With every new adventure, new knitting, new relationships, new jobs, there comes a point where a patina begins to develops. At the very start its all bright and shiny but that wears a little with time. There's nothing wrong with that exactly. It doesn't mean there's anything the matter with that drop stitch cowl you've been belaboring, or that you should run out on some kind of errant love affair, or that you should quit your new job and go into hiding in the back of a cube van and knit socks for a living - it just denotes the natural progression of time.
It actually is a realization of imperfection. Everything is absolutely perfect until the moment it isn't. As humans we tend to be a little overambitious in our expectations of just about everything, never cutting ourselves any slack for fear others will notice that we are living imperfect lives too. The fact that I'm now a little worried you all think I'm ungrateful and depressed for using the words imperfect and life in the same sentence is a testament to the negative connotations we give to the admission of imperfection (come on, this cannot just be me). Imperfect isn't bad though. Perfection, as in Stepford wife / Leave it to Beaver lifestyles would be immensely, and wholly boring. Challenge is the fuel to life's fire, we just all bitch about it anyway because, well, if we didn't we would quickly run out of things to talk about.
While I'm still very in love with Mr. Frogged I may not spend the same two hours getting ready for a date and giggling that I did when I was 18. After living with someone and having them see you lying on the couch for a week solid with a cold, frankly two hours seems excessive. This is probably a good thing since it leaves more time for the actual date and, as a bonus, results in more intelligible speech than that of a twitterpated teenage girl.
And though I'm still plugging away on those loose ends for my ripple blanket, I'm still excited to finish it. I think that project may have slipped below patina and into a slightly tarnished state of being, to be honest. I mean really, the amount of ends to weave is both obscene and masochistic. It doesn't help that I am seeking perfection and am a little paranoid about random ends wiggling loose so I split my yarn before weaving it, resulting in double the work.
And lastly, while I'm still enjoying my new job most of the time, there are days where it occurs to me that no matter how fast I learn on the job, I'm still learning. This is arguably a good thing. Surely switching careers entirely at this point in my life in combination with my knitting will provide sufficient brain exercise to cure all worry of dementia and Alzheimer's in my golden years. But when I've been a fairly competent person for a good 4 years I now feel like I'm playing the intellectual equivalent to pin the tail on the donkey. I know I'll get it eventually but in the process I end up feeling a bit of an ass.
What I'm really getting at is when the going gets tough, and the tough go knitting we should all remember that perfection is elusive, perfection is often impossible and frankly, perfection is overrated! Embrace the challenge. The results will be better for it.
Happy crafting!
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Monday, January 02, 2012
Happy Birthday, 2012!
Welcome to the new year everyone! Did you enjoy it? I certainly did.
Firstly, apologies for being a whole day late on my New Year's post, but I was battling a migraine from New Year's eve until half way through this morning.
Despite all that, I have had a brilliant New Year. We decided to ring in 2012 at home this year with good friends, good food and good fun had by all. A potluck and a few cheesy dollar store decorations put everyone in the mood without too much stress. In a moment of carelessness that has made me the laughing stock of the family I sent my first rapid fire text of 2012 as Happy Birthday instead of Happy New Year. I was only distracted, I swear, but apparently that wasn't the first excuse that popped into their heads. Even though my head cold decided to relocate to my chest just in time for the party, it was one of the best New Years Eves I've had in a long time.
Now I know that many bloggers spend their inaugural post of the year reminiscing over the last 12 months with stories and photos galore, but given that I haven't yet hit my blog-iversary I don't think it's quite fair to do a year in review. I will take this moment to thank you for reading and to let you know that December was my record high for pageviews! I'm so happy to know that that number grows each month, and I hope that I can keep you all coming back this year.
On that note, I want to turn my sights to the other direction. Forwards: to 2012 and all the promise this year can hold. I have always been the kid who looked forward to the beginning of the school year, and the beginning of the new year for the clean slate it brought and the opportunity it gave to me to do better than the year before. Some things never change, as I find myself full of goals and resolutions this year. I know as well as the next girl that resolutions "never last," "rules are made to be broken" and so on but if my resolutions last just one month, then that's one month longer than they would last otherwise. So here in front of one and all I will declare what I hope to accomplish, if only for a little while.
Firstly, with this blog I am hoping to post at least once a week. I know I've been a bit dodgy with the dates of my posts up until now, but inspired by Knit Nicole Knit's Awesome Thursday posts I've decided to post once a week with a Positivi-Tuesday report listing good things. They may be in my life, they may be in the news, they may be only one sentence, but hopefully this will work two-fold to help the blog and help me to remember all I've got to be thankful for when my anxiety starts up as it has done this past little while. Of course I will be posting with all the wool-brained antics you're used to as well.
