Treadmills and Knitting Needles

I just adore this time of year. Leaves turning color and gently falling to the ground, the deep blue crispness of the sky, the chill in the air....love it, love it, love it! I perk up in the fall. I don't handle heat and humidity well so after slugging through the summer I feel like a drowning person coming up for air.

My camera doesn't work well so I pilfer shamelessly from Photobucket. I feel the need for some fall eye candy right about now....

Ahhh.....that's better!

I've been hitting the treadmill this past week, starting slowly and not pushing myself too hard; I didn't want to crash and burn by plunging in too fast. So I've only been doing 10-15 minutes at a moderate pace. That is, until Tuesday. I got cocky and did 20 minutes at the fastest pace I could walk before needing to start jogging. I made it, and felt great....no sore muscles the next day. So yesterday, heartened by the experience, I did the same thing again for 25 minutes.

Oy. Not such a good idea. I'm really feeling it today. What was I just saying about crashing and burning? I never learn. I'll not be doing the treadmill thing tonight in order to give my legs a rest. Besides....I have plans tonight. I have a hot date with my knitting needles.

Wait.....what? Ok, lemme 'splain.

One day, about a month ago, I was browsing through the extended learning catalogue that our local community college sends out periodically. These are classes for anyone in the community to sign up for, like cooking workshops, learn to salsa dance, etc. My eye fell on one class for beginning knitting. I passed on to the next page, then went back to it again. And again. Then I thought, "Why not?"

Now, let me explain that I am not a crafty person. I've never sewn, embroidered, crocheted, or woven a thing in my life. I can't even do basic repairs like sew on a button or stitch a sagging hem. So why in the world do I now, all of a sudden, want to learn to knit?

Well......I'm not sure exactly. It's not like I've been dreaming of learning to knit for ages and am finally doing something about it. I've never seen a scarf and wondered, "Gee, I wish I could make something like that!" But, I do value the idea of the "womanly arts" and feel this is an area in my life that is sadly lacking. I've been reading a lot recently about a return to the "old ways," meaning being more self-sufficient instead of continuing to buy into the consumeristic, corporate treadmill. The only treadmill I want to be on is the one in my basement.

Now, I have wanted to learn to sew for years. I dislike the feeling of being helpless when a button pops off a coat or a zipper breaks. I see so many things I could make and repair and alter but feel like an illiterate person standing in the middle of a library.....surrounded by possibility but without the knowledge or tools to take advantage of it.

So, when I saw that class for knitting basics, I realized this could be my baby step into that world of manipulating fabric into something creative and useful. Give me some initiative and motivation for pursuing the next step, learning to sew.

Tonight will be my first class. I'm excited, and aprehensive. I'm extremely shy by nature and walking into a group situation among strangers just gives me the willies. To top it off, the class is being held in my old high school.....that'll be a very surreal experience! I'll be sure to fill you all in tomorrow on how it goes.....you're just dying to know right?

(wow, I have followers! neato! thanks guys!)