Just say NO to Nostalgia

Today I re-learned how to knit.

Initially, I learned to knit about ten years ago. My mother taught me at the time. She used to be an avid crocheter and dabbled enough in knitting to teach me what was what. Kitting quickly became an obsession that effectively distracted me from any and all other activities. The process of knitting, or even watching someone knit, is ridiculously mesmerizing. In fact, it became so distracting I had to give it up. Yes, like heroin. I had a brief stint with knitting again three years ago when the school play I was in needed a scarf for one of the costumes. Each member of the cast took terns knitting a few rows of the scarf. Inevitably when it was my turn I knitted around half of the scarf and became so distracted that the director had to reprimand me.

Taking up a set of needles for the first time in ten years was... strange. It came back to me fairly easily, sort of like riding I bike, I suppose. I wouldn't know; I never learned how to ride a bike. The of my hands motion was so familiar and comforting. Small tactile tasks always feel comforting, crafts in general. It must be the reason babies always want to grab things. I once knew someone would make typing hand motions all because she learned to type at a really young age. Whenever her hands were unoccupied she usually (and unconsciously) started typing her full name in spite of the fact that a key board was nowhere in site.

So many other things made today's knitting rediscovery comforting. I'd had soup earlier in the day, I was drinking tea whilst knitting, and I was in the company of good friends. Then I said, “A cat would make this moment perfect.” The words left my mouth before their true meaning dawned on me.

Oh God, I'm going to be a spinster. I refuse to be the crazy cat lady. Not to say that such a lifestyle choice is immoral or wrong, in fact, I know people who aspire to it and are quite suited for it. Not me. I say “No”. I'm drawing the line here. Once I return home, I'm refusing to ever pick up a set of knitting needles ever again. At least for the next five years.