Sunday, March 02, 2008

Loose Ends...

Maybe it's just the codeine...  OK.  It's probably just the codeine.  But, I seem to be at loose ends with the knitting.  I suppose that it's easier to blame it all on the cough medicine.  I could just leave it at that and move on.

But with two different sock projects on the needles and one so close to the finish line that I can almost feel the snuggly warmth on my tootsies, you'd think I'd be a bit more motivated.  Even with narcotic cough medicine coursing through my veins.  

I've also got the crocheted purple blob with which to entertain myself.  That would be a nice diversion should I be so inclined to succumb to the hooks.  But, it's been a mere blip on the radar today.  

Then there's the spinning.  Frankly, that's been more appealing today.  I've spun 'n spun 'n spun.  In fact, I was full to brimming with good intentions.  I thought I'd have a full bobbin off the wheel and on the lazy kate by late afternoon.  I even entertained fantasies of starting the plying process tonight.  I kind of overestimated how much spinning a body could stand in one day, though.  The downside to spinning a finer single is that four ounces of fiber takes ten years to spin.  Or twenty if you take breaks for snacks and using the restroom.  

That may be something of an exaggeration.  But it feels like ten years since I started this project.  Still...it's awfully pretty.  There's grays, browns, and blues and the whole thing is comprised of silk and merino.  It wanted to be spun nice and thin.  When all is said and done, I'll be happy with it.  But, at the moment it feels like this is one of those yarns that I'll be spinning well into my retirement years.  

When the spinning and knitting "blahs" hit, the best thing to do is stop fighting it.  You need to just let it go and watch a movie or something.  Or nap.  Napping is good and sort of a requirement what with the codeine and all.  

You can also do some prep-work.  Fiber prep is like a hopeful sort of gesture.  It's the knitter's way of saying, "One day, I will pick up those needles again and when I do...look out world!!!"  Even if you only do a teeny little bit of dyeing, it's like striking a blow for disgruntled knitters everywhere!

Here's the results of yesterday's Fiber For The Future endeavor:


Smooshed up merino straight out of the pot.  It is in serious need of de-smooshing.  


I suppose if I were a better person and not someone trying desperately to rekindle my desire to knit something, I would have done a better job of getting the VM out of this before tossing it in the dye pot.  It's a work in progress.  And when I say, "work" that is exactly what I mean, although it has been a labor of love.  This is a very small part of the gigantic fleece that Cathy sent me last summer when I was going through a similar sort of slump and looking for a project.  It had been a while since I'd processed a whole fleece and was up for a challenge.  This fit the bill.  It all but laughed in my face and defied me to tame it.  But, with patience and the will to not let the fleece be the boss of me, it has come into shape beautifully.  We have since bonded, the fleece and I.  I don't just feel affection for it, I feel actual love.  Whatever it becomes in knitted form, I will have earned it.  

I didn't have much of the spruce dye left so this is not going to be enough to amount to anything all by its lonesome.  But, I do believe the deep color will add some "pop" to a blend of some sort.  We'll set it aside and see where it will fit later.  

It feels like I should have more to show for two days of weekend.  Especially since one of those days was spent trapped in the house while the winter snows piled up outside.  But, when the knitting muse chooses to take a snow day, there's really not much you can do about it.  I've got my spruce merino all dyed and ready for when she decides that it's time to report back to work.  
In the meantime, I'll keep spinning.  You never know when some yarn will come in handy...

SA


12 comments:

Mel said...

Don't beat yourself up too much, Sheepie. You're still being more productive than I am, and likely getting more sleep.

sheep#100 said...

Some days are just not meant for knitting. Like the ones where the kindergarten moms are expected to join the 5th grade moms and wrap gift baskets for the gift auction. On days like this, we just go with the flow and accept that the day was not meant for knitting. And refuse to feel fiber guilt of any sort.

Anonymous said...

Every Sheep deserves a day off. You take a nap and enjoy a movie.
Rest and get well. Besides sometimes it's a better idea to not mix narcotis and knitting. Rest and re-energize.

Ronni said...

A sheep that needs codeine cough medicine needs to take it easy and just let the fiber mojo take its own path I think. Otherwise maybe you end up not noticing that you're not doing what you meant to do. Or so it has seemed to me on occasion. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Anonymous said...

It was a bad weekend for knitting here, too. Pretty much the only knitting I accomplished was what I did at work yesterday morning.

Teri S. said...

Some days the spirit just doesn't move you and that's perfectly okay. Look at how productive you've been so far this year. You've knit a plethora of baby things and finished your Monkey socks! If I had accomplished that much in two short months, I'd say that I was done for the year!

Anonymous said...

The colors in your fleece look really pretty. It's going to make some beautiful yarn!

Mia said...

I say go with the napping. Naps are good. There will be plenty of spring days filled with the energy of spinning.

Enjoy today. Check around and see if you have any chocolate stashed in a cupboard. I think it goes well with codeine!

Lorraine said...

Ha, at least you didn't get the spring cleaning bug and spend the weekend actually - gasp - CLEANING. No knitting for me this weekend, at all! But my studio is safe to wander through once again.

Glad the fiber is giving you such spinning pleasure. I can't wait to see it plied!

Donna Lee said...

Gotta love that codeine. It certainly makes for interesting conversations. I kept mentally wandering off....but it does make for good naps. I think it would make for an interesting spinning experience.

Anonymous said...

I can't think of a better retirement than one involving fiber, really, whether it be knitting or spinning the finest, thinnest yarn ever to come off a wheel.

mehitabel said...

Now, if it were me taking the codeine, I would be itching and scratching at the hives that pop out all over me when I take it! So the sleepy-blah feeling is a much better alternative. I've heard it said that codeine doesn't necessarily take away the pain and misery, it just makes you not care at all about it!