And as Emma naps beside me at my feet, I am enjoying coffee in the pause of a cool morning, putting finishing touches on the pattern pdf. You see, I have been knitting Ten At A Time socks with an impossible deadline to finish, and as the time for knitting lessens while the house rebuild work increases, I have jubilantly decided to put the pattern & photos together “as is”, and get it submitted today.
jenjoycedesign© Walking With Emma ribbed

An ensemble I am naming “Walking With Emma”.

jenjoycedesign© WWE cabled variations

Eight socks, one pattern.

(( click image below for enlarged detail ))

Walking With Emma is a collection of classic cables & ribs. If knit with a rustic wool they are the quintessence of country socks, and so befitting of wandering in the rural spaces, as I have with my dog Emma! And if made with fine to very-fine yarn, these socks can be as elegant as any occasion could ask for. Four classic cables in a progression of 1/1, 2/1, and two variations of 2/2 cable cross, as well as four plain ribbed variations, making eight ways to knit a sock. This is an epic sock pattern for me because not only do I give it four charts, but six sizes to fit men, women, teens & kids…. and…. the pattern includes a gauge substitution chart so that you can use several weights of your favorite yarns, from rustic hand-spun to fine fingering, and even lace weight!

Please go get the latest pattern and set yourself in motion walking (or sitting) while knitting one or two or three or more of this collection . . .

pattern is live on Ravelry HERE.

In closing, I’d like to mention that Emma and I are still “walking together” as you can see posted over here, and we will greet the Summer Solstice this way! Please click through this epic slideshow and view some great photos I have taken over the years, out trail-making and walking with Emma in our mountain landscape …

Plastering dog fur !

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Jen

Our construction folk won’t be here this week so I’ve decided to plaster the loft room by myself, incorporating Emma’s fur into the mud. The style is haphazard, but excellently artful and as this is my studio room as well as guest room, that suits everybody just fine.

I will go over the surface with a damp sponge to knock off the sharp high spots, and then the many coats of paint will completely soften the rough surface, and be less “hairy”, and hopefully end up looking rather old-architectural style. Most importantly, part of Emma is now embedded in the walls of the room, and that means a lot to me.

Just for the sake of interest, the tree pictograph ” Po ” continues to be a photo opportunity, and in itself, a marvel!

And with the rest of the week ahead all by myself, I’m going to see if I can get the room painted to my liking, as before; an undercoat of primer, then a couple of coats of the lightest tones in the fir (a peachy tan), with the deepest tones in the grain to be rubbed on for glaze (a sienna brown).

Our little spot.

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Jen

jenjoycedesign© knitting lane 4
Introducing Emma’s and my walking lane, where we can still walk together. It is only about a tenth of a mile long, and walking the length of it out and back five times it is a mile. She and I are working on a new sock pattern by the way, which will be tribute to all the walking we’ve done over the years.
jenjoycedesign© knitting lane 6
This is our new private spot, where nobody is ever around but maybe occasional workers in the vineyard, and being so quiet it offers wonderful solitude, especially in the mornings. It is a sort of base camp where I can park at one shady end, walk back and forth while working or knitting, and Emma can be with me, because since turning fourteen, she hangs out in the back of the car and watches.
jenjoycedesign© knitting lane 9
This little spot was a very over-grown access road for power lines which borders ours and a neighboring parcel, and is really quite secluded. This is just one of those things I don’t know why I didn’t focus on earlier, but I’m glad I am now, for I can drive Emma down here every morning for our walk “together” and afternoons too if its not too hot.
jenjoycedesign© knitting lane 8
While over the years Emma and I walked regularly up the ridge to the peak of the mountain and beyond, the wildfire destroyed so much that for sheer tree fall, walking up the ridge is impossible presently. Also Jeff had recently got a heavy duty rechargeable battery operated dual line weed-whacker, and so now I can mow and maintain this little lane, and what is amazing is that on our property this is the only level spot. Presently I am having to move quite a lot of rocks and battling wild black berries, but I’ll get there eventually.
jenjoycedesign© knitting lane 2 I think I’ll officially name it Emma’s Lane. And here she this morning, hunkering down in her castle, watching me and keeping company while I work.

A day of days!

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Jen

jenjoycedesign© after the rain 3
I’m in a robust mood this morning early, a beautiful golden sunrise through the glistening air of recent days of rain. Right now the forest is alive with promise!

Ignore the charred black trunks, because what is going on beneath the surface is nothing less than a miracle. I want to emulate the forest, and allow myself to sprout renewed growth from such a vibrant place within, the place of true life .
jenjoycedesign© after the rain 1
In the mood to step outside with camera and capture the moment, vivid as it can be; the wildlife stirring, Emma napping quite oblivious to it, the knitting trail ready to be worked & walked . What a day of days!

A couple cups of rich strong French Roast and I am ready for the day!

jenjoycedesign© after the rain 4

If good moods are contagious, I hope everyone out there is feeling the day as wonderful as this.

Emma is Fourteen

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Jen

Emma is fourteen today!

She is surprising us all how she is hanging in there . . .

. . . for another spring on the mountain . . .

. . . for another May birthday . . .

. . . perhaps a few more months yet, to move into the new house with us . . .

. . . she has lived beyond her breed’s life expectancy, and our old girl is a real trooper!

The three of us have lived in our ~~shoebox~~ tiny house for exactly a year now, although Emma has quite taken to wanting to be in ‘her car’ a lot of the time. She being around has made it so much easier for us to get through this time. I must accredit Emma’s incredible longevity to her extreme athletic youth, running all over the mountain chasing critters, in part to the wonderful veterinarians at Napa Small Animal , as well as the two raw eggs she gets every day, a very good recipe for a healthy happy old dog. Emma, we love you, and what a happy day it is indeed!

