Knitter's Attention Deficit (Disorder?)

In everyday life, when witnessing someone who is going in all directions at one time, it is often described as a lack of focus. Could it be that some of us have a greater range of focus, and can pinpoint their direction better by taking in many experiences and winding down into the ones that seem most applicable for the situation?

I work this way. Go wide and slowly focus in on the most important aspect of what I am doing.

This month has found me working yet a 3rd version of my market bag in a different yarn altogether. The trial and tweaking of these versions are to the benefit of those who may use my pattern, so no problem here. I don't need 3 market bags, but the experience has been good and the end products varied in size and shape.

I am also picking along at the Hanami, but have decided to shelve the project momentarily while the other more pressing issues of my life are screaming in my ears.

After the Black Sheep Swap, I found that my newly acquired stash would be suitable for some summer knitting. I was not actively looking for a pattern, but will need something to cover my shoulders in Turkey (later this month). Have you any Wool? in Berkley has a terrific little shawl on display, and guess what???? I just happen to have the pattern in my collection. (what a surprise, not.) It is the Salina Shawl from Lana Grossa. I tried working it out in my new stash cotton blend (Monte Carlo from Queensland Collection). Too varied a texture, it did not show any of the pattern. I am a visual person, so not being able to see the pattern to read where I am in the lace was not too great, either. But I can still do it with stash or a few balls from the shop.

I saw that the Detroit News posted Laurie Hanna's vest pattern in the paper. It takes under 600 yards and I have that. This project is currently on the needles and I hope to have it done in a couple of days.

The idea of knitting summer items is new for me. I am not a fan of summer knits, nor the yarns, usually. But the more I read about the Mosques and Temples that I will be visiting during the tours in Turkey, the more I felt that it would be a good thing to have. Why not make it? I will report back on the success (hopefully) of the summer knitting endeavors.

Only a few weeks until I leave. I met the other grant recipients and was treated to a historic and cultural information day at Wayne State University just yesterday. The trip is seeming much more real now that I have met my counterparts and have gotten more specific information. I am so excited and am probably making everyone so sick of Turkey that we will be having meatloaf in November for fear of saying the word!

Along with all of the knitting, I have been doing my travel research, and reading recommended Turkish authors for a better sense of the journey. If you are interested in a rich cultural area with a history that beats the best novels, try Orhan Pamuk (I am reading his non-fiction book, "Istanbul", and his novel "Snow" that gives a great sense of the area and the people). He is a Nobel prize winner for literature, and the smooth, visual sense that he imparts with his words would clearly explain why. That and the historic and local background are fascinating. The man has lived in Turkey his whole life, even in the same childhood home, and his books are translated from Turkish. I love it!

I must be really excited about the trip, since the books are not on tape or cd. You all know what this means, competition for knitting time. I feel like I am "cheating" on my knitting, or maybe just indulging in my KAD(D?).

As I always say, "We only live once, as far as we know."