Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Knitting at the Mountain Cabin

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey friends, for the best Get Sleepy experience, be sure to check out our supporters' feed Get Sleepy Premium for art-free listening, weekly bonus episodes, and access to our entire catalogue. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make the free version of this show possible. Ready to get your money working harder? Switch to Questrade, Canada's number one rated online broker by MoneySense. Not only does QuestTrade have built-in research tools, their customer support team can even teach you how to use them,

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Starting point is 00:01:04 Tonight we'll join Sarah in her lovely mounting cabin once again. She's knitting a jumper to keep her cosy and warm during the cold winter months. The fireplace is crackling, the snow is soon to be falling, and music floats through the air from her record player. A big thanks to Christa for writing this story. If you haven't heard our other episodes from Sarah's cabin, that's perfectly fine. You can always enjoy tonight's tale, and then go back and listen to the others another time. Do you want to hear even more Get Sleepy episodes, receive weekly bonuses, and listen completely

Starting point is 00:01:57 add free, all while supporting the ongoing production of the show? Well, my friends, I would love for you to try our supporters' feed, Get Sleepy Premium. It's the best place to listen to Get Sleepy, as you'll have access to our entire catalogue of nearly 650 stories and meditations. There are tons of extra long episodes and series stitches on there too, which our premium supporters adore. Thursday nights are extra special on the premium feed, because we release an exclusive episode for our supporters every single Thursday.

Starting point is 00:02:38 Like tomorrow, when we'll have a heartwarming Thanksgiving story, where four friends recall charming memories of past holidays together. And don't forget this Friday we'll have a long length stitched version of this week's two-part story set in Pagosa Springs. The first seven days of your premium subscription are free, so why not give it a try and enjoy the best rest you can get? For more information on all of our premium plans, visit getsweep.com sash support, or just follow the link in the show notes. So, it's time to make yourself nice and comfortable, finding whatever position feels right for you.

Starting point is 00:03:36 And then just spend a moment appreciating the comfort and coziness of your bed. Feel the areas of contact between your body and the mattress. The subtle movement of the breath in and out of your chest and stomach. And starting at the top of your head, just scan your attention through the body, acknowledging any sense of tension as you go. Focusing on the face and neck, and then into the shoulders. Feel free to pause for a moment, should you find any tension lingering in these areas. If you do, simply breathe deeply two or three times, inviting an essence of calm to wash over your face, neck and shoulders. When you are ready, continue to scan over your body, down chest and upper back, your stomach and lower back. which innerises, pause and breathe in that essence of calm. the knees and the lower legs.

Starting point is 00:06:10 Down into your ankles, the tops of your feet, and the sores of your feet. And finally, your toes. Now that you've checked in with your whole body, completely relax. If you haven't already done so, close your eyes now, and gradually begin to picture Sarah's peaceful mounting cabin. This is where our story begins. The late November sky is overcast on this cozy afternoon in the living room, looking out of her large, casement windows as a few dark brown leaves cascaded down from above. There is a yellow tinted lamp with mosaic glass on the side table next to the sofa where she is sitting. Also on the table is a book, with a bookmark nestled roughly at the halfway point and a fresh cup of chai tea with steamed milk. Sarah has enjoyed a quiet morning inside the cosy mounting cabin she calls home.

Starting point is 00:08:40 While the weather outside is cold and brisk and the sky is hinting at the approaching snow, the inside is warmed by the fireplace. The fire crackles passionately opposite to the windows. The aroma of firewood fills the air, giving Sarah a reassuring and relaxed feeling. Memories of past holiday seasons drift through her mind. There is a stack of oak and maple logs by the fireplace, just waiting for their chance to fill the room with their inviting aromas. This morning, Sarah took care of some things around the house. She swept the wooden floors with her corn broom, folded the clean laundry, took out the compost and recycling, and dusted everywhere from the hallway credenza to the picture frames and candle holders on the living room's brick mantle. afternoon and is enjoying her chai tea as a warm treat on this cold day. Sarah tugs on her cardigan and sits up, siding her feet into the house slippers resting

Starting point is 00:10:40 in front of her. Then she takes a generous sip of the spiced tea. For a moment she ponders how she will spend the afternoon, now already knows what is in store for her today. With November nearing its end, it's about time she finishes knitting her winter jumper. It's a project she began working on last week. And with signs of snow in the air, she is eager to have it done. And so, Sarah gets up and walks across the room to her record player. She sift through a small wooden crate full of vinyl. Though she usually listens to music, one of her friends recently gifted her a record filled with poetry. This will be perfect to listen to while knitting, Sarah thinks to herself.