((click 1st photo in mosaic to see slideshow))

Snow!

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Jen

It snowed last night! Here at 2000 ft elevation, it is sticking, and temperature is cold enough to keep it a while. Oh, but there seems to be something nestled into the snow…

It is two cakes of finished UnSpun!

of which I mentioned in the last post .

A gorgeous blackish tealish blue, 1100 yards & 100 grams, this super fine lace weight is ready to make a journey to Hamburg Germany! You can see all four of this series in Unspun For Friends

And all is well in our snowy charcoal forest.

And Emma in her car, snuggled under a blanket with her squirrel …

Emma & Squirrel.JPG

She hasn’t a care in the world about the snowy cold!

Emma on the new floor!

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Jen

Best thing I’ve seen all year, our Emma laying on her floor , and back home.

Things Happening

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Jen

Now for a little catch up on the house construction!

Do you recognize my signature view of the mountains?

Foundation poured, and floor joists going up , photos just taken less than an hour ago, during the workers’ lunch break.

Then a few hours later….

Watch this space, things are really happening now. Next week construction starting on the road (we’re forced to put in a road to rebuild!) and also starting next week will be the posts & beams of the timberframe going up!

♥ ♥ ♥

Emma is thirteen & a half today!

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Yesterday I took Emma out for a little walk, although not very far. I’ve been rather quiet about things going on with Emma, but now she is on the mend, I will mention that she seems to be slowly recovering from a serious illness which came on in the first days of September rendering her completely unable to move on her own, and with very little appetite. I thought I lost her and was enormously miserable for weeks as I nursed her , but now she’s able to walk a little on her own, getting stronger every day, and eating a lot!

My constant companion Emma ~~ she’s such a soldier!

waiting

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Jen

Red lines painted for excavation & string elevations in place of where the rebuilt house will be.

Yesterday took a turn for the worse for us. The previous Friday we were told we’d have our permit, and too soon did we think we could just start building. Our building permit got held up because of yet another detail some engineer at the county building department was chewing on ; we now have to change the plans to do more fiddling, as we have done several times already, until its become utterly impossible & ridiculous. This means more time to wait, and worst of all , more money to build, and it also means more debilitating frustration in our lives, but we are coping and won’t give up. Our county building administration is notoriously harsh and very difficult to get a building permit through on the best day, and don’t for a second think they are in any way being lenient to the many who have lost our homes to the wildfire, now 11 months later. Our contractors are ready to start, we have the batter boards & string line up for the foundation elevation, and had the foundation sub-contractor up here spraying lines in the dirt and scheduling a start as soon as permit is issued. Since its costing us more, we’ll end up having to do more of the building ourselves, and live in this teeny tiny space longer. Not really glad about things right now. I’ll let you know when things really start, as many of you have no doubt been wondering. I’ve just put this out there so family & friends will have an update ~~ apologies if I seem like a complainer, I’m just angry and at a breaking point.

Knitting on a bridge…

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Jen

Jeff has built a bridge from logs he salvaged from the loggers’ waste, and he hoisted them cross across the small gully which heads over to the garden in now what I am calling “the path of least resistance” with planks nailed to the top from old boards, it is an excellent & rustic installment to the woods and I am super pleased with it! I helped only minimally, as I did the original “wedding bridge” which was burned in the wildfire. A new bridge & my sooty knitting trail has of this morning been improved inexpressibly for the better! Emma inspected & approved…

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There eventually will be builders at work making their presence felt in my quiet seclusion, and this lovely little bridge continues me my private trail out to the garden without having to walk up the road to the house where the chaos will be going on, and down to the garden from there. Planning ahead brilliantly! A short-cut to the garden, a bridge to bliss, a bridge across difficult terrain, so metaphorical. The garden is life, and inspires me in its quiet little way with bees bobbing about, fluttering butterflies, and small little birds bathing in various bowls and cups sitting about, as well as a fat wild dove flocks bombing about on occasion… tall seedy foxgloves still standing through the perpetual heat. I chase away the drought with my series of old-timey sprinklers, sitting beside them in the mist as I soak in the moist air and knit. It is a very rustic & secluded spot of calm, where one is really fairly hidden away.

I am trying to settle into a productive life of a busy recluse, and I have been thinking about things. Post trauma disorder has changed things a bit. I will very likely never get over that day of wildfire, for at that time forward is etched into the rhythm of how I experience life, and its injury as much a part of me now as anything could be. That blink of time when I hurriedly drove off in my car with Emma, my mandolin, recordings of my music compositions, a small box of photos, and a few clothes, my computer, and a tote full of my needles & favorite yarns to keep me busy in the days following — while instantly regretting other things which I forgot, so much from my life. Those things which seemed to define me were suddenly gone, especially those rooms, spaces which were integral to my happiness.

But let me tell you how I’ve been thinking about things, about feeling glad and comfortable with realizing that the only real thing I can ever own, and the only thing which defines me, are my accomplishments. So that is why I strive to live the busy life of a hermit in newly built hermitage, and the rooms will be far less cluttered and intriguingly sparse, so that I can build on my accomplishments. My family, and short list of close friends will allow me this reclusive life. I would like to add that I appreciate all of my pen friends from around the globe with whom I have kept company and shared my days in a more secluded way, I am ever so immensely grateful to my knitting fraternity!

♥ ♥ ♥