Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Knitter's psychology: storage and denial

As you may know, Hugs is very big on brain health - or at least, on keeping brains happy, especially by way of scrumptious yarns and fibers and fabrics and yum generally.  That's why today, we are going to be talking about the gift to we crafters that some call:

DENIAL.

Denial can be a powerful enemy, it is true.  Saying to yourself "La la la, it's a wonderful day, there is no big giant drooling monster behind me," is simply not valuable when there is in fact a giant drooling monster behind you who just ate your friends as main course and is now ready for dessert.

But properly employed, denial is highly beneficial.  Allow me to illustrate.

Here is a basket I bought online on sale in the early spring when I was dying to spend the summer at the cottage and did not want to wait three more months to do it.


(there is one I promise, but don't ask what connection there is between basket shopping and impatience.  I can't remember the name for this particular brain trick, just that it's not Denial.)

This is a Reisenthel carrybag, that classic piece of marketing bling which in this case has been shrunk to 'XS'.  I believe it is meant for children's toys.  HA.  as if. 

Time for another illustration:


See that drawstring thingy?  That's to keep what's inside dry and intact. 

(and yes, I did notice that the sample basket is now orange instead of green.  It's true, I bought both colours.  In fact there is a second orange one serving as a desk drawer, by way of being wedged between the edge of my desk and the wardrobe against which my desk is nearly jammed.  Sometime I should start a blog about living big in a small house because hello: I would be Queen of that blog category.)

At least I assume 'dry and intact' is what Reisenthel had in mind.  Probably Reisenthel doesn't knit because the drawstring thingy is also very effective at keeping what's inside hidden.


Yep, that's a (proportionally) huge stash of socks and mitts that need grafting and ends run in. 

It's very important that I keep this information - the fact that I have a lot of unfinished work I'm ignoring as I frolic in fresh new crafty pastures - well away from the active part of my brain.  Otherwise I would feel guilt.  And also possibly pain, if for example I should step on a needle that's holding stitches that are waiting to be grafted shut because an unfinished sock fell off the coffee table. 

So, yay Reisenthel basket!  It's now easy for me to just fling an active project on top...


... and pretend there's nothing else in that basket. 

La la la, it's a wonderful day, and there really aren't any giant drooling monsters behind me. 

(if there were though, I would totally stab them with the needles that are holding graft-ready stitches at the ready, because I am keeping my emergency access to the knowledge of their presence wide open.  gotta, or else I'll have super cold toes once the weather turns freezingpants.)

* * * * *

News flash time - top three stories:

1/ I did get to the gym yesterday (and today, go me!) and endured many boring minutes on the elliptical trainer with the aid of Neil Gaiman, who read Neverwhere to me via an iPod.  That man could totally record for Librivox if he wasn't already so busy writing novels.  And the story is great also.  Thank you Mr. Gaiman.

2/ Patrick must have read my blog because I caught him skittering around with a ball of of the singles I wrote about yesterday, presumably to roll over to Flloyd should Flloyd ever make it off my desk and go looking for him with lunch in mind. 


Silly Patrick: he just doesn't believe me when I tell him Flloyd can't open his mouth wide enough to eat him.

3/ I have just treated myself to a little more organic fabric from Alewives.  I loooooove shopping at Alewives.  And I also superhugely love having little food-safe cloth bags I can use for picnic packing.  I'll show you what I picked when it gets here but in the meantime: cute.

Okay! that's me for today.  I am off to do something superproductive which will result in one of two things:

a/ the laundry all folded and put away

or

b/ the singles all run back through the spinning wheel for plying.

And there's your cliffhanger - is Mary sensible, superhuman, or self-indulgent? drop by tomorrow for the answer to this and other stories!

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