Weekend weaving

Whether you can afford a break, sometimes it's best to go ahead and take one. I wouldn't say that I took a break this past weekend, but I didn't push myself to complete everything that I need to get done. Right now I'm resigned to finishing the essential stuff and accepting that some of the films I should review won't get written up.

Friday night I knitted a little of Kristin's scarf and then went comatose in front of the television. That was just what the doctor ordered. I still felt tired the next morning, but I motivated myself to get some work done by planning to go to Saturday's Blue Jackets game. Sure enough, I wrote one review and half of two other reviews in addition to fitting in some knitting. Then it was off to the game.

Two hours prior to gametime the Blue Jackets make a minimum of 250 seats available for $10. Since they've been winning in recent weeks, I thought there might be a longer line than when I've gone before. I arrived a half hour early and was shocked to see a line out the door of the ticket office. Cheap seat or not, I was going to buy a ticket unless only the pricey ones were left. One of the few benefits of going solo is that you can usually get a stray seat somewhere. It turned out not to matter as I landed one of the $10 tickets, a minor victory for the night and the week.

As for the game, the way it started didn't look to make it a good night. After one period, the Jackets were down 5-1. I don't live and die by my team's wins and losses, but an old-fashioned whipping like this is no fun at all. They charged back in the second period to cut the deficit to 5-4. Now I felt like they were going to pull out an amazing comeback win. In that way the game was similar to my emotional roller coaster of the week. Feel bad for a period, feel good for a period. In the end the Blue Jackets came up short, but I appreciated doing something that wasn't work-related and that took my mind off everything else.

Saturday had been productive enough that I didn't feel as much pressure on Sunday. I talked with Kristin's husband for awhile about the website he's been building for the critics' group. I intended to do some writing after that, but a nap seemed more important. When I awoke I still felt lethargic, so I scrapped any writing plans and focused on knitting. I knitted some more of the scarf, which is coming along very nicely, and then turned my attention to sewing in the ends of my otherwise FOs.

I didn't realize how long it would take to weave in the tails or how tedious it was going to be. This felt more like work. I took my time, and slowly the scarves in my finished stack outnumbered those in need of sewing.

One thing I learned was how far I've come since that first scarf. Looking at it now, I don't think it's very good. It should look OK as a whole when (or if) my brother wears it, but the sloppy stitching is embarrassing to examine. I'm glad Kristin was encouraging and didn't let on that I needed a lot of improvement. The second one is definitely a step up, and by the third scarf I think I was doing a respectable job. I'm proud of the work I've done, especially on the most recent scarves, and can't wait to give them away.

I didn't sew in the numerous ends on the striped scarf because I'd had enough by that point. I had been afraid that I wouldn't have any projects to keep me busy today, but I have a lot of weaving in to do on that scarf and a little less than two feet to knit of Kristin's scarf. That should be plenty for tonight and maybe some for tomorrow. Hopefully my Knit Picks yarn will have arrived by then.

I may also pick up some cotton for dishcloths. Small, fast projects could be good to knit during the holidays. And you know I don't have anything else I need to be doing.

Next...sewing in the last ends and, if all goes well, finishing Kristin's scarf.