There’s a question that’s been wandering around my mind lately.

Do I actually read?

The honest answer is… not very often.

When I do pick up a book, it’s rarely fiction. Most often it’s something that teaches me, encourages me, or helps me prepare for ministry. But simply reading for the joy of reading? That has somehow slipped quietly into the background.

I’ve been asking myself why.

It’s not that I don’t like books. I do.

It’s just that, given the choice, I’d almost always reach for my knitting needles or my spinning wheel instead.

The rhythm of yarn moving through my fingers settles something deep inside me. A sock grows one round at a time. A spindle fills. A bobbin becomes yarn. My hands are busy, and somehow my mind becomes still.

So perhaps the question isn’t, “Why don’t I read?”

Perhaps the better question is:

Can I read and knit at the same time?

Audiobooks immediately came to mind.

What if stories could accompany my stitches?

What if my knitting became the gentle rhythm beneath someone else’s words?

It feels less like trying to squeeze another hobby into an already full life and more like inviting two old friends to sit together over a cup of tea.

I’m not setting a goal to read fifty books this year.

I’m simply curious.

Maybe I’ll borrow an audiobook from the library. Maybe I’ll knit a few rows while listening. Maybe I’ll discover that stories and stitches belong together after all.

And if they do, perhaps I’ll have found another quiet corner of this slow life I’m trying to cultivate.

Sometimes we don’t need a complete change of direction.

Sometimes we simply need to ask a different question.

Until next time,

Grannie Doll ☕🧶

May your tea stay warm, your stitches stay steady, and may you always find room for one more good story.

Hello friends,

Welcome to July.

Steadying the Ship

For many of us, this month carries a different rhythm. The days stretch a little longer, gardens begin producing, windows stay open later into the evening, and there is just enough space to breathe a little deeper.

For me, July is also a season of intention.

This month I’m choosing to steady the ship.

Not by making dramatic changes or chasing perfection, but by returning to the small practices that help life feel rooted and peaceful.

Tour de Fleece Begins

One of the highlights of July is, of course, Tour de Fleece.

Every day, thousands of fibre artists around the world pick up a spindle or sit at their spinning wheel. While each of us spins alone, we become part of something much larger—a community connected by wool, creativity, encouragement, and friendship.

We’ll laugh over lumpy singles, celebrate finished skeins, admire beautiful fibres, and remind one another that every spin counts.

If you’re joining me this year, welcome! Whether you spin for five minutes or five hours, you belong.

Handmade Days

Alongside spinning, you’ll find me enjoying slow projects that fill both my hands and my heart.

I’m continuing work on socks, adding stitches to a simple sweater, enjoying English Paper Piecing, and fitting in small sewing projects whenever inspiration appears.

These aren’t races to the finish.

They’re reminders that beautiful things are built one stitch, one row, one spindle-full at a time.

Living the 100 Mile Life

My 100 Mile Life continues to grow in quiet ways.

This month I’ll be shopping locally, cooking simple meals, visiting farm markets, baking bread, and paying attention to the people and places that make home feel like home.

I’ve discovered that living locally isn’t about restriction.

It’s about relationship.

Knowing where food comes from.

Supporting neighbours.

Finding abundance close to home.

Growing deeper roots instead of simply reaching farther away.

Caring for Myself

One of my goals this month is to continue caring for the body God has given me.

I’m focusing on hydration, protein, walking, swimming, better digestion, and reducing the extra sugar that has quietly crept back into my days.

Nothing extreme.

Just steady.

I’ve come to believe that caring for ourselves isn’t vanity—it is gratitude.

Each small choice becomes a thank-you for the gift of another day.

A Gentle Invitation

Perhaps July is inviting all of us to slow down just enough to notice what matters.

A cup of tea.

Fresh bread.

A spinning wheel humming.

A sock growing one round at a time.

A walk around the neighbourhood.

A conversation with a friend.

These ordinary moments become extraordinary when we give them our full attention.

Thank you for walking this journey with me.

Whether you found me through faith, fibre, or the 100 Mile Life, I’m grateful you’re here.

May your July be filled with quiet joy, steady hands, grateful hearts, and the gentle reminder that a good life is often built from the smallest daily choices.

With gratitude,

Grannie Doll
Doll Can Create

“Steady the ship. Tend the roots. Enjoy the journey.”