Knit one, Purl two, repeat

Valentine’s Day Blues Shawl

2010-02-21T17:09:00.001-08:00

Or how I fought off the it’s Valentine’s Day, I’m all alone again blues…

So, my sweetie was in New York on a business trip and I was all alone on Valentine’s Day this year. I decided that instead of feeling bad I was going to do something new and fun and for myself. Thus was born the following project.

I have never made a shawl before, being intimidated by the triangular shape, lace and many other daunting looking things that make up a shawl. I had been looking for years for just the right pattern to try out and on that February 13th, found the one I wanted to try. It is a simple triangle shape with no lace and no complicated pattern repeats. It’s a shawlette (meaning a small shawl) and I had some yarn I thought would look good in the pattern. I had the needles and so thought what the heck.

The pattern is called Boneyard and I found it here. Looked simple and can be made in pretty much any type of yarn with a simple needle size adjustment. So, on the evening of February 13, 2010 I cast on the first 5 stitches.

Here was my progress by the end of Valentine’s Day:

I made good progress and it was a good distraction from feeling lonely on that day.

I kept it up, worked on it in my spare time at night after work. I still wasn’t sure what I was really doing with the triangle shape and about two more repeats I figured out I was knitting it top down! Now I got it! It made sense to me at last. The fancy borders that have made me drool but have stopped me cold from trying those lacy shawls are done last!

So I kept going, being encouraged and urged on by my knitting friends and compadres on Plurk. Then Friday I hit a wall of depression. I hadn’t hit this kind of depression in years, the kind where you are afraid to say anything because they may make you go “see someone”. I haven’t felt so alone in a very long time. This is the kind of depression that is robbing me of sleep and the ability to eat. The one person I needed the most was completely out of reach with no way to ask for help and support. This is the kind of depression that I worry about because it is paralyzing.

But sitting on the couch next to me, buried under the box of Kleenex was my knitting. My shawl that I had been diligently working on all week. I really didn’t feel like doing it but I picked it up. Might as well do something other than stare at the TV, the computer screen and weep.

As I began to settle into the rhythm of the needles clicking and the yarn slipping through my fingers, I began to feel a small bit of peace. I felt my breathing slow down and my heart beat become regular. My mind was able to relax and focus on the patterns and colors that were emerging as I knit. I thought about my mother and how it comforted me to see her knit and now knew why. I’m sure she got the same sense of peace that I do. Mom’s birthday is coming up this week and I still miss her so much. Knitting connects me to her, I can feel her hands on my shoulders as I learn new things.

So I threw myself into this shawl and knit until late in the evening. I had one eye on the Olympics and the computer and one eye on the needles. I made significant progress and thought to myself, I can finish this tomorrow if I work on it all day.

Sleep was fitful and I found myself up and checking the phone at 4:50 am. Still no messages. I got up thinking how am I going to get through another day. I was out of coffee so I fed the cat, made some instant and settled down to knit. Finally heard from the sweetie only to hear that I wouldn’t be hearing his voice for awhile longer. I walked up to the store, got some real coffee, bagels and of course, cat food.

Then I sat down with my fresh coffee, and began to knit. I knit through out the morning and got to the point where it was time to bind off. I decided to try something else new and looked up the picot bind off technique. I thought what the heck, and started to bind off using this new technique. Turns out it was easy and by lunch time, I was half way through. I should have counted the final stitches to see how many there actually were.

After lunch I kept going and low and behold, I finished it! I actually felt excited and had to post to my Plurk friends that I finally completed it! Of course, I took pictures and posted those too.

So, the depression is still here and still pretty crippling. Don’t know how I’m going to do work tomorrow, but I suppose I will. One minute at a time as they say.

