Saturday, February 17, 2018

Do you finish the row?

Do you finish the row?

I was up early, before everyone else, so I was sitting quietly at my desk, knitting. And reading the internet. Being saddened and horrified and troubled by the news. Reading my blog reader for the first time in months, after deciding yesterday to "mark all as read" for the loads of accumulated posts. And my coffee was done. The row was not finished. So I tossed my knitting down and was about to go to get another cup of coffee.

I stopped and thought, should I knit to the end of the row before I went for more coffee?

I almost never knit to the end of the row, since my kids were babies, knitting has been a grab and do, drop and run to where I am needed activity for me. I knit in the creases of my time, in between other things that I should, need or have to do.

This morning at my home desk

But lately, especially this last month, I have been knitting instead of doing other free time things. I have been sitting down to knit. There are many reasons for that, many have to do with how busy the day job has been and how tired it makes me, so other activities feel too active, too creative, too intense for my tired brain and tired body. But also because I have recently revived my love of knitting, of yarn, and of the fun of turning a string into a beautiful, soft, warm thing.

So when I choose to knit, when that is the activity, this morning I realized that I often do finish the row, finish the pattern bit. But I had not noticed until today, until I was again knitting in the creases of my time.

Finish the row, don't finish it, your knitting won't care, it will wait for you to return either way. But lately I have been looking for some creative space to quilt, and maybe if I am finishing the rows, that means that I have a bit more creative space than before.

I have to do some day job work today, but maybe there will be time to sew a bit this afternoon, and if not, my knitting will be there. You can see in the second photo, I left the row, made the coffee and then thought that it was time to share in this space too. I guess I will finish that row later, my crease in time is done, time to get moving.

Best,

Leanne

8 comments:

Crystal_235 said...

I always try to finish a row when I'm knitting. It doesn't always work, but I try.

Robby said...

I always try to finish because I've learned that I might not get back to things as soon as I think, and if the row is done, I don't have to remember as many things about where I was. Wishing you more creative space.

Susan said...

A crease in time- what a wonderful image! All I'd get, if I left the row was a crease in my knitting!

tartankiwi said...

I always finish the row, which leads to problems when I'm knitting in the round! If you stop at the end of the row, your marker falls out. If you stop one stitch short it is really unsatisfying and if you go one stitch past the marker there is always the temptation to knit "just one more row..." (which turns into 10 more rows...)

Millers said...

I finish too - but have found if you work a few stitches into the next row, it's easier to tell what row you're on when you come back to it - especially if you have cables or color work!

Kathleen said...

I do like to finish the row - hadn’t thought about the creases of time that we find. My just sitting time has shifted so I need to find where the creases our in my new pattern of life.

Sarah said...

I like to finish the row; but it doesn't always happen. Life, ya know?

Vera said...

I like to finish the row if I'm knitting :) but I would leave it for that good looking mug of coffee :D