So, my big plans for 2013 have not come to fruition yet. I've been doing a lot of knitting, but not much else. Between a couple of weeks of feeling very run down by a cold that lasted too long (but never run down enough to call in sick to work) and sort of unexpected time-consuming things, I just haven't felt well enough or been home long enough to tackle any of my big projects. Crossing my fingers that it will change this weekend! It's supposed to be a cold, snowy weekend, so it should be perfect for staying in and getting stuff done!
What I have done so far this year is Knit. A lot.
On Saturday, I finished a small shawl (really a scarf) I started in January (Pattern: Rondelay; Yarn: Dream in Color yarn club October 2012):
On Sunday, I finished a shawl I started in October (Pattern: Fragile Heart; Yarn: Dream in Color Smoshy with Cashmere):
Also on Sunday, I finished a pair of socks I started at Christmas time (Yarn: Plymouth Sakkie, which just might be my new favorite sock yarn)
I made a two-layer hat that still needs to be blocked (my own design; Yarns: Classic Elite Lush and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino). (no picture yet....mostly because it still needs to be blocked....)
I have two nearly-completed sleeves for my Wonderful Wallaby. (Yarn: Classic Elite Waterspun, which is long discontinued)
I started a pair of socks for Victoria (Yarn: Wisdom Yarns Poems Sock).
And, I'm looking forward to starting another sweater project SOON using yarn I purchased at River Knits last week. (Yarn: Classic Elite Soft Linen; Pattern: Linen and Lace Cardigan) The second picture better represents the actual color of the yarn. It's a wonderful blue-green that's really hard to photograph well.
I think one reason I've knit so much over the past month or so is that it eases stress. At least for me it does. (So does shopping. See yarn purchase mentioned in previous paragraph.) We had a crazy four or five weeks during which a lot of people I love were going through some really tough times--either family difficulties, mental/emotional issues, or physical health concerns. In most cases, there was nothing I could do but worry and send my love and let them know I was thinking of them all the time. To keep the worry to a minimum, I focus on something I can control: Knitting. For me, knitting is very meditative, and I feel that if I'm thinking about these people and their problems while I'm knitting, it's sort of like prayer. Like each stitch is a bead in a Rosary. (I don't mean to make light of the Rosary; so if you are Catholic, please don't take offense at that statement. I mean it in a very respectful way.) There are thousands of stitches in a sweater. Heck, the socks I finished Sunday have 5,760 stitches JUST IN THE LEG! Not even including the foot. That's a lot of opportunity for prayer or meditation. I'm not a very religion-y person--I don't go to church (anymore), and I'm not really sure what I believe. I might even describe myself as agnostic. However, I know there's something to be said for the energy we put out into the universe, whether it's through prayer or meditation or just how we think. When you think positive thoughts and look at things in a positive way, positive things happen. Now, I know that my knitting and thinking about the folks I love can't make their problems go away. It's not a magic wand. But, with each stitch, I'm sending a little bit of that positive energy their way. With each stitch, I'm saying, "I've been thinking about you. I hope you find peace. I love you."
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