Posted on 10 Comments

Of TV Habits and New Reads

2015 123/365

Up until this past weekend, I had only one needlework project in active progress. If I’m being completely honest, I should put the word “active” in quotes, because progress has been nothing if not excruciatingly slow.

My schedule for personal needlework has gotten all out of whack in recent months. It used to be that Neil and I would park ourselves on the couch in the family room sometime around 8pm, and we’d watch a few things from the DVR or Netflix on our one and only television. I’d spend a few hours working on whatever knit or crochet project was in the basket next to me, and a steady progress would be made.

This all changed back in December, when Neil splurged on a bigger TV and started spending a good portion of the evening playing Destiny with remote friends on his Xbox. Despite the fact that I rarely look up when I’m engaging in needlework, and I listen to what is on the TV more than I watch it, I just couldn’t get into knitting to the sounds of a video game.

2015 113/365

And so it came to pass that I am now spending the earlier part of my evenings upstairs in my bedroom until Neil’s game time is over. We moved the old TV in there, and I sit on the bed watching my own preferred brand of television, mostly mysteries and sitcoms and other things that Neil really wouldn’t be into for our together time. We haven’t bothered to spring for cable in that room, so I’m limited to what I can get on Netflix, Acorn.TV, or one of the other streaming services. It’s fine, actually. I’ve got plenty to watch.

The thing is, for some reason lately, I just can’t seem to get into working on my projects upstairs on the bed. So I watch TV, futz around a bit on my phone, or process photos on the laptop, and leave the needlework downstairs. And while Neil and I do still have together time on the couch, there is less of it, and it starts later in the the evening, and by then I really don’t feel like crocheting or knitting or anything that requires my tired eyes to focus on something tiny.

So, progress is very, very slow.

2015 114/365

When you read all of this, it becomes pretty obvious to you, I would think, that I am blaming the state of my Ravelry queue on our current nighttime routine. And it’s true. I am. Or, rather, I was.

See, I think maybe I just don’t feel like crocheting a blanket anymore.

Saturday morning, I was lounging in bed, wandering around Pinterest, which I had only just re-installed on my phone (see above re:futzing around), and I found a beautiful shawl/scarf about which I just needed to know more.

I followed the link, only (and this is my biggest Pinterest pet peeve) the link went to the blog’s main page, and not to the page of the particular post.

22_knitting_03_ul

I’m nothing if not stubborn, so I scanned through the blogs’s entire knitting archive until I came across it. The thing is, in this case, the fact that I had to search for the post was more of a blessing than an irritation. That blog had me delighted for more than two hours. Long after I found what I was looking for, I continued to read.

I love her way of writing. I love the things she makes. I love that her children are older (because so often, blogs are written by mothers of toddlers, and while that’s cute and fun, it’s not where I am right now). And I love that the winter gets her down as much as it gets me.

So, Cozy Things has earned a spot on my Must Read list, and has also made me realize that I want to knit. I have, it seems, been missing it. Who knew? As of Saturday night, the Family Room Squircleghan has been set aside (although not put away – I do still want to work on it in dribs and drabs) and a new project is on the needles. It’s a short-sleeved sweater that I saw on my new favorite blog, because in addition to being stubborn, I am also quite impressionable.

I cast-on a new knit

I’m not even sure if this style will flatter my shape, but I am giving it a shot for a few reasons, not the least of which is that short-sleeved sweaters are a not a huge commitment. If I don’t like it in the end, no big deal. Also, I think this will be a nice canvas for one of my grandmother’s big mother of pearl buttons. And I am impressionable like I said, and Kristen wears it so well.

Oh my, I really seem to have gone on and on this morning, haven’t I? My coffee is long gone, and I’ve already ignored one phone reminder to get off my duff and spiffy up the kitchen. (Yes, I need to remind myself of things like this daily, or I would never do them…)

It’s been a pleasure writing here today. Let’s do it again soon, ok? 😃

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

Sign up for occasional Polka Dot Cottage news and get a coupon for 10% off your next order!

Don't worry, we won't bother you more than once or twice a month!

Posted on 10 Comments

10 thoughts on “Of TV Habits and New Reads

  1. Wow! This post could have been written by me! I also follow this blog (as well as yours) and appreciate reading about families with older kids. I actually made this sweater last winter in a very similar color…easy knit and the fit was spot on! Enjoy your new project! Thanks for all of the friendly, inspiring posts.

    1. Great minds think alike! I’m glad to hear that your sweater was a success. It’s hard to tell from the photos, but my yarn is a heathered yellowy-green color. I think it might look more yellow than it actually is here. Either way, it’s all good 😊 Thanks for reading and commenting!

  2. I love when one of my favorite blogs leads me to another blog. I’ve been pruning my blog feed lately (a few blogs have shifted there theme over the years and I realized I never read them anymore) and it’s nice to have something fresh.

    1. I have way too many things in my blog feed – I rarely get to them anymore! That’s why I needed a Must Reads category. I make sure I see those blogs, and the rest I get to when/if I get to them. It might be better to prune at some point 🙂

      Glad I could lead you somewhere good!

  3. Yes, right there too!! This was so well stated!!! Love you blog- so honest!

    1. Thank you, Chloe 🙂

  4. I’m currently in the mood to finish all the WIPs… Too long have I had things in progress – sometimes it’s just nice to have that feeling of finishing something, ya know?

    I know what you mean about finding new inspiration – I love the blog “My Sister’s Knitter” – always some good stuff on there!

    1. I get that way, too. I love it when that happens because you just start banging things out so quickly all of a sudden (since they were all more than half finished already).

      Thanks for the blog suggestion. I dropped by there and just realized that I see her on Flickr all of the time! I bookmarked the site so I can explore it later when I’m not being pulled in so many directions 🙂

  5. Lisa, thank you so much for this! I so love the way this little network of like-minded people leads us all to inspiration, again and again, and I love knowing that there are others like me out there, going through the same things. And also, your photography is wonderful! I can’t wait to see how your cardigan turns out. 🙂

    1. Thanks, Kristen 🙂 And re: this little network, agreed!

Leave a comment!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.