Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Can You Ever Not Be Knitting?

That's the question my husband asked the other night after he spied me knitting on the floor and playing with the kids, knitting while one was in the bath, knitting during lunch and pushing spoonfuls of food into a baby's mouth.

No, I said. Incredulous.

I'm potentially looking at a lot of knitting time soon. I've got a list of packing for all of us but most on my mind is what to bring to knit. I know, I'm crazy, I should be worrying about other things but worrying about this keeps me sane for the next few weeks. Before the baby was born I couldn't decide what to wear. At a hospital birth, they give you the dress, my main concern was figuring what to wear for labor. Will I want to keep it afterwards? Will it be in photos? Will it be ruined? Should it be a big shirt, a dress, a nightgown, a warrior princess outfit? It turned out fine-soft blue nightgown, no stains, I'm never getting rid of it but I won't make anyone else birth in it!

Okay, back to the knitting, I'll need a dummy project, something in the round, mostly simple knit stitch that I don't have to concentrate on for time with the kids or after a glass of wine or when talking with others. That's easy, a basic pair of socks. Doesn't take up too much space, no pattern needed. Can bring it on the plane.

I need a more complex project for times by myself, in the waiting room during a 5 hour surgery to take my mind off things. Again, shouldn't take up too much space. Lace. The Diamata by French Girl Knits. I didn't buy the yarn I saw on the shop model at Village Yarn and Tea (Louet Kidlin, goregous, I wanted the deep purple, I'll need two skiens if you are the yarn fairy) I dug deep in my stash for the first mohair I ever bought (from Craigslist in Palo Alto, at least 8 years old). I'm weak when it comes to mohair and yet, I rarely actually make anything with it. Perfect, this is a complicated project, but it should be done during the surgery time. I'll make something beautiful and have something to show for my time as an Abigal Adams, waiting for my husband. This is the same pattern from the old post, I knitted it during the last surgery but didn't like how it turned out with the seaweed yarn, it's in the frog pond, this was not a good match. I'll find a perfect mate for both pattern and yarn.

And then, something to wrap around myself for the coming fall, bigger needles, slightly complex but still portable wrap in from the book Poncho in a cashmere (5%) merino blend. This will bring peace to my otherwise crazy trip.

"Central to the appeal of knitting is that it wakes like a meditation. Everything becomes quiet, still and peaceful, and all the turmoil of life seems to succumb to the silent rhythm of the needles and the orderly progression of the stitches. " From The Principles of Knitting, June Hemmons Hiatt, 1988. YES!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

And now you understand why I sew. Same feelings. Wherever I travel, the first thing I do is google all the quilt shops in the area. I know exactly where they are located in relation to where I am staying, store hours, etc.

There's a knitting book, three skeins of varigated yarn and three balls of red yarn waiting for you. And also a big hug.

Carrie said...

You're absolutely right. Knitting is therapeutic and that's half the reason why I do it. The other night I stayed up way too late knitting all by myself in the peace and quiet just for the rest. It was lovely. Still thinking of you guys all the time.

Megan said...

A yarn fairy came to my rescue!