
Then you've got knitting, which is sitting-somewhat-calmly-hardly-ever-breaking-a-sweat-and-you-can-watch-tv-and-have-a-conversation-and-drink-coffee-while-you're-doing-it. And I love knitting for precisely all of those fun aspects.
However, and perhaps you've never noticed this before, knitting and CrossFit have much in common, and I think it's their commonalities that appeal to me and why they are my two new favorite

Yes, I realize this will not appeal to those of different personality types (though that doesn't mean you have to be just like me to enjoy either one!).
But I like the counting and the patterns. A row of knitting is not unlike a round of CrossFit. Let's take an example. In knitting you might knit 2/purl 2 seven times to finish a row. In CrossFit, you might, to use an example from just the other night, do 3 power snatches and then row 250 meters seven times.
See? It's a nice little pattern you follow and when you've reached the end of the row or finished all 7 rounds, you're done!
Goals: Both big and small.

Both knitting and CrossFit let me check off big and little Somethings all the time. Even if it's only the smallest goal--a purl or a k2togtbl, or a single box jump or a quick 200m run--I'm checking checking checking my accomplishments off my mental list throughout the process.
And as each unit get mentally checked off, I get closer to the next bigger goal--for knitting, that's a row, and in CrossFit, that's a single set of reps, like 5 pull ups in "Cindy." And for each of those mentally checked off, I get closer to an even bigger goal--the completion of a group of knitted rows that make a larger pattern, or the completion of an CrossFit round.
Finally, I complete the knitted piece or the WOD. All of those discrete unit-sized goals--each knit, each purl, each lift, each wall ball--have all added up to this bigger, more comprehensive accomplishment!

SATISFYING SIGH OF SATISFACTION
Developing patience, persistence, and killing the Perfectionism Monster.
I was really bad at both
Oh yeah, and I

Of the two
But knitting. . . oh, well, I think a person can do just fine without crafting. In fact, I avoided any sort of crafty thing for years and was just fine and happy and it didn't have an ill-effect on my health.
So why would I be more scared of the optional value? I think that's Mr. Perfectionism Monster whispering "If you quit it, you'll be a failure." But, as you know, nothing horrible will befall a person for giving up knitting if they hate it.

But nothing NOTHING frustrates me quite like having to undo teeny tiny obscure mistakes because once you fix one, another inevitably turns up. It makes me feel like Sisyphus. This is why I'm not a computer person--the idea of having to hunt through tons of code to fix one semi-colon sounds like hell on Earth. Unraveling rows of knitting to correct a mistake is not just inconvenient, it actually physically hurts. No. Actually.
I'm happy to report that I have pushed through this frustration and have learned how to fix mistakes more quickly and without too many swear words or physical ailments. Go me! Such a feat would have been impossible for me even a decade ago, I think. In fact, it was a decade ago that I took up knitting for the first time and dropped it because it was made me feel like Sisyphus. So there you go.

The other people who knit and CrossFit are pretty awesome.
I've learned that all you have to do is wear a CrossFit shirt (or Vibram Five Fingers) or carry your knitting in order to wind up in interesting conversations with people.
The people at my CrossFit gym are super nice and encouraging, share your excitement about accomplishing a new goal, are willing to answer questions from newbies, and are generally up for a good discussion about technique or equipment.
My knitting friends are super nice and encouraging, share your excitement about accomplishing a new goal, are willing to answer questions from newbies, and are generally up for a good discussion about technique or equipment.
While that wasn't the primary reason I got into either
So there you have it! Both knitting and CrossFit satisfy my goal-oriented, pattern-loving personality, and both have required a level of patience and persistence I'd generally found difficult to summon many times in the past.
And since I'm not doing CrossFit until tomorrow, I'm off to knit!
3 comments:
Look at you - growing as a person and all. Good for you.
The thought of pulling out rows and rows of tediously knotted yarn is what makes my teeth hurt (though I don't generally use my teeth to do the pulling unless I'm very, very frustrated). I do love the rhythmic clicking sounds that both the metal and wooden needles make when you hit your stride, but I just don't get that "abacus bead slide" sense of satisfaction when I've completed a row.
I'm more of a basic, one hook, one pattern craft person. (Need a scarf for Christmas?)
Yay knitting and CrossFit and growing as a person in general! I always hear about the dreaded mid-life crisis as almost a given for everyone. But you got to 40, kicked down the door, and rocked it. I hope to be as awesome when I'm there. :)
What a great little post! Knitting definitely helps me stay sane. I love how you related it to your passion for CrossFit.
Knitting and watching TV rocks. I've been wondering lately, if I got a Kindle, how hard would it be to knit and read at the same time.
Only one way to find out!
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