Cálida lana, 2012
The most important project I have these days is knitting a blue mouse.
And you will ask yourself, what is interesting about this?
Nothing, probably.
According to Julio Cortázar, knitting is a good excuse to do nothing.
But I would say that for a question of “doing nothing” it is quite laborious.
With two needles and blue yarn, I have to make a head, a body, two ears, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two arms, two legs and a tail (I’m tired just by listing it). A creation of biblical magnitude, almost.
Just as Penelope weaved and unweaved her waiting, here in my particular Odyssey, I practice virtues that I do not possess, patience and perfection.
Sometimes I have to break down and start over.
Other times the count doesn’t add up and I start to get discouraged.
I let some little errors pass, which will be the character of the piece, as they say “perfect imperfections”.
Sometimes while I’m knitting, I try to solve a concern that afflicts me.
Other times, I go with a tailwind, sailing on my inspiration.
Occasionally, I even thread a poem.
In the end I conclude that knitting is an existential task.
Also, it was my mother who taught me this skill, which somehow connects me with her.
My blue mouse, and this story, are totally irrelevant, but the little mouse will make the boy who commissioned it, my grandson Tomás, very happy.
It is my particular way of making this world, a better place.
In the meantime, I will continue to devoutly exercise my “do nothing”.
As my favorite bear philosopher, Winnie the Pooh, said,
“The only problem with doing nothing is that you don’t know when you are done.”