Next, in the knit and crochet world I am planning to take January to finish all of my Works in Progress. Now that doesn't include UFO's, because that would be crazy. The hope is that January will see the ripple blanket off the hook and the thrummed mittens off the needles. This will give me leave to continue on with the UFO's and bring them up to WIP status. Ideally I would like to finish one project a month...we shall see. In spinning, my goal is to hand spin a three-ply yarn before the year's end.
Now resolutions wouldn't be complete if I didn't try to better myself as well. Naturally, I am plannning on attempting to meditate and work out every week and to eat more healthily. As well as cleaning up my act health-wise, I'm going to work on cleaning up my house. Once a week I will focus on either upstairs or downstairs and have a good clean and tidy.
Lastly, I realized yet again over this holiday just how much fun I have when I hang out with my Mr. Frogged. Life so easily gets bogged down with social obligations and other responsibilities, but over the holidays, partly thanks to the colds we've been combatting, we spent hours watching movies or playing games together and it was SO MUCH FUN!! So, once a month I want to harness that spirit of the holidays and have a games night where we can cuddle up at home with some two-player console games. And to get us out of the house too, I think a date night each month is in order.
Do you make resolutions too? How do they usually go for you? Let me know and maybe we can encourage each other. Until then, cling to the promise of the new year and happy crafting one and all!
Firstly, apologies for being a whole day late on my New Year's post, but I was battling a migraine from New Year's eve until half way through this morning.
Despite all that, I have had a brilliant New Year. We decided to ring in 2012 at home this year with good friends, good food and good fun had by all. A potluck and a few cheesy dollar store decorations put everyone in the mood without too much stress. In a moment of carelessness that has made me the laughing stock of the family I sent my first rapid fire text of 2012 as Happy Birthday instead of Happy New Year. I was only distracted, I swear, but apparently that wasn't the first excuse that popped into their heads. Even though my head cold decided to relocate to my chest just in time for the party, it was one of the best New Years Eves I've had in a long time.
Now I know that many bloggers spend their inaugural post of the year reminiscing over the last 12 months with stories and photos galore, but given that I haven't yet hit my blog-iversary I don't think it's quite fair to do a year in review. I will take this moment to thank you for reading and to let you know that December was my record high for pageviews! I'm so happy to know that that number grows each month, and I hope that I can keep you all coming back this year.
On that note, I want to turn my sights to the other direction. Forwards: to 2012 and all the promise this year can hold. I have always been the kid who looked forward to the beginning of the school year, and the beginning of the new year for the clean slate it brought and the opportunity it gave to me to do better than the year before. Some things never change, as I find myself full of goals and resolutions this year. I know as well as the next girl that resolutions "never last," "rules are made to be broken" and so on but if my resolutions last just one month, then that's one month longer than they would last otherwise. So here in front of one and all I will declare what I hope to accomplish, if only for a little while.
Firstly, with this blog I am hoping to post at least once a week. I know I've been a bit dodgy with the dates of my posts up until now, but inspired by Knit Nicole Knit's Awesome Thursday posts I've decided to post once a week with a Positivi-Tuesday report listing good things. They may be in my life, they may be in the news, they may be only one sentence, but hopefully this will work two-fold to help the blog and help me to remember all I've got to be thankful for when my anxiety starts up as it has done this past little while. Of course I will be posting with all the wool-brained antics you're used to as well.
Next, in the knit and crochet world I am planning to take January to finish all of my Works in Progress. Now that doesn't include UFO's, because that would be crazy. The hope is that January will see the ripple blanket off the hook and the thrummed mittens off the needles. This will give me leave to continue on with the UFO's and bring them up to WIP status. Ideally I would like to finish one project a month...we shall see. In spinning, my goal is to hand spin a three-ply yarn before the year's end.
Now resolutions wouldn't be complete if I didn't try to better myself as well. Naturally, I am plannning on attempting to meditate and work out every week and to eat more healthily. As well as cleaning up my act health-wise, I'm going to work on cleaning up my house. Once a week I will focus on either upstairs or downstairs and have a good clean and tidy.
Lastly, I realized yet again over this holiday just how much fun I have when I hang out with my Mr. Frogged. Life so easily gets bogged down with social obligations and other responsibilities, but over the holidays, partly thanks to the colds we've been combatting, we spent hours watching movies or playing games together and it was SO MUCH FUN!! So, once a month I want to harness that spirit of the holidays and have a games night where we can cuddle up at home with some two-player console games. And to get us out of the house too, I think a date night each month is in order.
Do you make resolutions too? How do they usually go for you? Let me know and maybe we can encourage each other. Until then, cling to the promise of the new year and happy crafting one and all!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Perspective...
