Life Lessons I've Learnt From Knitting

For the last six years, I have written a speech to deliver to my students who leave the Senior Montessori class at the end of the Montessori 3 year cycle.

Last year, I gave the best one to date... A few people asked me to post it, but I never got around to it...(a bit busy with other goings on in life!) So now that my baby actually sleeps at night, I'm finally posting my speech from last year (my apologies if some of the photos are stretched out and funny looking. I had to save them from my Powerpoint... chances are I'll miss some stuff out too, since I generally make my speeches up as I go.)

Life Lessons I've Learnt From Knitting.

 

 Casting on - Casting on is the start of a new journey.
I love starting new knitting projects. Selecting my materials and reading through the pattern to plan the pathway to completion. The excitement, anticipation and nerves are all part and parcel of embarking on a new adventure or project. Like the students who are leaving us at the end of this year to cast onto their new adventure, I too will be casting on in my new role as a mother.

 

 Lesson 1 - Your parents will do (almost) anything for you, even stuff they hate.
I started knitting at a young age because I saw my grandmother knitting and I wanted another way to be close to her and connect with her. Mum taught herself to knit so she could teach me how. She hated it. She still hates knitting. She watches me knit now and wonders how it is that I can put so much time and effort into my hobby. She said it was a very happy day when I lost interest in knitting, so she could stop also.

 

But it did give me a bit of extra cuddle time with my beautiful grandmother, thanks to my mum's efforts for me.

 

 Lesson 2 - It's okay to make mistakes. Don't be so hard on yourself... most of the time, no one can tell but you. Take the mistake and learn from it.

Can you spot the mistakes in the sweater? (This was the first one I ever knit.) I used the wrong stitch pattern on the ribbing because I got confused with the pattern.

This photo shows that the sweater was sewn up backwards. Oops.

 

Lesson 3 - Ask for help when you need it.

Since this was my first project on my own, I asked Phill's mum, nana and aunty for help. They all worked on the sweater with me. It's now a treasured little bit of our family history. (Unfortunately, our baby's due in the summer so s/he won't get to wear it, but it's there should they want to!) Ask for help. People generally want to help if they can.

 

Lesson 4 - No matter how hard you try, sometimes things don't work out as you plan. Imperfect can be perfect. 

I worked for ages on this soft toy. I tried and tried and tried. It just doesn't look right or as perfect as the other ones I've done... but it has character and it's really quite sweet and perfect in its own way. When things don't work out as you planned, appreciate the lesson learned and move on.



Lesson 5 - Things get easier the more you work at it.

Each one of these soft toys was better than the last one I made. Practice really does make perfect. The first time you do something, it isn't going to be the best... so keep working at it.



Lesson 6 - Learn new things. Take the time to learn something new. Do things that you think may be too hard, you may surprise yourself.

I like the look and vibrancy of hand dyed wool. I liked the thought of it. I decided to try it one afternoon, using Kool-Aid. It was great fun and it turned out beautifully! I can't wait to do it again!

 



Lesson 7 - Good things take time... if you're going to do something, you may as well do it right.

Again, perseverance is key. Good things take time and aren't always easy. It's so satisfying when you figure it out and finish it though. This blanket took me 6 months to make - each row took me 10 minutes. It was frustrating and tiring, but I did it and I took the time to do it right. It felt awesome.



Lesson 8 - Keep important relationships alive.

I made this little cardi for a dear friend who was expecting a baby. We hadn't seen each other in many years and I still have yet to meet her baby. Her friendship is important to me though, even though we don't talk very often... we still check in with each other every so often. It's an easy, relaxed friendship, that's easy to keep alive. Keep those relationships alive - they're more important than you could ever realise.



Lesson 9 - Take an interest in what others are going through and show them you care.

These were made for a friend who was very sick and going through some difficult things in her life. She loved them appreciated them, and they made her feel good to know that she was cared about and on my mind. Small gestures can mean the world to people.



