On a walk the other day, my son spotted a beetle in the road. He wasn’t dead, but he was clearly a little early for his time. It was only February and beetles shouldn’t be crawling around while there is snow on the ground and freezing temps. He asked if he was dead, but being the bug gal that I am, I could tell he was just in a frozen stupor. I took him home. Isn’t that what everyone does when they find a frosty beetle in the road? I didn’t recognize the species and wanted to study him closer with my field guide nearby. Fast forward to the next morning. Walking toward the front door, it dawned on me that I had totally forgotten about the beetle I brought home the night before. I looked down at the spot on the rug where I placed him. He was gone. Clearly, he thawed out and was now happily roaming around my house.
I have another finished object! This is a cowl made with alpaca wool purchased at the local farmers market. I started with a provisional cast-on in the round and knit until there was just enough yarn left for grafting the ends together. The stripes and slipped stitches are random.
Worn high 
Folded over 
Close-up of detail
What childhood books would you re-read again as an adult, just to bring you back to that place you were as a child? I have two: Rasmus and the Vagabond, and the Little House on the Prairie series. These books transported me to another time and lifestyle. I loved them. I recall my daddy working in the yard behind our house growing up. He would take the logs of trees that fell in the winter, carve them up to mimic benches and create a space for me to sit and read in the solitude of our back woods.
We had school pictures taken recently. All staff are featured in the yearbook along with the students. The photographer reminded me I needed to sit for mine. Fine. Snap. Thanks to the beauty of digital photography, I was able to see the image immediately. Apparently, I had a serious case of static. This year’s photo looks something like this:
“I can retake it”, she said.
“Nope, that’s me in a nutshell” I said.
I am participating in two really fun knitting events that begin this month. The first is Confident Knitting by Arnall-Culliford Knitwear. This program will introduce twelve techniques while knitting twelve accessories. I subscribed to the print/e-book but there are yarns and kits to accompany the program as well. The second event is Woolwide Adventures (@woolwideadventures), hosted by Irene Waggener, Anne Frost, Amy Snell and Erin Pirro. This program will take us on weekly adventures where “…we’ll explore the wonder that is wool, meet shepherds that raise it, learn techniques to craft with it, and of course, the amazing sheep that grow it.” I am looking forward to learning new things and meeting new friends.
I best get going-I have a beetle to find after all!
In my cup: Harney and Son’s Formosa Oolong
In my earballs: Nothing. It’s silent. Not a sound.
Saint of the Day: St. Katharine Drexel. Now here’s an inspiring gal! Katharine’s family was blessed with spiritual and material wealth. She was well-educated and traveled extensively. After watching her stepmother suffer with terminal cancer for three straight years, Katharine learned that their money couldn’t protect them from suffering. During a family trip out west, Katharine witnessed the struggle of Native Americans. In 1891, Katharine made her first vows as a religious and dedicated herself to working for the American Indians and African-Americans in the Western United States. In 1915, Katherine founded Xavier University in New Orleans, the first Catholic University in the United States for African-Americans. This is just the tip of the iceberg! She founded a religious community, opened the first mission boarding school, and established missions in 16 states. St. Katharine believed everyone should have access to an education and she dedicated her life and inheritance to this end. Katharine lived to be 96 years old! She is the patroness of racial justice and philanthropists. What an inspiration!
Have a blessed week. I hope the sun is shining in your corner of the world!
{{Hugs}}
ReginaMary
Cosmicknitter 
You brought a beetle home and now he lives with you. I hope he doesn’t like yarn;)
The cowl is fantastic! Your son is handsome. The cowl looks great on him:)
St Katharine sounds amazing. I’d heard of her but never knew she was so dedicated to education.
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Yes. I brought a beetle home. That’s the son who spotted it. St. Katharine was amazing!!
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Saviour of beetles and a super cowl knitter! You’ve been busy Regina 😁
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You are too funny!!
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So cute! Loved this, especially the part about the beetle. My son would have wanted to bring the beetle home as well. I am mean. I would have said no. Lol
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I can’t say no to an insect in need!
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Hope you find the beetle OK! Also, your cowl looks wonderful 🙂
Thanks for sharing the info about the Weekly Wool wide Adventures – I am signing up for it right now! I recently reviewed the book that Irene wrote – nifty coincidence 🙂
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I was thinking of you when I learned Irene was participating. I thought immediately of those socks!
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Yes! Definitely meaning to try those out at some point! Thank you for sharing info about that event – I am signed up 🙂
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Oh, good! I’ll see you online! My instagram is @aka_cosmicknitter – find me! 🙂
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Found you! I am marileerd on instagram 🙂
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Found you back!!
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My daughter, son-in-law, and grandson have a film night at the weekend where each puts the name of a film into a bowl and one is drawn at random (I think they keep the ones from previous weeks which haven’t been chosen so there’s more than three). This past weekend A Bug’s Life was selected! I must say I wouldn’t have brought the beetle home, I don’t have your generosity of spirit towards insects. I read once that if aliens wanted to observe life on earth, they would literally send bugs – devices which look like insects that we wouldn’t give a thought to. (The hover drone we’ve just sent to Mars makes me think of that, too.) I’m sure your beetle is just a beetle, though……
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OMG! That is a brilliant idea! Those aliens are clever, I’m sure they’ll do something like that (assuming they haven’t done so already 😉). I loved A Bug’s Life. I always wanted to be an entomologist.
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Our local museum has the collected diaries and letters of Margaret Fountaine, a Victorian butterfly collector who traveled the world and built a marvellous collection. I keep meaning to read the book “Love Among The Butterflies” which was compiled from the diaries she left behind.
I totally forgot to answer your question about childrens’ books. For me, I would choose Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories – especially Five Go To Smuggler’s Top – but my all-time most re-read childrens’ book is “The Little Grey Men” by BB. This is a super tale of the last three gnomes in Britain. I read it first as a child when my big brother gave me a copy and I’ve been reading it ever since. It never fails to charm me. Honourable mentions go the The Borrowers series and Five Children and It.
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Oh! I have to look for that book on butterflies. I spent many summers chasing them with my net. I was so careful with them. I haven’t heard of most of those children’s books, but I am familiar with The Borrowers. There is something magical to children about tiny people.
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I also loved the Little House books. I have read every biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder. If you have not already, you should check out “Prairie Fires”, a very comprehensive book about the life of Laura that includes a lot of other material and information that puts events in context.
Also…haha your story of the bug reminds me of a story I heard on the radio years ago. They were talking about a woman whose children found 2 kittens frozen in the snow outside. They wanted to bring the kittens inside and thaw them out. She hoped that no one would find out, but she brought the kittens inside and put them in the oven on a low temperature. After awhile she heard meowing!!! They named the kittens “Shake” and “Bake”.
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OMG! Meg, that kitten story is PRICELESS!!
I was the kid who always had bugs and flowers and rocks in my pockets. Poor mama always had quite the shock!
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The cowl is amazing and your son looks great in it! Okay I see where the bug story began as I read the recent post first. You have a big heart taking a beetle home! I am laughing about your static-y photo and how you did not want to retake it – awesome!
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I can’t start fretting about my appearance. I yam what I yam. One year, my son wanted to style my hair for work (he was 8, maybe?). I had this wacky do with a big dip on one side. I showed up to work that day to learn it was picture day. This was a lesson learned long ago.
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That is so awesome – I like your perspective!
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Now you are my hero not only because of your knitting skills but also because of your bravery with beetles 😱
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Aren’t you kind!! 🙂
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You have been busy… Love your Cowl and the Model of your son too. I can feel your pride in him…
Loved Little House on the Prairie as well 🙂 …
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