Resting Rows

In knitting, as in life, you have to take some time to rest. Sometimes that means taking a break from stitching to keep your carpals from tunneling...but sometimes it's just letting your brain rest a bit by keeping the stitches simple. Like a pair of socks in self-striping yarn with few details...

Oh, you can keep it fun and interesting by adding in a new heel (my first, actual German Short-Row heel!),

Or a simple broken rib...

But mostly it's "just keep [knitting]," rows upon rows until you have a pair of socks. This kind of knitting brings rest to my brain and soul, because thinking through other things while knitting helps me organize my thoughts at a slower pace. As my needles draw one loop through the next stitch over and over and over, my thoughts start to organize themselves a little better. 

In fact, knitting is such a habit to me now that i often work many stitches without even looking.  This leaves me free to engage in conversation or enjoy a movie with my family, all while keeping my pulse and breathing steady, even when the movie is a thriller! 

Of course, there are some patterns and designs which require more concentration from the knitter, but even these tend to have resting rows built in...a little ribbing, seed stitch or maybe even plain knitting in between the "thinky" parts of the pattern provide a place to just knit. *(insert contented sigh here)* I think of these resting rows as a little knitting nap for my brain,  and who doesn't like a little nap here and there? 

Oh, that's right. The 4-year-old with a case of FOMO fights naptime! Most of the rest of us (and occasionally even the nap-fighters) relish a rest when we can take it.

Now that I've finished those socks, I'm working on an improvised project that involves picture knits. In this project, that means texture knit into the piece that creates an image. 

There is a LOT of counting involved, and I've already done a good amount of ripping back and re-knitting in these 56 rows, but I'm coming up to 12 resting rows very soon...which is good. Soon we expect a visit from the boys, and there will be no time for rest until bedtime with our favorite, local little hooligans!

Whatever you're up to lately, I hope you'll take the time to rest a bit between the thinky things and the "gotta-get-it-done." I promise that if you take some time to refresh your body and mind, you'll find that you are more productive in the long run! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

  

Pretty, Unplugged

Unplugged is something I have been considering lately. There is something comforting about the idea of unplugged, of not being digitally tethered to all of the everything all the time. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love technology...and social media...and the gratification of instant communication (and I sometimes get frustrated when I communicate with those who are not as tethered as I am, taking five or ten whole minutes to respond!), but lately I am thinking of taking a break. 

Actually, in a few days, I may be forced into a break. You see, I have been planning a big trip for a little over a year, and it comes up at the end of the month! With Christmas, birthdays, family gatherings, work and all the other stuff I do (knitting, you knew that...lol), things kinda snuck up on me. But I have a plan.

Instead of traveling at this speed, 24/7...

I'm gonna try going more this speed for the next couple of weeks...

My goal is a little less hurried and a little more relaxed; a little less breakneck and a little more dilly dally; a little less in a hurry and a little more lingering in the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I like this speed...I like it a lot!

But every once in awhile, a body needs some rest.

See? Even the littles sit down every now and again. (Okay, okay, you got me. I did stage that one, and it only lasted long enough to take the photo...or three photos. One where they are both wiggling, one where just the big one is blurry, and this one where the little guy is a bit blurry...littles are not very good at the practice of stillness. But, they sure are CUTE!)

So, that's the deal. I will not be radio silent exactly, but I am going to limit my time on social media, and I am stepping away from the blog for a couple weeks. I plan to be back, perhaps with a vengeance (any guesses on how many photos I will take on a big trip?), but this will be my last post until sometime next month at least. 

I am pretty sure that I will miss writing, especially since I am planning some new experiences on my big trip, so I have a plan for that, too. I will be taking a page from this one's book, and putting pencil (or pen) to paper for the next couple of weeks.

There was a time when I was fairly anti-keyboard. My writing process NEEDED the feel of pencil on paper (not even pen, it had to be pencil). As you know, I got over that! Still, when you are typing on a keyboard, you can not doodle in the margins, or tap your pen on the table, or chew on your eraser while you think. (Yes, ew. I will not chew on my eraser...probably.) 

So this is where I am... 

Still writing, but taking a break from the blog. 

Still living life abundantly (and taking fab photos) but posting less for a time.
Definitely still knitting!

Still Pretty, but Pretty Unplugged.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you are living your best life, whether you blog...or brag...or not. I will see you when I return.

Until then, Knit in Good Health!