The entire month of Jan has been dedicated to this throw. It is still to reach that final stage of completion, but the journey has been nothing but lessons and fables and aches n pains and reflections and decisions. What started off as an exciting adventure with amazing yarn and the freedom to use all my arty crafty skills, turned into a marathon of diligence and commitment, with some major myalgia and body aches thrown in.
Read on, my dear reader, so that my lessons are not imbibed by just me!
Large means Heavy..unless we are talking of those shimmery nets of glistening cobwebs which festoon the forest during my early morning walk. If yarn is being used to create a large throw, that yarn has weight, the knitting needles have weight and the arms get weighed down by the entire stuff.
- Use circular knitting needles. The knitted bit stays on the connecting wire and the fingers only have to work with the two little straight ends. And then, the joy of never having to search for that one needle which has slipped out and rolled into the sofa crevice or under the bed!!
- Break down the throw into units which can be stitched and assembled into that huge, one-of-a-kind throw. I use this advice when I instruct knitters before they produce throws, but alas, where did my brains go when I began this throw?! out for a walk on the golfcourse, methinks! I have been hauling ONE HEAVY KILO of wool all over the house and knitting a few inconsequential stitches every evening. Finally, my arms gave up and I gave up knitting, took out some strong analgesics and slept a couple of days and nights.
- The world will not come to an end if a throw takes a few more days, weeks or months to be completed. There is no fire anywhere. Folks who are waiting for a one-of-a-kind-throw are not homeless, desperate souls waiting for something to cover their shivering bones. My mind goes into this urgent frenzy of wanting to complete the project and let the whole , wide world keep waiting. Let everything else wait–its only knitting. No writing, no bathing, no walking, no shopping, no cooking…is that how I want my life to be?!
- There is a lot more to life than knitting. There are friends and family to connect to, bills to be paid, travel plans to be made, vegetables and fruits to be brought home, dogs to be walked and quiet times to be found. The Seven Habits return to the forefront of my mind, and then, Quadrant 2 activities are placed where they rightfully belong–on top! From now on, knitting will happen only after lunch. The mornings are for catching up on mails and people, de-cluttering the house, brushing the dogs in the winter sun and creating that space which keeps me smiling and grateful.
- Be realistic about project deadlines and embrace the inevitable obstacles and chaos which will come along. I am learning to take a stand and say NO to knitting requests and orders which will definitely keep me spinning. I want a sane and creative me this year!
The Slow knitting movement has begun here, in this sunny home in Ranikhet and I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher than this lovely throw…
Now, to take out my darning needle and scissors and start the final assembly process!!