yarn therapy

Today's soundtrack:
"Drifter's Raus" by Joel Plaskett
"Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'" by Joel Plaskett
"Mourning Air" by Portishead

There are very few people in the world that can truly comprehend the seemingly endless slog of writing a dissertation. Now, any dissertation is difficult, but an English dissertation is a whole new level of insanity. There's no experiments or case studies. Just the books, pamphlets, and texts, and the narrative you construct to link them all together. It's not something that can be finished in a month or two. It is, at the very least, a year-long process. So every morning I make a pot of coffee, nestle myself in front of my computer and amongst my books, and do my damnedest to eek out another page or two of text. Somedays are wonderful. Somedays I not only get a fair bit of reading done, but also manage to effortlessly write five or more pages. Other days, however, are less fun.

This would be one of those days.

Now, don't get me wrong. The whole Ph.D process, while clearly designed for those with - at the very least - a penchant for masochism, has been really quite lovely. After all, I get paid to read, think, and write. And honestly, how hard could that really be?

Answer: Really freaking hard.

So on such days I reach for my knitting needles. Thankfully, with the deluge of babies in the past year, I've no shortage of wee ones to knit for. On the needles right now is Baby Chalice Blanket (Rav Link) in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted "Midway".


The blanket is for the soon-to-be wee one of two of Miguel's friends back in Spain. And let's face it, when I hear that another baby is on the way, I can't stop myself from making blanket after hat after cardigan after socks... It's seems I'm of the firm belief that every baby that I come into contact with should be swimming in hand knits. And you'd think that by now I'd have a nice little stash of baby clothes for my inevitable kids. Not so much. Everything I've made baby-wise has been snatched up by parents who have made real use of my hand knits. A cable cardigan I made for Miguel's Dutch friends' baby boy finally had to be put away when it was completely outgrown (but not worn out, as to be ready for the next wee one). The first version of the Baby Chalice Blanket is being used to help cart my nephew all over Madrid.

And really, nothing could make me happier. Well, maybe another page or two on the dissertation...