You Got Doldrums. I Got Doldrums Too

Clicking through my Bloglines this morning, I read several blogs wherein people are talking about their blogging and knitting doldrums.  I commented on one that I'm going to make a suggestion that will probably make that person want to slap me, but I'll say it anyway because it truly works for me.

You bored with your projects?  You too hot to really think?  You too busy to do anything complicated?  You uninspired?  Have I got the deal for you:  Pick up the needles or hooks and some warm yarn and make something for Dulaan or some other charity of your choice.  Make some preemie caps for someplace local to you.  Make some little socks for CIC. (Check out Marguerite's sidebar for some awesome charity-worthy patterns and ideas.) Make neckwarmers or hats for Dulaan. Make a colorful hat or scarf for a men's homeless shelter. (a wise woman told me recently, "Homeless people need color in their lives.") Make a simple lace scarf to serve as a gift for someone at a battered women's shelter. Make something small, something super-simple, something colorful.  I promise you, after you see that little item in a basket, and think about what you've just done towards warming someone less fortunate than you -- someone who has no worries about the growing, out-of-control stash, no worries about whether they have air conditioning or not, no worries about how long the commute is going to be to work today -- you'll feel reenergized and rejuvenated. You'll also feel good that you've lightened up some of your stash pile.  PLUS, AN ADDED BONUS:  You'll have something to blog about.  I'll even give you a money-back guarantee. 

I'm done. Please form an orderly queue to commence the slapping. 

Here's my Saturday morning sky, looking north.  Hi, Lee Ann!  How you doin' this fine Saturday morning?  My daughter is in your fair city. If you see a bunch of 21-year-old women scantily clad and clubbing, that's probably her and her friends.  Ergh. 

This morning's garden seems to be all about the pinks:

Now excuse me.  I've got lots of weeds to pull and things to cut back before it gets too hot. 

Comments

[Dave Daniels]

Scantily clad? Oyness.
Great public service announcement for charity knitting.
And your blue sky is terriffic!

[Dave Daniels]

OMG! I WAS FIRST??? That's NEVER happened! What did I win?? Fresh tomatos?

[margene]

You know I LOVE the pinks. Really the are so breathtaking to me. My sky is full of smoke and over heated ozone. Bleh...
Abigail must be having fun. You can't help but worry but she's having a good time (Hi Lee Ann).

[Carole]

You are totally right about the charity knitting. I had so much fun making those veggie hats and it made for great blog fodder, too. And quick knits are the KEY to ending project boredom. Now I can't stop making dishcloths. Seriously, I've made 10 in the last week. Is there an intervention program for dishcloth addicts?
And would you PLEASE send Dave some tomatoes? He keeps asking and asking. ;-)

[Manise]

Amen to charity knitting and it certainly doesn't have to be big. Beautiful pinks btw.

[sandy]

What? we all have to send Dave tomatoes? Did I skim again?? :)
Good advice to us all.
Beautiful sky and flowers. My regards to your weeds.

[Cathy]

Lovely post and reminder.

[Rachel H]

I don't have enough time to have doldrums, dammit. My aspirations for project completion would be so much more concrete if only I could stay awake longer than my 5 year old...

Please send Dave tomatoes. He did something really nice for said 5 year old the other day. It made 5 year old very happy. If I could grow tomatoes, I'd send him some. Really.

Oh, and Hi Lee Ann! Just as a teaser, one of those aspirations I can't stay awake late enough to complete has your name on it. If you ever want to see it though, you may need to send coffee. Or call me late at night to wake me up. The spirit is willing, but the small boy is so soft and warm and sweet and cuddly and...zzz...

[JessaLu]

No slappage coming from me - well said, Norma ;o)

[Kathy]

Oh, to be 21 and scantily clad . . . . (I'd say "again," but I don't think I ever was scatily clad!) And I agree with you about charity knitting, I dig it too; and my kids get it that it's tzedakah -- a Hebrew word roughly translated as "justice," but used to describe acts of charity.

[Roxie]

Hey, anyone wants to slap Norma has gotta come through me first. There will be no slapping of the wise and generous around here!! The best thing I ever learned was, if you're feeling sorry for yourself, go help someone else. Works every time.

[Roxie]

By the way, I wanta wallow in your lillies!

[Sarah]

It isn't exactly doldrums that has done me in as of late, but some of the effects are the same. Interestingly enough, I have already employed this technique. While it hasn't fixed me, knitting is always good for me, and doing for others is even better. The only slaps today go to my forehead as I come to accept that I made a yardage miscalculation and cannot complete my current chemo cap yet. I guess I'll begin a new one (caps for a cure is the group) and try and figure out a solution for the other later.

[Rabbitch]

Oh you and your rampant do-gooding. Heh.

And a reminder, if anyone just feels like doing a little mindless knitting of squares or strips, Warm Up America in the US and Blankets for Canada in ... where else, Canada (who'd a thunk?) is always in need of more squares for the thousands of blankets we distribute to homeless shelters every year.

Oh shit. Now I'm all with the do-goodery too.

[Isela]

The flowers are gorgeous!

[keri]

I love that idea, thanks for the reminder!

[Cookie]

I'd send Dave tomatoes, but they might not make it that far.

Wonderful lilies and a great reminder.

[Sara]

Gorgeous, gorgeous lilies... I only have orange ones, but my goal next summer is to have a rainbow collection.

[Carrie]

Lovely flowers. I love seeing them, because this is our barren season right now. (Although tell that to the crepe myrtle - he's going nuts right now with all the rain.)
I don't have the knitting doldrums, I have the blog doldrums. Specifically, so many of my favorite bloggers have the doldrums and aren't writing anything for my reading pleasure. Damn, people, if I can't read your blogs, I might actually have to do work!

[Kathy]

No slapping from me (big surprise, eh?) - those are GREAT ideas. I'm in a bit of a slump myself right now, and knitting something for someone else should shake everything loose nicely. That, and some Queen on the radio.

BTW, what was the name of your all time favorite garden/plant book again? I'm looking to beef up my gardening library, and remember that one looking really good.

[Lee Ann]

I'm 39 and scantily clad.

Hey, it's effin' hot up here, what can I say...

[Laurie]

By the time I got home this morning, it was already too hot. The weeds are dragging me awa...............................

[Ryan]

Thumbs up to my #1 Dulaan Cheerleader!!!

[Lynn]

ITA abt the charity knitting!! Its hard to knit when its 1500 degrees outside, but socks, esp kid socks for CIC is PERFECT to keep the knitting flowing and yet not stiffling under all the weight. Love the dishcloths as well. They are perfect for gift baskets for babies, weddings, housewarmings, etc. Living in FL makes you look for ways to knit w/o sweltering.

Beautiful sky and LOVE those flowers!

[AnnP]

Knitting is the ONLY thing I want to do in this heat. Just sit in the shade sipping iced tea and knit.

[Lissa]

Being a newbie knitter I have a question for yous all about charity knitting. Are they picky about what colors the items come in (for the ones that don't specify)? Cultural differences in colors & what they mean...

I miss camping in VT & NH in July, & my garden in MA. I like to pull weeds. It was good meditation time.

[minnie]

my problem is that i spent most of june making stuff for dulaan, in the simplest way possible, and got burnt out. that and my insane life in general, with mark's foot surgery & sean in the hospital. things have calmed down, and my knitting has recovered (to a point, it's awfully frigging hot!). now, if only those addresses i need for wedding invitations would magically appear!