iDiet

[a weight loss story]

kathrynoh at nemesis dot com dot au

::12.5.07::

Socks

I started knitting my first ever pair of socks last night. I've only got the foot and toes to go. I've done the hard bits like working out how to knit round instead of flat and doing the heel.

At first I was freaking out, looking at this pattern with all the weird abbreviations and things so I rang my mum because she's the knitting expert and her words of wisdom were - you know how to knit plain and purl, everything else is just a variation on that.

So I started following the pattern, taking it one step at a time and it worked, it made sense and I got something that looks very sock-like.

I started thinking how weight loss is a lot like knitting. You start out with this master plan that freaks you out. It looks like such a mammoth, un-doable plan. But, while you have to keep the big picture in sight, you just have to keep plodding on. Sometimes it feels like drudgery and you might never finish but you just have to push yourself through it, other times it's easy and magical and you seem to make a helluva lot of progress.

Your methods might be different from someone else's but if it does the job then it doesn't matter one bit. You just have to take it stitch by stitch - a regular, consistent effort. Each step linked to the last and prepares for the next.

If you make mistakes, it doesn't matter. Nothing's unfixable. The thing isn't to be perfect but to keep on trying. In the end, you'll end up with something you're done on your own that is pretty damn amazing and you just gotta hope it doesn't sag in the wrong places.

# 13 comments * Post a Comment

Adrienne is knitting little jumpers at the moment for a charity that sends them to Africa for AIDS babies. I was complaining the other day about snacking too much and she gave me the same advice you did the other day, about taking up knitting - still I don't think it's for me!

LOL at the last bit about hoping they don't sag in the wrong places !

By Anonymous, at 9:57 pm

Another sock knitter. Yay! Well done!
I am totally hooked on knitting socks now (as you know). You will be too. They are so warm and cosy and fun to knit. :-)

By Suzy, at 10:44 pm

Lovely words of wisdom Kathryn, and what a great little pep talk for all of us at the moment, thanks for sharing :)

By Ails, at 9:35 am

What a great metaphor!

By Mary, at 9:43 am

You absolutely CRACK me up!!
Bri

By Briony, at 10:41 am

great post... just emailed a link to a friend who is struggling at the moment... thanks!!

By Yummy Mummy, at 5:12 pm

Nice analogy, Kathryn - I've never knitted socks, but I've done bootees a-plenty, and the principle has to be the same. Just follow the pattern, one stitch at a time and it all comes together.

What's that saying about every journey beginning with a single step?

By Kek, at 8:25 pm

Great analogy. The other thing is that just as there are different ways of holding your needles etc. there are also different weight loss methods.

Speaking of knitting, I have just bought "Vogue Stitchionary Vol 1 Knit & Purl" - it's incredible what you can do with those two stitches. I'll photocopy and post you some random pages. Shhh, but I have ordered Vols 2 (cables) and 3 (colour) - it's unnatural how excited I am about this..!

By CaramelKitKat, at 10:49 pm

I really want to do some knitting!

I love this analogy and I totally see that you may "drop a stitch" along the way but you have the skills to unpick and fix it.

I really love this post. Thanks Kathryn

By Jules, at 9:00 am

Kathyrn just what I needed to read after dropping a few sticthes this weekend. Had me giggling away just the right pep talk. I love your writing, great read.

By Anonymous, at 9:50 am

You are profound - that's a really great analogy! Thanks :)

By LBTEPA, at 11:29 am

I can't believe this, I was wasting time cruising around blogland and there are a whole lot of people who just blog about knitting. amazing!
As you seem keen on the sock knitting go check this out - http://wendyknits.net/

By Debstar, at 11:54 am

Like everyone else I think that's such a great analogy Kathryn! Thanks for sharing that one with us.

By yublocka, at 1:05 pm