Wednesday, February 8, 2017

knitting in the background


Recently I've been a bit bogged down by my knitting. 

I've been working on some amazingly fun projects. I'm growing as a knitter and a designer and a maker. And while I am so thankful for every opportunity and for the time to let my creativity run wild, at the end of the day I was avoiding my knitting.

And so I cast on a shawl. I've never been much of a shawl knitter. Early in my knitting "career" I made a shawl that was all wrong for me. I chose the wrong yarn for the pattern and the wrong pattern for the knitting season I was in and the finished object was something I never wore. I therefore assumed that I wasn't a shawl knitter and moved on. 

But actually- something about these familiar stitches soothes me, the repetitive motion, the feel of wool & wood. The long stretches of stocking and garter stitch, the calm motion of knitting in the background of whatever else is going on; an early morning conversation with my hubby, a podcast and cuppa during nap time, or sitting on the floor next to C as he plays. 

I've come to realize that I need this- knitting in the background. To ground my day and keep me anchored amidst anxiety, exhaustion, homesickness... There is something healing about this simple craft, something comforting about the very act of creating a beautiful object from nothing but two sticks and some string. 

Just wanted to share these musings with you today. 

2 comments:

  1. The simple stitch patterns are the one I love as well. It is great to do something with your hands but you don't have to concentrate that much.

    I never knitted a shawl until now. But one of my upcoming projects will be the Range Shawl by Drea Renee Knits. I bought some beautiful Madelinetosh Wool (which still have to arrive) and can't wait to get started. To me a scarf or shawl has to be big. I am not into small scarves at all. So I guess the Range Shawl will work. And it's perfect for those cold winter days.

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  2. I agree with you - knitting really is a wonderful background for everything else that happens. It helps you slow down and calm down, and to me is like a form of meditation when I need it to be.

    I hope your shawl is a success!

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