Starting point is 00:12:12 She carefully nudges the vinyl out of its thin cardboard case and steadily holds the flat black disc in her hands while opening the lid of her record player. She slips the vinyl on the turntable and moves the tone arm to the very edge of the record setting it into place. Now, Sarah is ready to turn on the machine. She grabs the circular toggle with her thumb and index finger, and gently shifts it clockwise to turn on the record player. Quickly, sound comes from the machine, and Sarah adjusts the volume to suit her mood in this moment. Not too quiet, or too loud, she thinks. It is poetry she'll be listening to after all.

Starting point is 00:13:36 Once she settles on her volume and the audible introduction has finished, and the audible introduction has finished, lines of poetry begin to fill the room. Now that Sarah has some extra entertainment on this cozy autumn day, it's time for her to begin knitting. She walks back towards the sofa and grabs her knitting basket, which rests on the storage shelf underneath her coffee table. The woven basket crackles as it's lifted out from under the table and placed on the soft brown sofa. Sarah then sits cross-legged next to the mosaic lamp and her mug of warm tea.

Starting point is 00:14:51 of warm tea. She shifts her torso to the left and easily scoops out her current knitting project, the half finished jumper. It feels soft to the touch as she holds the piece of clothing out in front of her to examine it. The jumper has a long turtle neck that folds inward for a warm and snugly fit. As for the material, it is made with one strand of medium weight marino wool and one strand of lace weight mohair silk yarn. The mohair silk yarn is made of 70% mohair and 30% silk. And all three of these materials combine to make for one luxuriously soft winter jumper in a delicate shade of off-white. Sarah can't wait to finish, especially as winter is just around the corner. She knows she will two balls of yarn out of the basket, and places them on the cushion next to her. To use wool with the mohair silk yarn, she must knit the jumper with two strands of yarn at a time.

Starting point is 00:16:50 The Mohar Selk is a very thin, lacy yarn that pairs perfectly with Merino wool because it's one of the softest options for a warm and comfortable jumper. Merino is a breed of sheep. Their wool is known to be very soft and non-itchy, unlike that of some other breeds. Laying on a pile of knitters who make garments like jumpers, socks and scarves. The colours Sarah has chosen much splendidly with each other, and she takes a moment to admire her work in progress. A poem about the changing of seasons fills the room as Sarah fiddles with her circular

Starting point is 00:18:19 knitting needles. It's a fitting poem for the day. The weather outside is shifting, and Sarah is looking ahead to made by a popular Scandinavian nitta. Her styles are among Sarah's favourites. The pattern follows a top-down approach done in a reckoned style with circular knitting needles. This means Sarah started at the collar, or in this case the turtle neck, to form a tube. She knitted until the neck was long enough to fold over for a snugly fit. The turtle neck was done in a simple 2x2 rib stitch, meaning 2 knit stitches, followed

Starting point is 00:19:42 by 2 pearl stitches all around. The rib stitch makes the neckline nice and stretchy, so it doesn't feel restrictive. After Sarah completed the turtle neck portion last week, she moved on to the body. Raglan jumpers are knit as one piece, rather than knitting the front and back portion separately and sewing them together at a later time. The body of the jumper is done in a simple knit stitch. Over the course of a few days, Sarah worked on the wriggling increases to make the jumper large enough to cover her chest and shoulders. This shaped pattern is called the yoke. She does these wriggling increases by adding stitches to every other row to divide up the

Starting point is 00:21:02 shoulders and the jumpers front and back. This gives the jumper some simple details and makes way for two armholes. Yesterday the yoke of the wall jumper was long enough to divide the armholes. She did this by moving both armhole stitches onto two separate strands of yarn. They've not yet been bound off. being bound off. Rather, Sarah can come back and pick up those stitches on her knitting needles and finish each arm. From there, she connected all the remaining stitches to form the body of the jumper and worked on it for another half an hour or so, warmed by her fireplace on a chilly night. Now, as Sarah sits on her sofa, she can clearly see the formation of her jumper as she continues

Starting point is 00:22:30 her knitting. She has the beautifully chunky turtle neck, the soft yoke with its increases, creases, and the two open spots for the arm holes, and half of the body portion, complete. It currently looks like a crop top with a wintry turtle neck. It would almost be a jumper vest, but the yoke gives it more of a short sleeve to look. Catching a whiff of the spiced drink next to her, Sarah places her knitting in her lap, and leans over to scoop up the mark. It fills warm in her hands as she cradles the ceramic and brings it up to her mouth. It's all tamno spicy taste fills Sarah's senses with delight. She takes one more sip before placing it back down on the side table. Sarah picks up the knitting once again. She is working round after round of knit stitches. These form a lovely V-shaped

Starting point is 00:24:13 pattern that travels horizontally down the garment. Thanks to the vinyl record, Sarah has listened to several poems. One about finding love in little moments. One about the changing seasons. And now, one about happiness. It seems to be sending the message that happiness is enjoying the day instead of rushing away because business awaits and reveling in the delight of just living. Sarah particularly likes this one. She enjoys a leisurely life. She has enough to keep her little cabin in the mountains. Spend time with her loved ones and go away on holidays a few times a year. That's really all she needs at this point in her life.

Starting point is 00:25:40 Sarah takes such delight in the small things, like tending to her garden, making homemade treats for her neighbors, and knitting in a cozy environment. She knows how lucky she is to have this life, and she is always careful to never take it for granted. After a few more moments of contemplation, Sarah is ready to swap out the poetry for some relaxing music. She doesn't want to listen to all of the poems on the record too soon. She'd like some time to really reflect on the ones she's already heard, and music will help her do just that.

Starting point is 00:26:43 and music will help her do just that. She sets down her knitting and walks across the creaky floorboards to her record player. Sarah stops the record, lifts the needle, and removes the vinyl from the machine. Juntley, she places it back into its cardboard sleeve. Once again, Sarah begins to sift through the wooden crate until she finds the section with the mood she is looking for. Music that feels light-hearted, calming, and perfectly suited for today's weather, she thinks. After a few beats Sarah decides on a particular

Starting point is 00:27:51 vinyl. It's something a little old school yet timeless. It will do the trick she decides. As she sets up the record, her eyes are drawn to the window. The sky outside is darkening, but the sun has not yet set. In fact, it looks like a snowstorm is on its way. The room is comforting to her with its soft lighting. The table lamp is on, as is a tall standing lamp in the corner. There is a dull glow from the pillar and taper candles she has placed around the living room. There is a chunky off-white pillar candle near the record player. After the record is properly set up, she reaches into the drawer below her to take out a pack of matches. She sides open the cardboard box that holds the matches and removes one long wooden stick with a black tip.

Starting point is 00:29:52 She quickly swipes the top of the match against the side of the box and a small flame takes hold. The smell of the match catches her nose as she cubs the top of the pillow candle to light it. The candles around her house are all sentless, which is Sarah's preference. She bakes too often to require scented candles. Sarah would rather enjoy the aroma of the fireplace, mixed with that of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, to freshly baked cinnamon rolls or spiced cider heating over the stove. Going around the room, she takes her time to light a few more candles. She makes her way over to the fireplace, where two taper candles rest near photos of her family and friends. However, her match goes out after lighting the first one. So instead, she tilts the wake of the taper candle towards the soft flame and watches

Starting point is 00:31:30 as it ignites, casting a small plume of smoke into the air. Now, Sarah looks around her space and admires how warm and inviting it feels. Gazing out to the window again, she feels butterflies of excitement rise up in her tummy. She is eager for a snow day and it looks like one is fast approaching. Sarah happily makes her way back to the sofa, fuelled by her anticipation for the coming snow, fueled by her anticipation for the coming snow and the rhythm of the music that flows from her record player. She settles once again into her cosiest knitting position. Then, she leans over and picks up the jumper and needles. Her hands and wrists move in harmony. has perfect muscle memory when it comes to making these knit stitches. As she continues with the jumper, she hears the wind rustling the branches outside her window, a sign of the coming storm. A few fallen leaves are picked up by the breeze, but there is still

Starting point is 00:33:32 no evidence of snowfall. Soon she says, as she begins to ponder the poem about the changing seasons, which said, Frost kisses the earth with its icy breath, a prelude to winter. Sarah considers how exceptionally frosty it was this morning. Perhaps it is a prelude to the first snow. Time will tell. Before Sarah knows it, she is at the bottom of her jumper. It's time to do the rib dutch. She thoroughly enjoys this part.

Starting point is 00:34:36 After rows and rows of knit stitches, knitting the hem offers a change of rhythm. This section will be stretchy and about 10-15 rows long. The pattern will be the same as the turtle neck portion. It's a 2x2 rib stitch, two knit stitches followed by two purl stitches. It creates a perfectly stretchy pattern that will make the jumper easy to slip on and off. Sarah begins a new row of her project by making two knit stitches. She makes them by inserting the needle from front to back through the stitch on the left needle. She then wraps the working yarn around the right needle and pulls the loop through to create a new stitch. The power stitch is slightly different. It is made by inserting the needle from back to front through the stitch on the left needle. Sarah does this and then wraps the working

Starting point is 00:36:19 yarn around the right needle, finishing off by pulling the loop through to the front. This creates a bump or a pearl texture on the fabric, rather than a V shape that the knit stitch forms. What's interesting is that the knit and purl stitches are each other's opposites. This is most obvious that Sarah continues to work on the ribbing of the jumper. When flipped inside out, the knit stitches will look like pals and vice versa. Sarah gets into the groove already on the third row, making two knits followed by two pounds. Every so often, the flickering candles and the fireplace catch her eye. She listens to the music, the crackly pops of the fire and pane at the perfect moment. Several snowflakes tap against the glass. Sarah places her knitting needles down, jumps up excitedly and slips on her house shoes. She walks towards the window and looks out to admire Mother Nature at work. The few snowflakes turn into several, and then dozens.

Starting point is 00:38:53 She looks up at the grey sky, and then down to the mountains that are almost invisible behind the gloom and falling snow. Below the mountains, and at the forefront of Sarah's view, is an evergreen forest full of lush pine trees, as well as rabbits and deer. She watches as snow builds up on the limbs of the trees. The snow creates a beautiful contrast to their dark greens and browns. Tomorrow is going to look spectacular, she thinks. The sun is now beginning to set, although it's hard to tell because of the weather, Sarah can't wait for the morning to come. Her mounting cabin will be surrounded by the bright white of the season's first snow. Magical, she thinks.

Starting point is 00:40:31 She turns around and notices the final embers smoldering in the fireplace. Luckily she has plenty of logs to add. Sarah walks across the room and picks one up, wedging it among the embers. She waits for the fire to catch, and once it does, she adds a few more logs. The room is filled with the scent of burning oak. She loves this smell. With the snow outside, Sarah feels incredibly relaxed in her homey space. Now she just wishes to complete both the left and right sleeves. She is confident she can finish one sleeve this evening, but she might have to work on the other after breakfast in the morning. But that's okay with her. How special it will be once she has the jump

Starting point is 00:42:11 have finished and can wear it on the first snow day of the season. Before sitting back down, she leans side to side, giving her body a nice stretch. This is important when she knits for hours at a time. Then, she settles back into her natural rhythm and finishes up the final row of the ribbing before binding off. Curious to see how it fits, Sarah unbuttons and removes the cardigan she's wearing over a tank top. She then slides the jumper over her body. The active stitches of the sleeves are secured on extra yarn, so there is no worry that she will damage her project. She walks to the hallway and looks in the mirror. A big smile crosses her face. It's a perfect fit she thinks.

Starting point is 00:43:53 The tautal neck hugs her comfortably without feeling restrictive and the body is loose fitting without being too oversized or baggy. Sarah loves the length, the color, the texture, everything. Now she really can't wait to finish the sleeves. Now, she really can't wait to finish the sleeves. This may become her favourite jumper. Sarah carefully lifts it back off over her shoulders, ensuring it's not inside out. Then she walks back into the living room. Outside the snow persists. Sarah sticks her palm to the glass of the window and feels the coldness of it on her hand. She slowly pulls away her palm and the warmth of her skin leaves a little imprint on the glass. Finally, Sarah returns to her knitting. She places the active stitches from the right sleeve onto a pair of 6mm circular knitting

Starting point is 00:45:39 needles, the same as the body. However, what is different about these circular needles is the length. She used longer cables for the body, but she needs a much smaller size for the sleeve. This is because the body requires far more stitches compared to the arms. So Sarah carries on. The calming sounds of the snowstorm mix with the light-hearted music and roaring fire, and Sarah feels blissful. She is so looking forward to finishing this sleep, having dinner and then settling into bed. She will likely read a chapter from a book as reading at night helps her fall asleep.

Starting point is 00:47:07 Then, the morning will arrive, and hopefully the sun will be out, casting a sparkle on the fluffy white blanket of snow. She'll finish her jumper over a cup of hot coffee. Then she A walk through the forest is a must. There's something fairy tale like about the forest near her cabin. The friendly creatures that inhabit make it feel extra special on a snowy and magical day. As Sarah knits the evening away, she daydreams about the coming months. It's been another beautiful day in her mounting cabin, and even better days are yet to come. ... I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

Starting point is 00:49:10 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. you I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

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Starting point is 00:54:37 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room.

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Starting point is 00:55:56 I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. I'm going to go to the next room. ... you you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Knitting at the Mountain Cabin

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