ON HOLD

It happened at the last possible moment. That exciting time when taking the stitches off the needles signalled the end of my project. My hat would finally be done. But then, the unanticipated happened last night.

On the third double-pointed needle, two of the middle purl stitches slipped off. It was quickly getting dark outside and I was sitting by the window, using the light of the falling sun to finish my hat. To make matters worse, the yarn was various shades of blues and purple. I was tired. And just wanted to get it done so I could meet a personal goal and get to start on the next hat.

And that’s when things happen. When you rush. Creativity cannot be hurried. When you’re tired and just not into it, the end result is evidence of that.

I carefully turned the hat inside out to try to ‘save’ the stitches on the knit side of the ribbed pattern. It worked. Until it didn’t. When I returned to the hat this morning and checked it again, then decided that it wasn’t up to my standards. Perfection set in as I set to unravel the hat. Not a portion of it. All of it. Hours of work all gone to waste.

The patience needed to make things work was not there. Though I did try for a while by unravelling to the section of decreases to try from that section. In my mind, it wasn’t worth the effort. I would start again another time.

I wound the yarn from the opposite end this time and decided to put it aside for a while. I have other things that require my focus in the following two weeks, so this aspect of my creativity will be put on hold.

It’s best to not force things to happen. Relationships. Projects. Anything in life. You need to simply let them come to pass. To not rush. Rather to enjoy the process as you find inspiration to keep going.