Yopping Update - Week #1 - Testing Testing

On strict orders from my daughter I was not to knit for a week.  My arm has been very sore and I have to teach starting in a week and I need to be more mobile for sure.

So.....what did I do? 

I spent hours re-editing my novel and then I took it to the printer to get it ready to give copies to beta readers.  What?  I know, right?  I also sent pdfs to three readers and it seems that after almost four years this whole novel thing might be becoming a reality.

What is a beta reader you might ask?  I will let Wikipedia answer:   

"A beta reader is a test reader of an unreleased work of literature giving feedback with the angle of an average reader to the author about remaining issues."

Now I want to start organizing my poetry into a single collection.  I thought I had already done this, but it must have been a dream because I cannot find it on any computer anywhere.  How weird is that?

There was a tiny bit of crafting - crochet, and after trying for a little I switched back to my left hand only.  These produce bags are quick and easy to make.  Good television crafting once the increase rounds are done.

Two done and the third just needs the handles.

I had an epiphany about my fisherwoman's sweater this past week.  It seems for me that knitting truly is a metaphor for my life.

I started this sweater with wool I had re-purposed from a sweater that didn't fit me anymore.  It was a long line vest, and I figured I had enough yarn to make a cable-knit sweater for camping.

Once the back was almost complete I started to wonder if I woud have enough wool to finish it.  I stopped knitting the back about two inches from the end, and cast on the two sleeves.  When the sleeves were almost finished I weighed the parts that were already knit.  Then I weighed how much yarn I have left.

I think I don't have enough yarn, but rather than soldier on to see if the imaginary is reality I just put the whole thing on time out.

Why? 

What is the worst that can happen?  I can either make the sweater shorter if I need to because I haven't cast off the back as this point, or I can go and buy a suitable yarn to finish the sweater.

It is a camping sweater afterall, not something I want to exhibit at Vogue knitting.

This got me to thinking about what I have been going through over the past year.   I have been looking at what strategies I have been using in my life, that no longer serve me, that I wish to let go, or change.

Change is hard.  It is easy to go back to old patterns, or put things in a time out.  It is harder just to move forward and face whatever it is I need to face head on.

If I don't see this sweater through to the end I won't ever know if maybe  a) I will win at the yarn chicken, or b)  I won't win at yarn chicken but I will experience the success of finding a solution of either modifying the pattern, or finding some yarn to finish it.  It is natural undyed aran wool so I really don't think getting a close enough match will be a problem.

Besides, I can't go back.  The old sweater that didn't fit anymore cannot be put back to the way it was and the new sweater is shaping up quite nicely.  Change is not comfortable.

Pretending the problem isn't there won't make it go away.

Are you listening, Mary-Anne?

Yup, I am listening, and as soon as I can knit again I will cast on the front and let the chips fall where they may.

To following the other intrepid souls that are going into Year Nine with me check out their posts here.