Mindfulness

As part of my never ending attempt to use up my stash, I have been going through my wool yarns and knitting them into shawls.

For the most part there is too little of it to weave with, but there is no reason that I can't knit with it.  It all started with my wanting to have portable handwork I could take with me on trips or to coffee with the local stitch n b!tch group, but also something to make with the hand spun I had been making.

Well, I ran out of hand spun with no time to do more, which was when I turned to my surplus-to- requirements commercially spun wool.

As I dig deeper and into more of my boxes (yes, that means I'm actually using some of it up!) I've come across yarn that I really don't much want to knit with.

My odds and ends of wool yarn have been going to a guild member who makes dryer balls for the guild to sell and it suddenly occurred to me that there is no reason on earth I need to knit the yarn that is really not appealing to me.  So I bagged it up and - with the accumulated bits and pieces - it will go away next week.

Recently I've been seeing all sorts of comments about a young woman who has been promoting a mindful way of getting rid of clutter.  I think tackling destashing in a mindful way is a great idea.  I've not read her book or watched her tv show, nor do I have any desire to, but the way I've been getting rid of surplus stash is very similar in terms of asking - can I use this?  Do I want to use this?  If not, why am I keeping it?  Who can make better use of it than I can? 

Being mindful about living is A Good Thing, I think.  Staying aware of one's goals, working towards those goals, being aware when something isn't working and changes need to be made?  All good things in my opinion. 

Just like in my weaving practice.  In many ways I suspect I'm much like this young woman, telling people "This is what I do.  If it resonates with you, you might find it helpful, too.  If not, ignore me."

So for those people who are finding what Ms Kondo has to say useful?  Good for you.  For those who don't?  Ignore her.  Bottom line is that you don't have to mock someone you don't agree with.  I find there is far too much mocking going on in our society generally.  Whatever happened to "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"?

And yes, my coffee table IS cluttered.  Yes, it has some of those bits and pieces of wool left over from shawls on it.  And they will go away.  In the meantime, I'm ignoring them.