I Knit

To those people who don't knit, the above sentence only conveys that I have a pleasant hobby, and will maybe have on a handknit item sometime. And that's the end of it. To those people who do knit, the above has a much deeper meaning. They can nod with a small smile on their face, and know immediately what my house looks like (a mess), how much yarn is probably in my closet (we won't talk about that), and how many pieces of unfinished knitting surround me from my favorite spot on the couch (at the moment, four).

It's an insidious activity, and begins when, after many false starts, something beautiful (or at least recognizable) emerges from 2 sticks and a pile of string. Then you buy some more yarn and start something new, and it goes from there. So, I decided to come up with 5 reasons that I love to knit:

1. I like to dress my children in silly unique, handknit items
2. I like to figure out all the math to make a pattern work (I know, what's that about?)
3. I'm not an artistic person, and knitting makes me look creative
4. I can feel less guilty about not cleaning my house - I'm knitting things to keep my family warm and properly clothed (who can argue with that?)
   
5. I can feel less guilty about watching tv - see above

I do take breaks to cook and clean up after meals, help with homework, play assorted games (can you say Candyland - like 9 million times?), and teach the occasional class or flute lesson. The knitting is always ready to take me back when I have the time, and lets me work out the kinks of the day.

When your job is a stay at home parent, your accomplishments often seem vague and undefined. The day to day tasks of the job are seemingly infinite, and it's not unusual to get to the end of the day and wonder how much you actually got done; and then you pick up your knitting, and can see that three more inches are done on that sweater, and you have tangible proof that at least you achieved something today.