à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Knitting
Watching Soccer Through a Feldenkrais Frame
If I think of achievement principally, I find that some part of myself is always left out. – Moshe Feldenkrais, Amherst Training If Moshe Feldenkrais hadn’t nearly destroyed his knee in a soccer match as a young man, or if he had chosen risky surgery to repair it, he wouldn’t have developed his groundbreaking method that allowed him … Continue reading
Knitting Ain’t for Sissies…or Bullies
I just finished a keyhole scarf I started knitting a few months ago. I’m exhausted, not exhilarated. After several frustrating beginnings, described here, I hit a groove. Or so I thought. More than halfway through the project, I surveyed my work and discovered many glaring mistakes. Not only that, the design I modified to accommodate … Continue reading
If Patience Were a Vitamin, I’d Take the Whole Bottle
My aunt, who until recently was Queen of Crochet, with many large and intricate projects under her hook, read about my return to knitting. She had this to say: “It’s like anything else…it needs time and patience.” She made it sound so simple. If my body has a deficiency, it’s that it seemingly lacks receptors … Continue reading
Knitting as Zen Practice
For years, I’ve had a knotty relationship with knitting. As a teenager, I envied friends who, having learned the skill from their mothers, aunts or grandmothers, whipped up scarves and sweaters. In my freshman year at college, I decided to learn, and took a lesson at a yarn shop down the road from my suburban … Continue reading
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