Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Color Affection Shawl from Bliss Yarns - Day 4


Inefficiency is our friend?

It’s funny how we bend the world to our knitting needs.  I’ve had one of those weeks where lots of care-taking has been going on.  In my head, I think of it as sitting at someone’s doctor’s appointment, bedside, chairside, etc.  I always picture myself knitting.  No, that’s not exactly right; I always picture myself getting LOTS of knitting done.

It almost never works out that way.  Care-taking never seems to be about quietly sitting by someone’s side.  And then there’s the scheduling, the appointments--the day I plan to get lots of knitting done waiting for medical tests is the day they get us in and out in record time.  

What am I left with then?   I was planning on sitting through three hours of various downtown tests yesterday, but instead we got done two hours early and then I had to take the boy shopping until the final appointment because we were too far from home to double back! Really, you can’t say to a companion, “Since we’re done early, you’ll need to sit here and watch me knit because I’m behind on the blog.”  Well, you could, but I guarantee you it wouldn’t go well.

All of this is silly, of course.  I should be delighted things went so well.  And no worries, all tests confirmed the son is doing great.  And I should be delighted that the elderly person I was tending earlier this week was up and about instead of lying in bed. 

It feels ridiculous--because it is ridiculous--to get frustrated at efficiency.  The rest of the world doesn’t understand that waiting time or downtime is precious to knitters! Inefficiency is our friend.  But I know you understand.  And I know you’ll be kind to me when I explain that all the above is why it took me all week--instead of three days--to finish this short row section of the Color Affection Shawl.  It’s beautiful, isn’t it?  I think it will be just perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Next up is the final solid band of burgundy.  Oh, my, those rows are very, very long.  Let’s hope I get an inefficient week, shall we?

No comments: