WORKING TITLE BY AUTHOR: What are you knitting with your life?

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

A few days ago I sat down to write a short contribution to The Vital Force on the topic of service. As I enjoyed the feeling of maneuvering the pen across the page, I was struck by how similar writing is to knitting. Writing, like knitting, is shaped one word/stitch at a time; words are knit into sentences, sentences join into paragraphs and paragraphs are sewn together at the seams to form a complete garment. With these thoughts flowing through my mind, the following “piece” emerged.

From a simple ball of yarn, no different from or outstanding than the one it sits beside in the basket at the wool shop ⎯ well, ok, maybe it’s a different color, thickness, and texture from some of its neighbors, but yarn is yarn after all ⎯ comes the unlimited potential for becoming a finished product. And without a doubt, under a steady hand and the guidance of the needles, a new and unique creation will emerge. Possibly a sweater, maybe a pair of socks or a scarf, or even a funky handbag. All will grow up out of that yarn. Similar, perhaps, but never identical to any other knitted piece.

Life knits us all in one form or another. We may have all started out very much identical when we were simple balls of yarn, but how different our transformation can become. In the hands of a skilled knitter we eventually morph into a beautiful and artful sweater, a whimsical toque and mitts, or a warm and appreciated pair of socks. This emergence may be quick and painless, or long, difficult and agonizing with many rip-backs, re-dos, and changes in shape and style. Those that simply start as a ball of yarn and swiftly become a designer sweater could be looked upon as the lucky ones. Their destiny was clear and direct.

Those of us who start off as one thing, change size and shape along the way and become something else entirely may go through many painful and often seemingly hopeless transitions. And, sadly, there are those who never complete their metamorphosis and remain in their cocoon, half formed and still attached to the needles awaiting their creator’s hand to complete the job.

I sometimes think of myself as being the yarn and the knitter at the same time. We are all creators in our own lives. Like the hands of the knitter we can produce a work of beauty and joy, or we can set aside the project to gather dust in the crafts bin. Creating a finished product as complicated as a sweater is not always easy and usually requires plenty of time and dedication. Inevitably there are days when stitches are dropped and have to be picked up and corrected, and where just plain ripping out and beginning again becomes the most effective solution. But if we can see our lives as an act of creating something uniquely beautiful, delightful, warm, or utilitarian we will be able to ride out the trying times when things don’t go quite right. Times when we couldn’t make out the pattern of our work or we didn’t understand the instructions, or we gave up in frustration and simply started over.

We all begin with pretty much the same raw materials – yarns of various colors and textures. Where we ultimately finish is unique to us. Maybe it’s as a gorgeous Kaffe Fassett sweater, or a pair of warm and fuzzy thrum mitts, or a bright and sexy scarf. And if we set out down the path to becoming a vest and eventually become a hat and scarf we can chuckle at our miraculous and unexpected transfiguration, knowing that despite ourselves we grew into what we were meant to be.

So when you see someone quietly knitting while s/he waits for an appointment, or on the bus ride to and from work, or at home in front of the TV, think about your life, and what you’re knitting with it. Surely it’s something worthy of the priceless yarn you’ve been given. Don’t worry about finishing fast; take your time. Maybe even change the pattern and design if it doesn’t fit anymore. Just keep at it. You have no idea how incredible you’re becoming.