I’ve been knitting the same wool sweater for over 15 years. I call it my infinity sweater because it is taking infinity to finish! It all started with the buttons. I purchased the buttons because they are so beautiful: pewter, sculpted, textured. I was drawn to the buttons without knowing how or when I’d use them. For a long time, I just enjoyed looking at their beauty. Then I found a simple pattern for a cardigan sweater in order to use the buttons. Then I looked for yarn and found a beautiful variegated blue yarn on sale that looked good against my skin and felt warm and substantial. Then I started knitting—top down, collar first.
So many times over the years, I’ve had to put down this emerging thing of beauty. So many times, I picked it up again, knitting toward the day I could attach the buttons. I’m not there yet. I’ve had to rip out sections and do them again. This winter I discovered the arm holes are way too long. God bless raglan sleeves: I could fit bat wings inside! There is one sleeve to go. Will I finish the sweater before my hands turn to the gardening season? Or will the “infinity sweater” always be a work in progress?
Nurturing beauty takes time, attention, and patience. My infinity sweater teaches me to appreciate the beauty of every stitch and the process of making a whole garment from a single thread. Buttons gleam waiting for use. But they are beautiful whether they get used or not.
What beauty are you nurturing whether it turns into something useful or not?
Yours,
Dena
Rev. Dena McPhetres, Associate Minister