MeeksLovelies

I believe in knitting; the meditative state of sitting in one place with two sticks and some yarn, forming a fabric by looping a continuous yarn. Knitting brings to the planet something new that comes from the soul, out the fingers and into a thousand stitches; creating a masterpiece to be worn, to warm, to comfort. Knitting has become a physical representation of my inspiration. It has taught me the value of taking time for meditation and introspection. It has taught me to see beauty all around and to grab onto inspiration wherever I find it. Through knitting, I have learned that practice makes perfect.

When I was seven years old, my mother had me sit down on the floor while she sat on the couch behind me, and guided my hands through each stitch as she labored to teach me the beloved art of knitting; a skill passed down through the generations by her grandmother. I eventually learned to be patient and feel the rhythm of the needles. I was promised that if I could understand the rhythm, knitting would come easy for me.

As a child of seven, I did not understand that knitting takes time and patience; that it would take hours, even days to complete a project. Naturally, I expected too much of myself. Upon finishing a hat in those early years of learning, my mother inspected it and found that I had made many mistakes, so she promptly ripped it out; right in front of me! To my dismay, this was her method of telling me that I was not going to get it right on the first try. I would have to work at my craft to perfect my skills. I was quite saddened that she ripped out my project, which led to being less than excited about returning to the craft for further projects.

While in middle school, I knit the occasional project, but nothing of significance. Nothing beautiful ever came of my knitting back then, because I never put in the time to practice and improve. It wasn't until after high school that I returned in full force to knitting. It took years to appreciate the quiet peace that knitting brings me now.

In my life now as a 29 year old, I knit to sell items online and in a local coffee shop, but that's not the reason I can't put the needles down. That's not the reason I come back to them every day. The reason I knit is much simpler, yet much more important. I knit to feel the rhythmic motions sync with the beating of my heart. I knit to improve my skill. I knit to escape from the stresses of the world; to dive deep inside myself where I can whittle down ideas, tragedies and mysteries my brain tosses around. I knit to make gifts for the people I love, and to see their appreciation upon receiving them. I knit to weave well wishes and love into each stitch that will become a hat, a sweater, an afghan, a pair of socks for someone to purchase for their daughter, sister, brother, or grandmother. They may never know exactly what it is that makes that item feel special. They may assume the fact that it is handmade is what makes it special. I, however, know the item is special because it took me to another world; a world completely my own, where creativity thrives.

I knit because it is my passion. I believe that knitting is a big part of what makes me who I am. Something I believe to be so strongly woven into my very being that I can't help but do it. Knitting has allowed me to let inspiration pour from my body in whatever form it takes. I must constantly be knitting something, because that something is what creates the person I become more like every day. It is through knitting that I feel most like myself; the self that I believe God intended me to discover.