*This post taken from my old blog. Original writing April 2009.
Times are tough. There are seasons of life that are tougher than others. Some are filled with joy and happiness and laughter. Others are filled with tears and frustration and feelings of helplessness. Through it all, knitting is there for me.
It’s more than a hobby for me. It’s therapy. It’s an escape. It’s a joy (usually). It’s a creative outlet.
I learned to knit when I was about 10 years old, which of course is only 11 years ago (not!). I’ll turn 35 this year so I’ve known knitting for about 24 years now. Though I learned as a child, and I have knit over the years, it’s really been in the last 9 or so years that I’ve really been growing as a knitter. Really been expanding my knowledge and my skills. Gone are the days of feeling mystified when I realized I’d made a mistake. The days of praying I could knit something error free so that I wouldn’t have to give up on it due to a “problem”. Now when I look at my knitting it makes sense to me. I can see the stitches for what they are and I know how each type of stitch is made. I’m not afraid of mistakes anymore.
I’m currently in one of those frustrating icky seasons of life. Knitting is there for me. It’s there when I need to think. I can pick up something fairly mindless (knitting all stockinette stitch in the round for instance) and think about the situation. I can have all those funny conversations in my head that need to be had going over each option or scenario to fix or help the situation.
When I’m frustrated or angry or tearful I can pick up something complex (lace for example) and get lost in the knitting. Lace is still fairly new to me and even simple patterns require focus and concentration. I can get “lost” in my lace for hours if I’m allowed that much time. It’s like reading a compelling book where you can’t wait to find out how it ends. You just keep going and going until it’s completion.
My son wore his argyle sweater vest this Sunday. I can’t tell you how it filled 
my heart with joy to see him in it! It fit, the colors worked, it looks great – and of course, he looks fantastic in it. It’s such a joy to knit something up and have it be wearable/usable. Especially when made for a child who likes it.
I think this is why I have so many WIPs (works in progress. They are each different in form and function. In level of difficulty. They each served a purpose when I cast them on. They relieved some itch or some feeling was soothed. I’ve been reading the “Digressions” in Elizabeth Zimmerman’s book “Knitting Around” lately. I am really enjoying them. Today I was reading about how she learned to knit as a child. And how later in life it was her “comfort and prop” in life so many times. I feel the same way. It is a comfort. Some days it’s a cruch (prop) to help me just get through the day.
Currently I’m working on mainly baby projects. I’ve cast on the OpArt baby blanket from Knitty. I’m using Knit Picks Shine Worsted weight yarn. I haven’t had good results with Swish (their superwash wool) when actually washing & drying the garment in the machines. It looks pretty worn and has pilled up badly. So I went with cotton yarn for this blanket in hopes that it will stand up better to machine washing. So far I’m really enjoying this blanket. Usually I loathe garter stitch, but it’s coming along nicely and I love the colors.
I’m also working on my first “real” lace project. As I said, I’ve been reading Elizabeth Zimmerman’s works and I was inspired by the Pi Shawl (Ravelry link) from Knitter’s Almanac. This is a round shawl (as opposed to the Pi Are Square Shawl in Knitting Around). In her intro to the project she promises it will be simple to knit. So far it has been pretty straight forward. I’m nearing the end of the more complex lace pattern worked on 288 stitches. I’m excited to finish the section and move on to the last increase round and the final lace section. I’m excited, but also realize that it’s going to take even longer to work rounds with 576 stitches to go around.
I’ve made a few mistakes in the lace. Largely due to stitches being dropped when I thoughtlessly left the project on my bed and a child then jumped on the bed causing the knitting to be jostled. Knitting with young children around I have to keep my knitting portable. Upstairs, downstairs, in the car, at the doctor’s office, etc. I bought some needle point protectors this weekend at JoAnn Fabrics and I love them! I pop the little rubbery mushrooms on the tips of my needles and don’t worry about the stitches falling off the ends anymore. I’m also a bit more careful about where I put the knitting. Here is my Pi Shawl so far.
