Sitting And Knitting And Thinking

Last Sunday - as in a week ago - I woke up to excruciating pain in my left foot, particularly in my big toe. Apparently, with all the bending I'd been doing I'd been over-extending it to the point where it'd had enough. This is not any kind of glamorous sports injury; it's a repetitive motion energy - and one that makes me feel like an old lady hobbling around fretting about her toe.

The work that's waiting involves either more bending or climbing ladders and reaching upward so I've been mostly sitting and knitting. Right now, there's a huge thunderstorm rolling overhead and the sound of the rain on the roof is quite beautiful. The drops are so huge I even managed to photograph them and the pond is getting buckets of fresh run-off. Perhaps the rain will also help the fire situation. I hope so.

Sitting and knitting would be more accurately described as sitting and knitting and thinking. I've had a lot of time to ponder the creative work I'm waiting to get to as well as think about the women who have influenced what I'm doing. Three stand out. I met Marcy Tilton and Diane Ericson at the first two Design Outside the Lines retreats that I attended in Oregon, USA. They were a wonderful teaching couple as they approach their work from different but complementary angles. I met Katherine Tilton - Marcy's sister - at Sew Expo in Seattle Washington shortly after. She designs many of my favourite patterns - in that architectural style that I really enjoy.

While I've never studied with Katherine, we were both students in the same class earlier this year and I took two retreats with Marcy and numerous more with Diane as well as working one-on-one with her for several years. Through them I discovered a way of being creative that I'd been searching for for a long time. Together they gently - and sometimes not so gently - pushed and encouraged me toward finding my authentic style and working in the way that is me. I am forever grateful to them for guiding me along that path and for continuing to encourage and support me. Who are you grateful to?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - inspiring mentors