Some tasks take years to complete, some a seeming instant. I have a knitted sock I have been making, on and off, for a few years. The yarn is vibrant - a variegation of purple, pink, yellow, green and a soft orange hue. The texture of the yarn is soft yet durable, a thin strand worked into a slightly stretchy warm garment, both beautiful and functional.
I am currently just past the turned heel working towards the toe of the first sock. I am pleased with my work so far; the stitches are even, the pattern uniform. I am working on knitting needles as slender as a tapestry needle. The progression moves slowly and steadily. The stitches are so small that I must work in good light without distraction, which is reason the task is among those that take years to complete. In order to work on the sock, I must be in a frame of mind to be still and concentrate. Or willing to sit still and work until the meditative act transforms me to stillness - of mind and spirit.
The sock and yarn ball sit in a lustrous wood 'yarn bowl' conspicuously placed on a shelve next to my work table and a window so that I may see them often. The placement is to encourage me to pick up the work, to build on that which I have started, but not in a 'pressure; sort of tenor. Rather, the placement is for aesthetic reminder of the beauty of the project, ease of access, and reminder of the meditative quality of the work.
Once I complete the first sock, I will then need to begin the second, in order to have a matched pair to wear. I have set myself no deadline. I am confident I will finish. I view this task as a relaxed endeavor.
In the meanwhile, other projects pull focus and provide hard deadlines. I am crocheting a gift for my dear friends upcoming wedding. The gift has priority and a given timeline. Also in the previous few days, I sewed a messenger bag to use on a flight I am taking in a few days.
All the while, I have another in process knitting project, a knee length summer dress, that I enjoy working whenever I may.
The crafts are an apt metaphor for life - some relationships are like the knee length dress, favored frequent access, where others are the messenger bag - quick, functional and for a specific niche of life. Still others are the wedding gift, full of nostalgia and promise in equal measure, that which has been and will always be, and a relationship that comes into sharp focus sometimes, yet is always present, even if only in the background of daily life. And the socks, a relationship with no obligations or pressures, abiding, beautiful and functional allowing time to grow, and providing beauty and encouragement even when ignored.
I am currently just past the turned heel working towards the toe of the first sock. I am pleased with my work so far; the stitches are even, the pattern uniform. I am working on knitting needles as slender as a tapestry needle. The progression moves slowly and steadily. The stitches are so small that I must work in good light without distraction, which is reason the task is among those that take years to complete. In order to work on the sock, I must be in a frame of mind to be still and concentrate. Or willing to sit still and work until the meditative act transforms me to stillness - of mind and spirit.
The sock and yarn ball sit in a lustrous wood 'yarn bowl' conspicuously placed on a shelve next to my work table and a window so that I may see them often. The placement is to encourage me to pick up the work, to build on that which I have started, but not in a 'pressure; sort of tenor. Rather, the placement is for aesthetic reminder of the beauty of the project, ease of access, and reminder of the meditative quality of the work.
Once I complete the first sock, I will then need to begin the second, in order to have a matched pair to wear. I have set myself no deadline. I am confident I will finish. I view this task as a relaxed endeavor.
In the meanwhile, other projects pull focus and provide hard deadlines. I am crocheting a gift for my dear friends upcoming wedding. The gift has priority and a given timeline. Also in the previous few days, I sewed a messenger bag to use on a flight I am taking in a few days.
All the while, I have another in process knitting project, a knee length summer dress, that I enjoy working whenever I may.
The crafts are an apt metaphor for life - some relationships are like the knee length dress, favored frequent access, where others are the messenger bag - quick, functional and for a specific niche of life. Still others are the wedding gift, full of nostalgia and promise in equal measure, that which has been and will always be, and a relationship that comes into sharp focus sometimes, yet is always present, even if only in the background of daily life. And the socks, a relationship with no obligations or pressures, abiding, beautiful and functional allowing time to grow, and providing beauty and encouragement even when ignored.
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