Someone Else’s Deadline
For those of you that knit for gift giving, you know the minor stress of that deadline. I know a lot of gift giving knitters create a list of gifts they want to knit for Christmas, often find they’ve overestimated what they can do, stress close to Christmas, and probably get less done because of that stress. Well, that’s what I do anyways. I find that deadline stress gets me really anxious to do my own knitting instead of the gift knitting. I’ve learned that Christmas knitting must start in July/August in order to maintain my sanity and stock up before winter.
I know that there are others of you who have done real deadline knitting where you are beholden to someone else. You may even receive some sort of compensation, which adds its own sort of stress. Well, for the past month I’ve been doing some of that kind of knitting, and have learned a lot about myself in the process. Real deadline knitting where I have more than just myself to disappoint is a lot easier. I almost treat it like work, and set goals for myself in stages. Although it doesn’t hurt that this has been an easy knit. This weekend my goal is to get the ends woven in so that Monday and Tuesday I can work on the last bit of knitting (which I don’t yet have instructions for).
I’ve even managed to get a little personal knitting in without taking time out of my “work” knitting. I have another personal deadline soon for July 26, and it doesn’t matter that I set the deadline for myself. I have no choice but to finish this birthday gift because last year I forgot Mom’s birthday. Bad idea! This one I can actually show you, and I’m really excited with its progress.
It’s the faroese shawl I’m making for Mom’s birthday. It’s a simple garter stitch shawl with a bit of lace on the edges. I chose a lace pattern from Vol. 1 of the Barbara Walker treasuries and knit it in garter stitch instead of stockinette. It took me a while to find just the right lace for this, but I think this will suit my mom and the shawl perfectly. I really can’t wait to finish this and see it blocked and laid out, which makes it so much easier to get done by the 26th.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Just wanted to say I love your name and you have done a marvelous job on Villete (Ch 7)!
I also love knitting and learned in 2005 (from my not-so-young little sister.
All your work is lovely! Keep it up!
Blessings,
Kristin