Slow Thinking

I'm knitting on the store sample sock today, and like all very plain sock knitting, the tube like parts in stockinette mean my brain rambles and roams over all kinds of things. At the same time, I'm searching Ravelry for a particular pattern that I saw, but don't remember where.

My first thoughts this morning are about needles sizes and yarns weights. The pattern (for Cascade Fixation) asks for a 3.25 mm needle for the top of the cuff and then goes down to a 2.75 mm needle. It makes a nice tight fabric for the foot of the sock, but honestly, I think they went a bit too small. My hands ache working with the yarn at this needle size.

Second brain roaming thought, is my sweater, in Cotton Viscose. I really like the pattern, like the idea of the pattern, but there has to be some mods to the top section before it will fit right. The circle section isn't doing what it is supposed to do. Or I'm reading the pattern wrong and not increasing enough. Its not like I haven't done that before.

Third brain roaming thought, sheepishly, I really should put another fleece in to a bin to try the cold water soak method for cleaning fleece. (I read about that on Ravelry in the Raw Wool Lovers Unite Group). Do I have time to get it in the bin before I go to work.

If I put it in the bin what can I put the washed fleece into? How dirty is the already washed fleece? It seems cleaner than I first thought but...

I wonder if I can get the dishes all into the dishwasher, is there time to fold the clothes, wash another load, change sheets on my bed, change out towels in the bathrooms, feed the cat, water him, weed the sprucelings, work on the shawl, do some paperwork, take out the garbage, vacuum....Is there time? All this ran through my head in just a couple (literally)rows of knitting, and way to few minutes.

(slow thinking photos for your viewing pleasure)

No there isn't time for vacuuming, knitting, weeding, paperwork, changing sheets, changing out towels, for putting out a fleece to wash by the cold water method. It needs to be picked over first, girl. Even I know that. I can do the dishes, wash a load of clothes, fix my bed, feed the cat and knit just a few more rows. I knit and do all kinds of handwork for a lot of reasons. One of the reasons is to slow my brain down so I get just a little peace. Sometimes, its awful noisy inside there. Sometimes the thoughts are on overflow. It is easy to feel overwhelmed even when you aren't.When I sit and knit just a few more rows, I fall into the practice of slow Thinking. I get a little zen, and slow my random thoughts down just enough that I feel better, feel good, feel healthy. It seems that when I knit, I am able to toss out just enough of the trivia, slow down just enough of the zip here, zoom there ways of my brain, that life starts to feel balanced and make sense again. Instead of sitting, feeling overwhelmed by details and things, I can think a few clear sensible thoughts, focus on the big things for today and slowly feel like I can do just a little more before.

I know some people say knitting is the new Yoga, but for me, knitting makes the slow thinking possible. And no I don't mean Slow, I mean Slow. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

(Slow thinking photgraphs courtesy, Mr. Needles)