sherriknits

We are halfway through sp12.  I have a great secret pal who has made it a lot of fun for me because she really tries (and succeeds) at doing things that I love.  That makes it fun and I do hope to make it more of a 2-way get-to-know-you after this is over.  She’ll be fun to stay in touch with.

Here’s this week’s question….

Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

No, I have never entered anything in the fair.  I think I never think my finished objects are really good enough.  I know I’m a good knitter, but I am so critical of my mistakes.  (aren’t most of us?)

I have watched a good friend of mine with delight as she knit the yarn that she spun into a shawl and entered it this year.   I guess I will vicariously live through her fun.  She finds out today how she did because the fair opens today.  She’s headed right after work.

Sadly, at our fair you see mostly Red Heart projects….pot holders, afghans, those dish towels with crocheted tops, and many, many stuffed animals. 

It is my hope that the judges see the worth of my friend’s project.  If they do, I think it will inspire other friends of mine to participate again.  In the past some did but clearly the judges were on another wavelength.  I don’t mean to sound critical but a very intricately knit shawl of one’s own design really does not compare to some of the things they were put up against and the comments were heartbreaking.

Ok…this is making me think. 

I never realized before I started knitting again what a huge world it was as far as how endless the opportunity to learn is.  I realized early on that one could knit socks for the rest of their lives and never learn it all.  There is top down, toe up, short-row heels, standard heel flaps, lace, plain stockinette and endless patterns.  Then if that isn’t enough, you get Cat Bordhi coming up with her new pathways methods.  You can use double-points, 2 circulars, magic loop.  Then if you think you got that all figured out, Cat comes up with her Houdini sock (have you seen that?  wow!)  I could go on and on, but do you get my point?

From the beginning of my return to knitting, I somehow caught the vision for the opportunity to learn.  A friend recommended “Knitting Without Tears” and that blew my mind wide open for opportunity to understand knitting in a whole new way.

I would never have thought socks would become a mindless project for me.  I was one who couldn’t knit 2 stitches without constantly checking out the pattern.  I was nervous and terrified of errors.  Now it doesn’t scare me at all…anything is fixable or so what if you have to frog it all and find another project for the yarn?

It’s really funny how some people look down their noses at knitters.  When people ask me, “Do you ever do anything but knit?”  I’ve learned to respond, “I bet you watch tv at night, too.”  Knitting gives us a way to redeem the time.  I am almost never worried about having to wait for something if I have my knitting along to fill the time.  I love that it has taken the edge off my fidgeting.  I’m almost disappointed if I don’t get a few minutes when I have to wait for the kids or an appointment.

So…I didn’t expect that this simple question would get me thinking so much….but there you have it.

Today I’m trying to plan my Stitch n Pitch knitting for tomorrow!