the problems
Anya is asleep, Daniel and Stuart are out for what is probably the last sledding excursion of the season, and what have I been doing with the last half hour? Squat, that's what. I've been puttering, wandering around the house trying to decide what I should do with these precious moments of quiet. This is time I should by all right be using to relax and do my own thing, but alas, I can't.
I think the problem is twofold. First of all, since I spend most of my time at home and am thus in charge of dealing with nearly all the housework, I find it impossible to relax when something isn't done. And there's always something not done: a floor to sweep, dishes to wash, food to prepare, laundry to wash or dry or fold or put away, clutter to pick up, junk mail to be sorted. I am incapable of sitting on the couch and knitting when I am surrounded by chores.
The second problem is one of over-stimulation.
(Rats. Anya just woke up. So much for the free time. At least I can buy a few more minutes if I let her nurse while I'm sitting here.)
Anyway, I was saying....over-stimulation. With spring just around the corner, I am feeling renewed creative energy, but I have so many potential projects I just don't know where to start. I know I mentioned this recently, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself here. Most of the time I'm happy to have a sizable yarn stash, plus a modest stash of other crafting supplies (like fabric), because I find it inspiring and fun to look through what's there and dream of all the possibilities and potential. But days like today, it is too much. Should I knit the neckwarmer I really wanted a month ago, even though it's going to be too warm for alpaca by the time I finish it? Start a wool sweater? Start a sweater for spring? Sew a skirt? Knit some socks for Daniel that he requested a few weeks back? Alas, the fun projects are impractical, and the practical projects would be boring (I guess that's a third problem, if you think about it.)
While I am more or less paralyzed by indecision, I can at least finish up a couple dangling WIPs and crank out a few easy baby gifts. Take these hats for instance:
They are for this little guy. I don't swatch for hats, so the first one (on the left) came out a little big, probably could fit a 1yo. There was plenty of yarn left, so I cast on 8 fewer stitches and made the second (on the right). I don't really remember how big newborn hats are, but I do know they grow out of them so quickly, it almost doesn't matter. I just hope it fits this spring before the weather warms up for real. (If this year is anything like last year, that will be around mid-June.)
Pattern: None, just a simple st st hat in the round with stripes and an i-cord topknot. Hat #1 I cast on 72 sttiches and hat #2 I cast on 64. I measured the gauge later and it was about 4.5 spi.
Yarn: Spud and Chlöe Sweater, a superwash wool/organic cotton blend that is fabulously soft and thankfully available at an LYS pretty close to me. I envision more of this yarn in my future (in fact, Daniel has just asked me for another green sweater...)
Made for: Gabe the new babe, who met his adoptive parents a few hours after he was born this past Sunday.
So what do I do? I know at least a dozen or so people read this blog pretty regularly, so I'm asking for your input: what should Susan make next? I'm always changing my mind, so I may or may not go with majority decision, but I will certainly consider your suggestions!!
I think the problem is twofold. First of all, since I spend most of my time at home and am thus in charge of dealing with nearly all the housework, I find it impossible to relax when something isn't done. And there's always something not done: a floor to sweep, dishes to wash, food to prepare, laundry to wash or dry or fold or put away, clutter to pick up, junk mail to be sorted. I am incapable of sitting on the couch and knitting when I am surrounded by chores.
The second problem is one of over-stimulation.
(Rats. Anya just woke up. So much for the free time. At least I can buy a few more minutes if I let her nurse while I'm sitting here.)
Anyway, I was saying....over-stimulation. With spring just around the corner, I am feeling renewed creative energy, but I have so many potential projects I just don't know where to start. I know I mentioned this recently, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself here. Most of the time I'm happy to have a sizable yarn stash, plus a modest stash of other crafting supplies (like fabric), because I find it inspiring and fun to look through what's there and dream of all the possibilities and potential. But days like today, it is too much. Should I knit the neckwarmer I really wanted a month ago, even though it's going to be too warm for alpaca by the time I finish it? Start a wool sweater? Start a sweater for spring? Sew a skirt? Knit some socks for Daniel that he requested a few weeks back? Alas, the fun projects are impractical, and the practical projects would be boring (I guess that's a third problem, if you think about it.)
While I am more or less paralyzed by indecision, I can at least finish up a couple dangling WIPs and crank out a few easy baby gifts. Take these hats for instance:
They are for this little guy. I don't swatch for hats, so the first one (on the left) came out a little big, probably could fit a 1yo. There was plenty of yarn left, so I cast on 8 fewer stitches and made the second (on the right). I don't really remember how big newborn hats are, but I do know they grow out of them so quickly, it almost doesn't matter. I just hope it fits this spring before the weather warms up for real. (If this year is anything like last year, that will be around mid-June.)
Pattern: None, just a simple st st hat in the round with stripes and an i-cord topknot. Hat #1 I cast on 72 sttiches and hat #2 I cast on 64. I measured the gauge later and it was about 4.5 spi.
Yarn: Spud and Chlöe Sweater, a superwash wool/organic cotton blend that is fabulously soft and thankfully available at an LYS pretty close to me. I envision more of this yarn in my future (in fact, Daniel has just asked me for another green sweater...)
Made for: Gabe the new babe, who met his adoptive parents a few hours after he was born this past Sunday.
So what do I do? I know at least a dozen or so people read this blog pretty regularly, so I'm asking for your input: what should Susan make next? I'm always changing my mind, so I may or may not go with majority decision, but I will certainly consider your suggestions!!
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