This week I began knitting an Elephant.

A toy for the joy of a toy and the fun of creating complex knitted things.

Sometimes, when my visions are big and the abundance of everything is overwhelming, I turn to the more complicated.

My Elephant can only be created with a stitch upon stitch focus.

Multi-tasking or multi-thinking is not possible.

As I dove into this project I remembered that old saying:

How do you eat an Elephant?

One bite at a time.

{meaning that everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time}

So, this week, stitch by stitch and one body part at a time, I knit an Elephant.

It was fun - complex, yet quite simple - and it worked to distract me from the bigger issues and problems in the rest of my life.

Now, each part sits in a pile, ready to be sewn together to create the whole elephant.

Coupled with the stuffing, a darning needle and the instructions, I will complete it this week.

Bernice’s KAL (Knit A-Long) has begun!

Some 14 Knitters are knitting Joji Locatelli’s Odyssey Shawl.

We have seen many a knitter in the store this week struggling with various parts of the pattern.

As I listened and supported these knitters, it was interesting to be reminded that slowing down enough to be focused and fully engaged in the process and in the project that you have chosen, is the key to having a quality knitting experience.

Sit down.

Breathe.

Find a calm place and allow yourself to be immersed in the experience.

If you are following a complicated pattern, engage in a way that allows you to really see and understand the pattern you are knitting.

Give yourself permission to make mistakes, and then fix them with grace.

Let go of the negative talk -  dropped stitches, purls in the wrong place or misreading the graph - for these things are not life threatening.

Whether you are knitting a shawl, sweater, hat or elephant, the secret to success is one stitch at a time.

“In the rhythm of the needles, there is music for the soul”

All the very best for the knitting season.

Love,

Kathleen