How I saved my sanity

One of the hallmarks of being a mother is that when you think you’re done with your work , you aren’t. You’re just about to sit on the couch with a good book when you turn around and see that a little cyclone (or 2, or 3, or 4) has destroyed your neat and tidy house.

There’s maple syrup on the table, crayons and Legos on the floor and in an attempt to “help” clean up the spilled juice, every clean towel is on the floor, now dirty.

What’s a mother to do?

To reclaim my sanity I chose hobbies that I could see progress in and that, once completed, would not need to be redone. Also, they are quiet hobbies.

I knit, crochet, quilt (by hand) and do counted cross stitch. My favorite, though, is knitting. In the summer I knit wool socks for myself (and occasionally for my husband) because nothing feels better on a cold day than warm socks that are exactly the right size. In the winter I knit larger objects, because they keep me warm as I’m working on them.

I have less time for knitting these days, but I am working on a plan to integrate some of my craft work into my writing. I’ll let you know how that goes.

But for now, I am working on a Hemlock Ring shawl in Patons Lace Sachet. It’s not large enough for a photo yet.

I am also working on this shawl (in Knit Picks Stroll Grasshopper):