Hallelujah, praise be, thank the good Lord and all the saints...THE BLANKET IS FINISHED! Y'all, I don't care if this seems like a #smallvictory to most of you, but that is kind of what this whole blog is about, and I am SO GRATEFUL to have finally finished this hand-knitted, 6 skein, labor of love and test of patience:
Now, to the unassuming eye, this looks like a fairly decent, certainly imperfect, kind of small blanket. But what you can't know by looking at this masterpiece, is just how much transformation took place between the time of conception, and the glorious day that I cast (casted?) off the final stitch. This blanket began with a kind and unexpected gift from a friend, shortly after I arrived at #Mirasol Treatment Center in Tucson. I had recently put, what had felt like at the time, my entire life on hold in order to go to recommended eating disorder treatment and found myself with an excess of anxious energy. So when a 3 pack of this beautiful, ombre, blue yarn showed up, I decided that the time was as good as any to attempt my first blanket.
If you have any experience with knitting, or none at all, I can assure you, it is a very humbling process. For starters, this particular yarn is very thin and the number of initial casts or loops, barely fit on my long knitting needles. In order to get a tightly knit blanket, I had to make very small loops, which left small margin for errors. I can't tell y'all how many times I dropped stitches and started over in the beginning. The blanket gave me a way to channel my anxiety during the emotional days of treatment, but it would also bring up feelings of perfectionism, defeatism, impatience, and self-doubt. Even after I left Arizona, after a total of 88 days, the blanket remained unfinished.
BUT, here is my suggestion. Just finish the dang blanket. Life is unpredictable, the timing may never be "just right", the yarn might be too scratchy- the excuses will always be ready and prevalent. But put your insecurities aside and just complete it, get it done, finish something you have started. Or maybe, you need to START your metaphorical blanket. In that case, apply for that online school, leave that abusive relationship, adopt the goodest boy from that high kill shelter. Whatever it may be for you, I promise you, the feeling of accomplishment far outweighs the frustrations along the way.
I started this blanket in May of 2019 and just finished April 8th, 2020. But I did it, I finished the dang blanket. Now go on and finish/start yours too! #youcandohardthings #edrecovery #grateful #powerofvulnerability #quarantinestories
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