Look at the amazing creations that I clumsily photographed with my phone (sorry, I am still learning!!!! Promise, next time I’ll do better!!!!!).
This complex and colorful quilt was stitched by hand, one stitch at a time.
You can see the happy face of its creator on this photo.
This intricate shawl with beads (yes, I know, you cannot see them, blame the photographer, not the maker, they definitely are there and they add elegance and splendor to the wrap) made from superfine hand-dyed yarn … I was speechless when I saw it.
For example, let’s take a simple dinner preparation (not in general, just my dinner preparation). If I read the recipe closely, trying to visualize mentally the future meal, and start salivating imagining it, then go to a store and carefully select the best ingredients, and, after getting back home, totally concentrate on the process of preparation: peeling carrots, onions, and garlic, washing and cutting potatoes, mushrooms, or herbs, boiling, grilling, tasting, adding spices and tasting again… It doesn’t matter what I cook, the end result will smell, taste, and look delicious.
If, on the other hand, I am in a hurry or tired, and need to whip up something hastily just to satisfy hunger, I will never come up with a mouthwatering dish. Some professional cooks, chefs, probably, would, they can do it in their sleep, but I won’t. If I want good food I need to “make love” to it first.
Same is true for knitting. Again, I am talking about myself. I need to be in love with my project. Only then I finish it sooner rather than later and have a decent result. Sometimes, I lose my enthusiasm in the middle of working on a garment. The reasons could be different – made a mistake, picked a wrong size, yarn doesn’t work with a pattern, don’t like the look on me – but the result it always the same. I end up with something that I don’t really like.
This is what happened to me with my last project. I started one pattern, lost interest in it, and unraveled the whole thing.
Then I started another pattern that I still like, but the yarn didn’t want to become this pattern. My husband, walking by, asked me: “What is this ugly thing that you are working on?” Needless to say that I unraveled my “ugly thing” immediately.
My third try had to be my last one. You cannot torture your yarn indefinitely. It is cruel and barbarous! I believe that yarns must be loved and cherished like pets.
This is why at the end I got a “meh” garment: I don’t REALLY dislike it but I am not in love with it.
My perception might change (it does sometimes) when I am back in Florida later this year. And I might suddenly fall in love with it and wear it a lot. We’ll see.
I'll leave you with the wonderful project handwoven by Mary from my knitting group on Key Largo (again, it looks much-much-much better in real life!).
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