Friday, April 12, 2013

I Want to Knit all the Things

As for many people, knitting is my therapy. I also run and do yoga, but really nothing calms me down like knitting. I love watching lace patterns develope, stripes form, I love turning the heel of a sock and knowing I'm halfway to a finished object.

But lately I feel overwhelmed by All the Things. I want to have my stash yarn knit up so I can try new yarn and now. I want to knit more sweaters (I knit Hannah Fettig's Lightweight Pullover out of Quince and Co. Chickadee, and am addicted to that yarn) and I want to knit for my mom and for my friend's baby. I've been starting projects like crazy -- I think I have two pairs of socks going, three sweaters, and a scarf for my MIL -- and feeling guilty when I only work on one thing all day. My comfort place, my knitting, is becoming a chore.

I know that I am just stressed out right now. I am moving next month to Portland, my husband has not been well, and my job is... it's just beyond stressful. I have put on weight in the last year, and for the first time since high school I feel unattractive. I want to eat All the Things. I don't want to run or go to yoga. In short, I don't want to do anything.

But this week, I rediscovered something I hadn't even realized I'd lost: my love of reading. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of Sarah Dessen's newest book "The Moon and More". I started reading her books in high school (ten years ago... I don't want to talk about it)  and have never missed a release of a new book. She writes about girls in high school, their families, their girlfriends, their boyfriends. Her books are so well rounded and thoughtful and have gotten me through some tough times. Her characters are so relatable -- their struggles, their goals, their values. Her books never fail to touch me to the core.

After reading "The Moon and More" (in two days, absolutely fantastic) , I promptly picked up "Along for the Ride" (reread it in one day, I am so like the main character in this book) and so on. I've reread three of her books in the last week, and am now halfway through "This Lullaby" which is my very favorite. I named my first car after Remy, the main character, and my computer is Dexter 2.0.

I've been feeling overwhelmed by adulthood for quite awhile, and reading Sarah's books again has helped me remember who I used to be, and who I wanted to be. The perfect therapy :-)



4 comments:

  1. I totally understand this feeling. I often find I need some reading, or SOMETHING else to balance out my knitting obsession. I forced myself not to knit over easter and read 3 books instead, and felt much better for it. I hope the good feelings last :)

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    1. Exactly! I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way :-)

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  2. Glad reading is making you feel better, being an adult is hard work sometimes (no one tells you that!). I found blasting through a pair of super bright vanilla socks helped a bit recently

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    1. I bought some bright Regia (my first skeins, I know, I know, where have I been) and I have been knitting up some vanilla socks. I forgot how soothing it is to just watch the colors pool and stripe :-)

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