But the whole point of this is that I have one tool in my basket. My knitting; just some yarn and a couple of sticks. It let me be inside my skin while taking me away to a calmer place. To a place where it didn’t matter what I look like, whether I do or say the right things, whether I am a good person or worth the time. It was just about the work, just about the process of yarning over and slipping the stitches from one needle to the next and watching the yarn turn into something beautiful and useful. It doesn’t matter that at the moment I feel like I am neither…

Technorati Tags: heartsapocolypse,knitting,shawl,depression,mother,despair,broken hearted

Red Shawl in Progress

2010-02-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I left the purple shawl project I posted on here at work over the long weekend. I needed something to knit so I cast on this new one. It's the same pattern as the other but I am using a totally different yarn and colorway. The yarn is Garden Yarn from Deborah Norville's new line and it is made of 100% Dralon Microfiber. It looks like cotton and feels divine! It has nice stitch definition and beautiful drape. I will be using this again.

Here is the beginning:

Of course, Kes had to help:

And here it is Monday afternoon:

Stitch detail. (This yarn is turning out to be wonderful):

Knitting a shawl is on my knitting goals list for this year. I want to be able to make some of those really elaborate, lacy shawls but am intimidated by them. This is step one to getting to that goal.

Updates as they become available...

Darkside Cowl: Start to Finish

2010-02-06T17:25:00.001-08:00

I had been looking for some sort of short scarf or neck warmer to wear under my winter coat for some time when I stumbled across this pattern on Ravelry. It’s called Darkside Cowl and can be found here. Darkside Cowl You do have to sign up but it’s free and an easy process. Check it out, you won’t be sorry.

I decided to try this out and found some Naturally Caron Country yarn I had in the Peacock color. I wanted to use this because it’s soft, makes a nice fabric and is machine washable and I knew it would feel good on my skin.

Here is the beginning of the project:

It only took about a week or so to complete and that was after having to rip it back because I miscounted the stitches. You do have to be careful to make sure you have a multiple of 8 stitches or your pattern will be off. I added 16 stitches because I wanted it to be pretty loose.

I used a 16 inch circular size 8 needle and that worked just fine.

I am really pleased with how this came out. It’s really soft and warm and much better than fussing with a scarf when I’m taking the bus. I think I’ll be making a few of these they are so nice and were so easy and fun to make.

Finished product:

I think these would also make awesome gifts and if you used a more masculine color, would be great for a man too.

Technorati Tags: heartsapocolypse,knitting,cowl,darkside,caron

At last, a shawl

2010-02-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make a shawl forever but was intimidated by the way the patterns start. I wanted to make a triangular shawl and not just a scarf style one.

I've been searching for patterns for ever and have quite a collection, but they all seemed a little too complicated for a first try.

Then I ran across this one and it seemed perfect! It's called the Boneyard and it looks easy but still has the elements that I want to learn.

I had some Caron Spa yarn, a bamboo/acrylic blend in a nice purple so that's what I decided to use.

Here is the beginning:

Caron Spa yarn I'm using: Berry Frappe

Here is the beginning:

One more shot of the start:

I'll keep you all posted... so far it's going well and I'm loving it. It's an easy pattern and I think I can do this!

The story of the purple purse…

2009-11-14T19:57:00.001-08:00

There is a story behind this purple purse. It’s probably a bit silly and will not make sense to some of you. It does, however, represent another step on the path in my journey.

For years, I have had trouble treating myself to things I like. I only buy practical things for myself that I need. It was (and is) easy for me to buy things on a whim for the people that I love but very difficult for me to do the same for myself. I think it comes from being “last on the list”.

What is “last on the list’? Last on the list means just what it says. Other peoples needs are met first and if there is any left over (which there rarely is), it’s your turn. I am not blaming anyone but myself for this, I willingly put myself there. I enabled and even encouraged other people to put me there too.

When I got divorced about 5 years ago, everyone kept asking me “What do you want?”. I was dumbfounded because I couldn’t answer that question. I truly didn’t know.

I had spent my life wanting what other people wanted me to want. Wanting to make sure my family had what it needed, that my child was healthy and happy and the same for my husband. This women’s libber turned out to be a 1950’s housewife.

Is that a bad thing? No, it wasn’t. But what happened in the process is that I lost myself. I put who I was and what I wanted on the shelf and turned my attention to doing for others. I loved being a wife and mother, it felt like it was what I was born to be. But when the marriage failed, I was left with having to find that shelf where I put myself and my dreams.

I still haven’t found all of me and all of my dreams. I still can’t completely answer that question although I am making progress.

So where does the purple purse come in? I really needed to get myself a new purse. I went to the mall and was looking for a plain, black, nondescript purse, the kind I usually get.

I couldn’t find one. They all had big metal decorations or were made of some weird material. I just couldn’t find the right purse. I spotted this purple one and really liked it. It wasn’t black and it wasn’t practical so I didn’t even pick it up.

I must have spent an hour trying to pick out a good old black purse. I kept walking by the purple one but not seriously considering that I could buy that one.

I finally walked over to it and decided to see if they had that style in black. They didn’t. While I was looking I picked up that purple one and it dawned on me. Why can’t I buy the purple one? Who says it has to be boring and practical. This one had tons of room, had some nice of pockets and was comfortable to wear and it was 40% off. The very best thing about it was it was purple.

Before I could talk myself out of it I marched to the check out counter with my 40% off purple purse, $10 off card in hand. I waited in line, fighting the urge to go put it back. It was my turn and the gal rang up my purchase, took the discount off and put my purchase in a bag.

As I walked out of the store I felt such a sense of freedom stepping out from the back of the line and putting myself in first place. that my life doesn’t have to be filled with practical black purses but can be filled with purple, red or green purses.

When I was first thinking about this, I felt sad that I had spent so much of my life living like this. Then I realized what a gift it was to be able to take that first step towards a better life, a freer life and one filled with purple purses…

Reflections…

2009-11-11T17:14:00.001-08:00

I have been collecting these kinds of inspirational sayings and quotes for a while now and thought I’d put them together to share. These are just a few that moved me today…

“The heart that gives, gathers” ~Marianne Moore

“Burn brightly without burning out.” ~Richard Briggs

“Sometimes in the winds of change, we find our true direction” ~Unknown

“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the day, saying... I will try again tomorrow.” ~Mary Ann Radmacher

“The best sermons are lived, not preached~ Cowboy Wisdom

“The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try and the fait to believe it's possible.” ~Rich Devos

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Robert Brault

“To love and to be loved is to see the sun from both sides.” ~ David Viscott

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

An “a-ha” moment…

2009-07-06T20:36:00.001-07:00

I have been under a lot of stress lately what with the possibility of losing my job hanging over my head these last couple of months. This last week the dreaded layoff notice arrived via certified mail and it all hit home. I think that tipped the scales for me.

I hadn’t been able to sleep for at least a week and hadn’t been able to eat in days. By this weekend I was running on fumes. So I was in this state when I treated my very best friend in a terrible manner. I didn’t realize how stressed out and unable to cope I was. I was out of control and didn’t realize it.

I finally collapsed Saturday night and got the first good night’s sleep I'd had in weeks. When I woke up Sunday morning and realized how I’d behaved, I was so embarrassed. I immediately wrote to my friend and apologized. My friend said no apologies were necessary but of course, they were.

That afternoon I realized that I’d stopped doing the things that helped me to relieve stress. I’d be so tired when I’d get home I’d just collapse in front of the computer or the TV and do nothing. I realized l hadn’t picked up my knitting needles in a couple of weeks.

So I got the new yarn I had bought a couple of weeks ago and cast on a hat. It’s just a very simple pattern that requires little thought. Within about 20 minutes I realized that I had started to relax. My body wasn’t so tense anymore and my mind was wandering to pleasant places. I began to notice the feel of my needles in my hands and the way the way the yarn slid through my fingers. I began to relax into the rhythm of the needles as I worked the stitches, knit two, purl two. I found myself breathing more deeply, and enjoying myself. I was finally relaxed. I was actually smiling!

It was then in that moment that I realized how much I needed to do this. How much I needed to take care of myself. I had forgotten how important it is to do something to feed your soul, to replenish that which is leached away from us during everyday living.

