create (a life): A Knitting Mantra for the Beginner

 I love how nonchalantly knitters talking about knitting. As in, "I just knit this scarf over the weekend." They make it sound so simple, and I know why now. Because if they trick you into thinking it's simple then you're probably going to try it. And if you try it, you're going to get hooked. And if you get hooked you're going to spend an entire weekend of nap-times and car trips to create this:

 

which may just look like a bowl, but which isn't. It is a Knit bowl, which means, as I think any knitter would agree, that it's not "just" anything (wink). And it felt nice to knit it.  So nice, in fact, that I broke out the needles again. 

And knit this second bowl, which took even less of a weekend to make. I know a lot of Mama's that knit, and I think I have a better understanding of why now. When I wasn't fretting over a lost stitch, or holes that kept appearing as I went along (ahem)- it really was quite relaxing. When I have time to pick it up for a few minutes, it allows me to stop, breath, and focus for a second. A shift of focus can be a good thing these days, just a slight shift that allows me to return to my kids with a refreshed appreciation for how they're all knit together too. Because, as I think any parent would agree, my kiddos are not "just" kids. They're marvelous creations. And maybe, someday, my bowls will be too.