Spring Fever
I’ve been in a weird mood this week. All I really want to do is stare out the window. Everything on my desk feels tedious and dull. I’ve become immune to the seduction of the knitting projects currently on my needles. I started and abandoned two audiobooks before finding one that could hold my attention.
This is not like me. Ennui is not my default condition.
Am I a little burnt out after completing the latest design commissions and then a bunch of swatches to illustrate a how-to article? Has the work that pays my bills begun to feel like a never-ending treadmill? Do I just need a spring break? Is this just a transient phase?
Since I need to keep working and can’t take a break right now, I’ve decided this is just a phase I need to push through. I’ll keep showing up at my desk each day, I’ll resist the urge to cast on something new in hopes of sparking some enthusiasm, and I’ll allow myself to read the books I enjoy and abandon those that fail to engage.
I wish I had some magic hack to get through the phase faster. Exercising self-discipline and pushing through seems woefully old-school.
What do you do when enthusiasm seems to have gone into hiding? Your suggestions are welcome in the comments.
What I’m Knitting
I’m about 6” into the body of my striped pullover version 2. That means 8” left to go before I can move on to the blessedly shorter rounds of the sleeves.
I know I’ll enjoy wearing this sweater, but I’m frankly bored with the knitting. There are all sorts of good reasons for making a second sample of this design, but it’s also reminding me why I rarely knit the same thing twice.
The mohair scarf that is my current emotional support knitting is coming along. I’m into the last of my three balls of this gorgeous yarn, and the scarf is currently about 60” long. The color continues to delight me.
The audiobook I settled with and ended up enjoying is True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color—from Azure to Zinc Pink by Kory Stamper.
This book is both wonderfully geeky and surprisingly funny. Stamper is a lexicographer who worked for nearly 20 years at the Merriam-Webster company writing, revising, amending, updating, and promoting the dictionary of the English language. She reads the audiobook, and she is wonderful. For a taste of her style, you can watch the video recording of her reading from her previous book at Powell’s in Portland, OR.
While editing definitions in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, she came across the following:
begonia (n.): 3 -s : a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see coral 3b), bluer than fiesta, and bluer and stronger than sweet william — called also gaiety
The whimsical quality of the definition felt out of step with the dry, technical wording of other definitions in the edition. Bluer than fiesta? Called also gaiety? This was her first step down the rabbit hole.
The story Stamper tells covers a lot of territory, with delightful detours along the way. How is a dictionary compiled? What is color? How are color variations described? What efforts have been made to establish color standards? Why do we need color standards? How do we come to assign meaning to words?
Color perception is subjective. When you think of the color “mustard”, do you see French’s yellow mustard or Gulden’s brown mustard? You might call a color maroon, while I call the same color burgundy. Your teal may be my turquoise.
As someone who loves both words and color, I was fascinated by this book. I think you’ll love it, too.
Things that caught my eye…
A new movie is coming out in a couple of weeks based on Leonie Swann’s novel Three Bags Full. In the novel, a shepherd is unexpectedly found dead. His flock, to whom he spent evenings reading mystery novels, sets out to find the killer. A silly, escapist romp? Yes! And just what we need right now. The film, The Sheep Detectives, has a star-studded cast, including Hugh Jackman as the shepherd, Emma Thompson as his lawyer, and Conleth Hill as the local butcher (not a friend to sheep). The voice actors portraying the sheep include Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, and Patrick Stewart. It opens in theaters on May 8 and seems to be just the thing for an afternoon when you feel like you need a laugh.
This is a fascinating look at the variability of sizing in women’s clothes. It was written in Singapore, but I think the ideas presented are universal, and the visual storytelling they employ is terrific.
If all you know about Henry David Thoreau is Walden, your eyes will be opened by the new documentary available on PBS Passport. The first episode explores his life before Walden Pond, the second focuses on the time he spent in his cabin in the woods, and the third episode chronicles his life after. The narration is by George Clooney, Thoreau’s words are read by Jeff Goldblum, and Meryl Streep provides the voice for the women in Thoreau’s life.
Your company and support are much appreciated this week, as always. Don’t forget to tell me what strategies you use to get back on track when enthusiasm wanes.
Thanks for your suggestion, Ginger. I have a terrible record when it comes to keeping any kind of a journal, but the reminder to notice my blessings and voice my gratitude is helpful.
And The Instrumentalist is next up on my audiobook list while I wait for some of my holds to become available. Thanks for the recommendation. It sounds right up my alley.
I hear you about needing a quick injection of enthusiasm for anything! During the pandemic shutdown I had a tough time settling down to do anything. Being able to move activities outside was a huge help. Finding audiobooks that kept me engaged helped (and I was able to enjoy the books later that couldn’t keep my attention was a bonus). If you don’t have a space outside, maybe shift to a public space like a library or coffee shop or even a shopping mall. Shopping malls are dying across the US but there are still some shiny places with colors and bustles and smells…and I’ve heard they pump oxygen in that allegedly makes people want to spend more money. I’m in a huge rut at the moment, too. I’m moving my knitting and spinning outdoors and it would be fantastic if it wasn’t in the 90s this week. Outdoors with snacks, dogs, fans (big battery operated fans are amazing), crafts, and audiobooks almost feels like a vacation.