Knitting makes us feel good anytime (and if it doesn’t, unless it is a temporary working through of a challenge – what is the point?). Knitting feels especially good when we are content with self and the universe.
Such was the case this morning as I was casting off the twenty-four stitches of a juggling bag. Twenty-four stitches of garter stitch. Hand-painted koigu wool, double stranded. Admiration of how the different colours in the twinned yarn complemented each other as yarn and then in the knitting.
Next came the magic of relaxing into the moment and effortlessly paying attention. The bright yellow needle slid between the multi-hued loop and its needlemate; my right hand responded with a smooth circular motion that engaged the length of rainbow yarn, wrapped it around the sunny needle, dipped the point forward, brought the wool through that left needle stitch and glided it onto the right hand needle. Sight and touch and even hearing involved. Repeat. Two stitches on right hand needle in anticipation………
Now the left hand needle got to play an active role; it hooked itself under the first stitch on the right hand needle and lifted it neatly over the second stitch. Released, that stitch became no longer an entity but part of the whole. Then another stitch was knit. Lifted over and released.
Such a pleasure in the rhythm, in the observation, in the interaction.
Then, with six stitches finalized and eighteen left to go, I realized the end of the yarn was in sight.
Now, some people know how to tell beforehand how much yarn is needed to complete another row; it has something to do with ratio and sounds fascinating to compute but it was too late for me now! Onward knit.
Experiences in the past of wool somehow being exactly right length and the thought "maybe not this time" made for an expectant finish row.
Well! When I get camera and blog providing a show and tell, I’ll show and tell. For the moment I have to tell you to hold your thumb and forefinger about this far……………apart and that will show you just how much yarn was left when I cast off the last stitch.