Knitting Life

One of the great things about knitting, for me personally anyway, is that nothing is permanent.

Mistakes can be ripped back without too much worry, angst, anger, shame, regret, fear, hate, doubt or denial.

It's pure. You can create and destroy that which you have created without long term pain. Got a bad cast on? Rip it. Got a funky row of P2Togs? Rip it. Yarn not as faboo as you thought. Rip it.

I wish people were yarn. Or rather that I could think of them that way. Without the long term lingering thoughts.

Yarn can keep. That yarn from the rock star scarf sits balled up waiting for it's day in the sun. I don't have to think of it unless I choose to. Even then I can logically, in a cold manner even, think of it and not resent the time I spent on it. It was a learning experience. I was with it for a time and got from it what I could at the time. It could even be something else totally fabulous right now and it would be okay.

Yarn you can rework and move on with.

People are what they are and have that history clinging about them.

They go on, forward on their own and work things out for themselves. Doing what they are meant to do. Knitting themselves up into something new. Without you. In some cases yarn that is better off without you. 

They don't need you when they are done with you. It's the yarn that knits itself up. The yarn that never really needed your input or creativity to become what it would be. Although certainly the lives we touch we alter. For better or worse.

Recently in my personal life some people who are no longer in my life and very little in my thoughts have been brought up. Made to think about. Some of those people are worse off. Some are better off than when we last cared about each other. Some I wish I could comfort in their time. Others I wish I could congratulate.

But that time is passed. And nothing I could do or say would mean anything. Furthermore it's water under the bridge. A bridge I no longer wish to cross.

Once upon a time a man I used to know told me how we are all strings connected to one another. Some people we don't want to be connected with. That you have to mentally cut those strings. Make your peace and envision cutting their string that connects you.

Easier said than done.

Some choices are good solid ones that are worth making. Others not as clear.

But we all move on. Knit our lives forward.

In knitting you generally learn from your mistakes and it's easy to sit back with some clarity and see where you can use that information in your future projects. Relationships are not that easy. It would be nice to be able to do that. But then again the cast on that works for your socks may not work on the shawl you are about to start.

Knitting Blind.

Projects that never really end.

With knitting if you do it right you should have a finished object at the end of the experience. You weave in your ends and it's done. Then you move on. Learning something new. Knitting up some new fiber. Sometimes knitting on yarn you've been with before, but always moving forward.

I love knitting. The simplicity of it. The fact that no mistake is too big or heart threatening.

Last night I cast on to a new pair of Dave Socks. The colorway is Campfire. The pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks, Ridged Feather and Fan. Rip. Tonight I'll start over.

And it will be okay. No matter what it will be okay. No matter how many times it takes me to get it right.

Even if it becomes something else.

Nothing is too permanent.  The yarn will not hold a grudge and hate me or miss me.  The stitches fade as they are tinked back. Their uncertainty and mistakes are lost forever. As if they never even existed.

While in life that would seem to be a good thing I don't think it would be. Yarn can't learn from it's mistakes but we can. In theory anyway.

But just as some yarns are plain wrong, so are people. Some  have no good intentions at all and you are better off without them. The suffocating selfish ones that would use you given the chance are better left in the past where they belong. Or if you are really smart and/or lucky you will avoid them altogether. Dangerous poison that you are better off without.

There is also a lot of yarn that is pure delight. Baby Alpaca comes to mind. As does Cookie.

Some people are just plain wonderful and remind you that it's worth the struggle to keep trying new types of fiber. Meeting them and giving them a knitting chance. Sure you might make a mistake or the yarn might not be the right fit for you. But at least you tried.

Thanks to knitting I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting and fun to play with yarn... Er People. Heh.

I wish I had more time to interact with the yarn. I've got lots of it. More than I have time to knit on.  But yarn that is worth it nonetheless. I think about the yarn I want to knit and instead I should knit it. Or at least say hello to it. Let it know it's on my mind. ;)

I don't know what today will bring or tomorrow.

But I'll keep knitting and see where it takes me. 

Comments

[Cookie]

I'm a yarn? :D

People are never a mistake. They help us become who we are. Even the ones we wish we could return. I don't think we are meant to walk the same path with everyone we meet. Just travel with some for a time before going our own way. It's a precious few that we share a path with.

I trust you have scissors to cut the strings as needed.

*hugs*

[Littlebear]

Let the boys keep their 'sports as metaphor' baloney. We have the truth of it. Life is like knitting. . .

[Dave Daniels]

Sometimes we walk a path together for a short time, so that we may find the next part of the path, and we must part ways, and walk with someone new. And some paths cross again in the future.
I'm here for you, and you know that. And Cookie, too. Yeah.

[Vikkie]

I am so fortunate to know you and call you my friend. Thank you for these thoughts and for sharing your insight. I love you my sweet friend. Some strings are strong and shore you up when you can't do it on your own...your friendship is that way for me.
huggies

[Ann]

Dang girlfriend..you were right on target with your post today. Made me ponder and nod my head a lot...

Don't even think about clippin' that Ann string..you are stuck with me now!!! Evil laugh...

[isela]

I am so glad that my life string has crossed yours. A wonderful, thoughtful post today.

[Julie]

Thanks for a great, thought provoking, post!

[Christene]

Sympathy or empathy, not quite sure which, but I definitely know what you mean... I elaborated, then cut text (almost as wonderful as knitting, see, I can fix it here too, at least until I hit post!), and I guess I'll leave it at that... Knit onward!

[Barbp]

If needed strings can be reconnected. A bow looks prettier than a knot, but a bow is much easier to undo than a knot. Luckily life gives us those people who no matter what that knot is permanent and can't be undone. It doesn't matter that the bow is pretty, but it's not permanent. You're blessed with some special knots in your life, but you're also stronger for having been touched by the bows. (notice I didn't say knotheads *giggle) ...Keep knitting those knots in your life.

[Devorah]

Thank you for being a thread in my life. You say it with grace and eloquence.

Don't fuss the knots, just untangle them or cut them out and move on. Easier said then done.

HUGS!