An undeniable truth

Knitting is, I find, a very pleasurable activity only when there is no pressure involved. Every time I find myself under the thumb of a deadline, I wonder why I keep at it.  I remember I took this up because it helps me to relax, at which I have always been radically bad.  Yet, I discover now that the one responsible for most of that extra pressure is myself.  You see, one of the things that crafters do is start projects.  Anybody who is entirely devoted to exercise their skills at their favourite activity has this habit of starting all sorts of projects before finishing whatever they are doing at present.  Not on purpose,  likely.  It’s just that we feel the need.  We want to try  and make that gorgeous project at least once, and we do not want to wait until the former fabulous item is finished.  We are multitasking people, so why not?  And besides, finishing it all is beside the point.  There is an old tradition in China according to which unfinished business in this life makes you not suitable to abandon it, so this state of things should help make your life longer.  And it is a very nice concept, albeit, let’s face it, not a very realistic one.  I like to think about such idea when I feel I am getting a little overboard with all my ongoing projects.  But, aside from that, it is undeniable that the bigger the lot grows, the more stressed I feel.  Surely the idea of longevity is nice, especially accompanied by health and good company.  Honestly, though, I do like to finish my projects.  When I start something new, my actual aim is to finish it and put it to work.  I am practical.  When I need something,  I make it.  My lampshade looks terrible and I give it a makeover before seeing it makes me  extra depressed.  I try to put beauty in my life by inserting it, forcefully if needed, in the little things that are around me.  Besides, when I have money to spend in my projects I engage in a search for the best materials and the correct tools, and it is because I am short of time.  Believe me, it is always to be a lot more work to do things the wrong way.  Similarly, it is a lot more easy to work with the proper resources.  When you lack them, suddenly your creativity grows exponentially to make up for the loss.  The process of wringing tools out of your dwindled resources that will serve your purposes is becoming, in fact, part of the project.  If you are a dedicated crafter, it is a win-win situation.

Necessity is the mother of invention.  The creative type shall not give up because of the distinct requirements of a project.  If we want it, we will find a way -provided we are not lacking also in terms of time, material, and space. That is just too much put together.  Every crafter with a couple of neurons working will backpedal when things are clearly running wild.  Things sometimes go wrong and we must act accordingly.

Because nobody minimally intelligent wants a hole down all the way to China in their kitchen, a wobbly wardrobe full of moth-eaten, discoloured garments, or a list of criminal offences long as your arm in your history.