Beginnings

I've been lamenting the end of summer for the past several days.  Today, however, was the first day that felt like the beginning of something.  Classes are a wonderful opportunity to begin again.  New students, new books, clean slates, a chance to do it right.

Maybe that's why I'm itching to start a new sweater knitting project.  I completed my Braided Hood Tunic just weeks ago, and since then I've been occupying myself with more crochet practice and with getting some small, easy, portable projects established that will be suitable for classes and meetings.  But as I get excited about embarking on the fourteen-week odyssey of a college course, with its steady relentless pace and its stack of books and its many tiny details that must be attended to every day, I have the desire to make something just as complex and just as long-term with my hands.

What I've chosen doesn't quite match that goal.  The right project would be a blanket that would grow gradually over half a year, or a lace stole that represents months of stitching investment.  The sweater I grabbed out of my queue could be relatively quick if I'm able to work on it steadily; it's bulky yarn and short sleeves.  But the idea is what's grabbed me: a big project.  A major project.  Something that will cover my lap and have to be wrestled around while I'm working on it.  A garment.  Shelter from the cold wind that might be in the air by the time it's done.