When I was younger, I’ll be honest , this kind of slightly trite saying would always illicit an eye roll of gigantic proportions from me. It was the kind of thing my mum or grandma would come out with usually while berating me for being clumsy, thoughtless or impatient - or all three.
The last line is 👌 So often when we’re going as fast as we can, we’re trying to speed along, tick things off, we end up missing something, slipping up or something happens and we end up having to reverse to redo or course correct.
Such a lovely reminder. It has been really freeing recently to resist the way the world is pushing us all towards max efficiency: to indulge in slowness feels like an act of resistance. I recently saw (and wrote about) the PG tips ads advertising a fast brewing tea offering "perfection but faster" that epitomised this senseless rush. I like my tea sipped slowly and savoured.
I enjoyed this post! I find that these days it takes considerable effort to unhook from the constant striving for efficiency. The problem is that we miss out on so much when we only focus on efficiency! In my work life I am an artist/painter and I often get the same question about how long a painting took me, often after someone looks at the price list. I can see the gears turning as they are trying to equate a number with time or effort. It's an impossible question to answer because like knitting it often happens in bits over weeks or months, but I like the answer I once heard from another artist that acknowledges the winding path we take to master our craft, "this painting took me my whole life".
Absolutely love this essay! I consider myself a really slow knitter and I’m quite happy with that. The few times I’ve tried timing my knitting or keeping track of how long something took, I enjoyed the process so much less. Now I just embrace the fact that things will happen at their own pace - rushing is never worth it!
Oh the idea of putting a jacket in the oven and having a bath is the most wonderful of ideas! Light a candle, put some relaxing music on and have me time. A great way to rejuvenate yourself. ❤️😊
I’m undertaking a scarf of fingering-weight wool I received for my birthday—the most dainty project I’ve yet undertaken! It’s been a joy to wrap the dark-chocolate strand around my tiny needles and watch it become something I will perhaps wear around my neck for the rest of my life. The practice of slowness is one I am learning and one of my most significant pursuits as a parent as well!
A beautiful invitation to shift our attention towards the joy of the creative process rather than the outcome. It it so easy to fall into the habit of measuring the workings of our days against time, but how wonderful it is to be lost in the enjoyment of doing something we love and needing not worry about the passing of time.
Thank you for this reminder. Timing things is a constant struggle for me. Like you say, things often go very well without the "help" of a timer. :) I am learning to let things be.
I never pay much attention to how long it takes me to knit something either. About the only thing I know the timing of is my little knitted familiars, but it's only because I'm usually watching TV and I can usually finish one by the time an hour long episode ends.
The last line is 👌 So often when we’re going as fast as we can, we’re trying to speed along, tick things off, we end up missing something, slipping up or something happens and we end up having to reverse to redo or course correct.
Such a lovely reminder. It has been really freeing recently to resist the way the world is pushing us all towards max efficiency: to indulge in slowness feels like an act of resistance. I recently saw (and wrote about) the PG tips ads advertising a fast brewing tea offering "perfection but faster" that epitomised this senseless rush. I like my tea sipped slowly and savoured.
I enjoyed this post! I find that these days it takes considerable effort to unhook from the constant striving for efficiency. The problem is that we miss out on so much when we only focus on efficiency! In my work life I am an artist/painter and I often get the same question about how long a painting took me, often after someone looks at the price list. I can see the gears turning as they are trying to equate a number with time or effort. It's an impossible question to answer because like knitting it often happens in bits over weeks or months, but I like the answer I once heard from another artist that acknowledges the winding path we take to master our craft, "this painting took me my whole life".
And Ooooo love those socks, the colors glow :)
I love this - especially the part about NOT knowing how long a project took. Time is rarely the goal. An ode to slow living. 🧶🥰
Absolutely love this essay! I consider myself a really slow knitter and I’m quite happy with that. The few times I’ve tried timing my knitting or keeping track of how long something took, I enjoyed the process so much less. Now I just embrace the fact that things will happen at their own pace - rushing is never worth it!
Oh the idea of putting a jacket in the oven and having a bath is the most wonderful of ideas! Light a candle, put some relaxing music on and have me time. A great way to rejuvenate yourself. ❤️😊
I am generally inefficient to be fair so good so see that I am ‘on trend’ finally.
I hope your trip goes well Louise. 💓
What adorable socks! Love the colors! All the good thought too, of course. :-)
I love this perspective.
I’m undertaking a scarf of fingering-weight wool I received for my birthday—the most dainty project I’ve yet undertaken! It’s been a joy to wrap the dark-chocolate strand around my tiny needles and watch it become something I will perhaps wear around my neck for the rest of my life. The practice of slowness is one I am learning and one of my most significant pursuits as a parent as well!
A beautiful invitation to shift our attention towards the joy of the creative process rather than the outcome. It it so easy to fall into the habit of measuring the workings of our days against time, but how wonderful it is to be lost in the enjoyment of doing something we love and needing not worry about the passing of time.
Thank you for this reminder. Timing things is a constant struggle for me. Like you say, things often go very well without the "help" of a timer. :) I am learning to let things be.
Hear hear to plodding :) :)
I agree. Keeping track of time takes out some of the joy. Also, I feel that speed-knitting would cause one to tense up and may provoke injury .
I never pay much attention to how long it takes me to knit something either. About the only thing I know the timing of is my little knitted familiars, but it's only because I'm usually watching TV and I can usually finish one by the time an hour long episode ends.