Knitting Problem.

I'm a knitter. There, I said it. I know it’s not a huge admission these days, in fact these days it seems anyone who is anyone is knitting. There are knitting clubs, podcasts, blogs, social-networking sites and even minor knitting celebrities, proving that being a bad-ass and a knitter are not mutually exclusive. Yet it was not that long ago that my love of knitting and all things crafty was my dirty little secret (kind of like my secret love of country music, but that shameful topic is best left for another day). No longer do I have to slink off to my LYS* behind large sunglasses hoping I don't run into anyone from my professional life. If Carrie Bradshaw can knit, so can I!

I'm not sure how or when one officially becomes a "knitter", but I suspect the transition happens right around the same time you start plotting all the places that you can knit surreptitiously. Ever sat in the back of a movie theater working away on your double-pointed needles? If so, you're a knitter. About a year ago, a co-worker/friend asked me to teach her how to knit. After a very quick tutorial in her office, she was off and running. Over the past year she's been knitting bears for the Mother Bear Project, hats for her kids and scarves for her siblings. I knew she'd become a full fledged knitter when she wondered aloud whether it would be appropriate to knit during meetings at work. Today she sent me the cartoon posted above. Do I think she has a knitting problem? Not yet.

I, on the other hand, have a knitting problem. Recently I've been in a knitting slump. It happens sometimes. When the number of half-finished projects that need finishing starts to exceed the list of new projects I’m dying to start, a sort of paralysis sets in and I find myself casting aside my beloved habit in favor of the stack of unread books on my nightstand or a new episode of Top Chef. Normally this isn't an issue, but I started a baby blanket for a friend who is due at the end of the month and I'm less than half way done. Maybe its the pressure of the holidays, or my new desire to not waste money (yes, you heard right, that particular desire is a new one for me), but for some reason I feel a particularly strong pressure to complete this blanket on time. Unfortunately, that pressure isn't translating into actual knitting.

The solution? A snow day. Mother nature's gift to knitters everywhere. I'm hoping for a White Christmas to kick my knitting butt into gear! Failing that, I think drinks are the solution. Lots and lots of drinks. After a couple of hot toddies I'll completely forget about any unrealistic knitting deadlines I may have set for myself. So, if you're feeling generous tonight during happy hour, raise a glass to the weather gods and ask them to send some snow my way.

*(that's "local yarn store" for the non-knitters)