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Sjok Madness
Apr. 1st, 2021 08:32 pmEleanor posted in the Veritate team thread:
Are you enjoying knitting these socks?
Are you having fun (even if it’s a little stressful)?
Are you (or your intended recipient) going to love these socks?
And I stopped dead in my tracks. I answered "No" to all three of these questions. The Qualification pattern was not really my thing, and this first round was also not something I enjoyed. Work was suddenly and unexpectedly exploding, and although I was dutifully continuing my journey on the socks of this round I wasn't "feeling it".
I’m mainly trying to stay in the race because I’m hoping maybe the next sock will be more my thing and because I’m too stubborn for my own good. I know the team chat picks up after a round when we get to know eachother a little better, and that will help. But there have definitely been a lot of stray “Why am I even trying?” thoughts floating through my head. I've given up my free evenings trying to get a sock knitted that I will never wear and still have to find a recipient for.
A day later, I replied in the team chat thread:
"After my little evaluation of my progress and fun in the madness, I’ve decided to only send in my completed socks on the final day of the round - if there are any places left by that time. I don’t think it would be fair to steal a spot from someone who is having a much better time at this than I am, so I’ll happily let you guys send your socks in first.
I will keep knitting for now, though. It would be a shame to frog everything and just give up."
When reading this back, it sounds a little pretentious, but up until now I've never really had any problems in the first few rounds, speed-wise. However, there are just under six days left to go on this round, and already there are only two spots left on our team to fill. I am fully expecting to drop out at this round, although probably not because I will only send in my finished e-mail at the very last moment, but because the spots will probably all be filled by tomorrow evening.
And I'm fine with that.
Actually, I don't think I'll sign up for next year's Madness. I think I've just fallen out of love with the whole concept. It was never about winning, but more about persevering despite new techniques you had to learn, forced to try patterns you would otherwise not start on. Thanks to the Madness I've gotten much more comfortable with colourwork, I've learned brioche, and I've struggled with cables and two-coloured lace.
I don't think I'll ever get the magic of my First Sock Madness back. But it was a fun ride as long as it lasted.
I'll finish the socks I've got on the needles now. Sock 1 just needs a toe, and I'm almost at the heel of sock 2. Frogging is such a waste of time, I might as well finish these off now and send them on their way. Otherwise I'll never get through my stash.
Somewhere in the back of my head I'm tempted to knit every sock from the Sock Madness 11 till 15, every Madness I've participated in. And I've skipped quite a few rounds up until now, so there would be a lot of ....dare I say it....fun.
Or not.
Maybe I should just stick to knitting what I feel like knitting from now on.
And I stopped dead in my tracks. I answered "No" to all three of these questions. The Qualification pattern was not really my thing, and this first round was also not something I enjoyed. Work was suddenly and unexpectedly exploding, and although I was dutifully continuing my journey on the socks of this round I wasn't "feeling it".
I’m mainly trying to stay in the race because I’m hoping maybe the next sock will be more my thing and because I’m too stubborn for my own good. I know the team chat picks up after a round when we get to know eachother a little better, and that will help. But there have definitely been a lot of stray “Why am I even trying?” thoughts floating through my head. I've given up my free evenings trying to get a sock knitted that I will never wear and still have to find a recipient for.
A day later, I replied in the team chat thread:
"After my little evaluation of my progress and fun in the madness, I’ve decided to only send in my completed socks on the final day of the round - if there are any places left by that time. I don’t think it would be fair to steal a spot from someone who is having a much better time at this than I am, so I’ll happily let you guys send your socks in first.
I will keep knitting for now, though. It would be a shame to frog everything and just give up."
When reading this back, it sounds a little pretentious, but up until now I've never really had any problems in the first few rounds, speed-wise. However, there are just under six days left to go on this round, and already there are only two spots left on our team to fill. I am fully expecting to drop out at this round, although probably not because I will only send in my finished e-mail at the very last moment, but because the spots will probably all be filled by tomorrow evening.
And I'm fine with that.
Actually, I don't think I'll sign up for next year's Madness. I think I've just fallen out of love with the whole concept. It was never about winning, but more about persevering despite new techniques you had to learn, forced to try patterns you would otherwise not start on. Thanks to the Madness I've gotten much more comfortable with colourwork, I've learned brioche, and I've struggled with cables and two-coloured lace.
I don't think I'll ever get the magic of my First Sock Madness back. But it was a fun ride as long as it lasted.
I'll finish the socks I've got on the needles now. Sock 1 just needs a toe, and I'm almost at the heel of sock 2. Frogging is such a waste of time, I might as well finish these off now and send them on their way. Otherwise I'll never get through my stash.
Somewhere in the back of my head I'm tempted to knit every sock from the Sock Madness 11 till 15, every Madness I've participated in. And I've skipped quite a few rounds up until now, so there would be a lot of ....dare I say it....fun.
Or not.
Maybe I should just stick to knitting what I feel like knitting from now on.
