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We all have different ways of trying to keep organized. Some people keep calendars in their email or on their phones. Some people have paper calendars. Some people write lists.
I have notebooks.
I call them “my brain” because if I lost them, I’d lose it.
My notebooks are a dumping ground, a storage system, a first-draft collection device and more all in one portable package.
I use them for to-do lists and phone messages.
I use them to write patterns.
(This pattern, by the way, you can find on my knitting site if you’re interested in some really easy pint-sized mittens.)
I use them to sketch (in my amateurish way) and write about pattern ideas.
I write first drafts of reviews, articles and essays in there when I have time for first drafts. And the Bit uses them from time to time, too.
I love using a notebook because I can take it anywhere and use it around my kid. If she saw me taking notes on my phone or trying to use a laptop, she’d be all over it. This way I can get some work done while she’s watching TV or playing with her train set, and I can still pay attention to her and get away form the technology for a while (I really love composing on paper when I have time to — I feel like I think more clearly that way).
I was out with some friends the other night and my pal Stephanie said “I love your notebook.” I think she was making fun, but I really do love my notebook. I’d be lost without it. And get a lot less done.