As summer wanes, I love to muse on all things knitting. We live in such an uproarious world; days come and go with little of anything harmonious fitting into the hours.

We all need, we all crave our own special space, our own little nook, somewhere just for us. And that's ok. Often we need to re-charge ourselves, plug into life's energizing chords, to get ourselves going again.

Think how time has changed. Where once it took weeks to traverse from one city to another, now we do it in just hours. The "calm" in our lives is always waiting in the wings; only rarely do we bring it out to sit center-stage.

There is a reason baseball is such a long game; back in its heyday there was nothing more sublime than to bask in the aura of a well- played game with friends and family. If it took all afternoon, that was a good thing.

Look at the old homes in your town, and most of them are favored with front porches. Lovely to look at, and the place to gather with others to recoup the days' graces and to recount all its pleasures.

Letter writing was once the art of the day. Being as important, long ago, as email is to us now, we think of writing letters as time- comsuming. But, in the days before television, radio, and cars, time needed to be filled up with worthy endeavors.

Life may not have been as modern as today, but it had other resources many of which we are re-discovering in a new century.

Even the Bible tells us that we should "aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands".

Myriad gifts pass through our lives; knitting is mine. It puts me in mind of great cathedrals; they all began with the laying of one stone. So my precious creations begin with one stitch. Foundations are what we make them.

Once learned, knitting is a cherished talent; one used to create for yourself, for your loved ones, your dear friends, even those you don't know and will never meet.

Never again will you look at store-bought apparel in the same way! When special occasions drift through your life, you will be ready with your own memorable masterpieces.

Knitting brings inspiration; in the inimitable words of Andy Griffith it's "just pure gala!"

If you need space and time in your life to gather in your very self, then learn knitting. As the yarn passes through your fingers, you will recognize it as your own very special gift to the world.

Knitting is its own distinctive prayer and meditation; crafted by you. As you go, there is so much to knit! So many people to help, and all your handiwork given with your unique mark upon it.

I once read in a magazine that "to live with history is a rare thing. It's thrilling to know how things are put together and why they survive."

All knitters instinctively know the way to peace. It is more than turning off the TV or turning down the music; it's in picking up your knitting needles.

Solace awaits; blessings abound. Go knit, so your knitting will go into knit-finity.

Copyright 2006 Alice Seidel