Progress Report

In one of my recent posts, I declared that my goal was to finish the Anice shawl by the end of July.  Oh dear...it is now the 23rd and I am at least four entire knitting days away from my goal.  A knitting day, for me, involves: 

1. morning coffee, check e-mails, cruise my favorite blogs



2. more coffee, check e-mails again, in case something new came in



3. move to rocking chair to knit



4. knit for 10 minutes and go to the bathroom (why do I never remember to do this first?)



5. back to chair, knit, watch clock...is it lunch time yet?



6. knit some more



7. yay!  it's lunch time...eat, check e-mails again, read another blog, feel guilty I'm not knitting



8. back to rocker, knit some more



9. stop to make dinner around 5:00 p.m.

OK.  You have the basic idea.  Somewhere in there some rows actually do get done, and now that I'm knitting more than I'm taking out, these days should bring more results. Now I just have to find the days.

I was up at 3:00 a.m. one morning last week and by 4:30 (after doing procedures 1 & 2 until I was awake enough), I managed to settle in and get quite a lot done before the rest of the family started moving about.  It was so inspiring that I vowed to make this a habit, but haven't managed another early start since.  There's something about the quiet of the early morning hours...the sounds of the birds, the dog, cats, and someone who shall remain nameless snoring...it's an odd little symphony.  I am relaxed in a way that  I'm not when I try to knit at night.  That morning, I was thinking about the term "knitty gritty"...and I don't mean the television program...but rather the old expression we've all used forever.  Does anyone truly know where it came from?  I'd like to know.  I decided for me, it means that when I knit, I grit my teeth...not a good thing, but an involuntary action nonetheless.  So much for knitting to relax.  (Does this mean I'll end up with that rare condition, knitter's teeth?)

I have now officially knitted up to the center of the shawl.  I am excited, and I am now loving working on it vs. fearing and dreading it...and even more...I am dreaming of my next lace shawl.  I think I have the bug!  ---Martie