(insert soothing “hold” music here)
Anyway, I was thinking the other day about how much I actually think about knitting. Or yarn. Or (now) spinning and fibre. (or fiber for the Americans and other people who didn’t have the
-The other day one of my customers found out I knit and asked me to make him some mittens. Yesterday he asked if I had started on them yet, which I hadn’t, but found it hilarious that I had actually spent some time thinking about them.
-My friend Sunny Jim* generally teases me about my knitting/yarn/fiber obsession but he also thinks it’s cool at the same time. The other day he was over and saw the toque I made in August. He went on and on about how much he liked it and wanted one similar. I may have gotten a little, well, enthusiastic; as the conversation went on and he was telling me about other types of toques he thought I might be able to sell and then, a sweater he would like. If he didn’t know me well already, he would have probably been terrified.
-I dyed some fibre/fiber last night. On my drive to work this morning I was mentally splitting the roving, predrafting, spinning and plying. Then, I was also thinking about what to make with it. (Ask me what I’m thinking about right now.)
-This morning I was talking with my manager about something he needs me to do. The whole time he was talking I was completely distracted by the fact that there is a dropped stitch in his sweater and if it's not taken care of soon it will look like costuming from the Matrix movies. You know, when they're not in the matrix and they wear those cool drapey sweaters with the strategically placed dropped stitches. Anyway, it took all of my concentration to not interupt him and offer to fix his sweater.
The thing is, I don’t sit and stare into the middle distance, thinking about knitting/yarn/spinning etc. It’s just that my brain is frequently working out some creative problem or coming up with a new/better idea the whole time I’m doing other things.
Am I the only one? I’m sure that I’m not. (I may, however, be the only one to think about how much I think about knitting/yarn etc).
Also, on my drive to work this morning, I was thinking about how this constant processing of current and future projects tends to feed the multiple WIP thing I have going. I was thinking that I need to focus and just finish something. Maybe practice a little self-discipline. Then, I was wondering if it is necessary to discipline myself to focus on something that is a “hobby”. Then I thought about how this could be a blog post. Then I laughed at myself for thinking about all of this.
So, what is the end result of all this navel contemplation? (There is a word that means “navel contemplation” but I can’t remember what it is right now. Anyone?) Basically, it’s that I feel like I need to focus more so that I can complete projects. And that I can’t wait to get home to try spinning the fiber I dyed last night. And I have a great idea for a new toque. Which I want to cast on right now. So, basically, I didn’t learn anything from the navel contemplation. Shocking.
*not his real name. obviously. His real name is Sunny Joe
You totally made me crack up! I do the same thing ... thinking about the yarn, fibre, spinning, projects, possible future projects, projects I have on the needles, which projects I might actually finish vs which projects won't, now I'm all about crochet too which adds to the thought process of how to mix knitting in with crochet and possibly even my own handspun into the mix.
ReplyDeletexoxo
my dear, you are not alone!!!
ReplyDeleteThe librarian in me had to look it up. The word is "omphaloskepsis."
ReplyDeleteI constantly think about knitting, yarn, spinning and now dyeing. I dyed 1/2 lb. of mills ends last night and I'm itching to dye the other 1/2 tonight so I can lay it all out on the dining room table and decide how to split the roving - BEFORE I start spinning. Which will be a first. I have no idea what I'm doing. This is all new to me. Maybe that's why I spend so much time thinking about it all. I'm telling myself that, anyway. That it's an infatuation that will pass. But...somehow...I'm not believing it.
I'm not alone! Yay!
ReplyDeleteAnd, Thanks flwrhead for looking up the word for me!! I'm a bit of a dictionary dork and when I can't remember a word it drives me crazy.
I'm taking a night off spinning/knitting tonight and will actually be leaving my apartment. Anyone want to put bets on whether I think about spinning while I'm out?
Woo-hoo! I am glad that I am not the only person who obsesses over the contents and processes of fibery goodness.
ReplyDelete=:8
I totally do the same thing. All day long I'm thinking and plotting and planning. I follow people that are wearing pretty sweaters to figure them out. Sometimes I think it's a little out of control, but I don't actually want to change.
ReplyDeleteI do find myself thinking a lot about knitting, but I think that's a good thing...it keeps us thinking, and working those little grey cells, and making nice sweaters and mittens.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like we're going out boozing. The worst you can have after a heavy night of knitting is sore hands, a lot of ends to weave in, and a nice finished sweater. :)
I was thinking introspection but omphaloskepsis is way cooler
ReplyDeleteIt's not daydreaming, or obsessing compulsively. It's the creative thought process. Or that's what the voices keep telling me, anyway.
ReplyDeleteHoney, if I have a free two seconds my brain flips to the fiber side. Really fast. It's what keeps me sane. I've found myself more than once looking at someone who I was talking to at work and thinking how cool their sweater was and if I could make something similar. What did they say?
ReplyDeleteWhat else would worth thinking about? My next project is what's in my head. Sometimes it's also my current project and how fast I can get back to it.
Just thought you should know. Fiber on!