Easy hike, easy vest, easy like Saturday morning

I woke up early last Saturday and went for a hike alone, in the park. I live in a coastal city, on a hill, and the park I went to is on an even higher hill. It was sunny and warm, that lovely warmth of the sun in November.

Before I reached the park, there were many sets of stairs to be climbed. A set was made of metal and with each step, the metal structure made a small sound, like a marimba. I had never thought of these stairs that I had climbed numerous times before, as an instrument, and I had definitely never played them before. But the music they made — we made — was wonderful that day.

As I climbed up the hill, I was sometimes greeted by dogs and their human pals. Some dogs come really close to me and put their wet nose forward so I could pet them, some just wanted to say hello.

On the side of the dirt paths, there were pines and olive trees and lots of thin, dry grasses, with heads like soft, fluffy maces.

When I got to the top of the hill, the sun wasn't yet up in the sky, and the sea was reflecting it like a mirror. There is one lonely tree up there, and I sat next to it on a rock for a few minutes. I closed my eyes. The sun was warm on my face, and I felt grateful to be there and do nothing else but breathe in the warm light.

There were other early hikers there, coming and going, and I felt grateful for their kindness because they were talking softly, also enjoying the shared space.

When I finally opened my eyes, the world looked bathed in a blue light. Climbing down, the gravel under my feet was making satisfying crunchy noises, the fluffy head grasses were nodding, and it felt so good to know that the day was just starting.

What I am making

A vest

I had this one cake of Wooldreamers Manchelopis, an unspun yarn similar to Plotulopi, and decide to take a big risk and see how far I can get into making a vest. I am using the Petiteknit Holiday Slipover pattern, and I am knitting a size XL because my gauge is 14 stitches instead of the 10 st the pattern suggests. There's a lot of grass in this yarn, but I love it.

My DRK Everyday Sweater by Andrea Mowry is slowly coming together. I hope the difference in gauge between the yoke and the sleeve will block out a bit. I am knitting this in Rosa Pomar Vovo (which means Grandma in Portuguese) and I am loving every stitch. It looks like I will have an extra skein left, and I am excited to knit it into a hat or maybe some mittens?

Book of the week

On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes by Alexandra Horowitz

Alexandra Horowitz is a cognitive scientist, author, and researcher in animal cognition. She is better known for her books on canine cognition, like "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know."

In this book, Horowitz explores perception and attention in everyday life, urging us to sharpen our observational skills and appreciate the details that shape our world.

The author takes eleven walks around her neighborhood accompanied by various experts, such as a geologist, artist, urban sociologist, and others, each with their unique perspectives. She also takes a walk with her dog and observes how he might perceive the world.

Through these walks, she explores the ways in which our perceptions are shaped by our backgrounds, experiences, and expertise.

If you could use a guide to seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary by paying attention and being mindful of the details you might often overlook, you might enjoy this book as much as I did.

May your days be filled with mindful moments. Until next time, be present.

Sky