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Posted in Knitting
September 19, 2012

Not dead, just busy…

My mother has been suitably appalled with me over the past week. I’ll call to check in on my dad, who fell off a ladder at work last month and has not been having a very fun recovery (dizziness is no one’s friend), and she’ll say “what are YOU doing?” “going home to make dinner…” — then realize the reason she’s making that Very Momlike gasp of air noise is shock. “But it’s 8:30. You’re still at the studio?” “Yup.” And then I sometimes get an “awww” noise. Gotta love moms, right?
But there’s been so much going on! We’ve got a handful of new books going to the printer in time for Stitches East, Rhinebeck and Vogue Knitting Live next month! And this is on top of everything else!
For example… today, on the Twist Collective blog, there is a post about my Budapest Market socks and color. I think it will shock no one to learn I am a sucker for the color green, particularly the chartreuse-y ones.
What else have I been doing in my copious amounts of free time? Oh, you know. Just launching a new knitting magazine. The first official issue of Knit Edge went live last Friday. Note to crocheters: there is (and will continue to be) crochet content, too!
At home I’ve been doing what I call a “destashing” — or what any sane person would call “getting rid of TOO MUCH STUFF.” I’ve only just gotten started and already there are three enormous boxes of clothes to go. Just wait for the book culling…it’s going to be ruthless.
I’ve hit that point where too much Stuff is just annoying, and anyway, I made a deal with myself that if I did this, brutally, I could hire a cleaner. The very day I made this mental deal with myself, I walked into the kitchen and found a cleaning service’s card on our fridge. “Umm, honey? Where’d this come from?” He found it on our car when he was at the gym. Talk about a sign! I have always had this weird guilt about hiring someone to clean (though I am more than happy to take my mom’s help, let me tell you!). It’s come to the point where I just have to get the heck over that and do it. I think we’ll all be better off.
(As an aside, this is part of the reason I can’t really work at home anymore. I hate the temptation of being able to sneak off and do the laundry or dishes when I have other things that need to be done! Please tell me I’m not alone on this.)
It’s actually chilly chilly outside just now. I might get to wear a Real (read: wool) sweater today. Yay! September and October, my two favorite weather months!

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6 comments

  • mel

    “We can still be Socialists & have Help, darling!”

  • Katya

    Go, hire yourself a cleaner. Now 🙂

    Reply to Katya
  • penny

    No, you are not alone. I am looking into real laptops so I can move out of my home office and not be too tempted by the washing machine a mere 20 feet away….
    I’m actually going to attempt a book cull soon if I can plan it without breaking into a cold sweat. But the clothing? I’m trying to get down to a sane amount, there is just too much stuff I never wear and have no reason to keep.

    Reply to penny
  • Anna Walker

    My favorite words to myself right now are the following: Get Over It! No coincidence that one of my favorite Eagles songs is likewise titled.
    When #2 son went off to college a little over a month ago, and #3 son was reluctant to move into his basement room so that I could take over #3 son’s room as a working studio space to get my fiber & STUFF our of our master bedroom, tears were told to GET OVER IT, this is a good thing.
    When I took old clothes from both boys and myself to the trunk of the car in preparation of donating, saw something that could be repurposed, I stopped, and shouted GET OVER IT!
    Tis a good thing to get over it-leave the stuff behind and focus on what is truly worth pursuing. (At least that’s what I tell myself every day!)
    See you in about a month!
    Anna W.
    @FELTit on Twitter
    designsbyanna.artfire.com

    Reply to Anna Walker
  • Anna

    I have been having a discussion with my partner for some time now on the cleanliness of our abode. Not everyone cares about a clean living space (and when I say clean, I mean at least basic hygenics – it doesn’t need to be clutter free or sparkling, just habitable). But, when you are sharing a living space with others, one needs to be considerate of the needs/desires of those people (especially if they are people you like sharing a bed with). Now, I have a severe dust allergy, so I can get pretty manic about the state of the apartment, whereas my partner is very laidback and will leave dishes on the coffee table (or floor) for days. The discussion has been a debate about what it means to “do your part” in cleaning. If he doesn’t want to clean, that’s fine; he needs to hire a cleaner. Once or twice a month for a deep clean would relieve a lot of the headache for me trying to keep the apartment up to breathing standards for me. I am all for hiring cleaners. They need to make a living too, and for some people – cleaning is meditation. (Sort of like those friends I have who find a calling in weaving in ends – good people to know).
    As an aside – I am looking forward to the end of my show season so I can knit myself/family some nice sweaters without needing to sit in front of a fan to knit. Best time of year.

    Reply to Anna
  • coryy

    My theory is that when at home, doing “chores” instead of work we should be doing is an excellent form of procrastination, since it enables you to feel virtuous while shirking. ( I can’t really be shirking, this stuff has to get done sometime…)
    Says the woman who has Marxist critiques to re-read and homework for a class in 3 hours, and just sorted 5 loads of laundry instead…

    Reply to coryy

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