Another little trip down blog Memory Lane...
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Patiently Knitting
{Originally posted October 4, 2006.}
I snapped this photo on our walk yesterday. We went to to one of our
favorite walkways by the ocean for some skateboarding, watching the
train, and generally frolicking about. I happened to look down at this
scene - with eyes other than my own for a moment - and saw how funny it
was that the yarn came with us. I mean, it always comes with us. For
seven years - since I started knitting - I've always carried a knitting
project with me. I bring them in the car, and they move about from bag
to bag (gathering crumbs of food along the way). Just waiting. Waiting
for that five minutes that I'm sitting in the car with sleeping
children. Or for that reaaally long train in front of us. Or for the
(oh, so) few moments that all three babes are happily engaged without
me at the beach, playground, woods or wherever we are. And those
moments where knitting actually happens are heavenly. Worth the wait.
But I started to think about the number of those moments where I
actually do knit, and how relatively small that is compared to the
number of hours that the yarn travels with us. It's pretty small.
Really small. If I had to put a number on it, I'd say about 2%. That's
a lot of traveling for that yarn, and not so much action. Which at
first I thought might be a bit ridiculous, but the more I thought about
it (it was a long walk), the more I liked the idea. That there's always
a presence of something being made, of a creation in progress, of the work
of handmade. I've got to believe that it's instilling some sort of
value in all of that, and that ultimately (bear with me here), the
'energy' of the kids sock (or whatever it may be) is all the more
'full' for having 'lived' with us for so long. And the beautiful thing
about that yarn is, it's so patient. The very nature of
knitting isn't one of rushing, or quick results. And so, it's presence
serves as a reminder of that for me. It says: The yarn will be there. The project can wait. Take a deep breath. Play with your kids.
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A Note Today:
Well, well. This one seemed rather fitting for me right now...three years later. (And those socks did eventually get finished and onto some toes!)
Happy Weekend to you, Friends!