Hearing Lace

I don't change the CDs I listen to in my car a lot.  I don't do radio, but I have a couple of CD's that I could listen to for a VERY long time before I get tired.  Being spring and all, I decided it was time for a change.  I pulled out one of my favourites, Essential Bach.

Its been a while since I listened to the purity and genius of Bach.  I was also struck by how much Bach understood my knitting.  Listen to this:

The Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor for Organ.  

The opening notes perfectly describe the way your heart feels when you discover an error rows below in you lace knitting. Discovery to 0:47.  Disbelief.

1:20, a raging debate:  Do you throw the whole thing in the darkest corner of the coset for eternity?  A year?  A day? Yes. No. Yes... Oh heaven help me.

2:13 throes of agony.

2:40, your decision is made.

3:00, dropping stitches .  How to fix?  Which are the bad stitches?  How far back must you go?  Tiny questions racing thorugh your mind as you begin the repair.  Hundreds of questions and doubt.

3:40.  The truth of what needs repair becomes clear.  

4:20 the reknit. Up. Down.  Good repair. Bad repair.  Rip back.  Redo. Better.  

5:18, it just might work. You hope. You wish.  You pray.  

6:18 Composure.  It worked, and you move forward, rhythmiclly, joyously, with careful deliberate moves.

7:34, Only moments of pleasure knitting this lace are left.

7:46, you delight that it is done.

7:53 You are proud of your work.

Then just as you reach the end, you realize you will miss it even as you know it is out there for the world to see.  

It is doubtful that Bach knew lace knitting, other than to wear it, but he did understand the spirit of knitting lace.

Listen again.  Imagine your hands, and watch them move.  It is lace.  Lace with a problem, and you fix it.