Tuesday morning I prepared myself by getting one of my favorite "waiting" projects, more dishcloth yarn, and set to work on some new dishcloths. My friend in Chicago taught me the pattern, I played with it until I found the right size for my hand, and now I am hooked. On the dishcloths, and on knitting while I wait. (I should be sewing, cleaning off the top of my desk, or planning the year for Cub Scouts, but knitting is my favorite portable project). I feel glad that I have to "wait."
Waiting is an interesting thing to observe. I am not good at it. My impatience kicks in, and I have to DO something--so I knit. When I am surrounded by other waiters, I wonder what they are thinking while the world passes by, and I sit knitting quietly by myself. Not really by myself, because I am rarely waiting alone. Some read, some listen to Ipods, others send text messages, or just watch other waiters.
Sometimes I want to offer, "Do you want to learn to knit while you are waiting?"
Earlier this year, while stuck on a plane waiting for a storm in Chicago to pass, I did ask someone. She was the stewardess, who, because of my seat in the last row, got to sit beside me when we finally took off from Austin. She politely declined, but said it was interesting to watch because her mom used to knit, too. [Sidenote: both Nathan and I have been stranded on planes in Austin waiting to fly to Chicago this year. So fun to have so much in common, isn't it? Mine was bad weather in Chicago, his was bad weather in Austin. Different days, different flights, but we shared the same waiting experience . . . I wonder what he did while he waited?]
About this waiting situation, Caitlin said, "At least I have a toy to play with. You don't have a toy, but at least you have your knitting."
I replied, "My knitting is like a toy."
She waits with her dog, and I wait with my knitting. She's used to hearing, "Just let me finish this row."
I secretly hope that one day Caitlin will reflect on our "waiting" together and think, "My mom couldn't sit still. She always knit while she waited, in the car, at the doctor's office, at the park."
Here's the pattern for my favorite dishcloths:
Cast on 4.
Row 1: Knit 4
Row 2: *Knit 1, Increase 1, knit rest of row*
Row 2: Repeat ** until 34 stitches.
Middle Row: Knit 34
1st decrease Row: *Knit 1, Knit 2 together, Knit rest of row*
Repeat** until decreased to 4 stitches.
Bind off. Weave in ends and hit your kitchen sink.
The name of this yarn is Fiesta: we party every time we wash dishes or wipe sticky fingers. It is festive yarn to me, I feel happy every time I touch it.
How do you wait?
I like your pattern! I never thought to do it on a diagnol. I just go with a sqaure...Waiting I like to bring the paper or a book with me while I wait at Alec's drum lesson or at the orthodontist. I have also been know to bring my laptop :). And I always have the iphone... email, texting, games you name it!
ReplyDeleteI like your dishcloths a lot thanks for sharing them and the pattern we use them all the time. Nancy's mom keeps thinking they are pot holders, they work very well for that also. I doubt if I will ever try knitting but if I do I think I would like to make dishcloths. You can teach me sometime. I read while I wait almost always but sometimes I will meditate upon a certain problem and sometimes even come up with a solution. I also sometimes enjoy people watching, they say and do some of the strangest and most interesting things sometiomes enlightening but usually just intertaining. I often wonder why they do what they do and thus begin meditating on a whole new problem. Go figure. I must need therapy, but we already knew that. Love ya Steve
ReplyDeleteI love the fiesta yarn. I need to make another dishcloth so I remember how to do it. Too bad you can't come visit again. I like to read from my Pocket PC, usually the BOM while I wait. I also like to look through the weekly grocery ads or coupons and find the great deals of the week.
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