Knitting

I'm not sure if blogging is making me notice more things, or if I'm noticing more things because I'm blogging. I was sitting and knitting in Starbucks today waiting for my younger. There were two rather precocious young girls there with their moms. They were clearly impatient and not enjoying the conversation or the slow pace of drinking coffee. So, one of the moms suggests that they watch me knit. A bit uncomfortable was I, at first. Then, the girls started to ask me questions about the yarn, how long it takes to knit a scarf, who was it for, etc etc. I just was amazed at how eager and inquisitive they were. Also, they talked to me as if I had known them a long time. They talked about going to preschool and kindergarten, about how their little brothers were cranky, and lots of other little life details. It just occurred to me that this conversation probably would never have happened if I did not have my knitting.

So, I just find myself musing over the slower crafts of life - knitting, cooking, gardening, painting, quilting, etc. - seems to me they're about a lot more than the craft, the trade or the products that result. These lost arts are pathways to conversation, journeys to a calmer center (almost zen-like), and ways to re-claim the creator in all of us.