Distractions

     I'm sorry to admit this, but I don't really have anything to show for nearly three weeks of no posts. For the first two weeks I was away tending to my husband as he recovered from surgery and this week has been catch up for everything we missed. I guess I'm allowed to let life happen and all, but I feel somehow negligent.

     Now that's not to say that I don't have plans. Oh boy do I ever have plans! But, since I've been working on the commissions so much I just haven't had the time to implement them. Not only that, but I'm working on three or four commissions all at the same time. I'm starting to think that splitting my focus really isn't helping matters.
So instead of a glorious post full of bright pictures and silly commentary I figured I would just clue everyone in on my life. After all, there's not a lot about me on here.

     My name is Tracey, I'm 23 and I learned to crochet when I was about 10 from my grandmother. I dabbled in it off and on for a few years, then dropped it altogether until I got married. Six months of unemployment equaled a lot of free time and so I picked my hooks back up and started working on a basic granny square blanket. I nearly killed myself with the tedious nature of such a large project. To be honest I never did finish it 100% but I reached a point where "close enough" and "good enough" worked for me.

     It wasn't until this last winter that I started looking into the other things you can do with crochet. Amigurumi was a foreign word to me, and I was completely baffled whenever I came across a little crochet doll. Granted some work out there still baffles me, but I at least understand the stitches behind the art now. My first amigurumi was the little bomb from Mario as a gift. I followed a pattern and was very pleased with the outcome. Next I made a brain slug, and again liked the results. It wasn't until following a pattern for an Invincibility Star that I realized that not all patterns were created equal. What a mess! So I took the parts of the pattern that worked and added my own flair to make it look right. Oddly enough it worked a lot better and required a whole lot less concentration. I haven't looked at a pattern since.

     I free hand all my work now, not because I think I'm better than the patterns out there, but because I'm too damn lazy to read them. Seriously. My idea of good crocheting is being able to only pay 1/3 attention to the yarn and what I'm doing and 2/3 attention to whatever I have streaming on Netflix. That's how I've done all my art (and homework) for years. I think the only time that ever changes is when I'm writing.

     Maybe you glanced at a post I wrote several months ago, but I really have a passion for writing. I despise papers, essays, assignments, and and sort of professional documentation, but I adore writing stories. I've written two unpublished books, one of which sucks, but the other has potential. I hope to send it on to agents by the end of the year. That is if my selection of "editors" will ever actually read it. I've been tempted to start a writing blog, posting chapters and updates, but I worry that someone will steal my ideas. Plus I could really use an income. REALLY use one.

     Oops, distracted myself again. See what I mean? I can't even stay focused on one topic long enough to finished a quick post. Anyway that whole thing was really to say that when I write the world disappears and I only see the events unfold in my head as I scramble to write them down. Crocheting isn't anything like that, it's relaxing and challenging, but not engulfing. I love it when I'm working, but I don't really crave it when I stop. Maybe sometimes if I'm almost done with a big project, but it doesn't bleed into my everyday life.

     This isn't uncommon for me, especially as the winter ends. It's summer now and my mind works more furiously at ideas and concepts, rather than relaxing into nothingness with busy fingers. Winter is the time when I love to craft and sew and concentrate on motions with my hands. Summer is a time to get up and move; and the time to stay up late pouring my creativity into a new world.

     So now the question becomes: will I be able to balance my adoration for crochet with this unyielding need to write again? Also, how the hell did I end up in some philosophical examination of my hobbies?

Screw it, I'm going to go make dinner.

Creatively Challenged,
                              Tracey