Rock Creek

In late July, after a couple of weeks of being unsure which project to start next and half-heartedly batting ideas around my head, I realized what I really wanted to make was something classic and versatile.  I wanted to make a sweater (of course) that I could throw on any given day and feel good.  

You may remember this charcoal grey yarn from the Rose City Yarn Crawl of earlier this year, and I may or may not have swooned hard at how delectably soft it is.  I decided this would be a good fit for this soon to be adored sweater.

Then, since I'm obsessed with Boyland Knitworks, I thought it would be fitting to make yet another one of Caitlin Hunter's amazing sweaters.  I've had my eye on Rock Creek since I first found out about Boyland Knitworks, and seeing that it's a little more simple in design it also felt like the right fit for what I wanted out of this project.

It has knit up remarkably quick (despite how long it had taken me to carve out time to work on it more).  

I found with each row I could feel the warmth and love this sweater would hold in the future.  I could feel all of the possible adventures this sweater might see.  I was able to watch movies with my brother while knitting on this sweater, move to a different state (again) while making progress, and the pieces of this sweater have traveled to family get togethers and meetings with new friends as if it already served as a token of joy.  One of my favourite things about knitting is that I can put so many memories in the stitches as I work on it, and it's as if I can knit the love into it before I wear it.  

Alyeska reminds me of a winter week in Montana that I'll forever cherish, taking a leap and learning how to knit from a pattern, and a fiber festival with one of the dearest friends I've ever known.

The Lunar Phase Mystery Knitalong reminds me of my fervent war and eventual victory with the moths, sharing a knitting experience with someone I adore, and the wonder of watching something I made turn into something I didn't expect, while eagerly watching the same process happen for countless others who were kind enough to share their progress on Instagram.  

Sipila reminds me of riding a train out to Chicago, then driving a uhaul from there to Utah, and relaxing by paddling up a stream in a kayak and knitting as the current carried me the long way back down.  

Before I knew it the body was ready to be (temporarily) set aside so I could work on the sleeves.  

Even though I spent countless hours drawing up plans for my future, getting comfortable with the modern way of meeting people, and unpacking and repacking my life- I still worked to make this part of the whirlwind that I had been turning my life into.  I wanted this to embody taking risks, following dreams, and searching with intensity for happiness in all aspects of my life.  It may sound like a lot to put into a sweater, but I felt confident that there were enough stitches that it would all fit.

The sleeves were worked up in the dead of night by the illumination of a flashlight in my downtime on 12 hour nightshifts in the Badlands of North Dakota, and surprisingly enough didn’t turn out disastrous or riddled with dropped stitches. I would like to officially thank LED flashlights for that.

Which leads us to one of my favourite parts of knitting up Rock Creek. At a certain point everything I had worked on was all together on the needles, and I got to feel like a cartoon character that just magically knits up a sweater with no need for anything other than one set of needles. Granted I knew the truth lurking in the shadows that I had needed double points, but there was something remarkably satisfying in having everything look so tidy and whole before it was even finished. Plus there was much less of a guessing game when people wanted to inquire as to what I was making.

Despite this taking me so long to post about, I did accomplish finishing this within a month. It felt like a lofty goal at first, but it helped me appreciate how far I’ve come in the last couple years. I started this blog in a way to record and encourage further crafting adventures. When I first started knitting I was terribly impatient and gave up on just about everything I ever started. Sweaters, big shawls, tops, hoods, and all the other treasures I wanted to make seemed so hopelessly far away. I would start a simple hood and lose drive because it seemed like it would never get finished. My efforts felt minuscule, and at a certain point I decided I was just never going to be quite good enough to make the beautiful creations I dreamed of.

It’s funny how time (and goals) feels different as you get older. What once seemed insurmountable is now a breeze, and what once felt so defeating is now a sign of progress and growth. The fact that this sweater only took me a month is enough to make me glow with pride.

When I first got back into knitting it still felt like a struggle to take on big projects and see them through. I could do a 10 ft x 10 ft quilt and be fine, but knitting gave me a bit of a mental block. Kind of like life, I had a hard time appreciating that all the little things I did would amount to something worthwhile.

Along with all the other wonderful and cherished memories this sweater holds, I feel it also marks a big step in appreciating how dedication is a muscle that has to be strengthened over time with constant practice. I probably would have given up on this sweater 4 years ago, because at that time I liked quick and easy knits that didn’t require too much thought. Anything bigger than a scarf was a slog to even get halfway through.

Now, after knitting near constantly for the last year, a sweater is no big deal. I’ve made three this year, and (spoilers) I have a few more queued up already, primed and waiting to hop on the needles when it’s their turn.

Often, I think we are as capable as we make ourselves to be.

I see that now, being surrounded by my family. A group of hardworking and dedicated people who put their hearts and minds to what they do. People who have started their own businesses and persevered through thick and thin of demanding jobs and harsh winters. Individuals that know how to get the job done, even when it’s not easy.

I think we as humans are creatures of passion, and need something to fight and work for. Even if it’s just a sweater.

But I mean, come on, it’s a nice sweater.

Stay sweet, stay crafty, and stay tuned.