Reading While Knitting

Nothing complicated; nothing too exciting, but yes, I do knit while I read. As well as during many other domestic activities.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Can't Knit a Stitch

Apparently, when I'm under stress I go all mush-brained. I lose things (hello, Tennessee, seen my wallet yet?), I can't keep my house clean (at least that's the current excuse), my back goes out during high-exertion activities like "brushing teeth" and "putting a kid into a car seat" and today's feature "making my bed," and I'm so. Very. Tired. Funerals and dad in the hospital and husband job stress. . . just stuff. Yawn.

Another fun symptom is that when I pick up sticks and yarn and make those weird spell-casty gestures, I get even sleepier. Listening to my lovely spouse read aloud is probably the only thing that makes me more sleepy. Since I tried to knit, thank goodness my sister drove to the funeral in Los Angeles last weekend! Even with five under eight in the car, and "Branching Out" to work on, it was a sleepy trip for me. Yes, I can screw up lace billed as "The Easiest Lace You'll Ever Ever Attempt, And If You Can't Do This, You Are A Dork." Stress is not your friend.

The only fun thing I can do beyond the sketchiest parenting and work -- lots of work -- is spinning. So it's not the fiber itself that makes me sleepy, apparently, it's the needles. That's a theory.

I got a bunch of wool from the Sheep Shed Studio (like a crackhouse for cheap spinners) and put the children to work with some kool-aid drink mix.


I plan to spin it up and maybe knit them something like socks for Christmas. Stop laughing, those of you who know how I feel about sock knitting. This knitting "allergy" has to stop sometime. Besides, I actually love these children and have to do something for them.

And I've been doing some spinning, but not photographing it. I'm nearly done with one of the handpainted Corriedale bunches of roving from Lambtown. It's not the softest wool in the shed, but it's very soothing. Actually, spinning is remarkably soothing without the soporific "knitting needle effect." Thank goodness for small favors!

The Things continue to do. . . many things. This is fall in Northern California.
Thing 1 is working on "growing" as a hobby. It's breaking the bank to keep that child in shoes, cheese, and pants. Eating. Growing. Eating. Growing. Sleeping. And asking me for favors.

Since this one saved me approximately $30, I was happy to oblige:


Now she can wear them at least through one more growth spurt. We got enough to trim three pairs of jeans for her and one for Thing 2, who, while not growing as fast, hates to give up outgrown clothes. I miss sewing. Maybe someday, when my house is not spontaneously messing itself up and I'm not working all the time and making food and cleaning up food and not gardening or working the bees (thank you, windy/cloudy days that I can't get into the hive easily during!), I will actually set up that machine and make. . . something. At that point, probably I'll need something like a cozy for my missing memory because I'll be about 150.

12 Comments:

At 3:04 PM, Blogger Charity said...

LOVE the idea of the trim on the jeans, I'll have to show these photos to my oldest. :0)

I think I know what you mean about the spinning vs. knitting, actually. I love to knit, and find it soothing and comforting, but when I spin, I can completely be zoned in, and then walk away energized and refreshed.

Sorry about your dad and all the other stuff. Thinking good thoughts for you. :0)

 
At 6:24 PM, Blogger suzee said...

So sorry about the stress...I get sleepy when it's like that, too.

The pants are adorable. Think if I made it camouflage, my Thing would let me do that to his pants?

 
At 6:58 PM, Blogger Ruby Louise said...

Are you sure it's the knitting process that makes you sleepy and not the magic gas that the needles give off? I had a couch like that once. Everybody that sat on it started to fall asleep within ten minutes.

I have an idea. Call up TN and tell them to fork over the wallet or you'll send them all your stress. That ought to get their attention. :o)

 
At 9:47 AM, Blogger Kate said...

I get narcoleptic whenever my brain gets too full. It happens most obviously whenever I'm starting a new job - I've been known to excuse myself from a training session, go into the bathroom, and lean my head up on the wall of the stall for 5 minutes, eyes closed, just to try and recharge a little. I just shut down.

Here's hoping it eases enough that you can knit a little somethin' somethin'... maybe if you tried knitting with, say, chopsticks or something, it would fool the brain enough to let you click away?

 
At 11:49 AM, Blogger Lara said...

Cute trim on the jeans! Genius idea.

I think Branching Out lies. It is most certainly not the easiest lace ever. A 12 row repeat? Come on! I can do pretty advanced lace now, but when Iw as trying to do that as my first lace, it was hopeless.

 
At 4:45 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, the eating of a 12 year old, my gawd.

 
At 6:32 PM, Blogger z's momma said...

The pants are very cute, unfortunately won't work w/ my son because 1) I can't sew a straight line and 2) he doesn't wear anything but shorts. Maybe when the girl gets old enough, I'll have learned to sew properly.

 
At 1:37 PM, Blogger Katherine said...

I can certainly relate to the mush brain - I've spent all summer in that state and the knitting has suffered as a result. And the sewing! I dream of someday having a spot other than the kitchen table to set it up (but then there would be two sets of little fingers getting involved) and then maybe, just maybe, I'll make something too. Those are very cute jeans.

But I won't ever finish a sock.

 
At 8:10 PM, Blogger meg said...

Sorry to hear about all the icky stuff going on- sending good thoughts & a calming spirit your way.
I wish I could get away with the trim on the jeans, but my 16 yo son wouldn't go for it. Nope. No way.

 
At 10:09 AM, Blogger String Bean said...

I know exactly what you mean about the spinning. Sometimes I'm so tired I just can't make my brain work so I spin. That way I can shut my brain off.

Did your things enjoy dyeing?

 
At 7:32 AM, Blogger allisonmariecat said...

Jeans are so cute! The dyeing project looks like a lot of fun. I'm sorry about the stress...have you tried yoga?

 
At 6:07 AM, Blogger Alisha said...

I hear ya on the whole 12 year old eating, sleeping and growing. My 12 year old has ladies size 11 feet...and is over 5'7. She is gonna be taller then me probably...I am 5'10. We can share shoes now.

Love the pants. Next spring you can cut them into capris. We do a capri cutting session each spring with all the too too short pants.

 

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