Sunday, May 07, 2006

Knitting as Therapy

I've heard it said that knitting is therapeutic and relaxing. I guess it all depends on what you mean by therapeutic and relaxing.

Dan's been gone for almost a month now. I'm pretty sad and lonely, I'll admit. I had gotten used to having him around. I feel like I've easily transitioned back into singledom, with the bonus of near-nightly phone calls. But I'm still sad. So what do I do? Sleep a lot? Eat a lot? No. Well, not anymore than usual, anyway. I knit.

I wouldn't say it is therapeutic. It is just a way to veg out for a few hours at a time. It keeps me from pining. I've been trying to pay attention to what I'm feeling or thinking while I'm knitting, and it doesn't seem to be much of either. This, of course, works nicely with the way I deal with things, so I'm not complaining.

As for relaxing? During the hours I am knitting, I find my shoulders creeping closer and closer to my ears, my feet falling asleep from being tucked under each other, and my hands cramping from holding the needles. Oddly, though, I am relaxed. I may find myself in uncomfortable positions, but I feel calm (barring any gauge issues). I don't fret over anything; I don't think about work; I don't yearn for Dan; I just am. This is good.

In the meanwhile, I've made two gifts. I finished the One Skein Wonder for my sis, and I finished the Baby Bolero. I'm just going to show a detail of the Baby Bolero for now. I'm not sure it will fit the new baby--Joseph was pretty big--but the description says "For a newborn, teddy bear, or doll." I figure it will fit something.

Next I'm going to swatch for the Pale Blue Jacket from Rebecca 30. I'm using the recommended yarn, GGH Scarlett in a really pretty, shiny blue (shade 16). I am having second thoughts, though. I may switch to the Lacy Cardigan from Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas, but there's only one size (32-36) and I'm just a little too busty for that. I haven't read very many good things about these patterns, either. I've made the Cabled Mittens and they were great, but I'm hesitant to make a sweater. Besides, it bugs me that she used at least two of the same patterns from this book in Sarah Dallas Knitting (and one other in Rowan's Vintage Knits).

8 comments:

aimee said...

i know what you mean about yr physical body getting all tweaked out but still being content in other ways. and you continue to work like that.

and SO know what you mean about doing something to help deal w/how your are doing now. good thing, though, that the time difference b/t here and ny is only an hour!

Anonymous said...

did you finish up dan's socks?!

TK said...

Yes. Read http://everywhereknitting.blogspot.com/2006/05/frustration-part-three.html (the entry before this one).

Time difference to NY is only an hour, but airplane difference is too far.

Anonymous said...

ohhh bring the baby bolero on wednesday if you can?! i'd love to see it in person!

aimee said...

airplane difference is a cinch! compared to others. chicago-ny flights are pretty tolerable, i think. but maybe i'm just WAY too accustomed to them.

TK said...

Maybe I should have said airplane difference is too hard to coordinate (and gets expensive). You're right though. NY is just a hop and a skip.

I will definitely bring the bolero on Wednesday--unless I forget.

Lynn said...

speaking of knitting as therapy, that reminded me of this very poignant knitty article from winter 2005 about a woman using knitting to get through the greif of the death of a child. http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter05/FEATtheknitting.html

what is it about creating something that helps us get through/over some turmoil we're going through? it's a trend I've noticed in myself, too, before I picked up knitting...

see you wednesday!

Anonymous said...

hey tamara: here is the pictures of the somewhat cowl!

pictures here

also, you inspired me to make a little knitty blog also. stop by sometime.

hope the blues have lessened!