This is what I told myself when I started this leaf edging; that I would sit down and knit one leaf each day and finish this neckline in a timely manner. That having set a goal, I would be forcing myself to give myself the needed "me time" that has been missing from my life lately and causing me some stress and performance reduction. The times we live in are stressful enough and focus and concentration on lifes beauty is easily elusive when we don't slow down.
Oh it worked great for the first two leaves, and then it started to feel like pressure, instead of the stress reduction that it was supposed to be.
This got me to thinking again about our motivations to knit and what aspects of knitting actually bring us the satisfaction we receive. It is a three part thing, I am realizing. The drug like satisfaction from knitting is comprised of 1) the actual act-the relaxing, repetitious meditative art itself, 2) the joy of learning and discovery when we incorporate a new technique and 3) the rush of accomplishment when we finish and hold up a three dimensional, functional object or art statement.
Having written that off the cuff, I realize there are probably more than three main aspects, its just struck me suddenly, and I like "threes"
The real point I am trying to get at is anything you do to yourself to stand in your own way of one of these aspects (like policing your progress, "cheating" on the pattern because you dont' want to have to read "complicated" directions but you really do want to learn the technique, or leaving mountains of unfinished and unsatisfying projects around, diminishes that fullness of your satisfaction in your knitting.
6 comments:
mountains of unfinished projects -- satisfaction in knitting -- we are on the same wavelength here . . . my top ten list is bogging me down, but I know if I don't get something finished, I am just adding more spirals to the downward slide. So, you didn't say, did you finish your collar? Lea-Ann
And, in addition to: how is the collar coming? Is the collar your own design? I love both the leaves and the beautiful gray color.
The collar is really nice. By the way, how's the new spindolyn shaft comming?
Do you make the spindolyns in different woods? What about different colors too? They are really nice; I've never tried one yet and just am checking them out for now. The knitted collar is beautiful. I wish I could knit that well. Mary
Decided to answer these comments in the next blog post, makes more sense, someway (or not)
Sensible, realistic, inspiring. Thank you!
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