impasse. stalemate. plateau. defeat.

When I was 6 years old, my dad told me that I had a defeatist's attitude.  Being 6, I had no idea what it meant.  Luckily, he reminded me of my personality quirk often enough throughout my childhood that I eventually looked it up.  Over the years, I have developed an "any job that's worth doing can be done" attitude.  But really, I think it's overcompensation for being, truthfully, a deafeatist. 

I do have to say that I am embarassed that my current state of defeat has been brought about by the simplest of sweaters.  It's not the knitting, it's not the seaming...no.  It's the weaving in of ends.  I know.  There is a cautionary story there, amongst all my unwoven yarn ends...but that is a story for another time. 

After the sweater (which I am now dubbing the "soy un perdedor" sweater) brought my spirits low (though your loser-knits comments did help lift my spirits...you guys are funny--and nice, thanks for the positive feedback on the new home!), I quickly thought of a fun activity to combat my feelings of failure.  I wound some yarn.  Ashley shot some holes in my Shibui-love armor, but you have to appreciate friends that keep it real.  We will see what happens with the above--which acutally has an intended purpose).

Dedicated yarn is fun to wind, expectation and all that.  But winding yarn with no intent?  It's almost scandalous!  I wound yarn with no purpose--winding for winding's sake.  I rarely do this.  I have strong feelings about winding yarn only after the yarn has been assigned to a specific project that I plan on starting as soon as the cake comes off the winder.  But what can I say?  Sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind.

The winding got me giddy and smile-y.  It was a great day.  And then...and then, Special K and I had to say farewell to an old friend.

Some call it a crib, we called it the "kiddie cage".  It was a great thing, this open air contraption of containment.  Until Little Sir decided that it was a jungle gym.  Sweet kid with a sweet face, yes.  Daredevil?  Definately.  What does one do with an 18 month old who thinks cribs are for climbing and WWE mini-demonstrations (we are not part of the RAW fan nation or any other wrestling nation for that matter, but we have no idea what else to call the rag tag bouncing about that went on in the cage)? 

Apparently, one prepares for sleepless nights filled with futility and exhaustion in trying to bargain with an 18 month old who does not possess bargaining skills of any sort.  Or maybe we are just stupid, perhaps he has no interest in bargaining away his freedom.  Actually, I totally get it.  Ah, defeat, I know you well.  Well, at least it's a nice blank canvas (though I like Julia's blank canvas better), that toddler bed.

And since I don't want the image that you leave my "house" with to be my kid's new bed...

And don't forget, Pushing Daisies is on tonight, people.  If you smell pie baking, move on.

Comments

[stacey]

sometimes you just have to wind for the sake of winding. instead of weaving...hopefully the transition to the bed will be an easy one! my little cousin ended up sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag for 2 1/2 years...

oh - and it's not necessarily defeatist, it's "knowing when to take a break" :)

[kathy]

There is nothing wrong with a little defeatism... I prefer cynic though -- hoping for the best but knowing it's not going to happen...

I will take the green cake, thank you. Don't say I didn't help you find a purpose for that whimsical, wonderful, wound yarn!

[Glenna]

Pushing Daisies is great! And knitters ESPECIALLY should watch tonight, I'm just saying. (We get that show a day early up here in Canada) ;)

[mai]

i don't mind seaming at all. in fact, i kind of enjoy it! but weaving in ends. UGH!!!!!!

[tiennie]

I love Pushing Daisies - especially since it's narrated by Jim Dale! It might be nice to watch it and weave in ends at the same time, no?

Hooray for Little Sir moving up to a big boy bed. I hope he gets the hang of actually staying in the bed soon!

[Kara]

Darn you ends! Don't let them win.

Pushing Daisies is tonight...I cannot wait! I will be thinking of you weaving in your ends while I watch it, well maybe on the commercial breaks.

[Opal]

Lately, I've come to terms with my dislike of winding yarn. I'm beginning to see the appeal and I definitely wind for the sake of winding. It gives me a chance to play with yarn that I know I won't have a chance to knit with for awhile.

Can't wait for Pushing Daisies!

