yarn + needles

I can remember reading somewhere that when a serious knitter (and what knitter isn't?) is involved in a project the first thing he or she will do in the morning is pick up the needles. The rest of the day will of course unfold, ending with a few moments on the sofa before bed, perhaps with a cup of tea, also with yarn and needles. In this way knitting seems to bookend our lives.

Some people might not understand this. They might jump the gun and think we have no lives, just a handful of cats. But I couldn't go without my knitting.

Right now the project I'm working on is a familiar one. A simple pair of socks. I have the pattern memorized. I'm knitting the socks for someone else, so really it's a free-stitch-for-all. I knit and try to imagine the dimensions of her foot, given the elasticity of this hand spun yarn I should complete this project somewhere in the ball park.

The mind is elastic too. When I knit something simple, my fingers follow the pattern and my mind unravels, thinking about the day behind me or the day ahead. Or perhaps, even, nothing at all.

I just count stitches or give thanks for this moment of peace and beautiful wool.

FYI : this is Crosby Hill's tiger trout colorway spun single ply fingering weight.