Last night when I went to bed I couldn't sleep. 12am rolled around, 1am swiftly followed and so on. I woke up this morning not rested at all and in a foul mood.
I was grumpy with my husband, I was grumpy with the dog, I was grumpy with myself. We left the house late. Got caught in the line up at Tim Horton's where I ordered a steeped tea and a coffee but received two coffees instead. Didn't figure out this until 5km later. I don't like coffee. Made Mr. Frogged wind my yarn into a ball while I drove. Was grumpy with him for dropping it on the floor. Was grumpy with the other drivers for being stupider than usual. The Mister finished winding. Was grumpy because there was a knot in the yarn. He gave me his coffee which has more sugar. I was grumpy with the coffee for having grinds at the bottom. Got to work and I was grumpy because the dog ate my Chatelaine magazine during our car ride.
Texted my brother and cousin to find out if they got their Kris Kringle email yet. I was grumpy when they didn't reply quick enough.
I got a text from my cousin. A friend of his is very ill so he wants to donate his Kris Kringle gift to his friend to help make ends meet. What a beautiful and inspirational thought to go into the coming season with.
Felt ashamed for being grumpy all morning. By comparison my day is perfection. That'll learn me. HE certainly does work in mysterious ways.
Perspective. Gets me every time.
Hope your all having a lovely Friday and that nothing makes you grumpy today.
Happy crafting, friends.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I was grumpy with my husband, I was grumpy with the dog, I was grumpy with myself. We left the house late. Got caught in the line up at Tim Horton's where I ordered a steeped tea and a coffee but received two coffees instead. Didn't figure out this until 5km later. I don't like coffee. Made Mr. Frogged wind my yarn into a ball while I drove. Was grumpy with him for dropping it on the floor. Was grumpy with the other drivers for being stupider than usual. The Mister finished winding. Was grumpy because there was a knot in the yarn. He gave me his coffee which has more sugar. I was grumpy with the coffee for having grinds at the bottom. Got to work and I was grumpy because the dog ate my Chatelaine magazine during our car ride.
Texted my brother and cousin to find out if they got their Kris Kringle email yet. I was grumpy when they didn't reply quick enough.
I got a text from my cousin. A friend of his is very ill so he wants to donate his Kris Kringle gift to his friend to help make ends meet. What a beautiful and inspirational thought to go into the coming season with.
Felt ashamed for being grumpy all morning. By comparison my day is perfection. That'll learn me. HE certainly does work in mysterious ways.
Perspective. Gets me every time.
Hope your all having a lovely Friday and that nothing makes you grumpy today.
Happy crafting, friends.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Reassurance of Craft
There is something thoroughly reassuring to me that it should be the case each and every time a stitch is made that the outcome is known.
It seems, particularly lately, that precious few of life's actions have this sort of unwavering result. The saying goes that nothing in this life is certain but I would argue strongly that I know if I insert my needle into a stitch, yarn over, pull my loop through and off I will invariably make a stitch. Good or bad, a stitch will be made. Furthermore, if the stitch is made improperly or something was forgotten 17 rows back, the piece can be tinked (un-knit, knit backwards) or frogged (therapeutic ripping out of stitches) and "re-done." This is not only legal but it often works to completely fix the error.
This, friends, is the reassurance of craft that so many knitters and crocheters, myself included, rely upon to calm them.
I hope it calms you too. Happy crafting.
It seems, particularly lately, that precious few of life's actions have this sort of unwavering result. The saying goes that nothing in this life is certain but I would argue strongly that I know if I insert my needle into a stitch, yarn over, pull my loop through and off I will invariably make a stitch. Good or bad, a stitch will be made. Furthermore, if the stitch is made improperly or something was forgotten 17 rows back, the piece can be tinked (un-knit, knit backwards) or frogged (therapeutic ripping out of stitches) and "re-done." This is not only legal but it often works to completely fix the error.
This, friends, is the reassurance of craft that so many knitters and crocheters, myself included, rely upon to calm them.
I hope it calms you too. Happy crafting.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Choose Love
Love, it turns out, is a choice.
My father tried to tell me this when I was a teenager. At the time the vast absence of romance of this notion lead me to discard it entirely and follow instead the more Beatles inspired philosophy that all you need is love. What I didn't consider was the co-existence of these two concepts, which would have lead me promptly to the conclusion that my dad was right all along. Love is a choice that we all need.
For ten days at the end of this July my husband and I traipsed around the midlands of England making it our sole mission to see as many family members as possible. The family members in question were my relatives, who I don't know all that intimately since we live in Canada.
