For those among you who are not knitters, "tink" is knit backwards. Or in other words, to rip out stitches in order to correct a mistake. And right now, the question of tinking is filling my brain.
About a week ago, I cast on for my first cabled project - a baby blanket. After knitting several small items lately, I was looking for a longer term project. Then my favorite yarn store (Twisted) had a great sale on a bamboo/cotton blend yarn that would be perfect for something drape-y, and the blanket was begun. Each row has taken me about 7 minutes or so. And I'm 23 rows in. There's some time there - time which is hard to come by these days.
So, about 4 rows back, I noticed a mistake. A fairly obvious one. Ten rows back. And then, while studying it, there it was - another one. About 4 rows before the first. ACK!
For the last four rows, as I've continued knitting along, I've been trying to convince myself that these mistakes aren't obvious and that no one but me will notice them. But in my heart of hearts, I know/hope that this isn't true. After all, if the person for whom it is being knitted loves it as much as I hope, then they will notice as they admire it cradling their new little one. And it will bug them, too.
Oddly enough, this mirrors some of the other situations in my life right now. Places where my laziness or my desire to just hurry up and get it done have left things just not right. Or budgeting that was undone, because I didn't want to admit that those splurges were adding up. Or starting to plan for the upcoming school year that I just keep saving for tomorrow, even though I know I'll regret the time lost.
This is the point at which I get the kink in my neck, the tightening in my stomach, the whispers in the back of my brain. I know the right thing to do. I just don't want to do it. But if I don't, then the nagging feelings remain, and they won't go away. Not even when things are all done.
So I know what tonight and the next few days holds for me. Some serious tinking. Both in my blanket, and in my daily life. It's time to unravel a little, go back, and do things right. In the end, I won't regret it.
7 months ago
3 comments:
At 3:40 last night I woke up only to discover that your dad was awake as well. He had been laying there thinking about some things I had said just before we went to sleep. Well, conversation started and didn't end until 5am when we finally got back to sleep. Basically it was all about the issues of trying to break some bad habits and build some good ones. This is a long way to say, honey, that you are wise beyond your years to be able to draw the analogy between your knitting habits and your life habits and that if you tink before you go any further, you'll have much less to try to undo later. I'm so proud of you and greatful for the lessons you continue to teach me.
Wow. Will you be my life coach?!
LOVE the object lesson. And I get myself backed in those corners too. I truly understand.
And for what it's worth, whoever that blanket was for would NEVER get bugged holding her little one in your beautiful-yet-imperfect creation. The Amish always intentionally insert a flaw in their handiwork as a reminder that we are mortal and only God is perfect.
It could have been a lovely Amish blanket. Be kind to yourself, my friend!
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