The One With No Photos

It's been sort of a weird week, I guess. Work has been a little strange -- we're in the midst of a top management transition. Last night was the party for the outgoing editor, which, while fun, had me elbowing my way through the crowds to the bar and food and wishing I had a way to also make it to late night. [Especially when I saw the booty Maeve made off with! And knowing that there's probably no Lorna's Laces left at the shop!] Oh well. Next week I'll definitely be there!

And for some reason my eyes have been really sore this week. Like exhausted from holding themselves open. I catch myself squinting at the computer during the day, and I can hardly keep them open when I get home. I just had a full eye checkup last month, and my vision's fine. I think I need more noncomputer and nontelevision things to do, though. I walked the mile home from the Metro last night and it felt good to take in all the scenery.

There hasn't been a lot of knitting. I'm still tooling away on the tweedy Frimas sweater's back; I hope to be able to finish that piece this weekend. I'd been working on a scarf on the subway; last night I hit about the 6-inch mark and realized that the stitch pattern I'd selected was all wrong for a scarf. No drape, and it didn't highlight the yarn (Diakeito Diarufuran) like I wanted. I did have a light-bulb moment, though, during an inevitable Red Line delay: That stitch is going to work for something else. Soon, I'll put on my rookie-designer's cap and get cracking.

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Here's a question I've been thinking about: How do you decide what to knit? Is it instinctual or more process-oriented? I've come to the realization that my knitting tendencies are far, far different than my shopping ones. In a store, I will try on a zillion things--and with each one, I know within about 10 seconds whether or not I like it. No mulling, no doing a dozen 360-degree twirls in front of a mirror. Check out the front, check out the back, yes or no.

With knitting, it's a different story. When I first get a knitting book or mag, I go through it and look at the pictures. If something catches my eye, I might do a quick read of the pattern. But then I put it down. Then maybe a week later, I pick up the book again and something totally different catches my eye. Repeat ad infinitum. There are very few projects that really get stuck in my head... in fact, Audrey is the only one I can think of. Does that mean that I'm operating with a very discerning knitting mind? Or that no one is really publishing the perfect patterns for me?

Whatever the answer, I know this: I have six knitting mags en route to me. Some were purchased way back before the holidays, and even though it's an overseas vendor, I'm getting impatient. [Same vendor also having a big sale right now.] The rest were purchased in a fit of "why isn't my first purchase here yet?" last week. If nothing's here by this weekend... I just may have to venture out to buy some books! I feel the need to look at new patterns. (Not knit, mind you. The knitting is keeping me content. But I need some mind candy, I think.) Hurry up already!