ちくちくする感じのないマフラーを彼にあげたい

I started knitting. Yeah, I know – I have my own blog, think I’m the first person to ever take up running, enjoy craft beers, and now I’m taking up knitting? Is there some sort of scale on which hipsters are determined? because I think I’m at about level 4 here. Anyway, there’s no real reason except I wanted to take up a new hobby/learn a new skill, preferably one that is actually useful. I really like chunky knit scarfs and sweaters, and crocheted afghan blankets and clothing for tiny people that are still a long many years off for me.

I had tried a few months ago and it wasn’t really going well for me, but my mom got me a starter kit for Christmas (and taught me to crochet as well) which has been working out pretty okay. I feel like skillful knitting might require a more meticulous personality than my own, but I think I can learn to make some reasonably attractive things while busying my hands. And well, gosh. Twirling and wrapping knots around a few sticks is really addictive once you get into a rhythm of it. It’s kind of like Tetris or Dr. Mario or something. I’ve started to see crochet hooks looping around and around in my head during the day, and today on the bus home I was obsessing about knitting some more of my first scarf project (I usually obsess about what I’m going to eat for dessert). If you had told me knitting was like a video game I might have started years ago.

To be honest, I think I’m at critical mass here with my hobbies though. I run, I read, I blog, I play my 3DS and now I’ve started knitting (I guess “Japanese language” could count, in a way??). I don’t really think I have any more space, unless I want to like, stop seeing friends. I already do prioritize my running over going out for drinks after work (which most people will tell you is best thing to do for your health, but still, what am I running for if not to be able to enjoy drinks with friends?), and I don’t like how I neglect this blog sometimes. Then again, let’s face facts – I write best when I’m angsting about something, and I just don’t have much to bitch about lately! Life’s good. But I just don’t want to get TOO settled. I’m guaranteed a fifth year here when I originally thought I’d be hard at work moving towards the next step. No matter what opportunities I get to work on during a fifth year as the Iwate CIR, I’m not going to be learning as much as I would have the first few years here. I want to be learning something. Even if it’s how to crochet an afghan. (Does anyone even like afghans? I just remember friends in high school saying, “how would you keep warm? it’s full of holes!” )

I will be honest, sometimes I feel a very faint twinge to break out the pencil and paper – to draw something. I do miss it, and someday I may just go back to drawing like I did in high school. We’ll see. I think I just burnt myself out back then because drawing – the only thing I had any sort of talent at – was the only hobby I felt comfortable exploring. If I had known I could be a shit runner and still have a ton of fun, I might have gotten out of that shell of mine a little sooner!