Life's a Stitch

And more recently life’s a creative adventure with some travel thrown in.

I heard a discussion happening behind me at a knitting group. I felt like I was in fifth grade.They were referring, in just loud enough voices, to my prolific knitting and that I mustn’t have a life. What I don’t have is TV. I knit for 15 minutes at breakfast, 15 at lunch and I average an hour to an hour and fifteen each night. Some days I don’t knit at all and sometime I put in three hours. I’m sure this would be way less if we had TV. We have TV’s, just no cable and living way up the mountain as we do, we got nothing without cable. I made the decision not to hook up the cable when we moved into this house. At the time Bryant was pretty young and once argued with me quoting Bart Simpson as if he were a real person. That pretty much sealed my decision. It’s been most difficult for Chuck who used the TV as video valium. It has the opposite effect on me as I am a news junkie. We’ve recently discussed under what circumstances I’d consider having TV again. My stipulation would be that there be no cable in the bedroom. The conversation didn’t go very far after that so maybe I’m safe for awhile.

Dsc00662 Knitting the flower basket bag has also taken me back to school years. Ninth grade math to be exact. Math didn’t click for me until college years and then I loved it. This Vogue knitting pattern, however, at times makes as much sense to me as algebra did in high school. It’s a series of failures and slow successes. Maybe if I put it away for a few years it will click. I’m not giving up, but I am accepting that this is a fine example of a process knit. I am glad for on-line knitalongs. They give me encouragement to persevere; I couldn’t possibly be the only one who doesn’t get it. I remember that feeling from school as well.

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15 responses to “School age memories”

  1. Emma. Avatar

    It’s the opposite really,isn’t it ? You knit so much because you have a full and interesting life.You try and fill every moment with something.Some peope are pathetic ! I’d have expected better from other knitters,perhaps naively. I think a lot of the snickering and snide remarks are based in jealousy.Pity them,and then go knit some more,and revel in your passion for fibre,colour and life.

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  2. Marina Avatar

    Emma’s right, it’s just jealousy rearing it’s ugly head. Don’t feel you ever have to justify/explain to those type.

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  3. Tipper Avatar

    I hope they said it in a joking manner; if not, they’re darn rude.
    It’s the opposite with me, though. When I didn’t have cable, I could barely get anything done. I do most of my knitting in front of the TV. I find that I quickly lose interest in anything (including knitting) if I can’t multitask, and though I like to knit while blog surfing (like I’m doing now) or while reading, sometimes I just want to sit back, knit, and watch some (okay, a lot of) Law & Order.

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  4. Lynne Avatar

    Oh, Li. You have got it so right. We are practically tv junkies, and I am so proud of you for the decision you made. And as far as the knitting comment goes, if you are anything like me, what those women don’t understand is busy women practice good time management. I knit where and when I can (other than church) and 15 minutes of knitting in a day accomplishes much more than 15 minutes of gossip!

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  5. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    I do a lot of knitting while Greg watches tv. Before, I’d always leave the room during all of his military channel, history channel, or espn; now I tune it out and knit. (At least we’re spending more time together?)

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  6. Nadia Avatar

    Why are other people bothered by how you spend your time? Why are knitters bothered that you knit?
    They’re totally jealous that you are free to do the thing you love.
    BTW, what kind of “life” do they think you should have, apart from doing work you love, spending time with friends and family and doing a hobby you love? People are weird…

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  7. Lu Avatar

    Yes, I agree, they are just jealous!
    I knot a lot because I have a TV, though, because I knit while watching. I can’t stand watch TV and not doing something in the meanwhile.

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  8. Uli Avatar

    Math didn’t click for me until the beginning of Grade 7 and from that moment on I became a Math Geek!!!
    I do almost all my knitting in front of the TV.

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  9. Dorothy Avatar

    I do most of my knitting in front of the TV – I couldn’t imagine watching TV at all without something to keep my hands occupied. I think having a wonderful art form to keep you busy and productive IS a life! And just so you don’t think you’re wierd (which you’re not!), although we have a TV and cable, my husband and I decided from day one (32 years ago) that we would NEVER have a TV in our bedroom. And much to my children’s dismay, Bart Simpson was banned in our house. It’s probably pretty innocent adult humor, but I didn’t want my children sounding like that!

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  10. erin Avatar

    I don’t have tv too. We have a tv set, but it died a few years back and we’ve never replaced it. Best thing we never did. The kids play board games or tell stories with dad or do homework or read while I knit and play along. The playing messes up the knitting so I frog a lot too, but it’s still fun.

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  11. Toni Avatar

    Similarly, I had a comment recently that expressed envy at the copious amount of knitting time I apparently have. Hello? It irks me that they assume I have knitting time out the yin-yang rather than I manage my time well and seldomly waste a moment. 15 minutes here and there does add up. Why veg in front of the tv when you could be knitting (or doing about anything else for that matter)? Ignore those catty knitters–you like what you do and that what counts.

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  12. Peggy Avatar

    It’s too bad that people can be so ignorant. I used to knit 2 hours+ a day just because that’s how long I had to commute to uni. There’s nothing wrong with spending a lot of time on something you love, it’s all a matter of balance and it sounds like you have more than a balanced life!

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  13. Kristen Avatar

    I would dearly love to ditch the TV but have always been outvoted 3-1. I’ve managed to hold the line against cable though. And we do have just one TV, which astonishes my students. I have to have knitting in my hands too when I do watch. I’d rather listen to books or talk with real people while knitting though.

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  14. Christine Avatar

    Wow! I am impressed with the flower basket bag!! It looks intricate! I am still a math failure, so I can cross that one off my list!
    I work a full time job, am a single parent, love to read, and still manage to cook, clean and walk AND knit at every free moment I can! I never go anywhere without my knitting! You never know when you are delayed! I don’t watch TV as a rule, unless its 15 minutes of the news in the a.m. so I dont’ sound like a complete idiot and miss significant news!! You keep up the TV rule at your house! Way to go! Neither of my kids are TV-aholics, although my son is a bit computer addicted, but at least he’s AT HOME!!

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  15. Michelle Avatar

    I’m trying to do the same thing with my Flower Basket bag (Lambs pride bulkey and 17s). Any pointers you wouldn’t mind shareing would be GREATLY appreciated.

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