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I had a notion earlier this spring. I’ve dubbed this notion my “No Regrets Summer”. Paradoxically, it’s not about indulgence. In fact, it’s surprisingly practical. Every winter I wish I’d already knit certain things so that I could just wear them. But then in summer I get distracted or plan for Christmas or something. And I don’t knit slippers for myself. Or a thick cowl. Or a big shawl so I can stop walking around with a blanket folded into a triangle and heaped around my shoulders. (That’s just so not classy.)
And so I’ve made a list of items I keep regretting that I haven’t already knit. One of them: black socks. I really want black socks. I wear black pants. Black shoes. Black shirts. My hand-knit socks are sometimes (alright, often) a surprising element. Fine for at home or under boots. But sometimes a girl just wants warm, woolly black socks.
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Aktiv 4-fach UNI
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Today the summer has arrived. It is our last day of homeschooling before we take our spring break (as we always wait until spring arrives because I don’t want a moping set of us in a world that is moping its way through March or April). It is a day when I finished the two projects on my needles. It is a day when the leaves are finally coming out.
And while I’m excited about knitting black socks, I’m not excited today.
I’m thinking that it might be time to indulge myself. I don’t do that a lot. I like anticipation, so I tend to ‘when, then’ myself. When X and Y are done, then I can watch the new episode. When I’m done on the treadmill, then I can open the package. (In fact, I often put the package next to me on the treadmill so that I can get little anticipatory shivers when my eyes stray over to it.)
And the thing is, I promised myself I could play with this yarn after X and Y.
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Felici Caprica
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And X and Y are done. Z, too. And I may just play. It’s a tough choice. The excitement of beginning the “No Regrets Summer”, or the pleasure of a soft, silky, cheerful set of stripes?
Or. OR. Hey! I just had a thought most alien: I could start both pairs today. Oooooooooh.
Forget that. I’m not faced with a choice. I made my decision. I want it all.
photo by Sandra
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“No story is a straight line. The geometry of a human life is too imperfect and complex, too distorted by the laughter of time and the bewildering intricacies of fate to admit the straight line into its system of laws.”
Pat Conroy
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Is straight line thinking trapping you? How can you nudge yourself out of a thought process that is basically arguing with reality*?
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* I once read that one definition of crazy is arguing with reality.
I’ve been thinking of clothes lately and reading about clothes. In particular, something that’s been around a while but never really stood out enough for me to pay much attention: Project 333
Summary from the website:
The Basics
- When: Every three months (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)
- What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.
- What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring or another sentimental piece of jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)
- How: Choose your 33 items, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of site.
- What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If your clothes don’t fit or are in poor condition, replace them.
The appeal is clear for me: I’ve always been a sucker for the tidy simplicity of this paper-doll-like switch around. As long as I can remember I’ve had a soft spot for Ricki’s 10 Items 10 Ways. I always end up wishing that Ricki’s did a version that wasn’t office appropriate. Don’t get me wrong, I do want North America to dress better. But I like to see examples of this in a more casual or urban-street kind of way to get my creative juices flowing.
Project 333 seems like such a wonderful chance to play with finding a central wardrobe for myself. But then again, I feel like this is how I’ve been living for a while and now that I finally have a few more things I don’t want to go back to a more minimalistic time. Having lost 50 pounds and living on one income, I have tended to buy a few things and wear them til they fall apart. It has taken years to get to a point where I have a few more choices. Especially since I have a hard time spending money on myself.
So I don’t think I’ll try Project 333, but I have really enjoyed reading about it, rethinking what I own, and setting a few goals for finding a few essentials that would really give me a lot more scope for expression.
It’s led me all sorts of fun places:
The Capsule Wardrobe Concept and a little more on the idea
Redbook’s 51 days of clothing for $200
I sure wish someone would do a version of these that isn’t quite so preppy. Something a little more ‘strolling down the cobblestones after going to the market and stopping to have a cappuccino’.
This Flickr mosaic of someone doingProject 333 comes close.
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Another test knit for Woolly Wormhead. I love this design! Stylish and flattering.
Pavone is Italian for peacock, and you can certainly see the influence in the pattern.
You can see in the next photo that the yarnovers are important to get right. The designer and I wrapped ours in opposite directions, meaning that when I went to knit them I’d get this long loop in the back. Simple to fix once you know.
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Sandra loves it. She wasn’t feeling very patient the day we did the photos, but she loves it and wore it all winter long. I want one.
It’s out in The Knitter issue 32 right now. In 6 months Woolly Wormhead will have the rights to sell the pattern, important info for those of us who live where we can’t get the magazine.
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Queen Elizabeth Park on Saturday
the fencing is tall fencing around a tennis court
the water has risen more than a foot since then
normally, the river isn’t even visible from this vantage point
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“A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt
(Except that the water is cold in this situation.)
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Our city has a valley and in that valley is a river and in that river is more water than anyone has ever seen.
Things are ok. Most of the city isn’t in the valley, and they took flood preparations very seriously this year. People are helping each other. And marveling at the force of water.
More info if you’re curious.
For our first book in our brand new Teen Book Club: “Never Cry Wolf”. Sandra vetoed my first idea of meatball mice as ‘far too….’ and then she shuddered.
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Mice Scones
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Unexpectedly, our weekend looked nothing like what we’d planned. No first soccer games of the season. No travel to Winnipeg for the Police Half-Marathon.
But we did get something. Oh, boy, did we get it. Ice rain followed by 20 cm of snow and howling winds.
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The 30 or so robins that have been living off last year’s crop of crab apples…enlarged and scruffy. They were at times so fluffed up against the cold it was comical.
The dog and the boy and even the papa loved the chance for one last snowball extravaganza.
And then Monday’s high was +10.
Spring can be such a drama queen.
