Saturday, February 9, 2008

Knitting and our culture

As the holiday ended and winter settled in, I found myself surrounded by knitters. I have come home to new scarfs almost daily. This seems to have happened almost overnight, but I'm sure that there has been a lot of this going on that I or my household has not been aware of.
In the same way that when we started home schooling,
very quickly a whole new world opened up to us. A world that seemed to allow time to breath and enjoy God's moment. We home schooled for a short season in our family life, but gained new friends and a greater understanding of the world view of public education. We also gained a closer relationship to our children. Praise God.
But back to knitting.
The basics are simple, or so they say. I had beads of sweat coming off my head as a friend tried to show me what was suppose to be a very basic stitch. But once you get the feel of the yarn and
the needles then it's off you go, with projects galore. The tools are simple, and the finished project becomes a piece of your own fashion wear. Or if your heart is drawn to the basic needs of the world, you can donate your work to organizations around the globe that have ministries for orphans in cold climate regions or to rough and tough sailors who sail the oceans and just wish for a little love from the mainland.
Once you get into the groove, I have witnessed with my own eyes, knitters are able to find peace in their place. I commented the other night, as I finally repaired an old but favorite sweater, in front of the TV, with very little skill, but great satisfaction, that now I understood why radio programs were so great. Here you are sitting working on a hand made projects, listening to the story or the music, at peace. You have to choose to either work with your hands and listen or just watch and sit. TV feeds us stuff we do not need. To find joy in simple things is what God desires for us. To slow down is good for life. You can not be full of stress and knit. You have to let go and find joy in the work. There is little desire beyond the basic tools of the trade. Yarn can come just as easily from the bargain bin as from the " I need that! what ever the cost " bin. Something you made with your own hands has more "BLING" than anything else. It is pure, and soft and feeds the heart.
It goes beyond all language barriers. Color is found in all of God's creation. Knitting I have witnessed brings peace to the creator and love to the receiver.

Thanks for reading,
There are lots of organizations for giving your work away if you so desire. Keep up the good work. You are greatly loved.

Robert

4 comments:

batgirl said...

Amen, amen, Bob! I DO like knitting and listening to the radio. NPR usually. Or TV- you can tell what's going on without every looking. Glad to know you're one of us now! That superbowl/knitfest was fun. Thanks for leaving Chelsey a comment:)

Karla said...

Fabulous. The whole concept brings tears to my eyes. Thanks you for sharing these truths about knitting.
:)

ellehasuly said...

Lovely post, Robert. I have been watching as friends have been nabbed by the knitting bug; and would like to join in. I am glad for you to have had the opportunity to home school your kids. It must have been such a blessing.

Joy to you, bro...
Love ya,
Lynne

withmysavior said...

dad,
no one else could put the words "bling" and "yarn" in the same paragreaph.

i love you.