Today, as we drove to the shop with the girls in the backseat, I sat in the passenger seat and wound a hank of Yarn Love Elizabeth Bennet into a beautiful, multicolored ball that I am planning to knit up into an equally beautiful (eh…at least I try) pair of socks. My husband laughed. “You realize you are a little too into knitting, right?” he said.
It got me thinking. Why is it that I knit? My friend Sue knits for process, no doubt about it. Her mantra, that no knitting is wasted, is one that many other knitters share. But when I met her, I didn’t feel that way. I knit for the finished product. A scarf to wear, Christmas gifts, something to do to pass the time.
Now though, just over a year later, I find myself feeling completely differently about knitting. While I am probably not at the point that I can say that no knitting is wasted (the thought of frogging something in its entirety and having to start over brings me close to tears quite often), I do find myself growing into a process knitter. There is something soothing about knitting. It relaxes me. It keeps me occupied. It helps me stay calm and focused.
And that’s even with the fact that my knitting technique needs work. I can’t do stockinette properly. I get holes when picking up stitches and doing short rows. I am fairly certain that I will never be able to cast on more than 60 stitches in the round without twisting them. But I keep knitting. I keep trying. I keep learning and practicing new skills. Some of which are even, undoubtedly, above my ability level.
Maybe I’ll become a process knitter yet…
In the meantime, take a look at some of my recent finished projects!
My Red Java Felted Bag
Pattern: Angela’s Fabulous Felted Bag
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Red Java
A Pal for Piper
Pattern: Blanket Buddy from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders
Yarn: Jumbo Acrylic
Fueling the Addiction Ribbed Socks
Pattern: Basic Ribbed Socks
Yarn: Angels & Elephants Hand Dyed Sock Yarn
