Somehow, and someway it is week 8. I find myself wondering, how did this time pass by so quickly. With our knit-a-long end date approaching, I hope to take some time to speak to you. You, the knitter. You, the creative. You, the human. 

We all come into the final week of the KAL at a different place. This is my third KAL, and the first one where I haven’t actually finished my project. There are some people who have finished one, two, three, or maybe even four projects at this point. The urge to slip into comparison, and question myself for not prioritizing my KAL project enough is high. And yet, here I am shouting it from this little blog post. Why? Why shout it? Because, I am not the only one. 

You are wildly unique, special, and complex. Your journey to knitting and your journey within this KAL is yours and yours only. And yet, our experiences, our finished objects, and our love for this craft pull us together. I am not the only one with a work in progress (WIP). You are not the only one who has made a mistake. You are not the only one who cheered when they finally met gauge after a few attempts. We are simultaneously independent and inextricably linked within our Knit Collage community.

Our community goes beyond knitting. And the things we learn go beyond a learning new knitting skill. We get to connect, and share whatever it is that brings us light. So today I share with you, Wild Geese, by Mary Oliver. This poem reminds me of the individuality and community within the KAL. Take a moment and read through it below: 

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

I’ve taken the liberty to bold the lines that really pull me in. I invite you to do the same, whether it below within the comments or within the pages of your journal. 

Just like patterns, the poem above can garner a variety of interpretations. There is an awareness and noting of both the individual and the community of wild geese, and our larger world. There is no expectation to be something after reading this poem. Simply put, it reminds me that wherever I am is where I ought to be. 

I often find myself thinking about how we are all doing the best we can in this moment. 

Because our best ebbs and flows. Our best is not constant. My best is different to yours. My best today looks different than it did yesterday. Our knitting changes. Our gauge varies. Our techniques build and yet I still find myself looking up exactly how to do a M1L every pattern. In yoga there’s this concept of non reaction. So rather than react to not meeting an arbitrary knitting deadline with stress, or frustration, accept reality. Do the next best thing. Respond with care and mindfulness. Give yourself time. Give yourself rest as you make your next choices, and develop the story that you tell yourself. 

So today, wherever you happen to be in your unique knitting journey, know that it is okay. Yes, the ‘official’  KAL wraps up this week, however, your KAL will last however long it ought to be. No matter when you finish, you can count on this community to cheer you on! 

Thank you for being you, spreading your light and sharing in this knitting journey. 

Take care and happy knitting, 

Emma of Bloom and Create, Amy and the Knit Collage Team