Time off, feet up!
I have done very little this week, apart from knitting and listening to podcasts – and it’s been wonderful!
I was going to spend the time that not so small daughter is away working on various projects that could do with an uninterrupted run of time, and then when I went to meet friends for lunch a week early last Friday (it took me a while to work out why they weren’t there!), made a cup of coffee for my husband in a storage pot instead of his mug and a couple of other daft things that are characteristic of being overtired, I decided that I would just take time off myself – safer for everybody! 🤣
So this week, I have sat in the sunshine, snoozed in the afternoons if I felt like it, worked on my Kate Davies Mystery Knitalong shawl, listened to podcasts (this episode of Making Stitches featuring my lovely friend Emma Varnam is a good one, and I’ve also been listening to mindset podcasts by David Bayer), stood in the garden on the grass in my bare feet and generally remembered what it’s like not to do everything at top speed. It has been bliss!
I have left the house a couple of times so I’ve not totally cut myself off from civilisation, but I have ignored all the jobs on the lists that I have, and after getting to a point in the shawl which needs more concentration than I wanted to give it, I decided to cast on a jumper instead. As you do. I’ve had the Polkacats jumper (Ravelry link) on my Ravelry list for quite some time and when I saw Kelly on Instagram (I was on her podcast aaaages ago) had made one, I decided that I would cast on too. This week, I have discovered that as well as ignoring the jobs on my list, I am also quite adept at ignoring the half-finished projects in my yarn baskets too!
I launched in with great gusto, heading straight to my boxes of yarn – I remember reading somewhere once that your yarn stash is like your own privately curated yarn shop, and I felt very grand to be able to choose from my lovely skeins! The blue on the left (a bit darker than in real life) is Sparkleduck in shade Deep Bluebell, the middle one is Disco 2000 from Fleabubs and Lala – I’m pretty certain I bought them both at the first Yarndale so that would be back in 2013. I’ve not wanted to break into them before now but this project felt like the right one for them both. The yarn on the right is a Blue-faced Leicester/Masham blend that I bought from a friend’s website as she’s closing it down so it was a good buy, and helped my friend.
But then it all ground to a halt because I couldn’t work out how to get started! I don’t know if it’s because I’m so used to reading sock patterns that my brain doesn’t think about how a jumper would work or whether the pattern was missing some more basic instructions, but I’m there now … and I’ve been back into my stash as the rainbow cats didn’t stand out enough.
Ah, so disappointing, and I didn’t really want to use the blue as an alternative. I’ll also need to find a project for the rainbow yarn now that I’ve caked it up, too, but perhaps it’s time that I did get on and use it anyway. After consultation with my colour guru Lucy and Emma who also no slouch in the colour department, I’ve been back into my stash but this time into my WYS leftovers. It turns out that I have quite a few to choose from!
I’m not sure what is going on with my camera just at the moment as my photos are a bit fuzzier than I would like, but this was also a hastily-snapped picture as part of our colour conversation. Of course, having so many to choose from now has sent me into analysis paralysis, but Lucy has just returned from teaching colour theory at a retreat so was able to help me discount quite a few of the colours to end up with a smaller number to choose from. I’ve still not quite decided on how I’m going to work my cat stripes but I’ll get there!
And that’s pretty much all I have to tell you this week, apart from we’ve heard from not so small daughter a couple of times and she’s having a lovely time. She’s been to temples and gardens, walked up and down hundreds of steps, tried out her haggling skills at a market and is now planting trees in a village so high that she’s looking down on the clouds. It sounds like an amazing experience!
Hope you’ve had a lovely week too, I’ll see you again soon! xx
Sometimes, we have to slow down and take a deep breath. I reached that point a few days ago. Frantically searching for my phone, I called it on the landline. My back pocket started ringing!! The lovely Disco 2000 would be great in the Easy Mosaic Socks pattern. Pair it with white or blue.
It definitely sounds like you need time off and feet up too! 🙂 You’re right, the Easy Mosaic Socks pattern would be fabulous for the rainbow yarn – I’ll definitely think about that, thank you! 🙂 xx
nothing better than taking time out for yourself. All of us woman beed to do that. I do quite often x
You are absolutely right and I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated having the opportunity to do it – it’s been wonderful! xx
I hope you feel rested, Christine! I’m glad not so small daughter is having a great time.
I am feeling so much better, thank you – I don’t think I had realised quite how much I needed to do nothing for a few days! 🙂 xx
Lovely to hear that not so small daugher is having an amazing time.
I love the jumper and it will be beautiful.
I hope that you are now feeling rested and that this will continue – it does sound as though you needed a week “off”.
Happy weekend.
Oh my life, driving home from being a week early to meet friends was the final straw (not a short journey, either!) and I have so appreciated not doing very much at all this week! Now, if you were knitting the jumper would probably be finished by now 😉 xx
I understand how you feel. Sometimes you just have to stop and do something different to chill. I am a avid sock knitter and love the self patterning yarns and have now had friends asking for me to make socks for their families for xmas presents. My advice to beginners of socks don’t give up practice makes perfect. Thank you for your advice and encouragement.
Ah, isn’t it lovely when people realise that hand knitted socks are THE BEST socks and you’re the one who can provide them? You’re absolutely right, never give up because all those “mistakes” are simply part of the learning process – and you can’t buy socks with those unique design features! 🙂 xx
I’m spending a relaxing Sunday afternoon knitting the second sock of a pair. It’s going quicker now that I have mastered the short circular needle. This pair of socks will be the first pair with a heel flap. The photo instructions in your knitting book are so easy to follow. Previous socks had a jo jo heel. I can confirm that knitting beautiful socks is addictive.
I think it’s great that there are so many different types of heels and toes to try out! I hope you enjoyed your Sunday knitting! 🙂 xx