Our first stop brought us to to Worcester (yes, of Worcestershire Sauce fame) where one of my paternal uncles lives with his clan. We stayed with my cousin who dropped everything to entertain us, making us a full English breakfast each morning and taking us galavanting about a medieval castle and a quaint English village (where I subjected her to a hidden LYS and bought some purple DK merino). The ENTIRE family got together for 3 nights running (including cousins and second cousins) for elaborate feasts that my aunt and uncle prepared with love. From there we continued to meet my maternal grandfather's extended family both in London and Derby who I didn't know at all. Again each new person embraced me with warm tight hugs, and heart felt smiles. We visited my maternal grandmother's sisters who know me slightly better since my nana is my biggest fan and keeps them well informed. Again we spent a wonderful day with them filled with stories and laughter. Next we visited my aunt, uncle and cousin on my mom's side. She is my only cousin my age and so we are very close. At 42 weeks pregnant (yes that isn't a typo) she took us to see Bath and each night we shared a great dinner with my aunt and uncle. While we were there my cousin (finally) gave birth to a gorgeous little boy, her first. Less than two hours after he was born and just before we had to leave altogether we managed to visit mum and baby. When he settled into my arms for a cuddle that day, he settled into my heart too.
This is my family, whom I've known in clips and snapshots throughout my whole life. Most of them don't get enough time with me to really know me, yet they love me. They choose to. The same way I chose to love each of my six nieces and nephews when they were born. The way I chose to love my new little cousin. The way my husband and I chose to love each other despite some pretty difficult times in our past. And all those years ago, the way my parents chose to love me.
As Knitters, we all choose love constantly. Every time we cast-on for a gift for a loved one or a charity blanket for someone in need we are choosing love and putting a little of it in every stitch. If more people did this for various activities can you imagine the result? If there was a little love in dinner every night, maybe it would be more interesting than frozen food. More love in work? Maybe we'd be nicer to our coworkers. More love in transit? Less road rage and violence. So at the end of the day, it's our choice how we approach everybody and every situation and if we do so with love in our hearts and smiles on our faces it will go a long way to making everyone's heart grow.
Happy crafting and much love....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
My father tried to tell me this when I was a teenager. At the time the vast absence of romance of this notion lead me to discard it entirely and follow instead the more Beatles inspired philosophy that all you need is love. What I didn't consider was the co-existence of these two concepts, which would have lead me promptly to the conclusion that my dad was right all along. Love is a choice that we all need.
For ten days at the end of this July my husband and I traipsed around the midlands of England making it our sole mission to see as many family members as possible. The family members in question were my relatives, who I don't know all that intimately since we live in Canada.
Our first stop brought us to to Worcester (yes, of Worcestershire Sauce fame) where one of my paternal uncles lives with his clan. We stayed with my cousin who dropped everything to entertain us, making us a full English breakfast each morning and taking us galavanting about a medieval castle and a quaint English village (where I subjected her to a hidden LYS and bought some purple DK merino). The ENTIRE family got together for 3 nights running (including cousins and second cousins) for elaborate feasts that my aunt and uncle prepared with love. From there we continued to meet my maternal grandfather's extended family both in London and Derby who I didn't know at all. Again each new person embraced me with warm tight hugs, and heart felt smiles. We visited my maternal grandmother's sisters who know me slightly better since my nana is my biggest fan and keeps them well informed. Again we spent a wonderful day with them filled with stories and laughter. Next we visited my aunt, uncle and cousin on my mom's side. She is my only cousin my age and so we are very close. At 42 weeks pregnant (yes that isn't a typo) she took us to see Bath and each night we shared a great dinner with my aunt and uncle. While we were there my cousin (finally) gave birth to a gorgeous little boy, her first. Less than two hours after he was born and just before we had to leave altogether we managed to visit mum and baby. When he settled into my arms for a cuddle that day, he settled into my heart too.
This is my family, whom I've known in clips and snapshots throughout my whole life. Most of them don't get enough time with me to really know me, yet they love me. They choose to. The same way I chose to love each of my six nieces and nephews when they were born. The way I chose to love my new little cousin. The way my husband and I chose to love each other despite some pretty difficult times in our past. And all those years ago, the way my parents chose to love me.
As Knitters, we all choose love constantly. Every time we cast-on for a gift for a loved one or a charity blanket for someone in need we are choosing love and putting a little of it in every stitch. If more people did this for various activities can you imagine the result? If there was a little love in dinner every night, maybe it would be more interesting than frozen food. More love in work? Maybe we'd be nicer to our coworkers. More love in transit? Less road rage and violence. So at the end of the day, it's our choice how we approach everybody and every situation and if we do so with love in our hearts and smiles on our faces it will go a long way to making everyone's heart grow.
Happy crafting and much love....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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