Connections

We are social beings.  We crave connections, not only in a social sense, but in a learning sense as well.  The brain seeks out ways to connect prior learning with new ideas.  This is one reason I choose certain projects sometimes, because I think I will learn a new technique or improve on something I already do.

Case in point is the little mini backpack I briefly mentioned last week.  I tried it out, because I had seen a stitch that was new to me, that I wanted to try out on the strap.  After a few attempts, I got in the groove, and am very happy with the result.

But this little backpack helped me connect in another way.  As many of you do, I belong to a couple of social media groups that share my hobbies.  Sometimes I will post pics and a blurb about my finished projects.  I posted the backpack on a group moderated by the creator of the pattern I used for it.  No biggie; just wanted to share how well-written her pattern was and the learning I gained in the process.  I was surprised at the reaction, and the connections it made with other people. My post is still garnering comments and “likes”, three weeks after I posted it!  And the moderator has commented as well.  Go figure?  You never know what will connect with people.

I know I said I was going to talk to you about the apps I use for audiobooks this week, but I want to stay on this theme of “connection”.  The book I am listening to currently is the first in a series written by David Baldacci, with the lead characters referred to as “the Camel Club”.  I had read another series by him (the Amos Decker series), and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I checked this one out.  I was not connecting with it at all, and was going to abandon it, when I mentioned it to my brother-in-law.  He said this was one of his favourite series, and that I should persevere!  So I did.  Still not connecting, but now I’m almost finished.  Should I stay or should I go?

Finally, on a personal level, I lost a very dear friend to cancer this week.  She is the reason for the theme of this post.  Trish connected with everyone she met.  And if they were reticent, she worked even harder to make that connection.  Her smile and sparkle just made you feel that you mattered, and that there was someone in this world that cared deeply about you.  She truly was an inspiring human being. 💕

Reckless Abandon!

I have a hard and fast rule.  I never continue a project, or a book, if I am not enjoying it.  Period.  My time is too valuable.  So I will abandon it, without any second thoughts or guilt.  Case in point - the “Recoleta” cardigan I began last week.  I just wasn’t feeling it.  It’s not that it wasn’t a well-written pattern, because it was extremely clear.  And the yarn is gorgeous.  It required a LOT of concentration, and my head just wasn’t there.  I likely will “frog” it (which is a knitting/crocheting term meaning unravel the whole thing), and use the yarn on a simpler cardigan, or I may just put it away and take it back out in the l-o-n-g winter months.

I did, however, finish the Ana Lucia shawl.  It is available for purchase in my online store.  I think it turned out very pretty!  I also squeezed in this little mini backpack in the last week, also available in my store.  Isn’t it cute?

Buy now!

Buy now!

With books, as I said, I have an “abandon” rule as well.  I know that is sacrilege to some people, but it doesn’t bother me at all.  I began listening to a Lisa Jewell book after I finished “Nine Perfect Strangers”, because I have read a couple of her other books, and quite enjoyed them.  This book, entitled “The Third Wife”, never got off the ground for me.  It plodded along, and the development of the main character was conflicted.  I got through about half of it, and lost complete interest, so back to the (audio) library it went!

Most of the audiobooks I “read” I get for free, through a couple of apps.  I will talk about that next week, so stay tuned!  What do you think - are you okay with abandoning projects or books?

It's All About The Purple!

I'm on a purple kick.  Don't know why; I don't even own much purple.  But these yarns and projects just spoke to me! 

Project #1 is the Ana Lucia shawl in one of my current yarn obsessions, Scheepjes Whirl in "Lavenderlicious".  This is a crochet project, and is working up fairly quickly.  I am drawn to texture, and this has it with a simple 10-row repeat.  There is enough variety to keep my interest, and it is lovely, drapey, and squishy!  When finished, it will go in my online store, so watch for that within the next week!



Project #2 is for me.  This gorgeous deep purple Cascade Venezia Worsted has been in my stash for a while, just waiting for the perfect project.  I finally decided to take on the challenge of Recoleta, a cardigan I have been admiring for ages.  I like to choose projects that might teach me something new, and this one started with a crochet provisional cast on, something I hadn't used before.  So far so good, except for having to read two separate charts at once.  This one takes a lot of concentration, so I decided to choose an audiobook that was a little more "fluff".

Enter "Nine Perfect Strangers" by Liane Moriarty.  I've read just about everything else she has written, and loved "Big Little Lies" (the book was WAY better than the HBO show, imho).  As in BLL, this story is very character-centric as well.  Nine people all end up at the same 10-day health retreat in an historic mansion that has been converted to a health and wellness centre.  Ms. Moriarty adeptly moves the story along while simultaneously deeply developing the individual characters.  The back-stories of each are really interesting.  This one has got me thinking a lot about the meaning of spirituality, and how it is different from organized religion (although for some that certainly supports their spirituality).  "Spirituality" means something different to each one of us, so developing it is also different for each one of us.  So it is turning out to be not as fluffy a book as I thought!


What do you think?  Comments are certainly welcomed!