High Anxiety

I have to say I have a steady level of anxiety all the time about the election. Then it shoots up at times like this morning, when I came down to an email from a cousin full of ‘facts’ about how Obama is really Muslim, born in Kenya so he can’t be president, and some additional horrible ugly racist lies that I will not repeat. It’s not a secret that I am supporting “that one” but no matter who you support, smears and lies are wrong wrong wrong.  My sister asks why I even open the emails, since I am pretty sure what they contain. I guess I could just delete. My cousin says “I don’t  write ‘em, I just pass ‘em on.”  I replied to him that we must all take responsibility to only send on what we know to be true and decent. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Or knit.

I understand that the amygdala is the seat of fear and anxiety, the fight or flight response, and that repetitive tasks like knitting soothe the amygdala. So I am knitting. And knitting. Here’s what I finished in record time this past week:

It’s the Wolf Pack Hat from Shear Spirit. I was asked by Gale to adapt a machine-knit hat from Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company for hand knitting. It was fun, and it’s way harder to make a wolf at 6.25 sts to the inch that I might have figured. I did the hat above in Classic Elite Fresco as a model for the Yarnery. The shop is carrrying the Thirteen Mile yarn, but unfortunately, it comes in 300 yard skeins. That’s great for the Montana Tunic, or a shoulder shawl, but too much put up for a hat.  The shop is thinking of making smaller skeins or kitting the yarn for items like hats.

The Fresco, though, is really lovely yarn. It is luscious and soft and was great for two-color work. I think it would be gorgeous to use for any of the Bohus Patterns.  The hem is double-wide, to add extra warmth over the ears.  The hem also covers up the long carries required for the wolf.  I still think you should twist every 7-10 sts, though, because some of my longer carries are not loose enough.  They look fine, but when I put the hat on I can feel some tightness around my oversized cranium.

I also worked on a pair of socks for my human ball winder in Panda Cotton Bamboo, which is a bit splitty, but very soft.  Here they are, just a few yards short. I finished up the toes with a bit of Koigu.

As a way of feeling as though I am contributing something, I’ve been volunteering for a non-partisan voter registration drive in my community.  If you are eligible to vote in the US, haven’t registered yet and still can in your state, PLEASE do it.

MLE