July 15, 2025

Through the Lens -32

Through the Lens -32

 

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." 
I am sure that all knitters share the mindset of this proverb. I also have resonated with it deeply these days.

 

Ever since Meri and Tokuko of amirisu invited me to the world of knitting a few years ago, I have been living at my own pace in this world with high peaks. I move at a very leisurely pace, like a tortoise, compared to enthusiastic knitters, but I'm gradually realizing how wonderful knitting really is.

Whether it is a large sweater, a long shawl, or even a small item, the only way to complete a project is to knit one stitch at a time. When I’m working diligently on the project in front of me, it feels exciting to realize that an amazing piece of knitted fabric I have created! It is a real accomplishment that I can both see and feel with my hands. This feeling helps me a lot when I have a problem in my work or life that cannot be solved immediately.

Anything in life can only begin by doing one thing at a time, the task right in front of our eyes. Although I realize this, in practice, when I get impatient, I take out the yarn and needles of my WIP and think "I don't have time to knit, but I’ll just do a little bit,” and then I start knitting.

The top I'm knitting now is very simple, but I like that there are several points in each row where I need to focus. When I knit mindlessly, I suddenly find myself not thinking about anything other than the number of stitches for an entire 30 minutes. It's been a little while since I started skipping my meditation practice, but knitting is one alternative for me.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and so does every day of our lives. I often remind myself of this basic rule of life when knitting. For those of you for whom knitting is an essential part of your life, you may be saying, "I already know that!” I have come to realize this very clearly at this point in my life after several years of knitting on and off. I'm glad I discovered knitting!