Is Gardening like Knitting?

I once listened to a conference presenter who likened staff development to a garden. It was pretty good, though I wondered if perhaps an employee might object to a flower bed as a metaphor for work life! The point was that time, care, nurturing and planning are needed to achieve optimal results. Of course there are problems to be expected. Some hard decisions to make. Some help from friends who have experience.

Crafts like knitting, sewing, needlework, quilting, crochet, and others, are not completed overnight. The larger the project, the more time, care, nurturing, planning are needed. They are do-able, they just need ....you know...all that!

You hear a lot of people say, "I would like to knit/sew/quilt/crochet but I don't have time/don't have the patience/can't learn the stitches". But the truth may be the starting is what is scary. I understand this, and have had to learn project development through school projects, professional requirements, home remodeling, and even vacation planning.

Take the garden example: Can you tackle planting a patio pot with flowers? Sure! You put in soil and fertilizer, buy plants or seeds, make sure the plants get water and sun. Relatively easy. An entry garden is a little larger, but the same principles: Soil, plants/seeds, water, sun. Just a little larger. A vegetable garden is larger, but the same principles. A little scarier because it cannot be done in a day. It must be planned more carefully.

I would like to suggest that we can do those larger projects! Advancing your skills is very possible. Be daring! Do that sock pattern....start a sweater for Christmas...start an afghan for your (or someone's) couch...get some help learning a new technique, like a local class. You can see the similarities to other projects: a little longer time, a little more planning, care for it and for you, and maybe a little help along the way. Other projects take time...so do these.

The Wednesday Knit-and-Other-Crafts Night is a great place to get started, and to pick up new skills. We have a lovely library to use to search for just the right book with patterns and instructions. We have a Wednesday cheering squad ready to hear all about it. We may even have someone there who can answer a nagging question. We are always ready to celebrate the end of a long effort.

Welcome to Leslie, who has lots of good expertise to share. We enjoyed Sue's visit from the North Pole. Wish you were here more! Kim is becoming a regular after work presence. Our cadre of regulars are some of my favorite people. We always welcome your presence and your favorite textile craft.

Louise