often i’ve been involved in casual conservations about what a collective of knitters should be called and my contribution to that debate today is i think, that when we are in groups, we should be called ‘ a wisdom’ (apologies to the owls, which are like, a THING right now).

seriously, knitters have saved my arse in a number of ways lately. firstly, on a personal level. when we were away in kangaroo valley, and then in email conversations later, i asked several people for their opinions and help with some issues i was having. i summed their words up and have put them on my fridge.

some days, when im running really high on stress and anxiety, i repeat these phrases over and over in my head. they seem to be working.

and im reminded of that mantra i learnt in some rehab somewhere, about how if you put things out there, the universe provides. she appears to be looking after me these last few days, with some potential solutions for future ‘problems’ possibly dropping into place, and my path becoming clearer – that light at the end of the tunnel of change becoming brighter, if you like. also assisted by the wisdom of knitters, who, it turns out, can help in lots of ways.

like meeting for breakfast on saturday and talking about how hard it is to put words into sentences

and listening to you go on about work, and helping you put your own work problems in perspective.

and then giving you a surprise gift of a coveted project bag just because they can,

and because they are thoughtful kind caring people.

and then of course, helping with actual knitting issues. for example, yesterday, after a surprisingly good yum cha and over a glass of sparkling,

i say something like ‘say i want to make that kind of rib where the knit stitch pops out’ and three people at the same time dont actually look at you like you are QUITE mad but say ‘oh yes, garter rib, you just do knit one purl one then a row of knit’. just like that. so i made a little garter rib swatch on the train home:

its very stretchy and will look good in purple alpaca for roller derby leg warmers i think!

i am relying on my own knitter wisdom to work out the obscure finishing instructions for the flaming june pattern,

where i am about 3 inches off finishing the collar and then blocking and sewing all the bits together.

do not TALK to me about those ends.

and finally, its warming up, and i am glad. the wysteria is in full bloom and overtaking the yard and i think i will let it. it smells divine.

and i was so pissed off at work the other day i just walked out in the middle of a conversation and went for a swim.

as you do. but this is the thing about knitting and swimming. they keep you in the moment, the next stitch, the next stroke, thats all there is, all that matters.

in the words of people wiser than me: patience grasshopper. one day at a time.

k x