Monday, March 24, 2014

Shouldn't I be Settled by Now?

A tie Brian will never wear.

I have moved to new cities many times.  California is the ninth state I've lived in; San Francisco is the 21st city I've lived in.  That's counting the cities I called home as a child.  Cities I've chosen numbers 19, including short-term residencies during college.  Cut those out and I'm still at 17.  The point is, I've moved a lot.

One thing I've learned about moving so frequently is that it takes a good year to make solid friendships.  At this point I've gained two friends who will likely remain my friends even after we no longer work together (I also have a few friends ready-made from other places whom I've joined in San Francisco).  I'm feeling the urge to make friends outside of work, however, which is a much more difficult proposition.  Brian and I like to explore through walking around the city (see my Instagram posts for photos from around the city--I'm everywhereknitting there, too).  Being on the move does not allow the time to settle in, to get to know something really well.  Sure, they know my name and my drink at Starbucks, and I've made friends before

by lingering in stores, but this isn't quite the tactic I'd like to take.

Perhaps I should join some knitting groups.  I have made friends that way before, so it will probably work.  I just get shy in situations where no one knows me.  You'd think that after so many years of making new friends I'd be an expert, but I'm not.

Which brings me to knitting.  Since I don't have many friends here, and job hunting can only occupy so much of my day, I should have a lot of time for knitting.  Somehow, I don't do much of it these days, though.

I never did a summary of what I knit last year, so here's a quick summary:
39 total projects, plus one that has stretched into this year.
9 cowls
9 hats
5 baby items
2 pairs of socks
3 pairs of mitts
1 baby sweater
1 sweater back that has to be re-knit.

Not very impressive.  I did get on a run at the beginning of this year, but it has since fizzled out.  I'm working on a toddler sweater that just needs to be finished. 

This feeling of being unsettled has bled into knitting.  Some nights I dink around on my phone or computer instead of knitting.  Some nights I knit a row or two and then find something else to do.  I just can't seem to focus on knitting.

I think I need to revisit the "knit whatever I want" rule.  It's nice not having deadlines, but I miss presenting people with gifts.  Does anyone need anything?  Want anything?  I could use some inspiration.  I guess a knitting group would do that, huh?  Maybe I just need to be here for another four months before I feel settled enough to happily knit whatever, when I'm not out gallivanting with all the new friends I'll make.
A hat that has no owner.  Want it?