Sunday, October 08, 2006

Indoor Soccer

The indoor recreational soccer season has begun. Halleluiah. Two indoor soccer players times at least one game per week and maybe some time hanging around practices yields several hours of potential knitting time. Of course, I invariably get too wrapped up in the game to knit, or too wrapped up in the knitting to see them score a goal or block a goal or otherwise make me proud. But the possibility that I might get some extra knitting time is always there with indoor soccer .. making indoor soccer a very cool sport.

We had some knitting drama at yesterday's game. It was the first game of the season and no chairs had been set up, no bleachers available. We parents sat on the floor with our backs against the wall. To my right sat fellow soccer mom and knitter, Lynn. We pulled out our knitting. (Foreboding, foreshadowy music should be cued now.)

There are no boundary lines in indoor soccer. The players may play off the wall or whatever other obstacle they bump up against. Play often comes excitingly close to the spectators. More than once my chivalrous husband has deflected a ball from his lovely wife (that would be me) who, head bent to knitting, was blissfully unaware of impending danger.

Back to yesterday. It was the second half of a close game. Tension was mounting on the court. At the edge of the court, the knitters persevered, despite frequent interference. And then, in that slow motiony way of disaster, play moved closer and closer to the side-line knitters. There were many legs and much scrambling for possession of the ball. A player kicked and made contact, not with the soccer ball, but with Lynn's bag 0' yarn. Next thing we knew, her lovely ball of yarn was rolling out into the court. Rolling and rolling. Time slowed. (Here the music would get dramatic and crescendo-y.) For one brief moment, it appeared that a player's legs were actually tangled in the trailing yarn. And then, as quickly as it happened it was over. The players moved away, the yarn stayed behind. The ball was retrieved. The knitting and the soccer game continued.

In preparation for indoor soccer, I cast on for a portable project. These socks out of the beautiful Nature's Palette yarn that Hilary brought me when she came to visit last summer. She's working on these socks too, and I'm being a copycat.

My not-so-portable project is that blur off to the right. It's also my current obsession and true love. It's just not suitable for schlepping to sporting events. It is the lovely Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark, and here's a peek:



.. more soon, I hope.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great story Mom, but it could have used some more soccer and less knitting. Oh, and that happened in the first half, not the second.

textilejunkie said...

It is a great story, but unlike Max I feel there should have been more knitting and less soccer - kids :-)

You know I have never seen indoor soccer played with a boundry wall keeping the spectators out of the way. That must really keep you on your toes.

MsAmpuTeeHee said...

HA! Max is reading your blog! LOLOL

I was reading the yarn as soccer ball story when I thought, "You know...that would make a really cool film project!" (the staged version...not the "there goes my actual knitting project version).

Oh, and ooooo...shetland triangel! Can't wait to see yours. I've been pondering it as a possibility. I'm getting ready to do my first lace shawl.
XO~
bonnie

Hilary said...

That's quite an adventure!

And, nice sock. :) Are you doing it on 1s? How come they're a different color from mine?

(Hi Max!)

Anonymous said...

Oy! I would have loved to see that ball of yarn on the court - and more so the players' faces! I'm a huge soccer fan, but strangely haven't been to indoor games yet - probably because, when the indoor season starts here, the hockey season starts as well, and you know, a girl has to have priorities! ;) Anyhoo, you certainly inspired me to go to an indoor soccer game this winter too, it sounds like a lot of fun!
That sock is definitely the perfect portable project - and gosh, the Shetland Triangle is coming along so fine, can't wait to see it when it's all done!
Happy soccer watching!

Linda in Anchorage said...

The Shetland triangle is lovely, I will look forward to a photo when it's done. I did start a lace scarf at the Yarn Expo classes, but it's on hold for now, until I finish a few other things.

Thanks for posting about your Masters Level 1 results. It's encouraging to know that you only had to reknit 4 of the swatches, and didn't have to redo any of the writing. I predict we'll see your name in "Cast On" in the next issue!