One thing at a time…

Tags

Artyarns, hand-knitwear design, handmade, Isager, Jade sapphire, Knit Scarf, knitting, leg warmers, Madelinetosh, Men's Scarf, yarn

My Lil One is very used to my motherly refrain “One thing at a time.”  So many times we try to squeeze things in, skipping from one thing to the next, but at the end of the day I always feel like nothing got done, because nothing individually is truly finished.  I am trying to teach my daughter that sometimes you need to slow down and focus for a bit to really savor the task and do your best.  My knitting has often been crazy like that, but for a couple of months I kept knitting just one thing.  Lil One kept asking “When will that be done?  It’s taking forever, and I need leg warmers!!”  I kept repeating, “One thing at a time.  Your little leg warmers will be next.  I promise.”  And so it went for two months.  What colossal, grand, large-scale knit was this?  Actually, it was a quite modest sized scarf.  A commission, from a gentleman with excellent taste in yarn, and a rare recognition of the beauty of a handmade item.  Here is the tri-color harlequin diamond scarf I made for him:

Size zero needles and lace weight yarn made this project long-winded, but the result was just heavenly.  I would have loved to keep it for myself, but alas, it had to move on.  The three yarns were Art Yarns Rhapsody Light (just spectacular!), Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere 2-ply, and Isager Alpaca Merino 2.  It’s hard to see in the photos, but the green just shimmers against the other colors, and the halo of mohair is just enough to lend a kitten softness without getting fuzz everywhere.

So, naturally, when that was done, I went to work immediately on those leg warmers.  Those became the “one thing” for a couple of days, and they knit up really quickly.  She was over the moon when they were done, and put on quite a show to let me know how happy she was!

They are another pair of “Button Top Leg Warmers”, this time in cobalt blue Madelinetosh DK that she picked out.  Lil One also has excellent taste, and definitely appreciates handmade accessories.

So, now that customers and kiddos alike have been satisfied momentarily, I’ve moved on to some peaceful knitting for myself, and feeling very accomplished for sticking to one thing at a time… except for the socks I started… oh and that tunic that just needs sewing up… and I couldn’t help but swatch out an idea for a new tee.  Well, as that other Motherly motto goes:  “Do as I say, not as I do.”