Saturday, November 10, 2012

Queuing up

My mother called yesterday wondering if I'd like a gift certificate for Christmas so I could buy more yarn. Normally, my heart rate quickens at the promise of such a gift. But I heard myself telling her, "You know what, Mom? I have plenty of yarn, so no thank you, not this year."

I explained to her that I have so much yarn packed in a glass-fronted bookshelf that I have trouble matching skeins to projects. I've found that I like knitting with a plan. For the rest of the year, as well as into 2013, I'm going to make a list of projects, prioritize them, and hopefully by the end of next year I'll have piles of knitwear instead of bookshelves full of wool.

My stash is quite modest by most knitting standards; still, I get antsy and ADD when I have a lot of wool staring me in the face. I find I'm less tolerant of "stuff" these days ... it ties into the rampant consumerism that bothers me. OK, it's just wool and it's useful, but I do I really need more than I could ever knit in my lifetime? It bugs me when I pull out a couple skeins, knowing that I'd earmarked them for a specific project, but time and the allure of new projects have me completely befuddled what exactly those skeins were for.

So here are my knitting goals for the rest of 2012:

* Finish the projects I have on my needles, including a Simplest pullover, pair of socks, and another Gaptastic cowl.

* Knit a balaclava for biking from stash.

* Knit Thorpe hat from Rowan Colourscape Chunky just purchased from Wild and Woolly in Lexington.

* Knit another pair of Toasty fingerless gloves for biking in CEL Portland Tweed in stash.

* Knit Norwegian stockings from Folk Socks (yarn purchased at WEBS in September).

* If I have time (LOL) maybe knit a new pair of felted French Press Slippers.

I'm sure I'll add more to this list, but for now this gives me some direction.

My brother Matt is heading over to pick up his truck so he can head down to NY/NJ to help with the storm cleanup. He told me this morning he was in Rockaway last weekend and it looked like a war zone. He does not use those words lightly since he's actually fought in Iraq and Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine. Anyway, it will be nice to see him, if only for an hour or so, since he's been so busy with school this semester.

And tomorrow morning, my husband, son and I will catch the early showing of Skyfall -- only $6! -- as our birthday presents to each other. We all happen to have birthdays in a three-week period so this will be a fun way to celebrate. O is excited because it'll be the first time he gets to go a PG-13 film, woo-hoo! Then Monday there's no school because of Veterans Day, so we'll be thinking of all the men and women who have put their lives on the line to defend our great country.

What are you doing this weekend? Have you seen Skyfall yet? What did you think?

 

4 comments:

  1. We're just back from Skyfall (neener neener, early movies here are only $5!). I'm not usually a Bond fan, but I loved it. Hubby, who has seen every movie and many of them multiple times, thinks it's the best ever. That scene in Shanghai--the cinematography! Holy cow.

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  2. I was like that, more with fabric than yarn, and last year I started giving it to charity sales etc. I found it quite stressful to have lots of "stuff" that I wasn't using but also stressful that I didn't have the time. I've just bought some gorgeous Rowan cotton to make a sweater as a Xmas pressie for the Queenager, and hoping that I can complete it (as well as having a book deadline and goodness knows what else) without having a stroke.

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  3. Amy, that's great to hear esp. coming from not a big Bond fan! I loved loved LOVED Casino Royale, so my hopes are high.

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  4. It feels *wonderful* to get rid of stuff. It's almost like a drug. I totally understand that stressful feeling; it's why I gave up subscribing to the New Yorker. I hope you post pics of the Rowan sweater when you're finished ... no pressure. ;)

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