Lesson 10 - Give freely, generously and from the heart, with no expectation of return.

Another wee gift for a friend's baby, just because I wanted to celebrate his birth with her. I didn't want anything in return, I just wanted to give. A study recently showed that performing altruistic acts for others has a physical benefit for the giver. Not only is giving a wonderful thing, but it's good for your health too!



Lesson 11 - Ask lots of questions and learn what you can from those around you.

Your friends all have a talent. Ask them for help and learn from them... this sweater was a gift from a friend who I often ask for advice about knitting patterns and techniques. I want to ask her to teach me how to knit with colours and designs!



Lesson 12 - Be yourself, find your balance and take pride in your own unique gifts.

A lot of my friends think I'm a bit of a nana for loving knitting. Not many women in their thirties get excited about pretty new knitting needles. I don't care. They've come around and actually think it's pretty cool now, because I'm not ashamed of my talents. Embrace your talents and your quirks. They make you who you are.



Casting off - Finish what you've started and see things through to completion, but at the same time, don't be afraid to start over (and over and over). Your completion point may be different than what's expected - it depends on the goals you set for yourself.

Please note that the ends of this sock are not woven in, and there is only one sock. I've been working on this pair for ages but it's not the sock that I really wanted to get from this project (although the sock is awesome) - I wanted to knit with my beautiful new wool and I was focussing on learning a new technique to make the wavy pattern. (It was surprisingly easy.) That being said, I ripped it apart and started over again at least 3 times. There's nothing wrong with starting over. Sometimes, it's even fun... but do try to finish the journey you've started upon - much like you've finished your journey in the Montessori Unit.

A Prayer From A New Parent

Thank you, Lord for this little bundle of gorgeousness and love you've blessed our family with. We've waited a long time for this gift, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you for trusting us with the immense job of raising this innocent wee child and guiding her into adulthood. It's a daunting task, this parenthood thing and we'll need some help along the way. I'm a little bit scared to tell you the truth.

First of all, please give me strength not to be a helicopter parent when she starts school. Being a teacher, I really (really) worry about this. Give me the strength to trust that her teachers understand that she is my treasure and like myself, they are doing the best they can... for all the children in their care (including my baby.) (This is of course irrelevant, should I ever become her teacher. In that case, please give me the strength to be my child's school teacher and the ability to separate home and school for the good of both of us!!)

Next, give me the common sense and strength not to spoil her silly. I already want to give her the world. Help me to teach her that material things and "stuff" are not what will to make her happiest. Give me the strength not to give in to her every whim (thank you, Mum & Dad for not giving in to my every whim) because I understand while some of her interests and passions will endure, many will be passing fancies.

Give me the guidance to teach her about the important things in life, without being preachy. Family, friends, love, gratitude, faith, kindness, confidence, determination and perseverance (at 5 months, she already seems to have those last two in spades!) to name but a few...

Help me become a better role model for her, so I can show her the afore mentioned "important things" and so she understands how vital it is that she take care of her health and maintain balance. Help me to be more confident and comfortable with my body, so my issues are not projected onto her. I want her to love herself and her body exactly the way it is.

How do I teach her to make good decisions? To be independent, yet ask for help when she needs it?

While I'm on that topic, please remind me to ask for help when I need it. I'm not Superwoman. I can't cope all the time, I know that, but it's hard to ask for help.

Back to my baby - make me strong enough to teach her the consequences of her actions, both positive and negative... especially when I have to dish out negative consequences - I'm sure at some point, I'll have to do it... I hope I'm not too soft.

Give me the strength to let her make her own mistakes and to learn from them, but also to let her go when the time comes.

Please let my daughter understand that physical beauty is not the be all and end all of existence. Let her know that her beauty lies within also. Intelligence, empathy, generosity and kindness are beautiful... let her find that balance between being kind and generous, without being a pushover. Teach her that it's okay to want to look nice and be 'pretty' (however she chooses to define it) but it's also more than okay to get dirty and play in mud puddles.