So despite things not being settled, I woke up feeling good this morning and found myself smiling easily at people once again. I was able to see the value of what I am doing even if it may end soon. I can still make other people’s lives easier and be encouraging to them even if my own situation is precarious right now. I laughed a lot today and it felt really good.

So the lesson here, the “a-ha” moment is feed your soul. Find something that you can do to refill what the world takes from you. Read, write, play music, garden, walk, play with your dog, kiss your sweetie or knit. What you do isn’t important, it’s just important that you do something. Your world will be a better, easier place and your journey through it will be smoother.

They say you can't go home again...

2009-03-31T19:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend a little time in the town where I went to college. It is just the next town up, about 7 miles from where I live.

This college town is home to Humboldt State University, is "green" and is smack dab in the middle of the "Emerald Triangle". They have an All Species Day parade, hippie festivals and farmer's markets in the summer. In other words, it's groovy.

I had to ride the bus to get to my destination. This is not something new for me as mass transit is my current mode of transportation. But riding the bus in this little town is unlike any bus ride I have ever taken.

This bus has classical music playing in it. They are broadcasting the University radio station, the unmistakable groovy D.J. breaking in to give us the local happenings.

At the University stop hordes of kids, yes, to me they are kids, get on. Most look to be in their very early twenties, toting backpacks, cell phones and iPods. They chatter on as the bus takes off, sharing seats and some standing on the over-full bus.

I was struck by their energy. I'm not talking about bouncing off the walls energy but their quiet energy. The energy that comes from youth. Bright, unlined faces smiling and talking, sharing ideas and laughs, philosophy lessons and making plans for the evening ahead.

I was particularly taken by a young man and young woman who were making some kind of connection on that crowded, noisy bus. They sat across from each other, apparently continuing a conversation started at the bus stop. He was probably in his early twenties, blonde with a full beard and a great smile. He had intelligent blue eyes that shone when he smiled, which he did often.

She was petite with short blonde hair pulled back into a cute pony tail, beautiful skin and nice blue-gray eyes. She leaned into his words and spoke animatedly with her hands and had a quick smile that flashed in her eyes.

Pretty soon it was time for her stop and they said good bye and she got off the bus. He waved to her as we drove by her.

I was fascinated by the interaction of these two people. It reminded me of how vital we were at that age, with the whole world open to us, our whole lives in front of us. How open we are before we are beaten down and scarred by our lives. By the disappointments, tragedies and monotony that can become everyday life. Before we become tired by the routines and challenges we face every day that wear us down and make us lose that spark.

Watching those two people connect on that level that existed before you learn to hide your heart and be suspicious of every new connection, reminded me that life is full. Life is full of chances and choices. Chances for new opportunities, relationships, and connections. Choices to be made that will open us up or close us down to these new experiences that will perhaps set us on a new, exciting path. A path we are meant to fulfil and perhaps exceed.

So, maybe you can't go home again but it sure is nice to be able to visit for awhile.

My first sock...

2009-03-31T10:07:00.001-07:00

I have finally done it, knitted my very first sock. I have been coveting the ability to make beautiful, colorful socks for as long as I can remember, and now, I have done it. It's wonky, doesn't fit terribly well and there are mistakes but who cares? I made it!

About 2 years ago I bought a kit that included a book called Socks Soar on Circular Needles, one skein of plain white sock yarn, and two circular needles, all I'd need to make a pair of socks. Well, intimidation won out and I put it away.

This year I made a list of knitting goals and the top two were to learn to knit in the round and to learn to make socks. I pulled out that book several months ago and began reading it cover to cover. In the mean time I learned how to knit in the round by making some simple hats.

Last Saturday, I found a beautiful skein of sock yarn and just had to have it. I bought it and that evening, sat down with my book, needles and new skein of yarn. I only worked on this when I had time and no pressure.

