Moving. And A Year Of Self-Centered Knitting.
Posted by Rain Kleindolph on
I've dubbed 2019 the Year of Reclaiming My Hand-Knits. Aside from a necessary warm winter hat or three, I haven't knit a thing for myself in 5 years. Just gifts and things for other people. Which were a joy to make, don't get me wrong, but I felt so bad whenever I cast on for something for myself that I'd give it away the second I bound it off.
This is not fun.
People, for the love of little green apples, don't give the knitters in your life a hard time. Don't guilt-trip them for not gifting you with more things. Don't straight up demand their knitting when you see it on the needles. Don't passive aggressively "tease" them by doing this. Do that long enough and your knitter eventually just gives up knitting entirely because you've sucked all the joy out of it for them and made it all about you*.
Look, nobody owes you hand-knit socks. Pick up some dpns if you hate store-bought so much. If you got a pair, that was some love right there. Say thank you and take care of them. Don't run them through the dryer. And don't demand more if you do.
Knitters, don't let people suck the joy out of your life, and the life out of your joys. Life is too short for that and it's shitty.
I've been grumpy about this for a long time and I'm so tired being grumpy about it. I'm so tired of stressing when I knit, of feeling guilty for using my own yarn to make myself something nice. So for the next 12 months, I'm practicing only self-centered knitting. I will be making myself things from the very nicest yarns in my stash, the special yarns I've been hoarding and saving all these years. The ones that were "too good" to knit with. I am going to keep those things. I will enjoy wearing delicious hand knit socks again.
This is not fun.
People, for the love of little green apples, don't give the knitters in your life a hard time. Don't guilt-trip them for not gifting you with more things. Don't straight up demand their knitting when you see it on the needles. Don't passive aggressively "tease" them by doing this. Do that long enough and your knitter eventually just gives up knitting entirely because you've sucked all the joy out of it for them and made it all about you*.
Look, nobody owes you hand-knit socks. Pick up some dpns if you hate store-bought so much. If you got a pair, that was some love right there. Say thank you and take care of them. Don't run them through the dryer. And don't demand more if you do.
Knitters, don't let people suck the joy out of your life, and the life out of your joys. Life is too short for that and it's shitty.
I've been grumpy about this for a long time and I'm so tired being grumpy about it. I'm so tired of stressing when I knit, of feeling guilty for using my own yarn to make myself something nice. So for the next 12 months, I'm practicing only self-centered knitting. I will be making myself things from the very nicest yarns in my stash, the special yarns I've been hoarding and saving all these years. The ones that were "too good" to knit with. I am going to keep those things. I will enjoy wearing delicious hand knit socks again.
I'm really excited about it, to be honest. I am remembering that I actually love knitting and it's not a chore. I've got two pairs of socks knit so far and a third on the needles. I can't wait to wear them. I might even knit something with the cashmere. Don't ask me for it though, or I'll stab you with a #9 Lantern Moon.
In other news, we're bumping our 10 year plan up a bit and moving to Portland Oregon in approximately 3 weeks. We could not be more excited about it. I'll get to see this bridge every morning! But, it has to be said that I'm a little frazzled, too. Interstate moves are like that. I'm not going to be making new jewelry and there won't be any shop updates until after we move and get unpacked, probably not until mid-December. But all the earrings and other stuff listed currently will be accessible to me for holiday orders and easy shipping, we've set it up so that there should be minimal to no delays on that end, during our move process.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with some quiviut. But first, some boxes and a lot of packing tape!
*true story