Let her know her self worth as a woman. That she is capable of greatness and of anything she puts her mind to. Let her know not to settle for a man (or woman) who doesn't love her and doesn't treat her with the respect that she deserves. Let her know that her heart will be broken, and it will mend itself in time, with the help of ice cream, cuddles, laughter and lots of love from her family and girlfriends.

Most of all, help me to convey to her that she can talk to us. Trust us. Turn to us when she's in trouble and know that we will be there to pick her up after she falls... sometimes we'll catch her, but we won't be able to all the time.

There's more. There will always be more when it comes to my precious baby. Just help me do right by her, please... whatever that may be.

Thank you.

Love,

The Alphabet of Gratitude Is Resurrected! (W)

Oh hello blogosphere, how I missed you.

The last months of my pregnancy were a bit harder than expected, so blogging fell by the wayside once again as sleep and my health took precedence... fair enough, I think!

The first few months of motherhood were (are) also a bit harder going than expected (nothing prepared me for it, let's be honest) so again, blogging wasn't happening (knitting has also taken a back seat. This motherhood thing is hard core.)

So things are starting to settle and we're finding our groove as a little family and I have been so overwhelmed with gratitude at being blessed with our baby girl. Even when things are hard going, I am so thankful for her and my gorgeous Phillip (and how very patient he is. How very, very patient.)

There's another thing I'm thankful for... Women. When I had bubba, my midwife kept asking if there was a group of ladies that I met up with or talked to regularly. I now know why she kept emphasising the importance of having a women friends in the same situation. I have a couple of girlfriends who get a lot of phone calls and who come to visit me fairly regularly. For them, I am eternally grateful.

Beyond that though, there's a group I belong to on Facebook - a group of women who all had babies due in January 2013. That is the only thing that we had in common. It's all we needed.

These women are a lifeline, not only for me, but for a lot of the ladies on there. We bear our souls to each other, share our fears, joys and milestones in our own and our babies' lives. They have saved me on more than one occasion. We prop each other up with kind words, advice and love (so much of all of it!) I get a lot of that from Phill, I really do and I'm so lucky (even if I tend to grumble about him) but it's just different from women... and it saves me from texting him a million times a day while he's at work (instead he only gets about a hundred a day.)

There's something incredibly special about a community of women - a group of strangers who have come together simply to support and care for one another. I feel like it's love in one of its purest forms. I've made some fantastic friends and am lucky enough to have a support network of incredible women.

So grateful for all the women in my life and the special relationships we can develop and nurture with each other.

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Knit, Knit, Knit, Knit

I need to address a few things.

1. My knitting ADHD.  It is keeping me from finishing many a project.  I'm told that I will not have the luxury of time to knit once baby is born. 

WIP #1 - A onesie I'm knitting for winter, from beautiful squishy merino wool bought from Skeinz.  I'm trying to buy more NZ made wool - it's such beautiful quality, but I still love a bargain.

WIP #2 - Most possibly the most expensive sock(s) I will ever own (ends not woven in).  So far I've only made the one.  It's a beautiful merino/silk mix from Spinning a Yarn.  Bought from a local shop - I couldn't resist the colour and how soft the wool was.  Worth buying for the fun name of the company!  With the colour and pattern, I kind of think it looks like a crocodile when I put it on.

WIP #3 - The 3rd attempt at a baby shawl.  I picked up this wool on the way out of the shop and I couldn't put it down.  It was so lovely and squishy and soft and I had to have it.  It was much more than I'd ever spend on wool, but so, so, so very lovely.  Italian wool - supersoft merino.  My first attempt at knitting lace.  It's going okay, but frustratingly (much like the frustration of the photo uploading sideways.)  Have also developed great love for that particular brand of circular needle - a birthday gift from my dear Juliette - possibly another addiction??

