Knitting Lesson

I have been knitting quite a bit the last few years and I've decided that it is really good for me! I have never been a person known for her patience, but knitting has created a calmness and determination that tends to promote at least the illusion of patience in my life.

No matter how fast (or slow) I knit, no matter how even (or crooked) my stitches are, no matter how simple (or complex) the pattern I choose, all my knitting shares this one trait: I can only knit ONE stitch at a time.

I am a multi-tasker at heart. I can - and generally do - have several things going on at once. I bake bread while scrapbooking. I do laundry while I garden. I always have 3 or 4 books by the bed, and I generally read a bit from all of them each day.

When I was very young - and a bit stupid - I once multi-tasked changing clothes while driving over Snoqualmie Pass. (I don't recommend this.)

It is easy to do something else while knitting, as long as the "something else" does not require the use of one's hands! Frankly, knitting would probably make me crazy if I couldn't listen to a CD, help with homework, and/or hold up my end of a lively conversation while doing it! But still, no matter how many things I can juggle at once, I still cannot knit more than one stitch at a time. one - stitch - at -a - time. And a project may have tens of thousands of stitches.

So knitting slows me down a bit. It reminds me that little things can eventually add up to something worth noting.

The photograph shows a purse and beret set I made for a beloved young niece. I could have purchased a hat and purse and saved myself dozens of hours of work, but I like the idea of creating a gift one loving (and somewhat patient) stitch at a time. It adds up to something.