Sunday, June 19, 2011

Knit Night Hangover

Now about 1.5 years ago I (re)discovered knitting. Re in parenthesis, because as a child my mom taught me knitting but it did not really catch on. Surrounded by friends that knit, I picked it up again and was caught by surprise that it seemed to be like bicycling: once you learn it you will not forget how to knit. 

Since then many of my friends and relatives became the victim of my knitting fanaticism, hopefully to their delight. For me knitting is a form of meditation almost an addiction at times. I can sit for hours without any other distraction just fixated on my knitting. Five, six hours at a time, sometimes till late in the morning, continuing as soon as I wake up. Occasionally, I will be left with a headache and symptoms of withdrawal.

Often, I am surprised of my patience. Whereas by nature being rather impatient and superficial, when knitting I somehow demand to be very careful and precise. At many occasions I redo hours of work just because of a little mistake that probably nobody would notice. 

The best thing about knitting is the part of creating something. While in my work I handle colorless and odorless liquids that transform into other colorless and odorless liquids, with knitting I make heads and gloves and scarfs and sweaters. It is so gratifying. Then I can show off by uploading my projects to Ravelry, a kind of facebook for knitters.

One highlight are our knitting nights. Meeting a group of other girls with some cheese and wine chatting and gossiping for the evening while picking up stitches and clanging our needles.

But my favorite place to knit is the beach. Usually I drive to La Jolla Cove and sit on a bench with my knitting for hours. The swooshing ocean  in the background I watch the pelicans hovering by and observe the surfers and their astonishing stunts. Tourists swing by and many chat with me about what I am making or once a woman even pulled her knitting from her car and we had a mini-knit-sit-together. 

I love to knit, so if you have any wishes, go ahead and tell me.....

6 comments:

  1. so when do you turn 79? :) jk

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  2. Yes I am also always surprised, how popular knitting is. There are so many knitting stores here....

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  3. stomme tim!
    and we are both so happy with what you all knitted for us... !!!
    i do think at the moment it is "popularized" or whatever you call it... i, however, have not been affected. but it sounds great, sitting at the beach.. hmm, but i would rather read a book, actually. you should check out michael cunningham! he is very good... i just read by nightfall. i think it was "the hours" that was very good too...

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  4. I actually read the book you gave me? Running with scissors. Really crazy, can you imagine that these people were not arrested?

    Anyway, I will check out Cunningham. It is somehow difficult to find time/passion to read for me in the moment, I started like 4 or 5 books, but do not come to really finish them. I started Tinkers by Paul Harding. Very nicely written,but kind of sad...

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  5. Begeisterung!
    Über dein großartiges Schreiben und Stricken. Beide Produkte nehme ich dankend an, vermisse dich aber sowohl beim lesen, als auch beim tragen immer ein bisschen mehr.

    Vielleicht können wir einen Termin zum Telefonieren finden oder besser noch: komm uns mal besuchen!
    Simone

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  6. Danke Simone, ja sollen wir unbedingt machen. Vielleicht am Sonntag so gegen 20 Uhr? Ich versuche es einzurichten...

    Besuchen wird wohl dieses Jahr nicht mehr. Wollte erst im September nach Deutschland kommen, aber die Plaene haben sich geaendert...

    dicken Druecker, Sylvie

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