Finally finished something - a baby hat I whipped up last weekend from the gorgeous book Fiona got me for my birthday.  I needed to finish something.  I quite love it and can't wait to see it on our baby!  Knit with a lovely cotton wool, so hopefully good for summer.

2. My massive wool stash.  I love it, yet I loathe it.  (Thankfully, I'm not at this stage... yet.)  It's taking up too much space in bub's closet... and I've nowhere else to put it.  It taunts me... silently pointing out that I don't knit fast enough and that work (house work, work work, garden work) takes away from my creating time.  Work and napping.  Let's be honest.  I'm 32 weeks pregnant.  I have priorities.  And yes, I have fallen asleep with knitting needles in my hands, more than once.  Whatever.

My beautiful birthday haul of wool from Phill.  I was giddy while shopping and his mum encouraged me every step of the way!  I got some lovely wool that I've been aching to try, but wouldn't ever buy because it was a bit too expensive or I just didn't need it.  Since it was my birthday present, I took the opportunity to buy some bamboo, cotton, lace and luxurious sock wool.  Love!  The book is from my lovely Fiona who seemed to somehow know that I had looked at it in the shop, sighed heavily and put it back.  She read my mind!

 3. I'm addicted to buying more wool and pattern books.  I worry I'm going to become a Hoarder.  The Hoarding team will come into my home and find my child surrounded by skeins, cakes and balls of wool.  If nothing else, my baby will be warm.  I will cry and go a little loopy when they try to take it all away.  

Yes, October!

My Facebook newsfeed is full of comments that say things along the lines of "October?  Where did the year go?" or  "October already?" and so on and so forth... which gave me pause to think for a short moment (because my attention span is that much shorter now... sort of like a gnat... this post has taken all day... I'm not kidding.  A gnat.)

YES!  Yes indeed, it is October!  And I for one, am SUPER excited!  I have always loved October, regardless of the hemisphere I've lived in.  October is awesome.

I love a good Wordle!

First of all, it's my birthday month.  I freakin' love my birthday.  A lot.  More than simple words can explain (but I will still try.)  My birthday is my day to unabashedly celebrate my wonderful life, blessings, achievements, accomplishments, and what the future may hold.  How can I not be fond of a day so full of blessings, love and promise?  This October is extra special because at the end of this particular October, I'll be in my last trimester and almost 30 weeks pregnant... again, the promise of the future is almost too much joy to bear... The mind boggles!  Score one (or even two) for October!

Next - the weather.  Some may think me nuts, but when I was in Canada, I loved the crispness in the autumn air; the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows of the leaves changing and the myriad of cozy sweaters and the autumn wardrobe (my favourite of all seasons for fashion.)  Bliss.  It doesn't stop there!  Pumpkin pie; apple pie; amazing, crispy apples; those lovely pumpkiny lattes from Starbucks and Thanksgiving (which is a whole host of other wonderful familial blessings!  Let's not get into the fun of Halloween and the cute little ones in their costumes!!)  In New Zealand, the weather starts warming up (while unpredictable) the rainy days are punctuated by brilliant sunshine and the birds singing in a cacophony outside my window in the morning.  Veggies are planted in the garden, the air is fresh and smells like springtime.  Lambs frolic and bounce in Cornwall Park (so cute, it's almost stupid!) and it's the time of year where the ducks start herding their ducklings across our school grounds.  It happens every year and I'm looking forward to it again this year!  More promise for the future.  October - that's another point for you, my friend!

The Don Valley Parkway in autumn.via

Cute!  Lovely Lamb in Cornwall Park! via

In addition to that wonderfulness, there's school!  Up north, school (work) is starting to get into the swing of things, getting a handle on your classroom and starting to chug along - it's a feeling of excitement of what the year will bring - the children are bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Alternatively, down south it's starting to wind down, to see the end of a long year and the long awaited break is on its way!  Woo hoo - I'm glad to be on that end this year.  October - you're doing pretty well in the points tally.

So yes, it's October - it's about time!  I'm so glad you're finally here!

What's your favourite thing about October?