Monkey Mind - It Just Swings Around and Won't Settle Down

*Warning: This post is a stream of consciousness**

You could say I have a short attention span, but that's not quite it.  I think I'm more of a serial learner.  What I like about most things in life is the discovery. I'm a kick-butt researcher.  If you need to know something, just let me know.  I'll find out for you.  So, once I've kinda learned something (note that I did not say "master something"), I tend to just, uhm, drop it and move on. 

Interestingly, I don't do this with yoga, and I didn't do it with ballet either.  I love to knit pick and refine my yoga postures.  I think that might be vanity overtaking my short attention span. 

Monkey Madness   

So, there I am grooving on my monkey socks yesterday when I get to the heels.  I have a few choices.  I could proceed with the short row heel that I know, or I could try something different.  I tell myself that I don't really like the short rows that I've learned because there are holes near the wrapped stitches.  So, I spent half of yesterday poking around for other toe-up heel patterns.  Had I just kept on, or at least settled on a heel, then I might have actually finished those socks yesterday.  Seriously.  Monkey socks are fast.  Fast little monkeys.

But no, because even as I'm looking at those heel patterns, my mind is already thinking about how I'm going to swatch the cable sweater.  So, in the middle of searching, you know while I wait for pages to load, I'm in another browser tab composing a Knitty Board post.  See, I'm at a total loss as to how to measure my tension across a cable pattern.  But I'll get to that another day.   

To Cable or Not To Cable

All the while, I'm starting to get nervous about my cable sweater.  No one could explain to me (in a way that I understand) how to make these cable pattern swatches.  Seriously, on the Knitty Board, I'm getting answers like: "just cast on x number of stitches and go from there."  Go from where?  It's precisely the "where" that I'm having trouble with.  So, maybe I shouldn't compound my tricksyness with a yarn substitution.  I'm no masochist.  I hate pain, and that includes thinking pain - especially math. 

So, then what do I do?  I start researching Bergere de France Berlaine yarn, which is not easy since it's almost only available in France, the UK and far flung European countries.  I want to know if it's nice, because I have never seen it in person. So, do I whip out my French-English dictionary to help slog through French knitting blogs?  I haven't yet, but I might. 

Or, I could just buy a skein and see if I like it.  But it's silly to just buy one skein.  What about all that postage?  Must not order more sock yarn.  Restraint, Jen.  Show some restraint.

But, if I decide to go with the yarn that goes with the pattern, I still find myself with a boatload of Rowan Cashsoft DK that I need to do something with.  Earlier in the week, I was doing some pattern whoring (I get around the free pattern sites, let me tell you) and came across the Jemima Sweater over at My Fashionable Life.  Jemima is not free, but she has really cute free patterns too. Set aside what comes to American minds when you think of Jemima, this is no pancake sweater.  It's very cute, and the wide neck would flatter me.  It also happens to call for Rowan Cashsoft DK.  Should I?  Should I? 

Starting Jemima would change my plans for the summer, but what can I do? I have this weird axiom I try to follow.  With only specific exceptions, I strongly believe that I need to use my yarn in the order in which I got it.  I dunno if this is a relic of the notion I had in my head as a kid where I had to "pay attention" (read: play with) all of my 100s of stuffed animals equally or they might feel lonely or something.   I feel really weird about buying yet another sweater's worth of yarn when I have two frogged sweaters worth of yarn already waiting for a project. 

I'm just going to throw this out there:  Do I like thinking about knitting more than I like actually doing it?  Hmmm.  A question for these over-stimulated times.

Mail Call

My order from Woollyworkshop arrived today - sans Crystal Palace Bamboo Cotton.  Uhm, that was the whole point of the order.  I've emailed, but so far no reply.  Will not assume worst case scenario.  I have never yet been burned by an online purchase.

I had a nice time reading through my fresh, new copy of Interweave Knits Summer 2007 while waiting for an appointment with my Dutch social worker (Don't worry, all non-EU member state foreigners "get" one.  Seriously.).  I won't even start with the patterns I want to knit in there.  I haven't even cracked the VogueKnitting Knit.1 Spring 2007 yet.

Yarn Porn

To add to my mysterious procrastination, I've spent more precious monkey sock time on yarn porn.  I tell myself it's for you, but I like looking at it too.  I'm particularly excited about the Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, not only because it's so.  beautiful.  But did you know it's from South Africa even though the Web site says Harrisonburg, Virginia?  Wonder why that is.  I will not research that right now.  Must go cook dinner.

The light ones are Blue Terra Cotta, but the overall colorway is actually "warmer" than my camera portrays.  The dark ones are Eat Your Veggies.  I'm happy to report that Eat Your Veggies is greener and darker than what most photos show.

Comments

[Heather]

I knit one of my favorite socks ever out of 'Eat Your Veggies'...hope you like it!

[becky]

Now I know why it is that I was somehow drawn to your blog. I too felt the exact same stuffed animal obligation. Then at one point in 5th grade I decided that there were too many kids who needed stuffed animals and I had too many and I "donated" (do I really believe my mother gave them to a worthy cause) all of them and kept my three favorites.

I carry a little of that with me when it comes to using yarn. There is a certain amount of yarn guilt. Then I read a little of the Yarn Harlot's thoughts on stash and don't feel quite so bad.

Another similarity- why do it the easy way when there is a harder way to learn? That explains why I had to learn to make socks before I could make a decent scarf.

Thinking about knitting vs. actually knitting- yes yes yes. In my life there is a pile of imaginary knitting time when I will begin and complete all of the fabulous things that I think are possible.

Pattern surfing- my best friend. Bob starts to think I have a secret on-line life. yes- honey, I'm a pattern whore. Can't wait to share that with him.

Here on these knitting blogs we all share our "experience, strength and hope" with our knitventures. Monkeymind or not-your post spoke volumes to me today and I am relieved to know that there are others like me!

Becky

[Jen]

Heather: Love it already, but b/c I'm nuts it will have to wait in line behind a few other projects first.

Becky: I aim to please. :) I wonder, though, how crazy I can make myself seem over time on this blog? hehe

[Jennie]

Lovely colorways. Yummy!

[Jodi]

Surfed here while looking up Claudia's yarn...

I live near Harrisonburg, Va, and thought I'd let you know (and maybe save you some research!), the sheep (and maybe yarn?) are from South Africa, but Claudia lives and dyes in Harrisonburg.

(Mmm, yarn!)

[Jodi]

Surfed here while looking up Claudia's yarn...

I live near Harrisonburg, Va, and thought I'd let you know (and maybe save you some research!), the sheep (and maybe yarn?) are from South Africa, but Claudia lives and dyes in Harrisonburg.

(Mmm, yarn!)