That Darn Streak of Competitiveness

Young Co-Worker and I went to the lys to practice with the spinning wheels yesterday after work.

She has been practicing industriously on her spindle and has amassed quite a bit of finely spun…stuff. I mean really nice…stuff. I, too, have been practicing, but mine does not look as nice, or is as plentiful. Our instructor, and others in the know, are all delighted, and rightly so, with her progress, where upon seeing my…stuff, they are encouraging…in patronizing sort of way. I called her 'teacher’s pet'!

This state of affairs is not without a motivating influence on me. I may be outdone by this young upstart, but not without a fight. (And some good excuse making, too! She had a head start with a lesson from an experienced spinner, and has more practice time, not being married and all.) I have all but foregone my evening knitting for the spindle. My WIP’s languish without any progress, but by golly, all I have to do is think of Young Co-Worker’s spindle full of ….stuff, Fine stuff, and I reach for the spinning bag over the knitting bag.

So back to the practice session at the wheels last night. I allowed myself an hour, and in that time I gained a lot of ground. I felt more naturally the rhythm of the pedals (read got the wheel going one direction, and maintained that direction), and I was feeling some control of the drafting. There was some overspinning, to be sure, and some underspinning. Sometimes it’s all about averaging things out in the long run. There were actual moments of brilliance, when I could believe I had IT, but then the space-time continuum would be disrupted, and I would lose the rhythm of the process.

Progress, not perfection, right?

In other news, I was one of the winners of the 'Cheetos packages' in the Crazy Aunt Purl Sweepstakes! I was so excited to see my name on the list of winners last November. That meant I could take her book off my Christmas list, as I was getting an autographed copy (an autographed copy). I have been anxiously awaiting notification, and it appears today, that maybe I have missed it somehow. Oh please oh please oh please let the powers that be do their magic and fix this somehow. I do not want to miss out on this particular little win in my life!