A Stitch in Time

Another year has passed and I hadn't followed through on my pledge to make all of my Christmas gifts.

For a whole month, I perused Ravelry (a knit and crochet community) and got hyped over must-knit projects. Then the excuses came rushing in:

I was campaigning.

I was working.

I needed to conquer Mount Laundry.

I just didn't feel like it.

Inspiration

This past weekend, I found my inspiration again. Looking through the laundry for uniforms to wash, I found a pair of socks stiff with wear. I made these socks for The Teen for her entry to 12th grade and despite her fear that they were awful, she has worn them to literal pieces.

I will continue to knit because it relaxes me. Someone mentioned that knitting was the new yoga, but that person obviously didn't attempt to learn entrelac.

I have found some similarities in knitting and yoga. Both have a tendency to clear my mind. When I'm in the middle of morning Sun Salutations, I make a dedication. I promise myself to embrace the day and be in the moment. The love I feel coursing through my body as I accept the benevolence of a higher power is akin to the feeling I get when I work a few rounds of a pattern.

As I knit, I can feel my worries slide away. A concern I'm wrestling with suddenly has a partial solution, and I find myself murmuring words of encouragement and hope with each stitch. It's also a way to carve out me time even if I'm in the middle of a crowd.

Covering them with love

Which brings me back to the kids.

Knitting for them, I whisper my love into each stitch on my needles. The items I make are meant for warmth and comfort, but I know that each item is another way I can cover them with the overwhelming love I feel.

This week I'm casting on for The Boy's Finn hat from Adventure Time with Finn and Jake. I visited the Loop yarn store and snagged a really nice skein of yarn for that project. I'm also using entrelac to jazz up the ear flap hat for the Teen. 

When I need a reminder to slow things down and reflect, my latest project is just a row away.

Raya Fagg is a mom of two from Upper Darby, PA. This post is adapted from her blog And Starring As Herself…MRSRFKJ.