Knit for Yourself

Designing patterns for all you good people to knit is a lot of fun, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to (I hope) inspire and teach you over the past year. But lately I've been feeling the overwhelming need to knit something just for me, from a pattern that I didn't write.

I've spent the last week on a lovely (and, of course, easy) pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple and I'm really enjoying it. It's nice to knit without thinking or taking notes, just watching to see how the pattern unfolds without worrying if it's all going to work out.

I think this holds a lesson for all of us that from time to time we need to be a little selfish with our knitting. When's the last time you knit something for yourself, from a pattern you really love? Part of the joy of knitting is giving the work of our hands to other people, but can anyone appreciate a handknit thing as much as a knitter?

So when the holiday knitting is done, I suggest you look through your pattern books and online and find a great pattern that you've love to make for yourself--then sit down and get started. Don't let this become a perpetual unfinished object. Do this as a holiday gift to yourself. I think you'll be glad you did.