The Zen of Knitting

The best thing about knitting for me is the mindless repetition. It gives me a chance to zone out and let my hands go. I find it extremely relaxing and a great way to refresh my mind. So far most of my projects have had significant stretches of fairly plain knitting, with just enough stuff (shaping, colorwork, patterns, etc.) to keep things interesting. If a project has too much going on and requires a lot of concentration, I lose the meditative qualities I love so much. On the other hand, knitting only scarves and dish cloths in single color stockinette would get BORING before too long. I enjoy the anticipation of turning a heel or shaping a toe, as well as the execution.
Life Lesson: Balance in all things.

The biggest challenge for my knitting time is my two sweet kidlings. Bug is 3-1/2 years and Bean is almost 20 months. If they are playing and I try to sneak in a little knitting, they quickly become fascinated by the yarn and sticks. In order to relax a teensey bit longer, I let them poke and pull and play with the yarn. Generally, the result is a completely tangled mess. Fortunately, I don't mind untangling and winding the yarn in a ball too much. Unlike some the thornier problems in life, a messy skein can be sorted out with just a little bit of patience and perserverance. It can be a good reminder for those tasks that require a lot more patience and perserverance.
Life Lesson: Problems need to be untangled one knot at a time.