I’m a knitter too. I’ve come to it later in my life. It’s something my Nonnie did, but she died before I could learn. So now I knit. Baby blankets, sweaters, even a little lacy dress for my granddaughter. Oh the tinking I’ve done. Oh the life lines I’ve created and sometimes forgotten. But it is a wonderfully satisfying feeling to hold a finished product in my hand—even if it has many “design elements” (flaws).
I just found this note, Linda -- thank you so much for reading and responding! I so agree about the amazing feeling when a project is no longer a project but a completed Thing. (And yes, oh the tinking I've done...!)
We just arrived in France yesterday. Spent the night in Avignon, there’s a sweet little town. Now in L’Isle sur la Sorgue, another, much smaller town one kilometer in diameter with a river running around it and canals running through it. We are spending May here, my muse and I.
Having the balance of something to do/make with my hands has helped to balance me as a poet, I think. For me, the Something is knitting -- it could be lots of other sorts of by-hand making!
Knitting really is a forgiving way to pass ones time. A friend that bends with you as you grow and let's you learn and even support you when times are rough. Your poems remind me of how this is so.
So excited for Wednesdays because your poems come! And so exciting for me today because I knit a swatch again after five or six weeks of not knitting. And I made a bobble and thought, Wow, if I keep this up, I might have a cardigan to wear!! Thank you, Elizabeth.
I’m a knitter too. I’ve come to it later in my life. It’s something my Nonnie did, but she died before I could learn. So now I knit. Baby blankets, sweaters, even a little lacy dress for my granddaughter. Oh the tinking I’ve done. Oh the life lines I’ve created and sometimes forgotten. But it is a wonderfully satisfying feeling to hold a finished product in my hand—even if it has many “design elements” (flaws).
I just found this note, Linda -- thank you so much for reading and responding! I so agree about the amazing feeling when a project is no longer a project but a completed Thing. (And yes, oh the tinking I've done...!)
So beautiful, both of them 💛.
Thanks so much, Margaret Ann!
"joining here in darkness
what cares and dreams the day has torn apart"
I tell my wife again and again, "This lady is such a talented poet."
Thanks Elizabeth.
You're so kind, Wes! Thanks and love to you and your beloved Muse.
We just arrived in France yesterday. Spent the night in Avignon, there’s a sweet little town. Now in L’Isle sur la Sorgue, another, much smaller town one kilometer in diameter with a river running around it and canals running through it. We are spending May here, my muse and I.
Que c’est jolie! So happy for you both.
Auntie E
Knitting, writing poems both beautifully done. Everything you have knit for me is a treasure.
Auntie B
I love knitting for you, Auntie B. 🧶💙
Love these. The second poem could be about all mistakes we make - the sooner we own them, the easier they are to fix.
As you say! Thank you for reading, Simon.
[J]oining...what cares and dreams the day has torn apart.
What a lovely way to describe the work our minds do in the middle of the night!
And I appreciated this line, too: ...lets you feel smart for having caught it. ☺️
Thanks so much, Elizabeth. 😊
“The making keeps you up nights, sometimes; sometimes it tires you out so you can sleep.” !!!!
💛🌿
Do you know the journal The Rumpus? Do you ever write prose? If so, check them out! https://therumpus.net/2023/05/26/call-for-submissions-parallel-practice/
Thanks for the tip, Francesca -- I'll take a look.
I love the parallel of unknitting and editing. I so admire knitting but I’ve never gotten the hang of it.
The parallels are uncanny when you've worked both crafts for a while! Thanks so much for reading, LeeAnn.
Lovely poems. I should like to learn to knit. It feels like something a poet should know how to do.
Having the balance of something to do/make with my hands has helped to balance me as a poet, I think. For me, the Something is knitting -- it could be lots of other sorts of by-hand making!
creating a knitted item.... really magical, all things considered.
Isn't it? Love to you, dear friend who knows how to work all sorts of magic. 🧶🧵🪡💙
Knitting really is a forgiving way to pass ones time. A friend that bends with you as you grow and let's you learn and even support you when times are rough. Your poems remind me of how this is so.
All those things, Sandy, plus ... making cloth! (Still amazes me every time). Thanks so much for reading.
So excited for Wednesdays because your poems come! And so exciting for me today because I knit a swatch again after five or six weeks of not knitting. And I made a bobble and thought, Wow, if I keep this up, I might have a cardigan to wear!! Thank you, Elizabeth.
Oh, the lovely quiet excitement and comfort of swatching! Love to you, maker and mender and fellow knitter.
Joy, pure joy to read your knitting and writing journey! Your words captured and reflected some of the most creative parts of my life. ❤️
So glad the poems speak to you, Linda! Thank you for letting me know. 🧶💛🌿
That was a marvelous journey this morning, thank you! Loved “ joining here in darkness
what cares and dreams the day has torn apart.” And the hopefulness- that everyone’s creations change the world in little ways.
Sleep does that joining, sometimes, and so does knitting. Other things, too! Thanks so much for always reading, Petrina.
tikkun olam - mending the world one stitch at a time. And every stitch matters. Obrigado!
De nada, John. Thank you for reading!