On December 30th, the last Sunday of 2007, we went on a walk. It was not an extraordinary walk - aside from being in the glorious surroundings, of course, not to be underestimated - but a simple walk of about two miles in a nearby area with a forest and a nice creek. We had done this stretch of walk dozens of times before, but we marveled at all of the new things that we saw on this particular walk. We decided in no certain terms to make the “weekend walk” a ritual. One we could look forward to throughout the week.

A time to connect with each other, and to connect with nature.

A time to quietly observe the world around us and the changing of the seasons.

A time to just be.

As the calendar ticks by, I find that my desire for the walk changes from week by week: Sometimes, I want a breath of fresh air. I want to get some exercise and burn some calories. I want to improve my mood. I want to wear one of my handknits. I want to meditate and quietly think about things. I want to simply put one foot in front of the other and truly live in the moment. I want to reach a spot that I have never been. Sometimes I have all of these expectations in one single walk.

Kris brings the camera and documents the beautiful natural world. He particularly enjoys capturing the changes of the trees, plants, and bodies of water as the seasons change. Sometimes I take the camera and try to capture the beauty I am seeing.

Each weekend of this month has provided the opportunity for a meaningful walk. We walked through local parks, hiked to a nearby hilltop, and finally, this weekend, we went on a weekend walk a little further from home… well, three actually, one for each day we were there. And the novelty of it was that one walk was deep underground while the other two were a little closer to the clouds!

We spent the long holiday weekend in the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia - about two hours south of our home. We drove down on Friday mid-day and stopped over at a local attraction: Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia.

Our timing was perfect: the snow was fresh and beautiful, and the sun was bright. While the temperatures were cold - below freezing on both days - that did not stop us from getting out and exploring. We found two hiking trails up into the mountains and reserved one for each day, Saturday and Sunday.

These walks may have been my favorite yet. They were a true sensory experience: the smell of pine trees and fresh winds, the aural crunch of the snow and ice under foot, and the monochromatic landscape of white snow blanketing the mountain, and the chilly winds felt against our faces.

The weekend walk ritual has been the highlight of my new year, and we are only three weeks in! I am very excited to discover more places - both near and far - during the weekend walks.

It is amazing how something as simple as a walk can be the best part of the week.

…

Do you have a special ritual that brings you joy?

There was not as much colonial fiber culture in Williamsburg as I was hoping for - then again, maybe I expect more than the average person. I saw a sign for a weaving demonstration by a colonial re-enactor, but since we were there later in the day, we missed the demo. I saw plenty of hand sewn clothing (on sale, no less) but very few sewing machines or the looms used to produce the fabrics. Textiles and fiber culture are a large part of the material culture of any group of people throughout history, yet, they are so often overlooked. Presumably, the fiber arts are seen as such a regular routine task - like cooking - that they are not discussed.

Luckily the “fiber culture” is alive and well within the walls of the yarn shops of the Williamsburg, Virginia area!

Knitting Sisters is not in the colonial area of Willamsburg, but is in a nearby village center. The shop is so cute and has a great selection of yarns, books, and accessories. I particularly liked their kits that the store owners put together - I was tempted by a beautiful cabled pullover in a lovely plum colorway of Noro Cash Iroha. Then I remembered the bins of yarn at my own home, and I decided to check out the books instead. I did find some goodies there:

Rowan no. 31 - the great years with Kim Hargreaves
Piecework Nov/Dec 2007
Norah Gaughan vol. 1

I didn’t plan it, but it just so happened that the yarn shop was across the street from the conference hotel! My second find was a little bit of serendipity as well… we were walking through historic Yorktown - known for its Revolutionary War battlefield and its historic downtown section. I was looking over the map and saw a shop called Colonial Fiber Arts. I mentioned that I wanted to “just walk by” to check it out. I am so glad that we did. It is a lovely fiber shop - with looms, spinning wheels, roving, dyes, and some lovely yarns too.

…and I found something too pretty to pass by…

This was one of the beautiful handspun blends produced by the spinners at the shop. These two hanks are a wool and hemp blend (60/40) and have 250 yards each. The price was quite reasonable, and the yarn is unique. Although I don’t have a pattern in mind yet, I think it would make a lovely stole. My yarn “diet” has been quite strict of late, but I felt like this yarn was a worthy “cheat”. I liked the idea of supporting the local spinners and using the beautiful natural fibers… well, that and the deep red totally mesmerized me.

It is funny how living in the DC area can “desensitize” you to historical landmarks and events. I pass over historical sites every day (then again, we all do…) and while I realize what they are, I don’t really think of their importance. History was (one of) my favorite subjects in school [and no, not just because I met Kris in grade 11 history class...] and has continued to play a large role in my life. While working on my MLS in graduate school, I was also working on an MA in History - but I stopped my coursework to work full-time and to gain more experience in the field. I am happy with my decision for many reasons - mainly because it gives me some free time to pursue my other passions. The historical lens is still on - and before I do anything, I research it. At length. Read up on the history. Knitting history. Textiles history. Photography history. Travel history. Natural history.

Once I found out that my regional archives conference was in Williamsburg, Virginia - “where history lives” - I did my research. I have lived in the DC area for 10 years, and I had not yet been to this close by (about 3 hours to the south) site. What intrigued me even more than Williamsburg was the settlement at Jamestown, celebrating its 400 year anniversary (you may recall the Queen’s visit).

The drive to Jamestown Island was picture perfect. The James River is a deep estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, and was a real attraction to the colonists who settled in the area in the seventeenth century. Of course, it was also the home of the Powhatan tribe; their most famous member being “Pocahontas”. Within the last ten years, archaeologists have uncovered the original settlement of Jamestown, where the English colonists landed in 1607. For years, the historians and archaeologists believed that the original settlement had eroded into the James River.

[More Jamestown Island photos]

Interesting sidebar: the English settlers actually considered a site to the east of the island for the first settlement. That site is now the largest vineyard and winery in the state of Virginia, Williamsburg Winery. …and where there is wine, there is Lolly (and Kris).

We came home with some liquid souvenirs.

The town of Williamsburg was very nice too. We did a fun little ghost tour of Williamsburg on Halloween night. Evidently this is the most “haunted” of the houses in Williamsburg - more ghost sightings than any other house in town!

Does it seem creepy to you?

[More photos of Willamsburg]

The excursion came at a wonderful time - the leaves were just beginning their color change in Virginia. There was a nice chill in the air (perfect for a Verona Shawl photography shoot) and the promise of beautiful sights at every turn.