Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Sally Melville

I spent 12 hours with Sally this weekend in class. She may or may not remember my name, but I will tell you that she remembers that I mastered garter stitch grafting. And the three different buttonholes and the two different techniques for bobbles, one for which you do not have to turn the work at all (and it is prettier than the traditional bobble.) I learned that e-wrap cast on is the bomb. I had been using cable for absolutely everything. I learned how to turn any sweater pattern into a saddle shoulder. I learned that sometimes when you put yourself out into the world, the world will apply its own filters, and that the S.M. color book does not represent Sally as a designer, even though every piece of knitting is her design.

Aside from all of the new knitting techniques and strategies I learned, though, I learned some really basic things about life. I learned that getting 9 hours of sleep is ideal for adult humans. Getting 7 is minimal, getting 8 is only 'good'. Most of our real problem solving and healing happens in our sleep. Most dreams occur after 6 hours, and dreaming is necessary for our mental health.

I learned there is an incubation period to the creativity process. We humans HAVE to let an idea bake, and so it is better to take a walk when we feel the urge to pull away from the creative process, than to sit and be frustrated.

I learned that doing anything that is mentally untaxing and physically repetitive will take us to our creative centers of our brains. Knitting is perfect. That's why when you ask most knitters why they knit, they don't say it is because they want pretty sweaters, or pretty yarn, necessarily, we just like where our mind goes.

If Sally comes to your town to teach, you should definitely buy a ticket for that ride. What fun!

2 comments:

yarnfloozie said...

I am so incredibly jealous!

Kat said...

I'm jealous too : ( I love Sally's books.

Kaffe came into Atlanta last year, but I MISSED it! Oh well, maybe next time.

Have fun with the colors.

Kathy