I gave myself a break yesterday and knitted another strawberry. I’ve been trying really hard to knit this shawl but I still have a ball and a half of wool to go. I’m knitting it on carbon fibre needles which I bought after two different cable needles came to sticky ends. I think the cable snapped on one and just popped out of the needle on the other. It’s a 3.5mm needle.
Ideally it would be finished now. Now is the perfect time to wear it. The only reason I’m knitting it is because I love my Almina shawl (finished in 2020) but, as I think I’ve said before, it’s a bit heavy to take out of the house. I kind of fancied making another one I could put in my bag and use a bit like a cardigan. (I’m too scared to make a cardigan). I knitted it over xmas and new year, and it’s grown a lot, but it’s still not there. Gah. Soon.
Also, my eyesight is all over the place. Better to knit it without glasses or contact lenses at the moment. If I wear contact lenses then I have to wear glasses to fix my vision for close up work. I’ve become one of those people who can only see a menu if someone holds it up the other side of the restaurant. Well, not quite, but you know what I mean. I went out with a friend last week and the restaurant was so dark, I used the torch on my phone. Ten minutes later a couple came in and sat on the table next to us. Unprompted, one of them did the same thing. Vindication.
I’m not sure what’s going on at the moment. Time spent making things (well… knitting) doesn’t feel quite right. I keep feeling like I ought to be doing something else. Even reading, actually. Hard to relax. That said, my boss is pregnant so I should probably knit something for her, so… best figure out what.
(Sorry this isn’t a very exciting post, but one day, maybe I’ll be glad to look back and think ‘Yep, this shawl that you are currently wearing and looking fabulous in, really did take a long time. Do not make another one.)
Occasional Crafter 
I understand the giving yourself a break bit. I’m knitting a double knitted scarf for my singing teacher atm (unknown to her, whether she wants it or not!) and charting some of the images myself to customise it. Scarves, like garments I find, can be incredibly boring to knit so I’m also doing a little cotton rabbit (the rabbit) for the faster results and the masses of ‘shaping.’ I last did Julie’s monkey years ago and sort of lost interest but am now re-energised. I plan on knitting more of them, just for myself, and put them in a basket (a la Julie) for the grandkids when they come.
As to thinking you should be doing something else whilst knitting. I know that feeling (if mine is the same feeling) especially now I’m 62. Should I be ‘wasting’ precious time faffing about with wool when time is running out? And yet the end results often seem very worth it, not to mention the sense of achievement when you’ve coped with intricate, fiddly stuff. Funny how contentment seems to elude us whatever the activity. Is it part of the FOMO mindset (not in the social way) do you think? Now our time is our own, since my husband retired, my favourite thing is to get out walking, with a cafe at the end (such typical retirees) and, oh the joy, of doing this on weekdays when most places are deserted. Just being out in nature makes me feel alive and fully present – and that’s the feeling I’m after at this age. Our hobbies can do this too. Putting us into the ‘moment’; giving us self-fulfilment; so lets keep faffing about with wool! That was a rambling comment!!
Not a rambling comment! A really nice one 🙂
Also it’s nice to know I’m not alone. Actually, I’ve got a yarn bowl with a couple of (as yet un-adopted) Little cotton rabbit animals in and the ducking. They all get played with when our friend’s daughter comes over. It’s nice – although it did mean I had to knit another duckling as she wanted the first one, so be warned…
Trying to work out if it’s ok to spend time knitting is a minefield. Because… you should be able to take time to knit and just relax. But now I just keep thinking “Are you RELAXED ENOUGH? Relax more or just go and do something useful, if you’re not going to relax properly”. I think I just need to switch my head off.
You’re right about walking. Being outside is a lifesaver. I started going for a walk every day before work during lockdown, and I still do it on the days I work from home. There’s a lot of mornings when it’s dark (at the moment) when I lie in bed and wish I’d never started it, but once I’m outside I never regret it and I always come home feeling better than when I left.
Hope you’ve been ok with the storm this week. It’s been horrible here!
re: switching your head off, I got what I call head zaps with Covid, felt my brain was continually switching off and on for a couple of days, We had strong winds but nothing compared to 1987 when the roof of our house nearly blew off! When you’re old you can always say ‘things were worse in my day you know’ 🙂