ADOS

I suffer from ADOS--Attention Deficit . . . Ooh Shiny! It's the main contributor to the 9 or so active hobbies I currently work on and the countless projects in progress associated with each one. From seeing something I want to make and adding it to the list, to having started the project and just haven't finished yet, I've got enough to keep me busy for a very long time. And yet, I keep adding more.

Lately, nothing has been able to hold my attention for very long. I manage to get the dish washer half way loaded before something distracts me. I still haven't remembered to get clothes into the wash, and that's probably good thing since I'm sure I'd forget to put them in the dryer. And my homework looks like it's written in Greek-- which, technically, some of it is. Even my hobbies are falling prey to the ADOS.

For instance, I recently discovered two-bobbin shuttles. These shuttles allow me to work with more colors in my tatting, giving the piece more variation. With the table runner I've been working on for my sister, the two-bobbin shuttle is a perfect fit. Now, I know I could have saved a little bit of money and just bought some of that tacky putty stuff and stuck two shuttles together that way. But with as tiny as my hands are, that just seemed too unwieldy to make it worth saving $10. So I bought a two-bobbin shuttle, and started the table runner over again. (For those of you who read my previous post, I decided to start over. But I'm keeping what I had done and I'm working on ideas to convert it to something else. Right now, the most likely outcome will be a costume belt. I think it would be perfect to dress up a simple, renaissance linen dress-- even if it's not entirely historically accurate.) However, I didn't even get half way through the first section of a row (a section of a row is about a foot in length) of the new runner before I put it down and haven't touched it since.

After a day of my hands not being busy, I started looking for inspiration online. I found about a hundred things to add to my list of things to tat in the future, but nothing that jumped out and demanded to be made immediately. And so, my list of projects still in the planning phase has grown, but my hands remained restless.

I went into the crafts folder on my computer and began sorting through everything there trying to find something to work on from my many planned projects there. After making several new folders to help me organize everything, and a couple of hours sorting everything, again nothing jumped out. However, my list of supplies to purchase for some projects just got a little bigger.

I went to Hobby Lobby and decided to purchase the embroidery floss I needed to begin working on my next set of pillow cases (yet another project in the very early stages that I have waiting in the cue). It's been a while since I worked on anything embroidery, so maybe this would help get me out of this funk--right? Wrong. I haven't even been able to gain the motivation to wind the floss onto the plastic holder, let alone thread a needle. By this point, I was going stir-crazy, and just couldn't justify spending money on even one more supply for a project that may not even get off the drawing board and into my hands.

Watching movies or TV shows is usually a good way to keep my attention for a little while, and usually serves as a sort of reset button. A night of not thinking about anything, just having trivial information effortlessly poured into my brain is typically all it takes to kick the funk and get back to being productive. But even the shows weren't enough distraction to keep my fingers from itching for something to do, and I was getting fairly frustrated.

I read a book, and that helped a bit. Kept my hands and my mind occupied enough to keep me focused on something for more than five minutes. And for all you Jane Austen fans out there, I highly recommend this book. It's called Austenland by Shannon Hale. It's funny, imaginative, and "Austen-y", while being relevant in today's world. A very quick and relaxing read. All around good book, though I would have liked to see it be a little more developed and a little less in confusing "typos". But, it helped. I've at least been able to completely load the dishwasher in one sitting. But that's about all. The laundry is still in limbo, my homework is still Greek, and I still can't stay focused on a project. And since it only took me about two days to finish (which I was surprised it took me that long--just goes to show how distracted I've been), I started getting really antsy again.

I was, yet again, perusing the internet for free patterns to tat or crochet when I can across free knitting patterns. A couple of weeks ago I was thinking about knitting, and had found a great book of knitted lace patterns that looked interesting. So I decided to check out a few of these free knits sites. And now my list of things to make has grown that much more. Luckily, however, I did come across a few patterns that looked interesting, were in my difficulty level, and I happened to have all of the supplies for--sort of. I had to fib a little on the yarn and the size of needle. But if I didn't take to the project, just like I hadn't with the pillowcases, then at least I wouldn't have spent more money unnecessarily.

Well, this project "stuck". And the size needle I was working with was really starting to bug me in the overall effect it was creating. My sweet husband ran to Walmart after he got off work around midnight and bought me the size needles I needed. He even asked me if I had a color preference, the sweetheart. And now, for the last day plus a little, Ive been working on what was supposed to be a shawl and is turning out to be more of a scarf. Since my daughter lost the last one I had made her, and my husband won't wear a scarf, I figure I know who the recipient will be. My dishes are getting done, though the laundry is still sitting there. And all I can say about my homework is thank goodness for spring break.

Though I'm not technically behind in my homework at the moment, we're now down to the last 6 weeks of classes, so it's crunch time. It's too easy to fall behind in the last stretch, especially with all the big projects and presentations that are always due at the very end. And I'm not looking forward to it . . . at all. I'm so not ready for the break to end and the insanity to resume. And this next week is promising to be busy both in school and out. Yay. Thank goodness for a loving family (and a huge thank you to my ever patient sister who always knows just what I need, and who's door is always open when I need to run away for a little while--you're a lifesaver! Love you bunches!!!) and my needles, shuttles, hooks, and books who are always there for me, support and love me, and don't mind a little ADOS from time to time.