I was looking for a photo of an old knitting project, in my files, and sorting through the pictures, I was over-washed by a flood of memories. Woven into all of those sweaters, hats and mittens are the memories of what was happening at the time: why and where I bought the yarn, who I was with, if I was in a class or teaching a friend, things happening in my personal life that made me laugh or cry through the stitching. I miss the knitting world that was in 2008 - 2018.
When I came into knitting, I was a mother of three little ones, and needed a place where I was something other than a jungle gym or food service. I took a knitting class, made friends, found I was great at knitting, and teaching, improved my photography a lot! I needed that place.
In the last few years, my local yarn shop closed down, which caused my knitting group to splinter a bit; several of my knitting friends either stopped knitting or moved away. Just as I stepped down from my position at a boutique yarn company, the online community simultaneously blew up and mangled itself. As far as a knitting community goes, I have a few close friends left. There's not so much left online, although there are still a few blogs I enjoy, but they are few and far between.
I know; I'm fortunate that to me, knitting is "leisure." The thing is, it wasn't. It was a community of women (and a few men), some of whom I tolerated, and probably they tolerated me, some that I absolutely love and admire. There was joy, laughter, disagreements, grief sharing, baby sharing, show and tell, scissor lending. In the past twelve years, I have walked through a couple of friends dying of cancer, a friend dealing with major abuse, my dad almost dying twice, and many moments of parental doubt. I needed that world. I needed adult conversation, and a place to be Karen, friend; Karen, student; Karen, artist; Karen, teacher; instead of always Mom, mom. Even just for two hours in a week. It made me a better mom, to be able to reset, and raising new people is an extremely important job. I need knitting to be a release. Everyone needs that place. Not everyone needs it in knitting, but some of us do. I DO NOT need knitting to be a battle ground.
There are other places now, cautious places, guarded places. Pretty pictures, but lots of codes and filters and never enough filters where now every filter needs filtering. Tearing down some of the beautiful parts of people was never needed. I don't know when I will ever stop mourning. I cherish my few real knitting friends all the more.
I just needed to say that.
I just needed to say that.
I wish you lived near me and we could be" knitting together" friends! I believe you could teach me quite a few things...and I would be a great person to listen and pray for you!😊. I have never been in a knitting group per se.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a good writer! I knew you loved knitting and it was really special to you, but I didn't truly understand. Thank you for sharing so openly. There must be other knitters missing that close sharing time, too. Wish you could find a way to connect with them. All your knitted things are amazing!
ReplyDeleteWell, first of all, "simultaneously blew up and mangled itself" made me LOL. Isn't that the truth -- what a mangling! It's kind of sad that it took something as drastic as the pandemic to put the mangling in it's place. Hopefully one good thing to come out of the pandemic would be a better perspective all around and therefore a stop to the mangling. Like Cathy, I wish you lived closer to me -- we could have knit nights!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been part of the knitting community for years. In fact, though I had knitted on and off through the years, I didn't consider myself a knitter until I joined a knitting group at a coffee shop in January 2018. It had begun in a local yarn shop that closed. I had never been to the shop.
ReplyDeleteI desperately needed the acceptance and kindness these ladies offered me. You see, I was a cancer patient whose support system had fallen apart. I was lonely, isolated, and a bit depressed.
Two of my chemo nurses invited me to join them after they saw me knitting caps for other patients.
Although most of the ladies were very different from me, I found acceptance and encouragement and something to look forward to on Tuesday nights. It became a priority.
Because of Covid, our group stopped meeting. At this point, I don't know if we will reconvene. Time will tell. I did knit this morning with one of my nurses who has become a good friend. It was refreshing.
When some things started going crazy in the bigger knitting community, I wasn't affected much since it was all so new to me, but my local friends found it difficult. I am truly sorry that things that should be uniting and companionable have been hijacked by agendas.
Like Cathy and Thimbleanna, I would enjoy knitting with you and getting to know you. I'm glad you hopped over to see me. ~smile~
God bless you dearie!
Remember, 2020 is the year of OPTIMISM.
It's working great for me.
Hugs,
Laura Lane
Harvest Lane Cottage