The P.O.P. Formula

Warning: I'm going to be talking about physics today. You will not require a degree to read this post, but It seemed fair to give advance warning. Definitions used are from thefreedictionary.com.

Definition: Infinity

1. The quality or condition of being infinite.
2. Unbounded space, time or quantity.
3. An indefinitely large number or amount.
4. The amount of time it takes for Adriene to knit a project.

Perhaps that last definition is yet to be recognized by any respectable dictionary, but at the rate I'm going, it's really only a matter of time.

I've been dragging my feet with my knitting lately. I usually spend a good chunk of each evening working on my current project, but I spent most of my evenings last week having bubble baths, scrubbing my feet, surfing the web, and drinking tea. Those aren't such bad things to be doing, but considering that I've been working on my current project for almost twelve weeks (including the time I put it down to work on other things), this kind of activity can only be described as procrastination.

Definition: Procrastination

1. v. To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.
2. n. Adriene's way of life.

Sad, but true.

This situation improved somewhat yesterday when I got out some clothes to try on for a fancy event I was attending that evening. I don't get many opportunities to wear "the good clothes," so it's always a lot of fun to pull them out and admire them. I managed to figure out three different outfits: one for last evening's event, and two more for events that are coming up... except one of the outfits I wanted to wear for a future event was a dress that has little cap sleeves.

I hate my arms. I'm working on trying to remedy that situation with daily exercise and healthy eating, but my arms are well... enormous. There's no talking me out of it. Elbow-length sleeves or longer, that's my style. But this dress is one that I bought years ago when I lived in London. It was a splurge purchase just after I got a job and started making sterling pounds. It was a lot of money for me back then, but I loved it.

But I've only worn it once.

So, I decided that I could wear a bolero cardigan over top. I only have one such item of clothing, and it's black. It just wouldn't work with this lilac-coloured dress. Silver would be perfect, I said to myself.

My mind immediately went to two skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima I purchased last summer. They would be perfect... but only two skeins? Could I pull it off?

Definition: Obsession

1. The domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.
2. The idea, image, desire, feeling, etc., itself.
3. The state of being obsessed.
4. The act of obsession.
5. How Adriene spent her Sunday.

I spent all day today thinking of ways that I could make this project work. I took out all my yarn (and that's a lotta yarn) and looked through it to see if there was anything else I had that would work. It was a good thing to do. While doing so, I managed to tidy up and organize all my skeins into one space (mostly) and used the box that my spindles were gifted in to store some of my smaller balls of yarn and my spindles. Nice, huh?

Definition: Productivity

1. The quality of being productive.
2. The rate at which goods or services are produced especially output per unit of labor.
3. What happens when Adriene gets herself organized.

I decided that there was nothing for it: I am going to make this project work if it kills me. I've since spent time this evening swatching and counting stitches and looking through pictures and patterns for inspiration. I think I can do this. The only question is: Can I get it done in time?

This is where the physics comes in.

When I am in a state of procrastination:

• Productivity = 0
• Time spent on projects = infinity

When I am in a state of obsession:

• Productivity > (is greater than) 0
• Time spent on projects < (is less than) infinity

Therefore, if I keep at it, I think I can get this done in time. I've got just about three weeks to finish it. I've wound the yarn, made my swatch, checked my gauge. It's go time.

That's the P.O.P. Formula: procrastination, obsession, productivity, as it pertains to knitting and Adriene.

Somebody write this down. It's important physics. Watch out, Stephen Hawking. You're gonna need to spend some good brain time on this.