Doing nothing

Normally, this is the time of year when I get really bored.  I've had the excitement of Christmas, with family staying for a few days.  Then they go away, my friends are either away or occupied with their families, and I'm at home.

Fortunately, after a couple of days of feeling grumpy and despondent, I settle in to Doing Nothing.  Usually I have serious To Do lists, but at this time, I just ignore these.  In New Zealand, there are 4 days of statutory holidays at Christmas and another 4 at New Year, when most shops are closed and there's no mail deliveries.

Interestingly, Doing Nothing can be very productive for me.  11 years ago, I started Kiwiquilters, an email list for quilters that now has over 500 members, because I was bored. This was one of my better ideas.  This year, I've started my new blog, Creative Women of a Certain Age, which is designed to be an interactive blog. Interactive in the sense that I will comment each week on an issue that is relevant to women over 45, and I encourage my blog readers to share their opinions on this topic.  Don't think anyone is interested in your opinion?  I am.  Feel that you husband and/or children don't listen to you?  I will.  Concerned about how your life has changed?  Feel free to say so.  You don't need to agree with what I say - you might have a completely different viewpoint, so why not express it?  This week's topic is Doing Something New. 

And while I say I'm doing nothing, I'm not exactly sitting in a vacuum.  When I started to knit with the long repeat wool I dyed yesterday, I realised that I couldn't possibly colour pool with it as the repeats were just too long.  But that's me - act first, think afterwards.  Or as I prefer to put it, you don't know how anything will work out until you try it.  But no matter!  With my short attention span, I just adore knitting hand painted wool.  This will be a light, airy rainbow-coloured scarf that can double as a shawl.  I'm going to play with different lace stitches - above you can see the first band.