In this blog post we will explore selecting challenging projects and working through the mistakes that often come with the journey. Knitting is an art and a way to express yourself beyond limits.
Knitting offers the opportunity to make mistakes and try again. Even the most seasoned knitter can make a mistake. Take a moment to think about how you approach your mistakes, do you keep knitting knowing it's there? Does your eye go to the one incorrect stitch out of thousands? Or every time you wear it, do you wish you had taken it out? The beauty of knitting is that mistakes can be fixed.
Knitting mindfully is not only about relaxing with each stitch, but also about witnessing and bringing awareness to your approach of challenges. Mindful knitting is found in the journey and not just the finished project, making the finished project that much more of a treasure to us. Allow this to be an invitation to release judgement and expectations as you knit. Learning to fix mistakes is one of the greatest talents in knitting. Seeing how the stitches and pattern works as you take it out, is almost as important as seeing how it works as you put it together. The learning we create in fixing our mistakes in knitting allows us to react and take the same approach in our daily lives.
One of the best known knit stitches is the "rip stitch" or pulling out my work stitch by stitch. I see it as a new beginning and I meet the mistake with resilience and commitment. While it is not always easy to see your hard work return to the yarn ball, twice as fast as knitting it up, I always admire the willingness to start again. It is in the willingness to explore ourselves with compassion that we truly learn how to work through challenges.
"I never view mistakes as failures. They are simply opportunities to find out what doesn't work" Thomas A Edison
Mary Ann Gebhardt began knitting at the age of seven and started yoga in her twenties. Yoga transformed her life while knitting became increasingly more meditative and calming as she felt the fibers slip through her fingers. Picking up her needles and quietly sitting to knit is pure peace for Mary Ann.
