Crazy for Ewe

We all know knitting is a great way to relax and de-stress. Knitting’s calm, automatic, repetitive motions quiet the mind and bring peace to the soul. However, unchecked, endless hours of knitting either with great focus or with simple repetitive movements, can cause problems of their own. 

Have you ever been engrossed in a complicated pattern - working the fabric, 

After a day of snowboarding, my son Colton hit me with it. 

 “Hey, Mom,” he ventured, “I know you used to ski.  I want you to promise me that you’ll go skiing with me next season.”  

Gulp.  I ditched my Rossignols in 1998 and haven’t looked back.  Now this. A million thoughts ran through my head, and most of them were not good.  But this was my 20 year old asking me to do something with him.  How often does that happen???

 “Um, okay,” I stammered.  What am I getting myself into?

Trying new things is scary.  No matter whether it’s something big and obviously frightening like hang gliding or skiing again after 25 years.   Trying something new triggers a visceral fear.  And fear makes us feel vulnerable. .Will I be able to get off

It’s October.  You look out the window and see the maple tree ablaze in red and gold.  The air is crisp, perfect for apple picking and leaf peeping, and all the simple pleasures of fall.  As a knitter, you’re especially excited because you know just the sweater you’ll wear - practically the same color as that maple tree.  How good it will feel to pull that on with your jeans and maybe some boots! You imagined this day with every stitch of that sweater.  And now the perfect fall fantasy awaits. Only when you pull it from the cedar chest where you carefully tucked it away last spring, you see that some nasty critter has chewed three ragged holes at the back neckline.  You want to cry. You do cry. That sweater took forever to knit, and the yarn was NOT cheap.  

But wait. Wait. It's a dream - a nightmare.  You're awake now and you remember that it’s the end of March.  You only just finished that sweater last week, and

We all have jobs or other commitments–a host of responsibilities that demand our time, attention, and serious focus. So, it’s important, every so often, to relax and be playful–to let loose and indulge just a bit. 

We knitters usually find time to relax with our projects.  I’ve said many times that I like boring knits that don’t tax me mentally.  Usually. I make sweaters that I love to wear –sweaters that work in my wardrobe, so calm neutrals (yes, pink is a neutral).  But sometimes it’s good for me to knit something completely impractical.  Something in an outrageous color or luxurious fiber that’s not a wardrobe staple.  Something fun and fabulous, just because it’s fun.  

I recently ran across an interesting talk by Alain de Botton called, Why you will marry the wrong person. The title is intended to be click bait, and I bit. I watched the whole thing and even shared it with my grown children, who are either married or considering such. It might seem like a heartless and callous approach to an important topic, but it makes sense. And, as with everything I read, it is applicable to knitting. So here goes.

In his lovely British accent, Botton makes the point that marriage is a challenge. Ask anyone who’s been

I am always happy to be at a table of knitters. They are among the kindest and most generous people in the world.  Whether it’s showing a beginner how to cast on, offering up a stitch marker, or celebrating another’s project fresh off the needles, they are loving and giving, and lavish with praise and encouragement.  Usually.  

Sometimes, though, I hear knitters say some not so nice things. 

I’m such an idiot

I’ll never get this

I have a friend who’s a professional designer, Kate Abt.  She’s amazing.  129K followers on Instagram.  Not that the number of followers you have indicates your actual talent, but trust me when I tell you, she’s that good.  

When she’s done the design on a home, she has it professionally photographed for her portfolio, but she stages it herself. Her trunk overflows with baskets, pillows, linens, platters, fruits, vegetables, flowers, cookies, and other props to create an atmosphere and tell a story in that space.  The camera clicks, and she’s off to the next room, scooping piles of lemons and greenery as she goes.. 

This is not a new idea.  Architecture and home decor magazines alway