Getting Distracted

Ever since sometime around Christmas, I've been feeling a bit like I have ADHD. I'm like that dog in 'UP' only I don't get distracted by squires, instead I'm yelling "FIBER!" or "YARN!" I can't focus on any one project because I have a million projects I'd like to work on and I now have more free time to work on them.

The free time came about because I made a choice. About a year and a half ago, my employers offered to send me back to school to get my veterinary technician's license. While I was honored by the offer, I didn't realize how time consuming and stressful it would be. It was wonderful to not worry about paying for any of it, but I was still expected to work full time and devote my free time at home to school work. I managed only a year and a half before I faced the fact that the stress was becoming detrimental. And the worst part was, because I could only take a couple of classes at a time, I was still looking at about four more years of this school/stress/work situation.

Around Christmas, while I was on a break from school, I made a decision. I'm taking a break. For my mental and physical well-being, it was the only choice I had. My employers were wonderfully understanding. They realize that they ask us for 100% on the job and if school is making it so I can't do that, then now is not the right time. I cannot tell you the weight that was lifted off my shoulders that day.

For some reason, I have this insane thought that now that I'm not taking classes, I have tons of free time which I can choose to do anything I want. It's like I've bottled up a million and one projects, books to read, and things to do in the last year and a half and I've decided to start them all right now. The problem with this is that I feel like I'm not getting anywhere with any of them because I'm not spending much time on any one project.

 Most of my time has been devoted to the Game of Throne series. I'm on the third book now and they're near impossible to put down. It's been a long time since I've had the time to read the way I want to (without feeling guilty that I'm not reading a school book that is!) that I've gone a little crazy. Even when I'm so tired my eyes are crossing, I can't put them down. For me, putting down a good book is like stopping a good movie midway through. It's so hard!

Me with my hat and my favorite mirror

I have managed to finish one project recently. It's the Hat Most Likely To Succeed pattern (rav link).  I made about four of these for various people for Christmas and I liked it so much that I wanted to make one for myself. I used so good, sturdy  KnitPicks Swish 100% Merino yarn. Nice and toasty for a hat. I did alter the decreases slightly by adding a couple of plain rows in between the last decrease rows. My sister-in-law's hat keeps riding up and uncovering her ears, so I'm hoping the extra rows might help keep it down. So far, so good.

I just finished it yesterday and I wore it to my dad's birthday get together. It seemed to stay down the whole time, so I'm pretty happy with it. Before I started it, I contemplated adding a stiff brim, but I don't think it's going to work given the nature of the pattern. If I'd done another cable repeat, perhaps. But I'm happy with it. It's warm and the folded up brim keeps my ears warm nicely! now all we need is the snow!