I have been thinking a lot lately about the various "kinds" of knitting and the feelings they evoke. My first thought was creative knitting and the feeling it brings to me is excitement. There is experimental knitting and the feeling is curiosity. I like to pretty much knit out of these two places most of the time.
I was so excited the whole time I was knitting Petra Neumann's Findlinge. I felt it was creative knitting at its finest.
Knit The Sky provided me with over-the-top experimental knitting. It was a whole new way to look at what to knit.
I even added my own touch to knitting two rows every day of what the sky looked like and that was my beloved foo-foos where yarns joined. I was curious AND I was excited.
Lately I have been thinking about "grateful knitting," the knitting that provides the satisfaction of doing something entirely for someone else. Grateful knitting is different than knitting a gift for someone for Christmas or a birthday. Grateful knitting is about putting all of your "thank yous" into an object for no other reason than you are grateful. It provides me with an amazing calm and focus. It allows me to reminisce about all of the reasons and ways I am grateful to have this particular person in my life.
When Mom died, I had a difficult time finding a place for a luncheon and someone to take the responsibility out of my hands. I have a friend Lynn who is a party planner. Lynn and I taught together in our younger years. I have always been besties with Lynn's daughter Lissi. Lynn said she would be glad to take responsibility for the luncheon. It was wonderful. She suggested we choose Mom's favorite foods which was a great help in narrowing down decision making. When the bills came, we got a bill from the caterer but no bill from Lynn. I called Lynn and she said, "I know. It's Lissi and my gift to you." I have been wanting to do somethings for Lynn since then. One day I got a shipment from Twisted Fiber Art.
Lately I have been thinking about "grateful knitting," the knitting that provides the satisfaction of doing something entirely for someone else. Grateful knitting is different than knitting a gift for someone for Christmas or a birthday. Grateful knitting is about putting all of your "thank yous" into an object for no other reason than you are grateful. It provides me with an amazing calm and focus. It allows me to reminisce about all of the reasons and ways I am grateful to have this particular person in my life.
When Mom died, I had a difficult time finding a place for a luncheon and someone to take the responsibility out of my hands. I have a friend Lynn who is a party planner. Lynn and I taught together in our younger years. I have always been besties with Lynn's daughter Lissi. Lynn said she would be glad to take responsibility for the luncheon. It was wonderful. She suggested we choose Mom's favorite foods which was a great help in narrowing down decision making. When the bills came, we got a bill from the caterer but no bill from Lynn. I called Lynn and she said, "I know. It's Lissi and my gift to you." I have been wanting to do somethings for Lynn since then. One day I got a shipment from Twisted Fiber Art.
There it was! Nessie in Catnip. I knew Nessie was my grateful knitting for Lynn. It just looked like Lynn. I even knew exactly the pattern I needed to use, the OlgaJazzy Issey Scarf. I have knit it so many times that it almost knits itself leaving me with plenty of opportunity to think grateful thoughts. For the past several weeks, if you saw me at a meeting you probably also saw the Nessie scarf. Well, I am excited to say it is finished and I am ready to give it to Lynn.
See the little piece of yarn? That is all that is left of the Nessie. The final test is how it looks on Lydia.
Every time I look at the Nessie scarf, I feel calm, peaceful and (of course) grateful. Creative and experimental knitting may bring excitement and curiosity but there is no feeling like the deep rooted peace that comes from grateful knitting.
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