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Today I ventured outside with my knitting and backpack. I tried knitting under a tree, but even in the shade it was hot after about twenty minutes by my estimation.

I’m so anticipating cooler weather that I can almost feel the cool on my skin! I’m going to love knitting outside again, and walking Sasha in the cooler weather!

I stopped in the lounge at my apartment complex today to cool down, relax, and enjoy my knitting time today. I enjoy knitting at home most, and at my favorite local yarn store, and almost anywhere I am that’s cool and comfortable. It’s the same when I crochet. I enjoy cool, comfortable places. I’m using “cool” mostly as a reference to temperature not so much ambience because I am pretty open minded as to what the “cool” aesthetic is for me “cool” boils down to tasteful design and lighting; that’s just me. If that’s your vibe awesome. If not we disagree but that’s cool too, because it’s not my business what you do in your space. And I guess that defines my style somewhat. I like comfortable, cozy, snuggly, squishy, soft clothes in all their irritation that I have experienced. And that’s how I define “cool” to the greatest extent. There’s rather a lot more to my concept of “cool” it’s definitely a loaded word for me, and does a lot of work for four letters.

It’s a generational thing, I think. Because I don’t hear it that often anymore. Which saddens me because it means my people are leaving this world or at very least I don’t know where they are anymore.

But that’s maybe not as tragic as all that. I have found new people, and maybe I am considered “weird” and maybe I am considered “more than a little odd” and some people might even see me as “crazy” or worse but there’s a kind of backwards positivity in these labels too, just like there’s an underhanded negativity in words and phrases that are generally considered “good”. So I do my best to keep an open heart, a tolerant attitude, a curious mind, and a sharp intellect. Hobbies like knitting and crocheting help me with that mission. The life affirmation they bestow on my life gives me purpose.

Like the affirmation sources from J.R.R. Tolkien in the title suggests, I struggle through things in my life purposefully because I have learned that I can.

It’s nearly time that knitting is most favorable to make and to wear in Texas: Winter. Sometimes late or early autumn gets cold enough for a sweater to throw around you, but in central Texas it’s really winter that you want that something warm between you and the wind, if you’re like me. Erick’s made of simpler, tougher stuff. He hardly ever goes out of the house with a coat on, and “layers” mean sheets of cake or stacked waffles to him. Of course the animals are happy regardless. It’s because of my tendency towards being uncomfortable when transitioning from indoors to outdoors that I make sure I have something to throw around me in cases like winter weather or other uncomfortable conditions.

Autumn can be a challenging time for me too. But this year, summer and autumn at least are looking warm. Mores the pity. I love getting all bundled up in woolens and sweaters for a day out in the world.

In a climate as hot and dry as Texas in the summer, or transitioning from hot and dry to cold and dry in the autumn, Texas can be a challenge to dress for just because there’s only so much clothing you can take off and not get arrested or cited; but that’s probably pretty common in most States in the USA. I’m not that up to date on decency laws. I just try to dress appropriately and within the rules of fashion to the point of modern standards of modesty. I have had to learn that skill painstakingly over the course of my adult life, and try not to meddle with the guidelines too much. I don’t know what it is you summarize my style as. I’m not up to date on style lingo. But it’s one of my goals to learn more about it so I can either write, edit, publish knitting and crochet patterns—or all three.

Sasha and I went to the dog park today. She likes it there. I do too for what it is. Sasha’s a good girl for the most part, but like every member of her spieces she is protective to a greater or lesser extent; mostly though, she’s just a happy puppy with tons of energy! Just like her adopted older sister when she was a puppy.

Today is also the end of our holiday weekend at my home. Tomorrow Erick starts back to work, and I continue posting to this blog and my other blogs. And the pets continue doing what they do and have done all their lives.

I finished my autumn sweater. And started over on my winter sweater. I also started, and am continuing a sweater for a cousin of mine. I’m still working on my box of socks. And I’m still working on my knitted coat. I also have to find the time to work on hemming my good jeans. And I should probably alter the waistline of my wide leg jeans.

I have been learning a lot about tailoring and design on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. I have also been attending weekend masses online. I am so blessed to have a smartphone, and my tablets! It really makes a difference to be able to use the internet to learn and grow and explore new ideas and experiences in the world.

Erick and I will be here in this apartment another year it looks like. I’m glad. The pets like their home here, and for the most part Erick and I do too. There is always the human factor that’s both good and bad, but that’s anywhere you go.

Sasha is laying in my lap, and June Bug is stretched out on the floor by the apartment door. I just got home from grocery shopping, and now they and the other pets are happy that I am home.

Erick and I have been doing well. He seems a lot happier lately. His business seems to be doing well still. I’m very proud of him!

Katie seems to be on the mend from an illness she contracted earlier in the year. She doesn’t seem to be feeling many of the symptoms anymore, which I am glad of!

I as well have been feeling better, though my sleeping habits could be better and I am still eating way too much sugar and starches. So, I’m trying my hardest to cut those things back.

My various projects are still underway. Today, and much of this week I have been working on a crochet sweater. It’s probably going to my cousin as a gift for Christmas or perhaps for her birthday. Maybe not for this year, though. It’s going to take me months to finish and I have more projects than it going that are equally important. But possibly next year. We’ll see what happens.

It’s starting to be rainy again. My sister visited yesterday. We had a good time. But, I am glad to be home.

I’m hanging out in the club room right now. R2 wanted his space. I may run a few errands after this. Or I might just stay here and crochet until I get home sick, or hungry, or both.

I still have a plethora of projects; okay, so not literally a plethora, but it feels close to it. I am still working on my sweaters for autumn and winter; something that is starting to look like a great coat/swing coat; and my box of socks. And over the weekend, I chained up a crochet sweater. That’s not as dark as it sounds in truth. It just means “I began a crochet sweater”; in crochet the start of a project is called a “chain,” and so when you begin something you are “chaining up” your project.

In knitting when you begin something it’s called “casting on” a project. I don’t have that many new cast on’s. Just the mate of a pair of socks for my box of socks. An ongoing project in either knitting or crocheting (and several other places in the language besides these crafts) is called a “work-in-progress”, and at least as far as I can find in the literature in knitting it’s abbreviated WIP. I don’t know what exactly you call a crochet work-in-progress. If you’re a crochet efficiando, you may have to do some research on that on your own. My advice if you don’t know is to find another crochet hobbist/professional and ask them, or better yet take a trip to the library and search the shelves or the stacks. Or if you’re really pressed for time search for the word online; most search engines are fairly intuitive and easy to operate.

There is so much to learn about my chosen careers! I certainly have my work cut out for me. It looks like from some of the videos I’ve seen on Facebook that I need to learn sewing too. I’m fundamentally familiar with hand sewing, and took one class of machine sewing in middle school, but that might be a good supplement to my knitting and crocheting skills.

I’m experimenting with hemming my own jeans. It’s a work-in-progress. I may start upcycling jeans from the thrift stores in town to give them some extra style and add my own fashion sense to them.

I’m very interested in personal expression and the limits it can reach at the moment. What if every stitch pattern has a different meaning or interpretation? Isn’t that the essence of personal style and expression? Just a few of the questions I am pondering for the meantime.