I am learning to knit, and thankfully I have been blessed with a very kind and patient friend who is helping me learn how to do so.
Walking into my local knitting shop, my senses are immediately thrilled by the marvelous array of colors and textures. There are skeins and bundles of beautiful colors of yarn which delight my eyes. I find peacefulness among the subdued atmosphere and gentle voices of the other folks in the shop. I satisfy my tactile sense by touching many skeins of wool, all the while dreaming about the lovely things I hope to make.
Knitting has lots to teach us. I have a lot to learn and a lot of practicing to do before I will be able to complete some of the more advanced projects I would like to knit. In the meantime, my friend and mentor is teaching me how to knit, and I can see how knitting can be a metaphor for living a more peaceful and productive life.
Mistakes are inevitable when learning to knit, just as they are in life. Some mistakes are the result of carelessness. Some mistakes happen when I am tired, at the end of the day, when I should be sleeping. Sometimes, even with my best, most well intentioned efforts, mistakes happen. Some mistakes can be fixed, and some cannot be fixed. There are times when we we simply have to let them go, but hopefully not before learning from them.
Despite our best efforts, we will make mistakes in this life. So will the people whom we love and trust. The best we can do is to acknowledge the mistake, learn what we can from the mistake, and try not to make it again. We move on, one stitch at a time.
While theoretically, each and every stitch makes a difference in knitting and in our lives, we need to accept that not all mistakes can be corrected, and not all mistakes are consequential.
Letting go of a desire for perfection, and replacing it with an appreciation of “the best that I can do” is a good lesson for life, as well as knitting.
Domenica Rafferty, LPC 