Low and behold, it was working and before long I was turning the heel. Then I was trying it on to see how long I'd need to make the foot! Just this morning I finished my very first sock (see photo above)! I love this sock! I will be casting on the second one this afternoon after all my errands are done and I have some relaxed time. Pretty soon I'll have a new pair of socks to wear around the house and the tools to make more for myself and best of all, for gifts!

This is the first year I have set specific goals for myself. I chose to make them in the area of knitting because it was a way to privately improve myself and my craft. I am relishing the sense of accomplishment that I am feeling in this area of my life. I hope it carries over to other parts of my life that need it right now. I figure one small step at a time will lead me to the path I am supposed to be taking, to satisfaction and a sense of doing something worthwhile with my life.

And you thought knitting was just a hobby...

The long road to knitting in the round.

2009-01-25T20:25:00.001-08:00

I have been knitting since I was a child when I was taught to knit by my grandmother. I still have memories of sitting in her living room at 8 years old struggling to hold the needles in my little hands and move the yarn in the proper fashion.

I've knit off and on ever since those days and have been knitting steadily for the last 5 or 6 years. I considered myself an intermediate knitter having knit everything from basic garter stitch dishcloths to intricate cabled sweaters.

My mother was an avid and accomplished knitter. I remember watching her fingers fly as she knit argyle socks and fair isle sweaters for my dad and for my brothers and sisters. She knit with double pointed needles and made it look effortless. She did fair isle work with a multitude of bobbins filled with all kinds of colors effortlessly.

I've done a few fair isle projects but have never managed to knit in the round. I've looked longingly at the socks other knitters seem to create by the dozens, hats that I'd love to make but were done in the round. I've tried using the double pointed needles but between flaring Carpal Tunnel and creeping arthritis, I was unable to handle all those needles.

But now, there exists a tool that I didn't have before. The Internet. The Internet has opened up worlds for me both in my knitting life and in other aspects of my life as well. With sites such as KnittingHelp and Ravelry, there is a whole new world of teachers available to knitters and available for free!

KnittingHelp has wonderful videos and a plethora of knitters of all walks of life who are generous and willing to share their knowledge to any one who asks. The way these knitters spoke about knitting in the round, the techniques, tools and tips they share continue to amaze and help me.

It was watching the videos and reading the tips and tricks of other knitters gave me the push to pick up my needles and give it a shot. I tried the double pointed needles and was able to actually knit in the round! It was still pretty frustrating to deal with all those needles but I was doing it.

At the beginning of this year I made myself a promise that I would tackle this once and for all. I went on a search for an easy hat in the round and after days of looking, decided to check out the groups on Ravelry. I found one called (hat of the month) that looked interesting. They had a hat called "Who?" that I decided to try using circular needles.

I got some stashed WoolEase in a nice green color and cast on. I took a deep breath, got out a number of books and figured out how to make a nice join without twisting the stitches.

OK, looked pretty good! I put a marker on and began to do the ribbing. Wow, it was really easy! And it seemed to go really fast! I moved easily through the pattern and before I knew it, had a hat! I came to the part where I was supposed to switch to double pointed needles and decided to just use two circulars instead. Low and behold, it worked beautifully! I had a hat, an honest to goodness hat, knit in the round that I didn't have to seam!

What a sense of accomplishment I feel! I feel like I've finally become a grown up knitter after 40 years of practicing this craft. I've since knit 5 or 6 hats and a cowl and can't believe I was ever afraid of doing this.

So with the help of the Internet, some good books and a little courage, I've taken the long road to knitting in the round and I tell you, I'm not looking back.

KnittingHelp is a free site that offers video tutorials, some patterns and an outstanding forum where you can ask questions, answer questions and post pictures of your finished items.

Ravelry is a site that offers free and for sale patterns, a place to upload your stash, needles, patterns and to organize your projects. There are a multitude of groups to join and forums to participate in. You do have to sign up and get an invite but it as of right now, it only takes about four days to process. It is well worth the wait.

Oh, and pictures will be coming soon... waiting for daylight!

Be still my heart...

2008-01-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

I had one of those moments that you want to capture forever and keep it somewhere so you can take it out and re-experience it from time to time.

