Isn’t it amazing how some illness starts with a sneeze or an ache.  At first you blow it off as a fluke or crappy day.  Then, before you know it you’re at the Dr.’s office wondering why you feel like you’ve been run over by a herd of elephants.

For many, knitting starts the same way.  With something small, harmless and relativley inexpensive like a  hat, washcloth or baby blanket.  None of these projects take up a lot of room, time, money or emotion. 

Once the first project is proudly completed, there is a slight twang of emptiness.  Longing, if you will, for something new, something more luxurious or challenging.  So another project is planned, pattern is picked out, a trip to the LYS is planned and made, yarn and needles are purchased and the project is started.  The knitter is still under the illusion that once this project is complete they will move on to other things.  Ok. Sure.

Project #2 two is well underway and the knitter unexplicably starts to itch for a something new.  Project #2 has lost it’s sheen, and the needles fall silent.  Another project comes across their path.  It’s siren call is to much to resist.  Again, a trip to the LYS is made, purchases are made and this project is started. 

Other priorities are set aside.  Laundry begins to pile, “on your own” meal night increases in frequency.  Planned dinners will include cereal, pizza, and chinese take-out (although delivery will be preferred).  Bedtime is adjusted from 10pm to 1am.  The family begins to worry, just a bit.

Project #2 is  lovely, but the knitter has to pay full attention to what they’re doing.  It takes a large amount of concentration and dry snack food to get through this project and the knitter is getting a bit restless.  Feeling tired and technically drained, the knitter longs for a simpler “filler” project.  A project that they can knit without thinking.

And the cycle begins.  Just like a cold or the flu goes from one person to the next , so do the projects in knitting.  Never satisfied the knitter keeps on knitting.  Completing a few projects and starting more.  They fill their evenings with Knit Nights and search for Open Knitting days at their local LYS. 

Yes, knitting is like an illness.  There is no known cure, no inoculation, no vaccine.  Unlike illness, knitting brings pleasure mixed with pain to those who partake in it.  It lowers bloodpressure, strengthens the mind, lubricates the joints, socializes the person, and increases the quality of life.  Knitting is the perfect disease.