Recently, I've come to a realization that my developed affinity for simple projects (stockinette and garter knitting, single and double crochet, plain weave) is a response to more than I originally thought. It's not uncommon for me to sing the praises of plain pieces when working with handspun yarn, since much of my handspun is striped or variegated and can get lost in a pattern, or the pattern can get lost in the yarn, but there's another factor.
I can lose myself in the work when it doesn't take all my attention, and I can use that attention to, for instance, listen to an audiobook or podcast. I can talk to my mother on the phone and not have to pause to count stitches in a lace repeat, or make sure I'm crossing that eight-stitch cable the right way. Barring all that, I can let my mind wander off to think about future projects, do mundane planning, consider uses for leftovers from the project at hand, etc.
If we're talking about my garter stitch blanket, I could read a blog post or a book with how little I have to look at that project. Four edge stitches, knit all the way across, four edge stitches. Even if I miss pulling a stitch all the way through, I'll catch it on the way back; ask me how I know.
This realization comes at a time that I've leapt back into reading both print and audiobooks. Just last week, I finished Jenna Woginrich's Barnheart, in ebook form, and I've recently finished Roots, Branches, and Spirits, by H. Byron Ballard, as an audiobook. Spending time reading and listening to published words rather than social media drivel has been excellent for my well-being, and if you've been away from reading as a pastime for too long (as I was), I cannot recommend enough to give it another shot.
This post came about because I've had an insatiable urge to crochet for the past several months. You might remember my simple, single crochet shawl from back in March (yikes, that was March?!), that I finished in about three weeks while juggling some other projects. Every other crochet project I've cast on since has been frogged, because I'm just not feeling it, but I want to crochet.
Last weekend, I set out during my Twitch broadcast to find a new crochet project. I searched my library and favorites on Ravelry for an hour, couldn't find yarn for what I originally thought I wanted, and settled on starting a fairly simple pocket shawl pattern. I cast on 156 stitches, did a row of double crochet, admired my work, continued with a row of front/back post double crochet ribbing, and immediately ripped it out.
The f/bpdc stitches were aggravating me, and I preferred the look of the plain old double crochet row.
I want to crochet, and I want relatively mindless crochet. That shawl linked above was perfect; it started out as a mosaic crochet project, but the yarn didn't work out for that, and I continued on with my handspun until I ran out. It's a triangular shawl where the yarn does all the work and the stitches just tell the yarn where to land.
Something I've noticed—and I'm not sure if it's just because I'm drawn to the aesthetic or because it's more popular—is that among those who sell their handmade goods, plain items with just a little bit of flair are the bread and butter of the operation. Rustic woven table runners with a contrast stripe here and there, but all plain weave. Gorgeous, colorful guitar straps, but mostly plain weave (and of course the ones that aren't are significantly more expensive). Large, gradient shawls, generally in a single and/or double crochet pattern with the occasional accent. Knitted hats, either stockinette or ribbed.
Part of that is going to be the ease and speed with which one can crank out those items, which makes them far more profitable, but I can't help but consider that allowance for brain space, for thought, for listening, for planning. Once those physical tasks are put on near-autopilot, you've just freed up a lot of time for your mind to wander.
With that, I'm trying to slow down a little, work on what feels right, and keep things simple as much as I can. The complex projects will come as inspiration allows, but there's no need to complicate things unnecessarily.
No photos this week, but I encourage you to get outside if you can (or get comfy-cozy inside if you can't), bring a simple project, and just be with it. Check out that nice park you never go to, or just enjoy your own patio or porch.
Feel free to let me know what you're reading and/or working on, in the comments here or in my Discord server.
I'll be around in the morning with some kind of craft and coffee.
While I want to weave, it might not be the right time yet.
Be gentle with yourselves, and enjoy your weekend. 💛
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