I have been teaching my 18 year old daughter how to knit. This summer I showed her how to cast on and the knit stitch. She diligently set about making and frogging numerous squares and scarves to practice with and then seemed to get bored.

Right before Christmas she found a pattern for Civil War era Muffatees and wanted to know if I could make them. She picked out some yarn and I made them for her in an evening.

She sent me an email at work telling me she had forgotten how to cast on so I told her I’d show her when on I got home but that she could check my bookmarks and got to the Knitting Help site and look at the videos.

I got home that night and she once again asked me to show her how to cast on. She sat busily on the couch casting on and then knitting. It was so wonderful to be sitting on the couch, she at one end and me at the other, parallel knitting. She began taking her knitting to work and when she rode the bus. Be still my heart…

But here comes the real moment to be captured and saved forever. We had spent the afternoon running around, going to Michael’s and JoAnn’s and were on the bus heading home. It was getting dark by this time. She usually puts her iPod on to block out the noise on the bus and she did that. Then she whips out her knitting and proceeds to knit in public, on the bus in near darkness. I wanted to hug her. It was amazing to see something that was passed down to me through my Grandmother, my Mother, me and now to her.

That night she finished her first garter stitch scarf. It was made from Red Heart’s soft yarn using size 6 needles so it was tightly knit and substantial. It had some little holes, and the edges were a bit in and out but it was the most beautiful scarf I had ever seen.

Last night she asked me to teach her how to purl. So I had her cast on and knit one row and then showed her how to purl. This time I had her use size 8 needles with her Simply Soft yarn left from a bag I had made. It took a few repetitions but she got it! I told her that if she alternated her knit and purl rows, she would get the stockinet stitch.

Again she worked away, this time wearing her newly finished scarf, while I was on the computer and then I hear this question: is it supposed to curl up like this? I took a look at her work and it was beautiful. Nice straight, even stitches that curled a bit on the bottom. I almost started to tear up and told her how great it looked. I also told her about using garter stitch borders to keep the curling from happening. We talked about how to tell the difference between knit and purl stitches.

She is getting ready to leave the nest in a few months. This experience with her is one I will now cherish forever. I have gotten to pass along to her the building blocks of knitting. She can add this to her tool box of other crafting skills and her ever growing box of life skills. And it is one more connection to knit us together even as the apron strings are loosened and cut, moving closer while at the same time separating.

A time of change

2008-01-03T19:15:00.001-08:00

I am beginning to look into the abyss of change. All around me it is beginning, moving inexorably forward completely out of my control. It is starting as a trickle like a small mountain stream but already I hear the rumbles of white water ahead.

She has one foot out the door and is not looking back. I hear her speaking of her new life away from me, one in which I will play only a small, far away role. Realizing that sooner than later I will not wake up to see her every day, we will not say goodnight to each other every night, I will not hear the question are you going to take a shower first of should I.

Soon she will be a distant voice on the phone, a blinking message in my email box, the occasional card in the mail.

But this is how it’s supposed to be isn’t it? They are with you for a time and then you set them free to fly the nest, to create a nest of their own, to have adventures near and far, to make their mark in the world.

I have known this intuitively since I carried her in my womb, I have pontificated about this since I first held her in my arms. I know this. So why is it feeling like a complete surprise to me now?

We are approaching the finish line, making the final preparations, crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s, getting her ducks in a row and every other cliché one can think of, each step getting closer to the final take off and I find myself hanging on for dear life.

How does one gracefully step out of the way? How does one untie that very last knot on the apron? How does one stand at the front door smiling, waving and saying good bye and watching them sail off into uncharted territory?

I guess you take a deep breath, untie that knot and know that you’ve done your job. There is a saying in knitting that says “Trust the pattern”. I guess in this case I have to trust the job I’ve done and the choices I’ve made and trust that she is ready for the world.

Bittersweet ...

2007-12-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

This year, the Christmas holidays are bittersweet. It will probably be the last Christmas I spend with my daughter for awhile. She is getting ready to leave the nest and move away from here.

