Working Through Mistakes

 

capturing a dropped stitch

Mistakes.  We've talked about how to fix them and how to prevent them.  We've talked about afterthought yarnovers and reoriented cables.

But we have never talked about how a mistake makes you feel because that is what really matters.

Some knitters can go on knitting and just decrease a stitch or add more holes and it doesn't bother them at all.  

Other knitters feel that there is a big old arrow pointing to that mistake and have to repair it before moving on.

There is another type of knitter that plays the waiting game.  "Can I really ignore this mistake and just go on with my knitting?'  The answer is usually a resounding, "no".

There are feelings that come up when a pattern doesn't work right.  You might feel anger, guilt, shame, or embarrassment.

These feelings are all valid because you are having them.  They are yours.

I have anxiety so I tend to panic a bit...sometimes a lot.

Acknowledging your feelings is important but also not wallowing in them is too.

So you messed up and the world didn't end; what you do next is important.  Failing doesn't make you a failure.

I "fail" a lot when designing something new.  In fact, everything I create is full of failures and successes all bound together to create something amazing.  

No one knows they happened because it was part of my journey.  All they see is the finished piece.

The second step in this process is to just breathe.  One deep breath sends oxygen through your body.  It can center and ground you and it can make all the difference in how you proceed.

Now with a clearer head figure out what went wrong.  Sometimes this step will bring me more panic when math comes into play but I keep at it.  I follow the steps.  I listen to and acknowledge my feelings and then take a deep breath until I find my path.

Sometimes this step takes some time.  Give yourself the time you need.  Write down where you are, why you stopped.  Secure all your stitches and put everything away for a day or two if need be.

Be gentle with yourself.  Forgive yourself if you feel you need to.  

We are our worst critics and say the harshest things that we would never say to a loved one.  Don't start down the, "I'm such a ______" spiral.

It is best to realize, for example, that being embarrassed at making a mistake is not the same as internalizing that embarrassment so that you never show your work.

You are not your mistake.  Do not direct your emotions back at yourself.

Believe me, I go through this process somewhere in every project or design I make.  I've learned to acknowledge my failures and to celebrate my successes. 

They are both a part of my process.  Sometimes my failures are just teachers in disguise and show me something I would never have thought of on my own.

A mistake is only temporary.  The lessons they teach last a lifetime.

**********

love you to the moon and back blanket by PeachUnicornDesigns

I helped a friend make a blanket for her Granddaughter and I think it turned out amazing.  My friend had never done intarsia before and we ripped out a lot of rows but in the end, my friend could change colors like a pro!

I am so proud of her!

*************

We lost someone this week who has guided my life in many ways,  Thich Nhat Hanh

He was a Buddhist monk with a beautiful soul.  His message was one of transformation.  I read his book on Anger, and it changed how I listen to myself and others.

I have his books on tape and I have listened to his words when I have been lost and he has helped me to find my way back to myself so many times.

Bright Blessings my dear teacher as you now embody the greatest transformation that one can achieve.  

Thank you for your lessons which influence me even now, and I expect, ever will.

🙏❤️💫

************

Happy crafting!

Ruinwen 🤗

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Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  
May you be safe.  
May your loved ones be safe.  
🙏
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏
**************************
Vixenpath is a safe space.
If you are:
LGBTQ+
Black
Brown
Asian
Any race
Coming out
Anything.

I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Ruinwen

🤗

Creativity Dreaming on a Winter's Day

 

Winter Snow hanging out in actual snow

As you can see from the picture, it snowed in these parts and I was finally able to get this shot of my Winter Snow double knit scarf.  😀

This pattern tutorial set is almost done.  We are finishing up the accompanying video this week and then I can let this pattern fly off into the world.

My sister was mentioning that this is the point where an artist starts to see little things that need correcting and holds on a bit tighter to their creation.

It is a risk to share what is in you with the world but a disservice to your muse not to do so.

Nothing is ever perfect enough to publish yet, nothing will ever be perfect, that is life.

What defines work as "finished"?  

All these things swirl through my head as I am putting in the final edits and seeing things that maybe I should have said differently.

Yet, this pattern has been proofed, tech edited, sampled, and gone over with a fine-toothed comb and it was okay then, it is okay now.  It will be alright, I tell myself.

There are people who throw up every time before going on stage or giving a speech but you could never tell because they have learned it is part of their process.

What is my process?   If I am being honest, I just don't know anymore.

I am rewriting the way I see my creativity as I go.  I am reinventing myself to be a person who gives themselves the same encouragement and empowerment that they would give to another creator.

Whereas I might have said in the past that my work wasn't good enough, now that is just an echo of something I held onto from my childhood.

Why do some people hold on to the worst things that are said to them and others, well others have a guiding beacon of goodness that they hear all their lives?

Why couldn't I be the latter of the two and not the former?  The criticisms, the teasing hurtful words, those are the ones that I have carried with me all these years and it is time to let them go.

I choose to let them go and remember the good things that I let slip away because it was easier to believe the negative voice than the words of people who loved and cared about me.

I don't know who needs to hear this today, it might just be me, but remember creativity doesn't have to be perfect it just needs to be authentic.  

You put a uniqueness on whatever your art is because it comes from the well of imagination deep inside of you.  

I believe in you.  I believe in me.  I believe there is room for everyone to share their authentic voice with the world.

Creativity and inspiration are limitless.  

You might not find inspiration in your art one day but instead, you try a new recipe and put your personal flair on it.  That is creativity and inspiration at work.  They will find a way to allow you to express yourself in an outlet that is symbiotic to where you are on your path at that moment.

So, create...express...bring into the world beautiful things shaped by the awesomeness that is you. 🤗❤️

*******

Happy crafting!

Ruinwen 🤗

**************************
Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  
May you be safe.  
May your loved ones be safe.  
🙏
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏
**************************
Vixenpath is a safe space.
If you are:
LGBTQ+
Black
Brown
Asian
Any race
Coming out
Anything.
I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Ruinwen

😀