I had plans for what I was going to knit next. Specific plans. Designed, written, ready to test knit.
Yeah well.
My kids gave me some yarn for Mother’s Day that all the sudden leaped out at me yesterday like a four-year-old who just heard the words “ice cream.” It was Colourmart yarn, the 12/58 35/35/30 cashmere/silk/merino/790 yards in limestone, and I had at least already hanked and scoured it. (Trust me: it is worth doing that extra work before knitting it. In oiled coned form, it is just not impressive to the hands nor the eyes, but the washed, sparkly-shiny-suddenly-soft yarn with the graying-effect oils gone, ohmygoodness yes.)
But it wasn’t even wound into a ball yet, and here it was jumping up and down at me like that. I was too tired to deal with it. In self defense I pulled out a ball of something else, something else with cashmere in it, even–but no. THIS one.
Ooookaaaaaay. I dealt with it.
And this pattern. Nothing else would do but the Peace shawl from my book. (There’s a picture of it here.)Â NOW!
But I was working on…!
Okay, so here I am:Â I’m working on this thing, it’s practically knitting itself, I have not a clue why it’s so important right now to be knitting this yarn in this pattern right at this time–
–all I know is, it is, and it has been making me terribly happy that I listened to it.
You know, we’ve had enough of these episodes for me to be all, okay, cool, so, what happens next?
As I type that, it hits me and I go and look: a combination of the lacy-looking flowers and the dove and that shadow that came out of my camera Tuesday–yes, of course I have to knit it. Yes.
The rest will happen in whatever good time it should: as long as I’m prepared for it.
I’m on it.
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This made me laugh and understand my not understanding myself at the moment a little easier. (Did that make sense??) I have yarn that desperately wants to be a Bigfoot Shawl and I’ve been resisting it because I’ve never made anything this big before, it’s more challenging than I’m used to, what if it doesn’t turn out right, it’s, it’s, it’s… Silly me. I should be listening to the yarn, not my fears!! I need to just do it. Start. Explore. Grow. Face my fears and all that.
Thanks Alison. Now a little piece of me makes sense. And I now know that yarn really does have a voice!
Mary
Comment by Mary 06.18.10 @ 9:58 pmah yes, that “voice” again — well, I’m slowly learning to listen to it
Comment by Bev 06.19.10 @ 7:53 amMakes sense to me.
Comment by Sherry in Idaho 06.19.10 @ 8:03 amI get it totally! I have a knitting pattern for a premmie/newborn baby hat swimming around my head in response to the knitmore girls’ contest. I have the exact color of yellow the yarn wants, no NEEDS, to be dyed, floating around in front of my eyes. I keep saying, NO! I’m too busy, I’m too tired, my plates too full. But it keeps talking. Not loudly, but persistantly. Knit me! Knit me! Knit me!
I guess I’ll just go get out the swift and check my stash of dyes. The pattern already wrote itself over coffee yesterday morning.
I know you can relate.
I love seeing the pictures and understanding the connection between them and what you’re knitting. Thanks!
Comment by RobinM 06.19.10 @ 9:14 amGee whiz! Talking yarn! Who da thunk?
humor –
SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. ‘Please don’t give me this juice again,’ she said, ‘It makes my teeth cough.’
Comment by Don Meyer 06.19.10 @ 11:28 amWhen that “little voice” says “Knit me!” a woman just has to listen…….thus, the reason why I have more UFO’s than I should.
Comment by Joansie 06.19.10 @ 11:34 amCan’t wait to see it – them – all of the ideas, the new book, the project that has taken on a life of its own…
Comment by Channon 06.19.10 @ 6:36 pmWhat would be the title of the movie about your connection with yarn – the reverse of the Whorse whisperer… 😉
I love reading about your process (or the screams, as it were). Now, I am curious as to what the emergency is all about – all the good this combination of yarn and pattern does and will do.
Comment by Suzanne in Montreal 06.21.10 @ 6:49 amYep, we’ve been here before. I’m looking forward to the end of the story. 🙂
Comment by twinsetellen 06.21.10 @ 7:19 pmThat is one of my favorites from your book, and I am lucky enough to get to pet it when i visit LynnH :-}
Comment by Diana Troldahl 06.21.10 @ 8:41 pmLeave a comment
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