Monday, July 24, 2006

Cables

As I was working on the Canada Goose vest I reached a point in the cable design where I no longer had to look at the pattern. I thought, "Ah, this is the part that I love the best." The part when everything finally comes together and it is all smooth sailing. But, then I realized that at some point this "smooth sailing" would become boring and I would be longing once again to move onto something different. At some point, if I stuck with the vest, I would f***up. The sailing would be too smooth and I would create a problem to solve.

So... what is the part that I like the best? Is it the challenge of solving the pattern, is it finally getting "it" or is it forcing myself to stay focussed long enough to finish the project? It is a bit like life don't you think? As a humans we struggle to make sense of things, to find the perfect balance in our life. Then we get it... Then it is the same old, same old and it is not the perfect balance anymore. Yes, life is like a cable pattern. Lots of twists and turns. Lots of ups and downs, overs and unders, knits and purls. It is interesting, it is challenging. But if the pattern is not complex enough or varied enough it gets dull. We change or plod on depending on our moods or disposition.

I love doing cables. It is my favorite knitting technique. I love how the fabric I am creating feels. I love the fact that it is very like Celtic Knots. I feel connected with history when I cable. So this vest that I keep coming back to is a joy to knit. Obviously I have had to put it down from time to time and knit something different (or it would have been finished by now) but the feeling of perfect knowledge of the pattern didn't arrive until this morning. It makes me appreciate life and its complexities. Tomorrow is another day and I probably will be wanting something new again. But then again I get bored extremely easily. I am thankful for today.



Another thing to be thankful for....Jim finished the new deck stairs! They are sturdier than the old ones. The railing isn't threatening to fall down any more. It was a challenge and he stuck with it. Tomorrow is another day for him too!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is coming along really nicely - I wish I could say that I'd loved knitting cables too!

kt said...

Wow, you've been busy! I'm just catching up after our trip to Vancouver and Alaska--your campsite looked so inviting! Glad you had time to get away and slow down with everyone.

And tell Jim he id a bang-up job on the railing.

Monika said...

I like your introduction. I thought you were writing about me! ;o) It has been years since I did cables, not liking to knit them much, but love to look at them. Could you tell Jim to come over and do our stairs next, please? ;o)

Anonymous said...

Good post. Made me think. I'm thinking life for me right now is more fair isle (which I find frustrating beyond belief) than cables.

Karen said...

That's quite a good point - the part about balance in life and in knitting. Overcoming the challenge, and then getting bored once you've mastered it. I agree 100%.

Anonymous said...

I love cables... I don't always love making them though. And the stairs look great, good man!

LadyLungDoc said...

I find it hard to describe why knitting is so enjoyable. It's like describing a colour or a scent.