Saturday, June 24, 2006

Summer A.D.D. : at loose ends


I don't get it--sometimes looking at other knitting blogs I feel so, well, inadequate. Log on to any knitting blog these days are you are likely to find avid knitters completing projects on a regular basis and proudly displaying their finished objects. I feel like they know something I don't know, perhaps they have some time-management skills that are under-developed in me. Maybe I am unbeknownst to myself actually knitting underwater, because there are some terribly speedy knitters out there. I assume that these knitters also have jobs and families and aren't on speed, yet somehow they seem to be able to knit around the clock and produce many, many hand knit garments. I am jealous.
For some reason this summer the A.D.D. has been kicking in something fierce. The last several weeks I seem to have a pathological need to begin new projects before finishing old ones--this is the lamentable story of my knitting life. Rather than actually complete a project during the great expanse of time known as summer, that time when academic types like me have a 4 month reprieve from lesson planning, advising students and daily trips to campus, I dilly-dally around and don't seem to manage to finish a darn thing. It's almost as if I need the pressure of a daily work schedule to actually get anywhere with my knitting--suddenly when I can knit all day, every day, I spin my wheels. How lame!
I will say that I have made progress on the Jaywalkers, although I agree with the Lone Knitter that they take forever. But I am liking them--trouble is, the second sock syndrome is kicking in, before the first one is even finished. Oy gevalt!

Because the Jaywalkers tend to require at least a modicum of concentration, I realized that I needed a no-brainer project that I could grab and take to the pool, so I impulse purchased a Lisa Knits pattern for a Ribbed Shell. I love the Lisa Knits patterns because they are so easy to follow and she is a localish (Latrobe, PA.) gal. I am knitting the shell in what has become my default yarn:Skacel Polo. The pattern requires the broken rib stitch, have you tried it? (row 1: p1 k1, row 2: k). Sounds easy, right? Not to be a complainer, but that broken rib stitch is kicking my ass! I have been working on that thing non-stop since Thursday and have only accomplished about 3 inches--it's taking.
If you have read this far and haven't stuck a needle in your eye because of all the knitting negativity, I thank you and promise not to be such a kvetch next time!

9 comments:

Emma said...

The polo yarn is beautifu! Lovely jaywalkers, too.

QUASAR9 said...

You go threadknitter
Keep on knitting those threads.
Laters ... Q

Wendy DG said...

OMG! I just blogged about the same thing. I call it my knitting cluster %$#@. I think you're on to something with that Summer A.D.D. Maybe it's the heat. So many things to knit, no time to finish even one. If we keep plugging on, eventually we're bound to finish something.

Lone Knitter said...

I hope you get your dpn replacement soon. Mine are all bent out of shape from trying to nudge them into the double-decreases. Hard work! I have second sock Jaywalker syndrome. I think the Jaywalker sss is more intense than other sss's. Have a good July, and I'll stop by when I get back.

MandyJ said...

I feel like the most inadequate knitter, I have yet to complete anything for the longest time (even keeping up with blogging). The Polo yarn is so beautiful, looks so soft.

Anonymous said...

*LOL* i have to say you sound like me!!..I am a slow knitter.. and I just can't believe how others just seem to spit those knitted projects off their needles within seconds..how do they do that!!.. well one i read said she knits in the car, work at lunch..standing for the bus..she works in a least a row or two.. sooo i guess a little knitting adds up in the long run.

I did the jaywalker socks!! they were fun but the second sock took me friggin forever cause i got the second sock syndrome.. LOL its like all my knitted projects I never finish but I can start alot of them!!
So dont worry your not the only one out there

schrodinger said...

I think the hardest part of knitting in the summer is being inspired by the knitted fabric - I think that it's just so hard to feel excited about something you are unlikely to want to wear.

My second second Jaywalker has been tossed to one side, I had so much trouble with the second first one that I am uninclined to get past the toe of the second (they're toe up btw). I also had to frog the first 6 inches of my Picovili today (which is a LOT) very sad :(

Melissa said...

The sock yarn is gorgeous!
I'm a pretty slow knitter too. I get frustrated when people are turning out one pair of socks per week and it takes me 2 weeks to do one sock!

Gingersnaps with Tea... said...

Could we have been separated at birth? :-D.
I too have start-new-stuffitis in the worst way (and your tales of the free-spending x strikes a resounding cord as well).
As long as you're having fun… what does it matter how many projects are on the go or how long they take to finish!