Summer Wish List

The first repeat of the Dream in Color Shrug is done. I thought it would be nice to use the fancy stitch markers for this project, instead of my usual plastic rings, or none at all. Silly as it is, I have to admit they are very motivational for getting to the end of the row.

My very favorite season is coming up soon, and I want to savor every moment, stretch it out like the waves across a vast beach. In knitting terms, I don't want to spend the last 72 hours of summer staying up too late to finish a project, because time got away from me. Accepting there is no such thing as an endless summer is a yearly bitter pill for me to swallow.

Like everyone else, I'm feeling overloaded with too many things to do, and my job just sucks all the motivation & energy out of me some days. I need to find balance. A lot of bloggers seem to be going through this, to the point that, recently, several of them have stopped blogging altogether. Others apologize at the beginning of almost every post that "there's nothing to see here." I for one am not going to stop any time soon, because you are one of the lights in my day, the virtual friends that encourage me and inspire me. When I see Robin's sewing and knitting projects, for example, I want to be just like her, with all those fabulous sweaters to wear. But I wonder where my time goes and why it takes me months to finish one of them.

So, since it is helpful to write things down, I'm going to make a Summer Wish List, write down the things I dream of doing once the weather starts to get balmy. And maybe I should make a list of things I'm going to give myself permission not to do.

"Lazy Winter, Lazy Spring, Lazy Summer..."

The Summer Wish List

1. Read "The Not So Big Life," which is a more articulate expression of what I'm trying to say here.

2. Read "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron, and do the 12 week workbook of exercises through June, July, and August. Developing creativity is one of the things most important to me, and I don't make enough time for it.

3. Read more books generally, and listen to them on audio, which I put on the New Year's Goal list.

4. Spend Sunday afternoons at the beach, for #1-3. Do I even want to admit that I sat on the beach only twice last summer?! New house or not, that is just shameful.

5. Knitting. July is the Tour de France KAL, so I'll have three weeks of watching cycling and knitting the Breton Girl sweater. I want to finish Caroline and the shrug before that, and maybe do the Papillon Top in August, if I can finish BG in July. Needles crossed. (funny coincidence: both are designed by Kat Coyle. A Kat Coyle summer-moment??).

6. I want to go on at least one Butterfly field trip with my dad, visit the NYBG for the roses, and maybe Block Island for some cycling. Bonus points if I can get to one night of stargazing with a local astronomy group.

7. To eat outdoors more often, at home on the deck, or at restaurants, because we can.

The Not to Do List

1. A garden. I want one badly, a white evening garden that's also a memorial garden to Charlie. But I'm thinking that maybe for this summer, a few pots of flowers on the deck is more reasonable.

2. Cycling "training." Riding my bike should be fun, not about suffering.

3. Knit night every week at the LYS. Why do I feel guilty if I miss it?

4. Trying to keep up with all the blogs, Ravelry, the Italian genealogical forum, all the time.

So what do you dream of doing this summer? What will you regret if you don't do it? What would you like permission not to do? If you'd like to join me, please post a wish list on your blog and let me know, and we can encourage each other to make this summer different. Even if we can't make it endless.

Comments

[sprite]

I love the way your shrug is knitting up with the speckles of purple amidst the pink. Is it the DiC the pattern calls for?

I'm definitely going to steal this list from you. Maybe this weekend...

[Pam]

Well, this post certainly hits home -- I may try to join you in list making - when I get a minute ;-)

[sarah]

The shrug is looking fantastic! You already have so much done on it! Your summer plans of reading, knitting and relaxing at the beach sound perfect.

[Sara]

My wish list includes socks, socks, people paws, socks, and more socks!!! I want to knit a lot of socks this year!!

[Kristen]

The shrug looks delicious!
I've had a to-do and not-to-do list floating in my mind too as summer approaches, and will sit down at some point to put them in writing.
I agree that cycling should be fun; who needs suffering?

[keri]

What a wonderful list! I love that you are aware of how busy you are and how many things you are doing and making a point of taking time to do the things that are important to you! Wonderful! =)

[Devorah]

You really manage to put it all in perspective!

[Brigitte]

So true...I kick myself every time I get off track. I keep admiring other knitters' WIP's, but I tend to forget that if I stuck to just one...!

[robin]

The shrug is looking great!! I love using fancy stitch markers too - it just adds a little something special to the knitting experience. I love summer too, and I want to savor it as well. I agree totally about eating outside whenever possible - I have already started on that one. I'm giving myself permission not to keep up with blogs (have already started on that one) and am going to try to make it to the beach more often too. We have Lake Michigan right here, half an hour away, and yet I rarely go there. I also am going to enjoy our pool on summer Fridays and not schedule things on those afternoons if at all possible.

[2paw]

Such a pretty colour for Spring!! I like the Autumn best, right now!! Our Spring is very unpredicatbel, while Autumn is a slow and wonderful decline into Winter!!!
I like your lists and your goals. I also like your Not To goals. I think some lovely blooming flowers for Charlie will be wonderful this year.

[deb]

I knit that shrug at the holidays for my niece. I borrowed the pattern, but enjoyed it so much I bought some yarn yesterday and I'm going to buy the pattern for a Summer shrug for me.
I love the wishlist idea. I'm going to think about it today and I'll post mine on my blog tomorrow.

[Chris]

The shrug turned out great! I'm not going to join anything formally, because alas, for me, that's the kiss of death. But there are definitely things I need to do...

[Karen]

What a great list!!! I love that you also have a list of things not to do, I think that's important too. Hmmm, one thing I should be sure to do is get outside more - I tend to be a hermit and hide inside all day. My not to do thing, I've already decided, is a vegetable garden. I like planting them, but we have a lot of other yarn renovations and there is only so much time. Plus who will water when we're on vacation. This year, I'll buy my veggies at the Farmer's Market instead.

[Sydney]

Your shrug is looking good! If I'm motoring along on a project I'll use ring marker or yarn or nothing at all. If I want to keep my interest, I'll use fancy stitch markers.

I went through the Artist's Way a couple of years ago. I highly recommend it. I've been meaning to check out "The Not So Big House" and "Outside The Not So Big House" from the library. I've been trying to stay away from anything too structured. I end up getting stressed and not enjoying it or not doing anything at all.

[lynne s of oz]

Pretty shrug!
I also want to visit the beach this summer (not easy without a car though - 26 miles over a mountain pass on narrow roads) and I want to visit the mountains and Yosemite. I love mountains almost as much as the beach (and on hot days more cos they are cool!).