Monogamy

When it comes to knitting, I completely fail at this!

Right now I have seven projects on the go...(okay, there may be more, but those are the ones I'm admitting to!) There comes a point where that number will push me close to the edge. I'll think I'm overwhelmed and finally finish one or two to make it "manageable",  but I'm not there yet. I don't even see the edge. In fact, I'm wondering what else I can knit on -- and that may be avoidance.

Last night, after knit night (where I was working on two projects -- a sleeve and a pair of fingerless mitts), I went home and sorted out the sleeve. Toward the end of knit night, I seemed to have dropped a stitch, or miscounted, or threw something out of whack. A bit of TLC and all seemed to be fine -- until I looked at it this morning, and there happens to be a "wonky why-won'tcha" (that's a knitting technical term, by the way), mid-way up the sleeve where two sets of yarn overs aren't offset in the way they're supposed to be. Instead, they're neatly lined up like a marching band, oblivious to the fact that they're supposed to be one step over to the left -- in the next line, if you will, playing with the trombones instead of the flutes!! Sigh!

So using my well-practiced avoidance techniques, I set down the sleeve (until I decide whether to tink it back and fix it, or live with it and move on), and picked up the fingerless mitts and knit on those. There is this band of lace just up from the cuff, that according to the directions, should be mirrored (twisting in opposite directions) on the opposing cuffs.  Did I read these directions? Sure... but 16 rows after I had knit both cuffs the same. So, I'm knitting along, ignoring the fact that the lacey section at the cuff is not mirrored. It's still taunting me, but that tiny nagging voice is still audible. I've admitted my error to my fellow knitters on Ravelry (my cast-on post for a kint-along), so hopefully that should silence the voice..

For those who know me, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm still hearing knitting voices! Now the voice I hear is my Wheelwright shawl calling me... feeling incredibly neglected. This is a laceweight endeavour that will be absolutely stunning when done -- a rich blue with lots of lace, and I'm about two-thirds of the way through. It has travelled with me through two previous knit-alongs (2 month duration for both), and is now appearing in its third encore. With about 20 or so rows of lace to do (yes, there are 300+ stitches per row), it's not unreasonable to think this should be finished in the near future. But as with my other projects, there's competition!

There's another sound in the background... the "Baaaaa-ing" of sheep. Remember those two Welcome to the Flock sweaters I had on my knitting agenda? With the exception of those awesome sheep buttons, the green one is done (unless I choose to redo the front band... that's a nagging issue constantly brought up by my conscience), but the turquoise-blue one still has the sheep to finish, and the bands. I really need this for a baby shower on the 29th... Maybe the bleating of the sheep should win out...

So maybe it isn't monogamy that's the issue... maybe it's KADD.... Knitting Attention Deficit Disorder. 

Whatever the name, I think I'm in trouble.....

Timing...

...is everything. It's the "location, location, location" of real estate, but in real life!

And for me, it's been good timing lately. Case in point...

Last week, a dear friend texted me after midnight knowing I'd be awake. She'd been notified of tickets to a tv show taping -- Rick Mercer Report. Anyone who likes satirical comedy and quick wit can appreciate Rick Mercer's approach to Canadian politics, social trends and life in general -- often the subject of his
famous "rants". I'm one of those people who appreciates his comedic style, as does my friend. So, when she asked me to accompany her to the taping, she was thankful I was awake (as predicted) at that hour..... and so was I!

But my timing may not be so great when it comes to my knitting plans.  I have a few projects on the needles now, and am (in some cases) a few inches away from finishing. In the midst of these, I chose to have my condo painted. This means a lot of stuff was moved so walls could be accessed. Sorting through that "stuff" is imperative, because I'm not moving anything twice that doesn't need to be moved twice! Part of the disruption is the lack of a quiet knitting space. I relished the time I had up north during the "March Break" to do some long overdue knitting, and that has motivated me to review projects in my queue. Startitis might be setting in! It's hard to keep it at bay when the winter weather refuses to leave, and handknit scarves are still wrapped around my neck.

Timing was also an issue in a course I was keenly anticipating. Last December, I enrolled (for my own personal learning) in a fiction screenwriting course. As an afterthought -- and because the course outlilnes were very similar -- I also added documentary screenwriting to my schedule. Surprisingly, I have thoroughly enjoyed all elements of the documentary class -- from in-class screenings and discussions about synopses, outlines, treatments, budgets and interviews as well as writing techniques. These were the items listed in the course outline as being topics to be covered in the classes.

That leads me to my soapbox for this post.....

The course outline was very similar -- almost identical -- in the fiction screenwriting course, but apparently that wasn't to be. Eternally optimistic, I hung in there -- through the class read-aloud sessions I hadn't done since Grade 6, to the screenings of "classic" dialogue (Rocky III -- seriously??!?), and through the "iconic" comedy of "Baseketball" (who actually has heard of this sophmoric stupid slapstick, let alone found it funny?!) -- thinking we'd get to that "indepth" discussion about writing. That was not the case. There was not much within the in-class offerings that matched the course description. I'm pursuing that now -- but according to the refund timelines identified in the university's policy, my optimism may have scuttled by timing. We'll see... I'm still optimistic (and that's based on the belief that what is advertised should be offered).

So now I'm hoping timing will work in my favour.... While things are in an upheaval at home, I'm hoping to have hardwood installed. The application (because of the condo requirements) is before the board, and I'm awaiting a response. Hopefully the stars will align and everything will be in place to have it all completed by mid-April. That's when my friend (remember the Rick Mercer tickets) is coming for a visit, and I'd like to have my Mom come for a few days....

At the least, maybe I'll have a quiet knitting space set up by then...