“Rise
said the moon
and the new day came”
Sun giving way to the moon… truly the golden hour.
The new moon… a time for new beginnings and fresh starts; providing us with a clean slate to begin again.
It’s been 2 full moons since I’ve said hello. And as I’ve become more attuned to the lunar phases, I’ve been able to learn more about myself. When I set out this year to post with each full moon, it felt tangible and came with a focus. How I’ve come to love watching the moon wax in the night sky building with anticipation… when she reaches her fullness, it’s a time to celebrate.
What I also noticed is that I found it hard to find my rhythm with respect to posting something on the blog. Coming to say hi to all of you in the midst of the lunar cycle felt a bit of an intrusion… as if I was stepping into a social gathering feeling quite awkward. What to say? How much to share? Why did this feel so unnatural?
To add to this, I began wondering about the names of the moons. It seems each full moon has a name depending on geographic location and/or culture. And that led me down a rabbit hole of questions…
does that name apply from the previous full moon to the next?
or from the current full moon to the one 28 days from now?
or is it a name for just that moment, when the moon is full.
I began digging and found out that the name of the full moon is really the name of the entire cycle - new moon waxing to full and waning again…
And then I found my rhythm… the new moon is the beginning, a time to set intentions, start new projects and to say hello.
Hello new moon… the September moon… the harvest moon as many call it.
Hello to all of you…
What I also came to realize is that the names of the “full” moons weren’t resonating with what was occurring in my own life. For example, in July, I named the moon “water” as this was greatly on mind. I was near a body of water but also surrounded by numerous forest fires and smoke due in part, to a lack of water.
At the peak of the “water moon…”
In August, my focus was on the prairie so I named her the “prairie moon.”
At the end of the “prairie moon…”
And for September, I’m choosing to name her the “cleansing moon” as I’m needing to remind myself to clean up many aspects of my life. I’m scouring the house as well my body… it’s a time to be intentional about work, home, and projects…
On my drive home from Idaho during the “water moon”… 1500 miles provided a lot of time for reflection. I’ve made this trek back to Iowa many times however, this was the first time that the wide open spaces of Wyoming captured my imagination. Having spent 3 weeks with a smoke-filled sky, the clouds provided the most magical backdrop. It was here, in this vast country, I was able to reflect on how the lunar phases were pulling me to think about productivity in new ways. The ebb and flow of getting things done…
it’s an in and out, push and pull, work and rest.
And these cycles are everywhere: our breath, an hour, the day, the lunar phase, a season…
Perhaps you might like to set an intention for this new moon. What might you want to focus on for this next lunar cycle?
What’s on my needles…
I’ve had Shetland on my mind. It’s been 5 years since I made my first trip to this magical place. I spent some time in August posting a trip down memory lane on Instagram. And that led to some serious “cast-on itis!”
I knit a Hesti hat by Ella Gordon,
a Buness tam by Mary Jane Mucklestone (it’s now finished but I just loved the light in this photo),
and currently the Kuvvel cowl, also by Mary Jane.
Fall Healthy Knitter plans…
Watch for upcoming news regarding a “walk-along” in October. It’s been years since I’ve done one of these. I always used to do them as a mystery until I finally learned that running a mystery knit-along was not my forte. So, I’m updating a pattern you’ve seen before and creating a few new versions. This one is all about colorwork and as colorwork goes, it’s fairly straight forward. Whenever I start to design colorwork patterns, I spend a lot of time knitting the designs of others (hence the reason for the three items in the photos).
Also, if you aren’t familiar with a “walk-along,” no worries… I’ll explain more with the next new moon. Bottom line, it’s a way to focus on some movement as the season transitions… and still have time for some knitting.
Project Peace… yes, there will be Project Peace 2021. I’ve recently changed my idea for the theme but as soon as I have everything settled, I’ll start telling you more. And for those of you who have mentioned you want a project with heavier weight yarn, I really need you to share your favorites when it comes to worsted or bulky weight yarn. I’m working to include your wishes… pop a comment below and share. My intention is to create a pattern that can be adapted to yarn weights at both ends of the spectrum… thin or thick.
What I’ve been reading…
Oh my, I’ve been bouncing around with several different books. Working hard to finish something. I’ll wait to share until next time.
May you find connections with others through knitting and tuning into the moon. We are all sitting under the same moon and have since the beginning of time. I find that thought comforting and extremely powerful… in a very delightful way.
If you’d like, please share your intention for this coming moon cycle. As well as any thoughts on worsted and bulky weight yarn preferences.
Seasonal shift underway…