Monday, March 16, 2009

Bit by bit

The rain this morning was perfect for running. Not too hard, just a teensy mist that softened every edge, the heads of the daffodils hanging heavy with water despite the lightness of the rain. They reminded me strongly of when I worked as a gardener's elf in Virginia, at a very posh horse farm. I learned to deadhead and mulch, and that I really didn't care much about growing non-edibles, but I did love to arrange cut flowers. That was as close to the posh as I ever got.

As I was making my way through my pitifully short gradually increasing length run, I was thinking about how like knitting it is. I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be, running-wise, but I'm slowly getting back to where I was before I started getting sick (over and over and over) last October. And I run on faith, that if I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I'll get to the point where running will feel effortless again.

Knitting might not ever be what I'd consider "effortless;" my brain just doesn't work that way, but if I keep stacking up stitches, then objects will keep getting finished. Not just the snowflake sweater, but things like this little bonbon, made up while Eric and I were reading out loud to each other last night. [Currently, my book is much funnier than his book.] I was asked for socks by the smallest-footed person in the house, so sock(s) I made.



Scratchy natural wool, unhappily dyed with Koolaid many years ago for trim for my now-eight year old nephew's toddler sweater. Caterina doesn't seem to mind the scratchy, as she's running around with just one on her foot right now. Better hurry for the second one.
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4 comments:

Susan said...

Ev was just telling me about Koolaid dyeing. At least that stuff is good for something! I was looking at joggers in the rain this morning and thinking how hardcore they are. So you really like to run in the rain?

cpurl17 said...

Very sweet wee socks!

I don't think I'll ever become an effortless knitter either. I keep hearing "read your knitting" but it stumps me.

Kristin Sherman Olnes said...

Your metaphor of knitting being like running is a good one. The steps add up--the stitches add up. I like that you do both on faith that it will get better or easier with practice and effort. I like the message of this post. Thanks.

allisonmariecat said...

Aw, cute! I'm definitely a workhorse knitter. I get the job done, but it's not like my needles are an extension of my hands or anything. I think I keep knitting partly to have something to do with my hands while watching television and partly because of the concrete results of my efforts.