Now is when the words I have spoken lo these many years are coming back to haunt me. What words? These:

The job of being a parent is to give your kids a solid foundation so when it is time for them to leave, they do.

Our kids are not our property, nor are they meant to be just like us. They are here to grow, learn and become what they are meant to be.

That means eventually, they leave, and always before we think they are ready. Like now...

There is a big part of me that is so excited to see her begin her life. She is doing this on her own, with much planning and on her own terms. I am excited to see what she will bring to the table, what directions she chooses and where she lands. She is smart, resourceful, creative and ready to take on the world.

But part of me thinks about the fact that just today at the dentist's office I had to hold her hand while they gave her the Novocain shot. Is she really ready to move away from the comfort of her mama's covering?

Or is it me that is not ready to let her go?

I too am ready to move forward with my life, ready to get out of this popsicle stand. When she goes, there is nothing left for me here. I am beginning to loathe my job. I don't want to be where my ex and his new family is. I do want to go where my heart now is, and that is far from here.

So on this bittersweet holiday, I wish all of you well. I wish all of you new dreams and plans for the new year. I wish for all of you to hold tight to your kids but be ready to let go when it is time, to loosen that hold just enough for those first tentative steps off the edge of the nest. But be ready with welcoming arms if they teeter backwards...

Happy Holidays...

The Zen of Knitting

2007-11-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Knitting. Taking spun fiber and turning it into cloth using needles. This is a centuries old process that has been both a vocation and an avocation. It has been taught through apprenticeships and passed down by grandmothers. It was once a primarily male undertaking, then a primarily female undertaking and now is shared by both with the number of men knitting increasing daily.

I was taught by my grandmother at the age of 8 because it was a “skill every lady should have”. My mother filled in my education as she was an avid knitter until her arthritis made it difficult for her to continue. My sister has been a professional knitter, kitting projects for folks through a local yarn shop. My family has a history of knitters so it is not surprising that my daughter is now learning to knit as well.

Knitting has come back into the spotlight as an art form that all kinds of people are doing. Celebrities, housewives, teens, grannies and even truck drivers are knitting.

So what is it about this simple craft that has captured so many imaginations? What is it about sitting down with a skein of yarn and some needles that has grabbed so many peoples attention?

I was thinking about this last night as I was sitting and working on a project. I could feel myself relaxing as I got into the act of knitting. The clicking of the needles, the feel of the yarn sliding through my fingers, the rhythm of my hands moving back and forth, the fingers making subtle movements as I created stitch after stitch.

With each movement I could feel myself relax, the cares and stresses of the day melting away as each stitch moved from left needle to right.

I get a profound sense of peace while I am knitting. It is Zen for me. It separates me from the negativity of life and propels me to a calm, peaceful place. I get to think about the person I am making the project for, thinking about what they might be doing at that moment, hoping they will like what I have made and how they may look wearing it. It is one of the ways I show my love for that person.

If I am knitting for charity, I try to put a good thought into the garment. I try to imbue every stitch with good wishes and hope and a knowledge that someone, somewhere cares. There is so much loneliness and hopelessness in the world today that it is one very small way to shine a light where there is darkness.

Most knitters that I know are passionate people who are passionate about their craft. They find ways to have knitting in their lives whether it is on the subway, the doctor’s office or during a meeting. The yarn and needles are never far away. These folks are also always ready to lend a hand. They knit for Cancer patients, preemies, homeless people and soldiers. They are always there with a suggestion; help with a pattern or to just encourage each other to tackle that project that seems too hard. It is a warm helpful community and I am glad to be a small part of it.

Go find yourself something to be passionate about, something to take you to that zone, that Zen place. See if it doesn’t make your life and the life of those you touch better. Then of course, pass it on…

Knitting is saving my sanity!

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This is going to be a place for all things knitting. For my love of yarn, needles, patterns and colors just to name a few.

I will post finished objects, works in progress and musings and other things that come to mind.

Here is the latest finished object made for a friend who deserves it: