The Race is ON!

Judging by your comments on commenting I'd say many of us are trying to find the ultimate balance of connectivity and sanity. With that in mind, I'm declaring the next 38 days my personal Race to Sanity.

Sanity:  A legal term denoting that an individual is of sound mind and therefore can bear legal responsibility for his or her actions. It is generally defined in terms of the absence of insanity. It is not a medical term ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanity

And just how am I going to achieve sanity in just 38 days? (Yes, the implication here is that I am not of sound mind now.) Well, let us consider situations that may foster sanity:

(1) Experiencing the absence of small children within a 50' radius of ones body.

(2) Going on vacation.

(3) Spending three days alone with ones spouse on said vacation without small children (see #1).

(4) Listening to Stephanie, aka Yarn Harlot, read from her book, then buying another copy and actually reading it, as one was a benevolent daughter and gave ones copy to ones mother before finishing even half of it. Again, without small children (see #1). 

(5) Looking a the sun (or candlelight) shining through a glass of red wine, then looking down to admire ones completed knitting project being worn on ones body. Obviously #1 in play.

Now, in 38 days I've got numbers 1-4 lined up. We're all heading up to Portland Oregon. We'll spend the first day exploring Portland with the kids, then drive to my in-laws' home in the Redmond/Bend/Sisters triangle. Then, for four days and three nights in the middle of that visit we will drive away ... alone! Back to Portland and the Willamette Valley wine country. On the very day I turn 40 I will visit a winery or two, a yarn store or three, art galleries, restaurants and Powells where Harlot is scheduled to read. This may take some of the sting out of the day.

So that just leaves #5. Which requires at least one COMPLETED knitting project. Because I'm currently insane, I'm going for three, maybe four ... or seven. What drove me to this craziness? Yesterday I knitted three different swatches and looked through countless books and magazines. I bounced around and felt so frustrated I couldn't settle on anything or even knit on open projects. The gnawing anxiety that this trip would arrive and I'd have 10 unfinished projects sitting home - half of them off-season - while I wore my new clothes sans knitting actually kept me up last night. Let's not discuss this - I know it's pathetic; you know it's pathetic; it's pathetic. Yes, I know there are much more important things in the world that should keep me up every night that don't. What can I say, this happens to fit my personal profile for anxiety-producing situations. I even dreamed I'd missed a plane flight - you know, running lost through the strange airport, etc etc. The classic Freudian metaphor for anxiety about unfinished knitting.

To resolve #5 I'm throwing down my (yet to be knitted) gauntlet - this is war. Such violent terms for such a gentle (and gentile) sport, but I'm trying to get the needles fired up around here. Here are the seven projects with their corresponding new skirts. I haven't bought summer clothes in several years so my wardrobe was truly frayed around the edges. A little spree was required.

High priority

- Rowan Deli
- Koigu Shawl (pattern to be determined)
- Colinette Wrap

 

Medium priority

- Shapely Tee w/Sleeves by White Lies Designs in Rowan Handknit DK. (Thanks for the pattern idea Sydney!)
- Rowan Birch in Kidsilk Haze

Low priority

- Maggi Knits Linen something ???
- Cobweb in Rowan Kidsilk Haze
- Pi Shawl

For the next 38 days I will knit (along with my other duties - you know - wife, mother, etc). I will update this blog with progress photos, but little else. For the new projects listed above details will be forthcoming at CO. General comments of support will be read and thoroughly enjoyed, but only questions answered. I'll be reading blogs, but not commenting much. Saving my wrists and arms for battle.

Let the race begin!

Comments

[michele]

Looking forward to watching the progress...I love the colors, on your mark, get set, go knit!!! Take care.

[Deb]

Just keep telling yourself, "I think I can, I think I can!"

[Teresa C]

I think you need a battle cry! I will be watching, and have set some lofty goals for myself for this summer. I will comment here to encourage you, promise! BTW-You can't go wrong with Kidsilk Haze or Koigu.

