Advice and consent

I think I'm in a knitting slump.

My name is Moze and I haven't knitted in 9 days.

Part of it is still that deer-in-the-headlights feeling: I came back home with about 40 pounds of yarn.

Part of it is burn-out: in one month I knit a pair of socks, a Clapotis, then ripped the Clap and reknit it.

Part of it is new toy syndrome: In less than a week I've put together my rigid heddle loom, warped it, and woven about 2 feet of my headscarf.

Part of it is the time warp game: I don't think I'll be spending more than 3 months in any single place this year, so I'm a little leery about starting something big. I mean, I can't remember where I am when I wake up, how am I going to keep my place in the Mariah? And then when you add in the upcoming Passover, when I'm not supposed to knit -- how can you start a long term relationship when you're living out of suitcases? Is it possible for a married lady with 3 teenaged kids about to start spring vacation to have a commuter relationship with the knitting she loves?

But most of it, I think, is bachelor's syndrome. Oh, I know I may look all femme, but in my heart of hearts I'm just a single guy. I eat straight from the pots. I like cold pizza and warm beer. If I didn't have to set a good example for the kids, my dishes would have to wash themselves. In short, like most single guys my age, I've a terrible fear of commitment. Doing the Mariah or starting a cotton sweatshirt is a long term relationship. I'm afraid that if I start with my Trekking or Magic Stripes socks I'll cast on the wrong number of stitches with the wrong needles and then I'll be stuck in the infinite loop of ripping and redoing, as I am with the Oscar the Grouch socks. I can't even look at those puppies; one of these days I'll work up the energy to rip them and knit them once again (third time's the charm?)

So: here's the deal. I'm asking you, the ever-so-wise and drop-dead gorgeous readers of my blog, to tell me what to work on next.

The candidates are:


Mariah, already in progress (but only 4 lines of the first sleeve)




Cotton sweatshirt (and which colorway? I have enough of each for a sweatshirt)



socks (and again, which colorway?)



Oscar the grouch socks to rip and fix



Or should I just chicken out?

In other news: Go check out the answers Knits with Cats gave to my interview questions. I loved this meme; I got to know people so much better than I had before. Her answers are raising even more questions in my mind, especially the last one. Hop on over there and let her know what you think of her politics, her religion, her gardening, her knitting, and her cats.

Local Insanity time: So it's just a few months to the proposed expulsion. Israel has no clue where they're going to force all these people to move. What, us worry? According to this Hebrew article, minors are being set up and arrested, without their legal guardians being informed about the arrests. There are already 30 prisoners in the new "political crimes" section of Maasiyahu jail--what are they going to do for space when the real protests come? Meanwhile, the post office is on strike again today. I think they ought to just post notices when they're not on strike--it would be less often.

Pesaech tip of the day: Sell your chametz the quick and easy way on rotter.net. Last year they had all the Halachic justification of why one is allowed to sell this way, and I was convinced. No more searching around for the local deputized seller, who never seems to be where he should be when he should be. Quick and easy--if only the rest of my prep could be done on line!