It's been two weeks and I haven't had any work. My paycheck yesterday was for $30, so you can see how much I worked prior to that. I haven't heard from anyone in the company in two weeks except to say that checks were mailed. I'm starting to freak out just a bit.
I'm also feeling a bit lost in the what-do-I-do-with-my-day department being out of work. I only work one or two hours a day when I'm carrying a full set of students, but those one or two hours give me some structure. The other day I literally spun around about five times in the kitchen not knowing which direction to go next, what task to tackle next. Don't get me wrong...I have plenty to do. I just can't figure out what to do first. Being an only/oldest child, I am naturally a list maker, but I haven't been making lists. I gave up having a planner this year and placed a smart phone in its stead. Deleting tasks just doesn't give the same satisfaction as checking, scratching, or blacking out a dreaded task.
What have I been doing instead? Crocheting. (I did finish those Lego blankets, not quite before September, but close enough. I impressed both husband and mother who know me to usually take years on one project, and here I completed three blankets in six months!) Something very peculiar has happened to me this year. I learned how to do a basic single crochet stitch when I was thirteen. In college, I learned a double and triple crochet from a small left-handers tutorial I found in a craft store. And after having Sal, I took a class with a friend at the community college that opened up some new, more complicated stitches and patterns to me. My crochet capabilities prior to this were straight rows of either single or double crochet (which, by the way, is still very impressive to anyone who doesn't crochet).
The class had us work through several different patterns, but even after the class, there was still one problem--I couldn't follow a pattern. During the class, the teacher talked me through every pattern we completed, so without her I was still lost. I completed a few simple projects in that time, and pinned a few hundred patterns on Pinterest that I would look on with envious eyes. My crochet capabilities had definitely hit a roadblock.
I'm not sure what happened in the past year, why I even took up my crochet hook again, but I printed out some patterns and suddenly found I understood them! When I first saw the Lego blanket idea, I knew I had to at least try, and when I actually produced a Lego brick out of yarn...well, let's just say the people around me weren't nearly as excited as I. Like I said, it's not hard to impress non-crocheters. Rows of single crochet is just as impressive as a popcorn stitch. But, I impressed myself.
This past week I attempted to make my first applique project...skulls! My boys were mortified wearing scarves to school last winter, but it was oh-so cold. I decided to make two simple grey cowls/neck warms that they could just slip over their heads. The skull appliques I'll sew onto the cowls for a little decoration. That's cool, right? They'll wear those, right? They won't be laughed at by their peers, right? OK, so this skull pattern was a bit intimidating to me, but attempt it I did and accomplished it I did first try! I printed out the pattern and there on skill level it stated "Confident Beginner". Ha! Ha! It only took twenty-some years but I am finally a "Confident Beginner".
Yesterday I picked up a new infinity scarf pattern for myself using a never-before-attempted butterfly stitch. Nailed it! So, for now the vacuuming and fall decorating and massive reorganizing is on hold.
But, what does all this mean? Why has my brain suddenly acquired the ability to understand crochet patterns? My theory...I'm becoming an old lady. That has to be it, right? I was teased all through high school and college and even in my twenties for having crochet as a hobby. My French family, when I lived in France (oh yes, I lived in France for awhile...it's a long story) actually called me an old lady (I was also called a yellow submarine...it's a sad story, too). Maybe now I am finally coming into my old ladyness and my brain has finally caught up.
So, my career is in serious limbo, the sad job I do have (I think) is missing in action, but I have crochet. My boys have a few extra blankets to keep them warm this winter. I'll have some cute scarves to wear over to the school when I pick up the boys. And with that I'll have to be content for now.
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