Deep Breath
OK, I've done it. I've started a blog. I've been contemplating it for a long time, but it seemed like such a commitment. Knitting takes up most of my free time anyway. Then I started reading knitblogs. Now writing one... I don't know how (or even if) I'll find the time.
So why am I doing it? It's a last straw sort of thing for me. I love reading knitblogs. I love seeing what people are knitting, I love sympathising with the frustration, I love cheering along when someone learns something new, or accomplishes what seems impossible, or just makes something beautiful. And I don't know many knitters, so there are very few people to sympathise or cheer along with me. I know very few people who can view my knitting with fresh eyes; who can tell me if something is working or not, who can help me step away, take a deep breath, and say "frog it honey, really" or "this is worth showing off".
So this last straw? Today I wore a sweater to work. It was not only a sweater I made, but a sweater I designed. I had an idea, I played with stitch patterns, I swatched, I wrote a pattern, I knit, I adjusted, I knit some more. I finished it, blocked it, and let it sit in a drawer for a couple months. I thought I liked it, but I couldn't tell if it was a good sweater, or if it was just something I was proud of accomplishing. Today I wore it for the first time. Lo and behold, the second person I saw at work said "Hey, that's a great sweater." Gulp. Then another one; "I love your sweater." So I decided; I need to show people my stuff. It's so dumb to spend so much time on something and then let it languish in a drawer. Granted, I have made things that ought never see the light of day. That's fine. But sometimes the process and the product get all tangled up like a bad ball of mohair, and I just can't tell. Do I hate it because it's awful, or because I'm sick of cabling? Do I think it's beautiful because it is, or because I'm just proud to have finished. Hopefully, this is where I'll find out. And if not, at least I'll have taken the time to take a picture and put it out there.
Oh, and I promise this is the last rambling philosophical post for a while. Next time, there will be socks and yarn and other yummy things!
So why am I doing it? It's a last straw sort of thing for me. I love reading knitblogs. I love seeing what people are knitting, I love sympathising with the frustration, I love cheering along when someone learns something new, or accomplishes what seems impossible, or just makes something beautiful. And I don't know many knitters, so there are very few people to sympathise or cheer along with me. I know very few people who can view my knitting with fresh eyes; who can tell me if something is working or not, who can help me step away, take a deep breath, and say "frog it honey, really" or "this is worth showing off".
So this last straw? Today I wore a sweater to work. It was not only a sweater I made, but a sweater I designed. I had an idea, I played with stitch patterns, I swatched, I wrote a pattern, I knit, I adjusted, I knit some more. I finished it, blocked it, and let it sit in a drawer for a couple months. I thought I liked it, but I couldn't tell if it was a good sweater, or if it was just something I was proud of accomplishing. Today I wore it for the first time. Lo and behold, the second person I saw at work said "Hey, that's a great sweater." Gulp. Then another one; "I love your sweater." So I decided; I need to show people my stuff. It's so dumb to spend so much time on something and then let it languish in a drawer. Granted, I have made things that ought never see the light of day. That's fine. But sometimes the process and the product get all tangled up like a bad ball of mohair, and I just can't tell. Do I hate it because it's awful, or because I'm sick of cabling? Do I think it's beautiful because it is, or because I'm just proud to have finished. Hopefully, this is where I'll find out. And if not, at least I'll have taken the time to take a picture and put it out there.
Oh, and I promise this is the last rambling philosophical post for a while. Next time, there will be socks and yarn and other yummy things!
Labels: random thoughts
