I love getting yarn as a gift. It seems to hold a special energy, a yet to be discerned potential that is almost limitless. What will it be? It’s up to me, the knitter to determine.
Although yarn can be made into many things, I have discovered that some yarn is better suited to some projects than others. No knitter wants to spend hours making a sweater that stretches like elastigirl or pills like a cottonwood tree in April and May. The knitter needs to take the properties of the yarn into consideration before deciding its fate. What kind of yarn will show off the cables or won’t wear out quickly when stuffed inside a hiking boot? The characteristics of the spin, the raw material combination, the dye, the weight and the color all contribute to the suitability for the project. A fingering weight yarn is not a good candidate for an Aran cabled sweater. Even if you could find a needle size large enough to make the gauge work the fabric would be flimsy.
Contemplative prayer can help us discover our potential. It can lead us to the right vocation where our characteristics will be appreciated and valued. The public speaker will flourish in a role where verbal communication is essential but not do well with software development. The software developer will create the perfect application to help people but may not want to give the sales pitch at the crowded convention.
We have preferences, we have gifts and talents, and we have skills we have worked hard to develop. Time in silent prayer can help us get back in touch with the little voice that may be nudging us in a new direction or encouraging us to get back engaged. The only way to know, is to listen!
Project update: Rows 15-26 of Pattern #26 of the Japanese Stitch Bible
Contemplative Knitting 