I've structured this spinning/knitting project "The Unnamed Blanket" to coincide with the phases of the moon. Yesterday Nick & Bronnie took me to our local yarn store and I picked up my yellow fluff. I've got it structured so that I won't be spinning this until the last quarter (July 26). I can't start knitting the orange I've spun onto the blanket until the new moon (August 2). There is a built in downtime on this project.
I did this quite intentionally. This is the time I allow myself to put down spinning when I want to. This is the time when I can knit fun things like the shawl I'm currently knitting for Bronnie. This is the time I can play, both with my fiber crafts and with my other hobbies. Its a time to let my mind release all of the heavy-duty shit I've been shovelling lately, and just be here and now and see how fucking amazing life is. It is a rest for the fingers, heart, and soul. It is a deep relaxing breath in the conversation I've been having with myself.
What I'm finding is that I kinda need spinning daily. Knitting too. Those are my coping mechanisms. I'm trying to decide if I want to relearn knitting as I learn spinning. Part of me is intrigued by the idea. To keep the mind facile, one should take on challenges. Relearning the muscle memory of something like knitting would be a challenge. I like the idea. The non-conformist in me is crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. Why should my knitting be "proper"? Also, it is a small connection back to Gram & Ma. They were both left handed and I am not. I learned to knit the way I do because of this. I might do it anywho. The challenge is a good one, and I can always revert!
That's what's going through my nogin. On my needles is Bronnie's Shawl and the BUB (Big Ugly Blanket:Or Where My Stash Is Going To Die). I'm spinning some beautiful grey alpaca that someone gave me as a birthday present a million years ago. I'ts lovely. It makes me want alpacas -which is a dangerous notion.
