Wednesday 18 April 2012

Someone I know is making

a "sky scarf".  Each morning she walks outside her front door and does a "sky reading". At night she knits two rows of the colour she sees there. The idea is that, at the end of the year, she will have a scarf which is 730 rows long. Perhaps.
At the moment the scarf is mostly blue or blue-grey. Once or twice she has added a little yellow or pink or apricot. There has been no red as yet.
Someone else is blogging about doing a similar thing. I think it has been some sort of project on the big knitting site, Ravelry.
It is not the sort of thing I usually know about. I would never bother with a scarf like that. I do not wear scarves. This climate is not cold enough for the woolly sort and the other sort irritate me. I like my clothes to be without fuss. I do not care for frills or florals or lace. My clothes are not "fashionable" or "trendy". They are more likely to be bought in the local charity shop or through one particular on line outlet than a regular shop. I only shop when I really need something.
I have been told that doing something like the scarf would be "good discipline" for me. Would it? Why do I need that sort of discipline? I asked these questions and the answers were yes, of course it would be good discipline and everyone needs to do something like that.
My answer was that it would take the pleasure out of the activity. I was then told that the pleasure would come from being disciplined about the activity, that it was like taking regular exercise. Apparently it makes you "feel good".
I have no doubt it does make some people feel good. No doubt it helps them feel that they are in control of their lives too. Perhaps they are.
I am not well disciplined. I am not in control of my life. Life is not like that. It is interesting. I will not be knitting any sky scarves.

4 comments:

jeanfromcornwall said...

I don't hold with being disciplined for it's own sake. I like being all over the place. Sure I keep myself and the household clean and fed on a regular basis, but for the rest, I go where the wind takes me. Part of the joy of being a pensioner. It is much more satisfying to sweep the floor because it needs doing than because it is Tuesday. I have got two scarves I never wear anyway.

Rachel Fenton said...

I like the idea of it as a wearable record, but I'd much rather spend the time looking at the sky some more. Discipline, eh? Tolerance for the dull...

Anonymous said...

I couldn't!!!! Ros

catdownunder said...

If they let me retire Jean (and I have been trying to!) then I look forward to that.
Rachel, sky staring time is every bit as important - you know that!
Ros - you can knit?