Sunshine..!!

Finally we are starting to get some sunshine after a delayed withdrawal of monsoon from Indian Subcontinent. To be honest, I was so fed up of those wet and sticky roads, travelling daily on those roads was not less than a facing disaster. But except for those muddy roads, I love monsoon, climate is cooler and calm and green everywhere.

Where I live, the Mumbai suburbs, we still can find some greenery around us and the blossoms that follow the green.

Earlier this month, we visited my husband’s native place, Dapoli – a town in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, around 270 Kms away from Mumbai, in Konkan belt (Western belt of India). 

Our ancestral home is on the hilltop, a typical rural Indian household with firewood cooking ( We just love the food cooked using firewood ), small backyard and woods across it.

A visit there, rejuvenates my mind, body and soul. My usual day starts by hearing the chirping of birds (mostly Jungle Babblers ), a squirrel's bark and a woody smell. I miss all these little things in Mumbai.

It was pouring when we were there so we couldn’t go anywhere but time spent in the home admiring nature along with my little munchkin was treasured.. Time passes so quickly.. As I am writing this post, I am also re-visiting all that I did there.

This is also the season in India where the wild beauties (various wildflowers) come into bloom, in all the unexpected places.. Every shady corner, forest trail, or ditch becomes endowed with nature’s magic you seek out in the wilderness. The one that always catches my attention every time is Impatience Balsam. Come August, and this wild beauty burst into bloom, this balsam (pink is the prominent colour found here) grows wildly alongside roads, forest trails, railway tracks and open spaces after mid-monsoon. It is known as "Terda" in my native tongue and is widely used in ornamental decoration during "Ganpati festival" that is celebrated in India especially Maharashtra sometime in August/September. The ripe seed capsule of balsam explodes open upon touch and that's how it got its name "Impatience Balsam".

This wild beauty is my source of inspiration for below pattern which is still in progress ( I want to make a cushion block but still not sure about it). I like to crochet mindlessly, taking one row at a time.. Most of the times it has worked out but sometimes I have to frog several rows. That's a part of creating something..

Meanwhile, I will be publishing "Amalthea" this week, a 33 rounds 15" doily which uses some of my favorite components - overlay, textures, pinwheel & pineapple. Modern with vintage look. I hope you will enjoy making this doily, pattern now available on Ravelry. The final doily was ready long ago but writing a pattern took so much time.. I get so little time from my day to day schedule (Working Mother L)  that I hardly get time to write (I do the design part during travelling and on weekends), besides it's easy to design but taking photos and writing a pattern.. ohhh, is a tedious job... But ta-da it's finally published..!!

I hope you will enjoy the pattern..!

And now it’s time for today’s WoW (Words of Wisdom).

Few selected lines from “Life, the Truth, and Being Free” by Steve Maraboli

“When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way

Dare to be the best you can –

At all times, Dare to be!”

Happy Crocheting..!!

Love,

Jessica