[Jo]

All I can say is RACE ON! What a plan! Crickey. I just had my first ever night away from my daughter, two of them in fact. Quite a strange experience wonderful and sad all at once. Having done it gives me hope that we might one day get a night alone together without DD but 3 of them - WOW! Definitely worth finishing more than one knit for!

[Abigail]

I could do with some #1. Even just a tad. :)

[Anne-Caroline]

You go, girlfriend! See you on the other side... :)

[Risa]

Sounds like a plan! Certainly sounds like a great way to spend the big birthday. Good luck soldier, I'm confident you can win those battles. I look forward to seeing your progress and FO's.

[Moni]

Lucky you! have a fantastic time in Portland! I love it there..so beautiful. Enjoy all of that knitting, too :)

[Julia]

They are all so beautiful, I can't beleive you have coordinating skirts for all your yarn. I don't know how you are going to pick, but please, something that can realistically be finished in 38 days. Good luck, we'll just watch.

[Jeannie]

I have been reading your blog and find it terrific. I'm inspired to get more photos on my blog.

I have been there with children - you can't wait to get some "only me" time [I'll sleep late; I'll cook with wine again, not whine; I'll remember what it's like to have a love life or social life...]- simply to find that you can't sleep because you can't hear them breathing in their sleep in their rooms, and you don't want to eat because you only remember how to make boxed mac 'n cheese - not the fancy souffle' you swore you'd make just for grownups when you were kidless!

My DD was gone for 2 weeks and I made it to the Wednesday before she came home on Saturday. Wednesday I mooned around all day! I Missed her! The silly kid, never been away from home before and turns 12 while she's gone. My, Oh, My.

Your stash makes me feel SO MUCH BETTER. I'll take pics of mine this weekend and see if I can post them to my blog. It won't be nearly as pretty as yours, but I know there's a least one other woman out there with as much yarn as I have. No competition, just fact and relief to see I'm not alone and odd{even with 3 cats} ;)
Hee,Hee.

I also happen to adore orchids too. I had 5 of my own two years ago that I had to abandon when I moved. I mourned them almost as much as I mourned losing my dad's house. I got one as a gift for some holiday and then collected the rest from clearance sales, $5.00 each (!)[you know the ones I mean -dying in the sale basket in the doorway) at the grocery store. I had a white Phalenposis that bloomed in my dark cold bedroom when I was gone for two weeks. What a delight to come home to. I never expected them to survive in hot, dry, sunny New Mexico, but once I quit watering them more than once every two weeks, moved them away from my west window(actually against the west wall next to the window, next to my night stand - significant because I smoke and they seemed to do better there!)they were thriving and healthy and deep green and ready to bloom again.

I'm now ready to start collecting my $5.00 finds again. :) The small darker-spotted-bloomed orchids I found at my local Home Depot were so fragrant, I want to try growing that kind this time around. When you're in your local HD, check them out. I was amazed that orchids had any fragrance.

Thanks for the inspiration and fun. Blessings and best wishes.
Jeannie

[Vicki]

Hope you enjoy your vacation Nancy - it sounds like a perfect getaway! Sanity is far more important than commenting on knit blogs - there's a point where it becomes stressful to try to keep up with them all - certainly takes away from the fun. You are definitely one of my favorites though - I will stop by regardless of whether you answer my comments or not. I'm not that easy to get rid of. ;-) By the way, that cashmere from a couple of posts back (I'm a little behind) - gorgeous! It is perfect for ClapIII.

[Siri]

Best of luck! I'm trying to figure out how I can be at my FAVORITE yarn store, Weaving Works, in Seattle when Stephanie reads there on August 4th(?), pawning our boys off on my parents for the evening, and then be back here in Montana a couple days later for a family wedding, where I would love to be wearing a Flower Basket shawl or new shrug of some sort. Hmmm. You are inspiring me. I pulled the barely started shawl out of my stash just today.....