Addiction

I can't stop. I think about it all the time. I gave it up for many years--cold turkey. It was hurting me so I put it aside. But, I've picked it up again: a knitting addiction.

It is known that addictions run in families. I've been quite lucky; no serious addictions plague my family. But fiber does seem to be a substance we're drawn to. My mother is a knitting and spinning nut. We've been playfully mocking her myriad creations since our kids were born (their births seemed to feed the dependency tremendously). I gave up knitting many years ago because my hands were aching. But, I've since realized that I was trying to do some too tough stuff, namely a crazily difficult Classic Elite pattern with a cotton/linen blend. What was I thinking!? Now I've realized I can do it without pain if I stick to easy patterns and forgiving wool.

It was this shawl, you see. This May, Amanda Soule referred to a shawl she had made some time ago in her SouleMama blog. The shawl pattern was inexpensive, the pictures were so lovely, and it promised to be easy. I kept thinking about it and coveting it.

So, I did it. I bought two balls of daringly colored sock yarn this weekend and have been at it ever since. Well, I did manage to spend time with my family, sleep (a bit, anyway), eat, and go to work. But, I have figured out that I can nurse and knit at the same time. This may be a sign of some pathology, don't you think?

p.s. This is also my contribution to it begins with a colour... this week. I do love how things sometimes coincide beautifully! Who knew Erin would look for lots of colors this week? And that she would start with yarn?