A pattern caught my eye last fall, although I wasn't crazy about the colors in the official version. It was a Tunisian crochet project, and I had wanted to do more work in that area. And... as things so often do, I kept running into it over and over again in different variations, and I finally fell into it. Or fell for it. Or was beaten into submission by the algorithm- whichever. The pattern is the Landscape Shawl by Martin Up North.
One of the lovely things about Mount Vernon is that we sit on a hill and consequently, there are views available. Even at the shop we have an especially lovely view south, to the river. So, when I went about looking for colors for my Landscape Shawl, I just looked outside and let that guide me. I chose 10 colors of Berrocco's Vintage DK, and it is lovely, if I do say so myself. Originally, the pattern was made with Scheepjes Scrumptious, but we had not yet brought it in at the time I began. Either of these choices work beautifully for this project.
Am I done yet? NO. As often happens, I got caught in the holidays and put my Landscape down for awhile; it sat in a heart shaped basket, cheerful colors gently nagging me to pick them up again. So here I am, slowly working my way to the end -probably next week if I shake this cold. 
Sometimes working on non-emergency projects is a little bit of a Pilgrimage. You begin with excitement and purpose, but often get bogged down in the middle and tired of waiting. This is a frequent problem of mine. Some will say I have too many projects- and this is true- but I am a believer in the idea that some projects are better suited to specific times and situations. Maybe your life is hectic and you want to work on something that won't make you feel more hectic- or maybe you're in need of a challenge. Perhaps you're sad and you don't want to work with a type of yarn that hurts your hands, so you go with something luxurious and comforting, and you get through your sadness in better form, and maybe you learn something about yourself as you work through the project.
Going along with this theme, our book this month is The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Harold Fry is a very ordinary man who sets off to save an old work colleague who is dying of cancer in a hospice some 600 miles north. Through the journey, Harold attracts followers, fellow pilgrims and learns "that it was the smallness of people that filled him with wonder and tenderness, and the loneliness of that too. The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply because the person living it had been doing so for a long time. Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique; and that this was the dilemma of being human.” 
I found Harold Fry and his character peers inspirational in ways I wasn't expecting. Gentle? Yes. Comforting? Yes. Thoughtful? Very much so. A Just Right Read for Uncertain Times? Absolutely.
Happy making, happy reading.
