Knitting Through the Longest Nights of the Year
During the long nights of December, I decided to participate in my first knit-along—knitting Gnandad Gnome with Sarah Schira of Imagined Landscapes (www.imaginedlandscapes.com).
Each day, Sarah provided a “clue” for how to knit Gnandad. Some days the clue included actual knitting instructions; other days it featured pieces of Gnandad’s story or even Christmas cookie recipes. The pattern was hosted on Ravelry, where participants could post photos of their progress and reach out for help if they ran into trouble. It was fun to connect with knitters from all over the world and see the same project come to life in so many different color combinations.
Along the way, I learned some new skills—including knitting an Estonian braid, which became Gnandad’s belt. The written instructions didn’t initially make sense to me, but Sarah also included a video tutorial, which helped me get the hang of it.
On the first day, we were instructed to knit a certain number of stitches in the round for several rows using the first color. At that stage, it was a pretty basic start to a gnome project (this wasn’t my first gnome), and many of us were guessing which part of the gnome we were knitting and how it would ultimately be used. These guesses sparked some fun discussions in the group.
Clue 2 added more structure and included a video on knitting embroidery. I watched it because, once again, the written instructions weren’t entirely clear to me. After seeing the technique demonstrated, everything clicked, and I was able to create a lovely design that looked very much like a gnome hat.
Clue 3 confirmed that we were indeed knitting the gnome’s hat, followed by the body, which began to resemble the other gnomes I’ve knitted in the past.
The final clues brought Gnandad fully together—complete with a mustache and skis.
At the beginning of the knit-along, it was a little worrisome not knowing what the finished gnome would look like. I wasn’t sure if I had chosen the right color combinations for each part of the pattern. Using the resources provided and participating in the group discussions helped ease that worry.
This experience reminded me a lot of personal finance. When you’re first starting to understand your finances and laying the foundation, it may not be obvious how all the pieces fit together into a complete financial plan. But as you move forward and continue building that foundation, your understanding grows. Over time, you gain the confidence to tackle more complicated parts of a financial plan—much like mastering the Estonian braid of Gnandad’s belt.
Your financial foundation should start with the following steps, which we’ll discuss in future blog posts:
- Become financially aware of your spending and income
- Create an emergency fund you can’t touch
- Automate your savings into that emergency fund
- Pay down debt
I’m looking forward to guiding you through building a strong financial foundation and increasing your financial awareness and confidence.
Meet the Author
Marianne Mittelstadt
Like Armond, I believe financial planning should be about far more than just the numbers. When done right, it should enhance your quality of life and transform your money into a life well lived.
My interest in economics led me to study the subject in college, which paved the way for a 20+ year career in the banking industry, specializing in data and analytics. While I was proud of the impact I made in that field, I wanted to work more closely with the people I served.
