Modus Operandi

My dear friend, Christine left a comment that made me think about my modus operandi.

She said  "I cannot comprehend a "blocking pile". I am always so excited to finally finish something that I have to force myself to even take enough time for a pre-blocking photo. It's in the bath about 2 minutes after bind off, no matter what time of day I finished it"  

The blocking pile.  Ah yes.  

I think it has a little to do with what goes on in my head as that last stitch falls off the needles.  I caught myself the other day, standing up, with my arms raised above my head in victory, as if I was a calf roper in a rodeo.  I have a funny feeling that if I am alone in my study, I do this almost every time.  I may have even talked about it before, but for me, the moment that stitch falls, I am done.

I am free to start all those other things that I have been thinking of as I finished the current one.  Free to play with new yarn.

Pre-blocking photos are as good as it gets around here.  This blog is never going to be noted for beautifully photographed, elegantly blocked stupendously fine looking items.  I keep forgetting to take them.  

I tried being artful a couple of times, trying to get just the right sort of light and graceful draping to show the project to its best advantage.  

and these.

They were special projects with a great deal of meaning in them.  One, a part of a series to friends all over the US, and one for my daughter in laws mom.  

There may be a few other things that really look great, but if you look at my page for long, you will find many more almost completed things, things without buttons, without ends woven in and on it goes.  (Now that I have looked at it, I can see an unwoven end in one of the other pictures of these mittens!  Not done either, hahaha)

I have 1 scarf that I have worn many times, and each time I wear it, I laugh and realize, nope those ends did not weave them in by themselves.  I can go around work all day before I realize that there are stragglers down my back.  And, come to think of it, that shawl has never been blocked either.  

On occasion, the blocking pile threatens to overwhelm.  Its getting that way now.  It won't stay on one pile and is threatening to be 2.  There is only room for 1.  (Actually there is room for none, and it makes my whole study seem untidy.)

This is the current pile, from left to right along the arm of the chair, a pretty little shawl that I practised the edging from the River Valley Shawl on, a gorgeous Holden shawl in a most lustrous linen, my Point Shawl, the absolutely fabulous Lilia Hyrna, and my River Valley shawl in the rich garnet red on the other arm.  On the seat is the vest I made in Berroco Flicker and Voyage.  

These are all such stunning things and yes I do want to wear them.  Its just that I think I don't enjoy blocking so much as I do knitting.  I suspect that is the root of the thing.  

I need to change my focus and think about the wearing.  I do enjoy the wearing and I am getting just a little tired of what I have.  I have a weekend free, no company, no kids, No grandbaby, darn it,  just us, me and hubby doing not much of anything.  I know that it time to play in the stash, and clean my study, so maybe a good morning blocking all these pretty things will be a good way to start my day off.  Heaven knows it has been percolating long enough.

No more procrastination.  That is my motto.  For this week at least.