Long But Not Lost

i've had the pleasure of hearing from two long lost college friends this week--all a result of checking an ancient email address that i've been meaning to put to rest. both are traveling buddies of sorts so i have these wonderful memories of new and exotic places paired with mishaps and hilarity, exhaustion and excitement. traveling is magic and i miss it so much. even more, i miss these amazing friends that i never thought i would let slip away. and here we are 5 years later trying to get each other up to speed over email. i've really done a piss poor job of maintaining connections with the people that i care about. note to self: stop being such a shitty friend.

ok! so enough of that, right?

so my obsession with knitting continues. i'm on the hunt for a sweet fingerless glove class so that i can start cranking some of them out for xmas gifts. I am also in the market for a simple and satisfying hat pattern. i've been a little embarrassed about my new found love of yarn and the craftiness of it. sure some of its' attractiveness is obvious; the color and texture, the social aspect of hangin' with other saucy knitters, going to the shops which are so fun and inviting. but there is the other part of knitting that makes me cringe; that it's for the quiet and domesticated, childrearing, conservative, and mild mannered female. i talked to my mom on the phone today and squealed to her about the new knitting book that i bought earlier in the day. she sounded a little freaked and when questioned said that she thought it was "weird". clearly, she thinks i've gone soft. so i got to thinking today about why i like it so much and i realized a couple things.
1. being crafty is rad
2. people who knit are rad
3. there is a rhythm to it that i find very soothing. it evens me out a little and helps me to focus and simplify my thoughts. you know how some of you meditate? yeah, that never worked for me. but this might be my meditation.
4. it's about the process and it's stripped down---each stitch is carefully set in place. it's tedious only if you let it, in which case it's time to take a break. much like making art or music. i haven't always been great at reveling in and appreciating the creative process and i think that knitting helps this part of me just a teeny tiny bit.



in other news, i took another amazing stroll with Adam and Tucker--it's been freakishly warm and the afternoon colors were fantastic.