Julie's "don't wanna work" challenge

Learning to knit

So I've decided to learn to knit. I have no real idea why, I'm probably the least crafty person alive.  But it is something that has always kind of appealed to me.  I think I like the yarn store, or yarn section of a store more than the actual knitting.  So many colors and textures brimming with possibility in those aisles.. . .


And you can buy yarn's made out of all kinds of things: Alpaca and llama wool, silk, cashmere, and they're so much cheaper than buying a whole scarf or sweater.  So when I saw my mother-in-law (husband's step-mom, not the other one) knitting while we were at their house I decided that if she could do it I could do it.  That probably isn't the nicest thing to say, but she is not exactly the brightest apple on the tree and that isn't helped by the fact that she's a little bit stoned ALL of the time.  Not fun stoned, pharmaceutical stoned.  For some reason her physicians have seen fit to give her both atavan AND vicodin along with her mood stabilizers and anti-depressants and hormones.  She's a bit slurry most of the time.  BUT she can knit, and I decided that its high time I learn.





And I tell you what, its not as hard as it looks, but it does take more focus than other things for me.  And I'm slow at it.  But I finished a whole scarf yesterday and that was a satisfying sensation that I hadn't felt in a long time.  It wasn't perfect by any means, but its wearable, and so much warmer than the ones you buy.  So I'm a tiny bit impressed with myself.





Knitting got me thinking about the way I think. Which got me thinking about how my son thinks.  Ok, honestly I have know idea how he thinks, but I know how I think and I know he doesn't think like me, or pretty much like most people.  Honestly, I don't think I think like most people, because I don't think in pictures.  I think in words.  Like word-on-an-page words, which I'm told is a bit weird.  Most people generally make pictures in their heads for stuff and I have to really work at that.  I prefer to have things described in words. I really noticed this when I was watching the same knitting video over and over and not getting it (they're online for free!) and then I found a really clear written description and everything just clicked and I got it right away.  I just needed things explained in a way I understood it so I could know what to do, and then I was fine and could go on.  I tell Alex things all the time that I think should make perfect sense to most people like "don't be weird" and "keep your hands to yourself"  which are generally easy to understand, right?  Except they aren't ALWAYS clear or true, so maybe they aren't as easy to understand as they seem  (like the knitting video).  I've tried other method's of explaining things of course (enter the ever popular Social Story for those of you in the Autism-know) but nothing quite seems to work.  Which makes me wonder:  I know that I need things written down for me to understand them; I wonder if he knows what he needs for things to be clear to him?  And if does, would he know how to tell someone?  Food for thought anyway.