Lessons Learned

I finally finished a knitting project that I've been working on for many months.  It was intended to be a Christmas gift, but as you can tell it's a bit late for that.  I'm calling it an early birthday present.  As I was nearing completion, I said to my husband that it would be very nice if my knitting projects weren't also learning experiences.  I imagine that when very experienced knitters end a  project it comes out just as they imagined in the time frame they expected.

But, my project was a learning experience and I'm determined to learn.  So here's what I learned.

First:  Be prepared.  A little planning goes a long way, a lot of planning goes farther.  Planning a knitting project involves knitting a gauge swatch to see how big the blanket will be if knitted to the directions. This is handy because baby blankets are supposed to be longer than they are wide so that they fit nicely in the crib.   I skipped the gauge and just started knitting so mine is wider than it is long.  Planning a project also involves adding up all of the little embellishments that aren't in the pattern. This way you don't run out of yarn that is no longer in production or carried by any store anywhere in the world...six inches from finishing the trim.

Second:  Expect the unexpected.  When it's not turning out how you envisioned, change your point of view.  Do things ever come out as envisioned?  Not in my experience.  So when you run out of yarn that is no longer available, it is time to improvise.  Think outside the box.  Take the road less traveled.  It was hard to change my vision of the perfect baby blanket. Once I did, I liked the new vision.  I think my nephew will like it too.

Third:  Nobody's perfect.  Handknit blankets aren't perfect, that's how you know they're handknit. Perfection is not beauty.  Beauty lies in the little (or not so little) imperfections that show that it was made with love.  When we expect perfection we will always be disappointed. Beauty is never disappointing.

Amazing how your children and your knitting projects can teach you the exact same three lessons.