This past summer, I learned a term from my woodworking brother that I think deserves wider attention in the knitting world.

He was reading an article on “pine", I think - [and just what kind of a nut would read an article about “pine", I ask you - give me an article about “MOHAIR” any day] Anyway, it referred to the intriguing concept of

“shop aging”.

Apparently some woodworker has found that leaving his pine projects lying around in the shop for months on end actually produces a nice patina or something. The details, such as actual type of wood and specific end result, are now hazy in my mind, and in fact are unnecessary to this discussion - what I believe is important here is the concept of “leaving projects lying around in the shop for months” and that this mysteriously improves them.

I think we as knitters can wholeheartedly adopt this idea.

When DH asks why we have started another new project instead of working on his boring grey socks, we can say, “But your socks are shop aging, dear.”

Unfortunately, the word “shop", referring to “wood shop” – while indeed snappy-sounding – will instead sound to knitters’ ears as though it refers to a “yarn shop", which of course is not where our projects are languishing.

Maybe that’s not so important: after all, having a good, snappy term to use is more important than accuracy here, I think.  Anyway, I haven’t yet figured out a good alternative:

• “studio aging”
• “bag aging”
• “needle aging”

Of course, for yarn that is not even cast on yet, there’s “stash aging”.  I’ve got a lot of that going on, myself.  I’m still waiting for the woodworkers to figure out how to get the projects to do themselves while they are left to their own devices.