To celebrate Elizabeth Zimmerman's centennial, which I consider a major deal, I have finally achieved sweater nirvana.
EZ tells us that knitting is fun and we should not worry about it. I thought she was crazy. How can one not worry about how the selvage stitches look or how evenly placed the buttonholes are? I have come around. I am knitting a sweater (my wasabi green Que Sera) and I am not freaking out about any of those details. This is the most fun I have ever had knitting a sweater. Nothing is stressing me out. I am letting mistakes happen, and then I am calmly deciding how to fix them and and then moving forward. I am not agonizing over my decisions, I am not throwing myself face down onto the floor and wailing, I am not weeping or sulking or banishing the sweater or cursing or anything like that at all. I have grown up. I will not let my knitting control me anymore. I will still demand perfection, but I will not cause myself pain over it anymore. Sure, I have knit sweaters before, but this is the first time that I am not having to go on a spiritual pilgrimage to decide how I am going to handle working the new stitches into the pattern on the sleeves.
Here's the best thing about my new approach (or rather, here's the best thing about EZ's approach that I am finally giving a try): it's quicker. I'm knitting faster. I'm done quicker because I am not spending half (or more likely, more than half) of my time worrying. I'm knitting. I'm knitting the whole time. It's the best thing in the world. I can't believe I never tried this sooner. Better late than never, I suppose, and my timing's great. Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Zimmerman!!!
