Over the last few years I’ve been teaching myself to knit. Like most new knitters I often bite off more than I can chew when picking out patterns. That is, I salivate over patterns that require more skill than I possess.
This particular pattern, Candle Flame Shawl by Dean Crane, is no different. At the time I picked it out, sometime last year, I knew it was beyond my skill. But I was determined to learn how to knit it. It took me a year and many, many re-tries. I cannot tell you how many times I pulled it out just to start over. I’d hazard a guess of at least 25.
I chose this pattern because I like the symbolism of fire. Over the year I worked on this pattern (and increasing my skill so I could work on this pattern) I came to the conclusion I would make a shawl representing each of the directions plus two. That is, I picked out patterns for Earth in the North, Water in the East*, Fire in the South, and Air in the West. Also, I picked out a Sun Shawl and a Moon Shawl.
When I finished the Candle Flame Shawl, I finished one aspect of my big project. And now I will be working on Water.
The purpose of all these shawls is to wear them at rituals. Since most rituals are based on an element I will have a shawl to wear. Having “appropriate” clothing is important to me. Right now all I wear is a black shirt and jeans. I am not one of those Pagans who wears Renaissance garb (I am not a Ren person at all) but I do feel a little out of place wearing jeans and a shirt. I didn’t want to go and buy something, I wanted to make something so it would have my energy in it.
*I celebrate Water in the East because the largest body of water TO ME is the Atlantic Ocean which lays about 100 miles to my east. West is where our weather patterns come so for me that is where Air resides.
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