I knit therefore I am. My identity is not so woven up in being a knitter; however the act of knitting itself has become a soothing soul ritual. I find comfort in the language of knit and purl. The variations from these foundation stitches can create something so complex and mesmerizing as a fisherman's cabled sweater or as simple as the tiny plain dish cloth. And there lies the beauty. Simple patterned projects transport the knitter to a meditative, relaxed state with its predictable rhythm. Medium leveled projects provide enough variety and challenge to engage one's attention for hours. And the complex projects demand our undivided devotion and growth in understanding and skill. And we knitters learn to have many projects going on simultaneously and how to match our mood with the correct dose of knitting. I can control the amount of my own involvement based on the project I choose to work on at any given time.
I learned to knit in the fall of 2006. It took a few weeks for the motion and tension gauging to get into my body. As soon as my body "got it" I was hooked. I love the portability and multi-tasking ability to knitting that is missing from my other creative outlets. I can easily travel, visit and relax to tv or music while knitting. And it is a social activity. Strangers are always interested in what you are making, the story behind it and delight in watching it take shape off your needles. Walk into a yarn shop anywhere and you have a common language and passion to create a bond. Drop in on a knitting circle and there is already a basis for connection.
I've belonged to a few knitting groups here and there in the last 2 years. It was at a new one last night that I marveled once again at the community building blocks that form. It starts with admiration of others work, and help freely given and accepted. Then slowly personal stories come to the surface. Tales of children and spouses, travels, books read, holiday meal disasters and before you know it you have found the humanity and a connection with everyone in the room.
The gifts I have received from knitting have been immeasurable. Something to do with my hands to keep me grounded during the long hours logged in doctors offices and hospital rooms. It gave me a task and cultivated patience. Flights have become pleasurable with a knitting project to keep me engaged and an Ipod. I feel less guilty about vegging in front of the Thursday night line-up or a movie. It's speed up time and slows it down when needed. I see joy in the faces of the friends and family for whom I've knitted. I've learned to value my time and resources. There are pieces that become my own heirlooms for I am the only one who understands what truly went into the project. The sense of pride and accomplishment in wearing my own creations is priceless.
And I am learning to accept what mistakes I can live with and what ones need to be ripped out and redone. I only got to knit Chuck a scarf. It was a black cashmere blend knit in garter stitch (knit every row). The yarn cost way more than a scarf should, but I did not care. I wanted it to be soft and caress Chuck's neck each time he wore it so he'd know he was loved. The problem was that I was also making scarves for Christmas gifts and his scarf was knitting up so slowly. A whole evening spent knitting would only yield a few more inches. His scarf was getting pulled out of rotation with his blessing to work on the gift scarves. Which brought us to the end of Nov and his scarf was only 3/4 done when cancer came calling again. In my distraught state and haste to finish it before treatment began, I restarted the scarf in the wrong direction and it has a huge gap in the stitch pattern. When I realized this Chuck would not let me take it out and made it perfect. To him it reinforced the love that was knitted into it and proved to all observers that he was so loved by his sweetie. To me now when I see the obvious disruption to the harmony of the pattern it reminds me of the days our harmony was shattered and that we continued on from there.
My soul takes pleasure in the textures, smells and colors knitting brings into my life. I create with the senses of sight, smell and touch for my enchantment as much as others. I knit love and positive thoughts into each garment for the receiver to wrap themselves in. The pieces I give provide warmth and protection and beauty. So yes, I knit therefore I am for it's through knitting I am able to share my best intentions, love and creativity.