Back to the Basics
Going back to the basics has been a tremendous help. It’s given me some tools to combat that pervasive sense of being overwhelmed and dissatisfied, and it’s helped me regain focus in moments when I feel it start to dwindle away. What am I doing right now in this moment? Am I trying to juggle two or more things? What requires my attention? What does your schedule say? I usually have answers for these questions and while it is sometimes hard to let go of the billions of tasks and thought processes that attempt to take over my life, it is an effective strategy. It gets me to slow down (a little) and really enjoy what I am doing in the moment as I am doing it.
In the interest of cultivating a deeper appreciation for the basics, I’ve been knitting socks. It would proboably be more accurate to say I’ve been knitting socks too tightly and making my little fingers ache, but you get the idea. I intended to create just a plain pair of stockinette socks, but, you know, when it comes to creating a simple sock, there are a million options. You have different cast-ons, you can go toe up or start with the cuff, you can do a heel flap or a short row heel, if you do a short row heel, there are a multitude of techniques. Then there is the toe. Don’t even get me started on the toe. Nevertheless, I managed to make some decisions, not all of which I was happy with, but socks are a live-and-learn type of project. I refuse to obsess over imperfections. I’ll just do it differently the next time.
Right now my thoughts are all pretty much gravitating to the upcoming Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. Unlike my typical behavior of overthinking purchases until I leave with nothing (and then regret it), I plan to walk away with quite a haul this year. I am also going to be trying out different spinning wheels and taking notes. It’s not that I am quite ready to buy — yet. I just want to know what I am doing when I do. My sweet little Kiwi has been a good learning wheel, but I’m ready for something a little more substantial. Not bigger, just more powerful and a little weightier.
Oh, and new post over on The Bookish Dark by c’est moi about A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro.
April 5th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
I applaud you. Living in the moment is so difficult. I am slowly learning, but backpedal at times. I find socks to be an amazing process. A project in your pocket. You can knit thousands of socks throughout your life and never knit the same pair twice. I find that exciting. Not only that, but you are connected to the past when you knit socks. I always have socks on the needles. I need them for waiting, relaxing, sometimes just being. Have fun and try all the spinning wheels you can. There are so many out there.