Marcus and I had very busy day yesterday. It wasn't supposed to be that long because mom did not have to work, but she came home and was exhausted. She asked if she could sleep for a few hours. How could I not? I stayed till Cassie was home from school which is my usual home time. Marcus was very busy. There are new episodes of Paw Patrol on Netflix (Bless you, powers that be) and he was absorbed by new stories and played up a storm. It is fun watching him play. Last week it was all Ultimate Firetruck and before that Shopkins as pup food and yesterday, it was mermaids playing with pups, and plenty of under water pup action for his Sea Patroler. All in all, it means Grandma got a fair bit of knitting done.
All of the ribbing on the back and a bit more than an inch of the front is done! The front section has fewer stitches to it and has that little ribbed band down the front, so it feels like it knits fast. It takes so little time to get to the band that it feels like you haven't knit anything and making it to the end of the row just happens without even noticing you knit. Bless that 9 stitch break in the middle!
I am putting my thoughts into sleeves now. How long should they be? For practical purposes, wearing things as I do, while working around the house or actively knitting, it is hard to beat a 3/4 sleeve. I really like not having to push the sleeve up. On the other hand, wearing sweater layers as I do, rather than spending huge dollars on an ill fitting outdoors coat, absolutely requires long sleeves. I know this from having too short sleeves on several things that I have layered, much to my chilly consternation. I am very strongly leaning to having this be 3/4, simply because I see it as a sweater to wear without a shirt under it.
Most of the things I have knit so far, have been knit to wear as a second layer. Up until now, that has been what I needed in my wardrobe, but I am to the point where my famously old turtlenecks and other shirts are starting to die and I could use a few things that are stand alone by design. If anything, I was thinking of this sweater as a piece to wear under other sweaters. It isn't quite the plain turtleneck I was thinking of before casting on, but it won't be that far from it. It will be essentially a first layer garment.
I am delighted to be done the back and moving forward. It's just a good place to be. I was originally hoping to get this done to wear at Christmas, but it looks less than likely. There are just too many things to do and too many places to go.
I have to keep telling myself that even as the days are full, the only person who can make me feel too busy and overwhelmed is me. I am really good at thinking myself busy. I do it at the expert level. I have to make a conscious decision to not think myself into busy, not to allow myself to be overwhelmed just by thinking. If the things I want to happen don't, life goes on. I will let go of wants. I have what I need and I will live in the moment and enjoy what is and what comes, not stress over what is not. I have to say it out loud to myself (good thing no one hears me) and at this time of year, I have to repeat it regularly. Right now, in this moment, I am and that is enough.
Maybe that sounds weird to you but I have tried to live up to the things I expected for so long that just I forgot how to just enjoy what is. It is taking much more practise than I thought it should (see, there is that expectation thing). Life is what happens, not what we expect to happen, not what we plan for, not what we dream of. Life really is this moment in time, not past, not future and we may as well treasure it because it is what we get.
Today I think I will just stay home and get stuff done. I think. There was that stash dive I was thinking of and ... I could make a list here, but I won't. I'm just going to let it happen.
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