Knitting is Cool

My friend posted in her blog yesterday that domesticity was the New Black. Seeing this brought up a bunch of forgotten emotions left over from my teenage years, which I spent feeling like I was feverishly running in a hamster wheel, trying unsuccessfully to catch up with the Cool Kids, constantly riding the back end of every trend (I had some leg warmers which I desperately loved, but were purchased, alas, 6 months after the trend had passed).

So now here I am, enjoying the heck out of domesticity, and it turns out I’m in the MIDDLE of a new trend, embracing the things we mocked in our parents and grandparents. GenX folks are used to instant gratification – spend money, get what you want, but it leaves a somewhat empty feeling. On the other hand, spending several hours in the kitchen to prepare a feast, or knitting an item for a friend, feels great … I feel like I’m putting a bit of my soul in the gift I’m giving to them. While I’m in the process of making these things I’m thinking of them, and they know that with the gift, they’re getting my time and love along with it.

It turns out I’m not the only one… I was infected with the knitting bug over Thanksgiving Weekend (to add to my cooking passion) and then a few days later, while sitting at the doctor’s office reading Stitch ‘N Bitch, the nurse mentioned that she was a knitting fanatic herself and handed me her card. “Mobile Yarn Sales”… it read. Yikes. Like I need to have someone bring yarn to my house and feed my burgeoning addiction… and at the bottom it had my favorite line “Knitting Crisis Counselor”. Well, excellent. I’m sure I’ll need that sometime soon.

My daughter and I may get to go down to the local Stitch ‘n Bitch this afternoon, so we can bask in the glow of other cool knitter folks. I’m kinda bummed that I won’t be able to go to the last minute knitting party at Knitting Arts on the 20th – my dad will be visiting and it would be rude. But it sure does sound like fun…

Apparently I’m part of the new domesticity. How cool is that?