[Liz K.]

Wow! A Big Boy Bed for Little Sir! I cried when we took down the crib for the kids, but it really is another wonderful victory for the three of you as LS gains more confidence and independence. You've done the right thing by surrendering the crib.

Oh, and, if you are like me, and love to go in and smooth the hair of your sleeping babe, touch their cheeks, adjust the covers endlessly, or smell their little heads, it is just so much easier when they are in a bed than in a crib. Just a bonus.

[Lisa]

Seaming and weaving in ends can be very daunting. You'll feel up to it some day! That yarn looks super yummy :)

[Pat]

My kids all just ended up in our bed no matter what we did!
I hate weaving in - avoid it at all costs so I totally understand.
(I just frogged my green socks- 1" from being done and I ripped them all the way - I now have 2 beautiful cakes of green yarn!)

[Johanna]

I really enjoyed Pushing Daisies too... it appealed to the big kid in me. My husband on the other hand didn't like it at all. We'll see what episode 2 brings.

As for losing the crib... good luck to you! I can't wait to hear how it goes.

[Ashley]

Knitting! Knitting in the Pushing Daisies! That'll make up for my Shibui drama. And hopefully your color won't do the same thing!

[Elinor]

Oh, the demise of the kiddy cage! That's something I'm not looking forward to. B's crib is in our room and I don't know if I could sleep with her in her own room (on a different floor, as it would be). I know that day is coming up soon for us too but MAN, can't they stay itty bitty forever???? You'll have to tell me how it goes with the Big Kid Bed. Happy end weaving!

[Nora]

Oh, this post is SO familiar - it could've been written by me [with the exception of the crib/bed story]. The rest? All I can say is: I hear ya!

[Lee]

My own LS decided at much the same age to use the crib as a jungle gym. We resigned ourselves to the big boy bed but he would not stay in. He wandered the house. In the interest of safety, not to mention a good nights sleep, we found a "crib tent." It is a domed mesh cover for the crib that attaches securely and kept him in until he was ready for the BBB. If things don't go well for you with the BBB you might check it out.

[diana]

Farewell baby cage! We mourned the loss of the cage as well. It took a while for LL to get used to the kiddie bed, but now she loves it.

[Stella]

Oooh, Pagoda. I'm not letting Ashley dampen my Shibui-spirits either. Although I am strongly considering using mine for something other than socks.

I STILL remember the day I moved out of the crib and into my Big Kid Bed. I was so, so happy.

[cindy b]

I went through the same drill with all 8 of my kids....move them to a mattress on the floor, set up the stair gate over the doorway, and have the camera at the ready for the cute pics of them sound asleep in the middle of the room surrounded by toys. I miss those days!
I also will be missing Pushing Daisies. I got to see the first episode at my daughters house in another state, but home with a broken tv now. *pouts*

[Kristy]

Ooh, you're making me want to wind up some yarn, too!

Sorry to hear about the end-weaving defeat. I always remind myself that it won't take as long as I think it will. Does that help at all?

I finally saw the Pushing Dasies Pie-lette last night, and I loved it!

[Sarah D.]

Pushing Daisies was really cute last week. I DVR'd it this week, so I will be watching episode 2 tomorrow! I have some Shibui yarn in Ink. Can black/blue yarn pool? I guess I'll find out! Happy weekend and LS adventures:)

[pamela wynne]

goodbye, kiddie cage!
I like winding, but I don't love it. Do you think a swift would help?

[Heather]

Winding is therapeutic because you feel like you are being productive. And hooray for the big boy bed!

[Barb]

Like your new blog. Graduating from the cage, wow! Hope he's not a night wanderer, but then it is nice to have an unexpected cuddle:)

[leslie]

(i kept forgetting to look down in the n's for you!) :)

oh, if i had a ball winder, i may just wind for the sake of winding too!!!

i was sooo sad to see our crib go!
the sound of little pitter patters in the night is something to get used to! :)

[Karma]

Oooooh no, I can't even imagine being ready to lose the crib so soon. Good golly. Good luck with that transition... I hope it doesn't take too long before everyone has good sleeps again.