One lonely sole

In August I took a sock-knitting class.  It was great.  I jumped right in and finished my sock.  It even looks pretty good...don't ya think?


And here is a picture of the second sock to the set...and it is November December (I began this post in November, geesh).  I started it immediately after I finished the other one in August.  I'm not sure I even remember what I'm supposed to do anymore.  I may have to attend another class to finish it.


I was super stoked about knitting socks because everyone needs socks and lots of them...but here is my problem, one single sock takes forever.  The yarn is teeny tiny and you use a small needle, which makes you knit and knit and knit for what seems like eternity, only to have half of a sock.  I got bored.  And still have only one single sock.

I do this a little lot, I start a project and then get bored with it and so it sits...yarn attached, needles in place, waiting for me to return.  I still have a pair of finger-less gloves and my first-ever shirt in my closet, incomplete, and I'm all but done.  I don't know why I won't just dive in and finish them. Except that my knitter's ADHD kicks in and I move on when something is taking too long or I need help on one little bitty part.

Don't even get me started on my first blanket.  That thing is taking an eternity.  (It's a work in progress.)  I have, however, finished my first pair of mittens and they were super easy and quick. (That's what I like.) I look forward to starting another pair, but I really must finish something else first...maybe.

I'm still obsessed with the knitting but have to pace myself a little for the sake of my hands, wrists and arms.  I have tried to halt yarn purchases the last few months because, if you walk into my office right now (oh, wait, you can't) you would see that I have PLENTY of yarn.

Current problem is that sweet Moxie Mo, the beautiful bloodhound puppy, really, really likes my knitting too.  She has ruined two different circular needs so far and will stop at nothing to get a ball of yarn...repeatedly...no matter where I put it.  She is worse than the cats when it comes to the yarn!

But she is so sweet and lovable.  I'll let it go...and buy another needle...and maybe some more yarn.


The upside to this - there are these brand new needles at the Yarn Studio called Rockets that are awesome.  I know what you're thinking, how can a knitting needle be awesome?  (I thought the same thing when "Diane" showed them to me.)  Just trust me on this one.  Maybe I should start leaving my other needles out for Moxie to happen upon.

I will finish that other sock. Some day it will happen.  It would be silly to leave that one lonely sole.

Revelation #332

Like a city whose walls are broken through
    is a person who lacks self-control.  Proverbs 25:28  (NIV)

While perusing through hundreds of knitting patterns today, I had a revelation:  Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

I could hear Jay saying this to me...as an example...just because you can knit doesn't mean that everyone wants something you've knitted.  He's not being mean.  He's being honest.  There are lots of items out there I could knit, but wowza - some of them are way out there.

Just a few days ago, my daughter posted a picture of me on Facebook holding one of my new knitting tools - a Styrofoam head.  I commented on the picture that I was going to knit her prom dress and it should be done in about three years.  Of course, I was joking (for the most part - I would never do such a thing - most likely), but it occurred to me today when I was seeing some real random knitting patterns - I could actually knit Madolyn a prom dress.  I have no doubt I could figure it out, and in three years, have a completed dress (and who knows, in three years, a knitted formal could be 'in'), but I'm not planning on it.

Another silly example is the cartwheel.  A few years ago, I was watching Madolyn do gymnastics tricks in the house and I decided to show her my stuff.  Good-ness.  Not. A. Good. Idea. At. All.  Not only were my muscles out of shape, my equilibrium was/is way off.  It nearly wiped me out.  I did the cartwheel...but I should not have and don't plan to try it again anytime soon.  Silly.  I paid for that one for a few days.

Many, many times I have started to reply to someone either by e-mail or on Facebook, I've had the right answer (mine, of course) typed out that would solve all things, big or small...and then I deleted it.  Yes, I think my solution is correct...but someone else may not.

The same is true when I hear or read something I know to be false or somewhat misleading...based on knowledge acquired through my work.  Just last week, I had to say to a friend, "I can't really comment on that."  Oh, I could have and wanted to, but I'm not supposed to.  And there is a very fine line, I've discovered unfortunately, between me voicing my personal opinion about a situation, and someone assuming that I'm spewing facts from the courtroom.  It can be very tricky.  I have to really think about what I say before I say it (or try to hopefully).  I've even found myself thinking, it's not fair that I can't say what I want to say for fear someone else may think I'm divulging privileged information...but it is what it is.  And really, most of it boils down to that g word we hate - gossip - anyway so it's best left unsaid, regardless.  It goes back to the same principle - just because I can doesn't mean I should.

I have tried many times in my life to use the I-can-if-I-want-to philosophy...and it never seems to work out. Immediately coming to mind is eating an entire package of Oreo's, Thin Mint's, an entire sheet cake, staying up into the wee hours of the morning to knit, read or watch movies, etc.  It may be good at the time, but the consequence is not so enjoyable.

I could go on and on with serious and silly examples of where this revelation comes into play.  We might raise Alpacas and Llamas some day..yes, then I could learn to spin the wool into beautiful yarn. Theoretically, we could...but it doesn't mean we have to.