ADHD Knitter

I've been a bit all over the place in terms of my knitting the past few weeks and slack with my blogging. Nothing particularly wrong; just the holidays and the lack of structure that comes with them as well as Melbourne's foray into the very hot summer climate territory (we hit 40+ on a few days). I can't seem to concentrate on anything.

The above is a partial demonstration of what I've achieved.
1/ Cast-on and managed 1 1/2 pattern repeats of the Swallowtail Shawl (the hot pink yarn). Have ripped back the next row at least 3 times. Will try again when I have enough sleep and it isn't so hot.

2/ Cast-on and began second lollipop sock. All went well until the the heel-shaping where I seem to have forgotten how to pick up the short-row stitches without creating holes. Need to re look-up technique but can't get up enthusiasm for this at the moment.

3/ Purchased a "Frilled Lizard" sock kit at the Sunday craft market at the Arts Centre. Wool is unbelievably soft, very lightly spun, 95% merino/5% angora and totally unsuitable for socks. Spend half-an-hour on the internet working out how to convert grams to ounces and discover that yes, I have enough yarn to make the February Baby's jacket in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitters Almanac. (The fact that none of my friends are pregnant at the moment is irrelevant; the jacket will eventually be put to good use). Cast on but lose enthusiasm once I reach the pattern section. I can't seem to focus on even the simplest pattern without mucking up at the moment.

4/ Reading. Yes, I can still do this. Receive and read my copy of Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair in one sitting. It is easy reading, it is well-written; it is compulsively page-turning; it is a combination of funny and gut-wrenching sad (but ultimately triumphant). It has also been edited to within an inch of its life which means (on the plus side) it tells a coherent story following a normal time line but it loses some of the spontaneity of the blog.

I also read It's My Party and I'll Knit if I Want To which J picked up on the $5 discount table at Angus and Robertson. Again it's easy reading, a light-hearted, well-written personal but also well-researched look at the re-emergence of the knitting craze in Australia in the early 2000s. I enjoy it as I recognised many of the shops, groups and even individuals mentioned, but it is already slightly dated and probably of limited interest to anyone living outside the Melbourne-Sydney-Canberra triangle.

I've been doing a reasonable amount of non-knitting reading including Sophie's World, which is basically an accessible guide and summary of the history of philosophy. I wasn't expecting to find the book as compelling as it has been. But it is a slow read.

5/ Spending way too much time on the internet, particularly Ravelry. At the last minute I decided to join the Australian Bag Lady swap, which means I will have to finish at least one project this year. I also put up some unwanted acrylic yarn and two very long (150cm) Addi needles that I never use on the swap page and was surprised to find them snapped up in exchange for Bendigo rustic yearn, Opal sock yarn and some bamboo yarn.


J and I are off to Phillip Island tomorrow, so it'll probably be another week before I post again.