Meet Alison and Her Beekeeper’s Quilt

Have you ever knitted a project for 1,088 days in a row?  I would venture that most people don’t have the discipline to keep up with a project for 1,088 days as that is just seven days short of three years.  Now if I hear the word ‘discipline’, I think of my good friend, Alison.  Alison knitted the Beekeeper’s Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits every day for 1,088 days. Jim Rohn says, “discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”  Put an even better way it was once said, “discipline is the difference between what you want now and what you want most”.  If you know Alison, then you know both of these quotes describe her.  She works well with the concept of a little progress every day adds up over time to create big results.

I want you to meet the amazing and talented Alison.  She has a big heart and is the kindest person you will ever meet.  She ALWAYS has nice things to say about everyone and has a positive attitude all the time.  She lights up the room when she walks in and she does not judge people.  She is a tiny little thing with a big British accent, and she loves knitting just as much as I do.  Alison is an extremely talented knitter and always steps up to help others with their knitting.

The Beekeeper’s Quilt is made up of little hexagons that are stuffed with poly-fil and then sewn together. When I asked her what she had learned from this project, she replied “I learned that I need to be better at math! I thought if the pattern was for a 3’ x 4’ quilt and you needed approximately 360 puffs, then if I wanted a 6’ x 8’ quilt (for my king sized bed) I would need to double that number (720 puffs), I was wrong. You need to quadruple that number (1,440 puffs!). Fortunately, I realized that it didn’t need to go right up to my headboard, just going up to the pillows would be big enough.”  Her goal was to sew the last puff on the day she finished it and she achieved that goal.  She sewed the puffs together in threes, then she would sew the sets of threes together and she just kept adding on to it, piece by piece.  

Alison carried her puffs everywhere, and by everywhere, I mean she even carried them up Mount Bierstadt to a height of 14,000 feet in elevation.  You can read about our adventures in Knitting on the Mountain.  Those little puffs became her identity. People would constantly ask her what number of puffs she was on and she would proudly state the number.  She kept a little spreadsheet with her and every day she could tell you exactly which number she was on and if she was a day ahead or a day behind or right on time!  I thought it was hilarious at the knitting guild when she would say I am working on puff 138 or 451 or 635… I have X many more to go.  It was as if she was in a confessional box confessing how many puffs had come and gone.  I think she had a really good time with the project.  

Alison started this project because she saw it on Ravelry and really liked it.  She had planned to just use her leftover sock wool, but people donated their scrap sock yarn to her, and she discovered mini skeins of sock yarn.  I think she has a little obsession with mini skeins now. I should ask her how many mini skeins she has left!  Now that the quilt is over, I am pretty sure she can knit those little puffs in her sleep.  I wonder if she dreams of them. Each puff took about one hour to knit, stuff and sew closed.  That does not even include the countless hours it took her to sew the quilt together.  It truly is a labor of love.  I know she can do the Kitchener stitch blindfolded and can fix mine with ease when I mess it up, which I do frequently.

I asked Alison if she missed her puffs.  She said she missed having a little project that fit into her purse.  She could start and stop at any moment and didn’t have to be at the end of the row or round!  It was easy to take everywhere, and she tried to get her puff done every day when she was out and about or waiting places.  That way she could focus her knitting time at home on other projects.  

I think Alison’s quilt is a huge accomplishment.  I can’t imagine sticking with something every day for 1,088 days, even if it is knitting.  Alison has taught me how to be more disciplined in my own life and fit in the things I want to do every day without exception.  As I watch the example she sets for others with her kindness and positive attitude, I hope I can be a little like her.  Next time you think it took you a long time to finish your knitting project think of Alison and her dedication to her Beekeeper’s quilt, then draw from her discipline to keep you going until the end.

Knit with Love my Friend,