True confession: I had a meltdown on Monday morning. All I’m gonna say is our move did not go as planned — thanks, U-Haul! — and the long packing/loading/cleaning nightmare that should have ended on Sunday evening was nowhere near over. I woke up Monday in the guest room at my cousins’ house totally overcome with exhaustion and anxiety about the day ahead and gave my husband the impression that he might need to check me into a loony bin somewhere. Thankfully, I’m an ox (moments of weakness aside) and we have amazing friends and neighbors, and by Monday evening we were finally — finally! — out of our loft and into our car, pointed east. I told you a couple weeks ago that I had been managing to sneak in a few rows of knitting here and there to save my sanity, but it turns out that had ended shortly before that post. By the time we got into the car, I hadn’t knitted a stitch in thirteen days, and you’ll all understand when I say that was a contributing factor.
ANYWAY, among the many beautiful things about being in the car is that I can finally knit again. Hallelujah. But here’s the thing: I barely have! Between Tahoe and Salt Lake City on Tuesday I finished the upper part of the front of this tank. And between SLC and Denver on Wednesday, all I did was pick up and knit the neck. The landscape is so relentlessly stunning I didn’t want to take my eyes off it for even a second, but the combination of staring out the window (not packing!) and knitting a little bit here and there has been wildly therapeutic. And the happiest thing I have to report is that, despite previous misgivings, it fits perfectly. It should be done by Kansas City.
Have a fun-filled 4th of July weekend, y’all!
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Karen, remember to occasionally take some big heaving sigh breaths! I love road trip knitting! It’s guilt free. Looking forward to seeing the completed tank. That drive between the Denver and San Francisco Bay is long, but mesmerizing. I’ve gotten to experience it twice, both times helping with moving relatives. Some of the topography reminds me of what I imagine the surface of the moonroof be.
Darn auto-correct! “moon to be”, not moonroof, although, that’s pretty funny.
LOL moon roof, yup pretty funny ;)
Technically, it’s not officially a move until you have at least one meltdown. So, whew, now you can check that off your list, focus on drinking in the scenery and do a little knitting if/when you feel like it. As I recall, there are some long, flat and fairly empty stretches in your very near future, so you’re simply wisely holding your knitting in reserve until then.
Glad you’re coming to our part of the world, love your post and shop!
We’ll leave the light on for you :)
sending you some good moving and road trip knitting mojo for the rest of your trip!!
So sympathize with the melt down! We moved this spring and I thought I’d go insane – and we’re fairly used to moving around our little Island. So glad you’re on the road and knitting. Yahoo!
“It should be done by Kansas City” sounds like the refrain from a country song. Perhaps you’ll have another career in Nashville. :-)
The stretch across Kansas to Kansas City is boring so you should be able to finish your knitting.
I love road-trip knitting! Coincidentally, I’m happily knitting away on the road between the Bay Area and Portland as I type this. (Thanks to my husband who loves to drive.) I’m working on Pam Allen’s “Davis,” also in Kestrel.
Good luck on the move, Karen. The road you are taking is beautiful, in more ways than one.
Happy trails!
I wish you the best on the rest of your trip/move! I love your blog <3
I agree with others that at least one meltdown is part of any move–which suits one of life’s most stressful events. Luckily, you also have knitting, which is one of the most soothing and theraputic things ever. (As long as yarn and project are behaving well, that is.)
I think you’re going to love Nashville! I am native Port Angeles, WA. Four years ago my son’s moved to Nashville to follow their music dream and they love it. Laid back, hip and bustling! Good music everywhere! I visit annually and enjoy the people, music, food, shops! Stop by 5 Points Pizza in East Nashville for great food and say “Hi!” to Eric.
PS – knitting saved me years ago when the boys, on school summer vacation, took off on nationwide Lonely H tour in a van. Can’t worry and knit at the same time! Therapy! :)
One day you will look back and laugh and laugh….and for now…thanks for the laughs! My Dad and my husband were in the military so I have moved a lot. It truly is the most stressful thing ever. One good thing about it is you really find out who your friends are and just how strong you are. Big hugs from us in Northern Virginia….and our torrential rain we are getting today! Thumbs up and great job on whatever knitting you are getting done. In the mean time….cool you are enjoying your trip across the US over Independence Day!
I remember finishing my final essays for the semester thinking about how knitting was “supposed” to be therapeutic, yet here I was like a bull over the smallest things due to the stress, when I realised I hadn’t picked up my needles in nearly two weeks because I had so little time. Needless to say I calmed down immensely once I took a day off to knit!
Moving can be SUCH a pain. But it sounds like you have lots of exciting things ahead. Enjoy the view along the way, there will always be time for knitting later…