Zen and the art of knitting
I have come to realize that I'm a process knitter. I'd like to say I'm highly productive and I have a lot to show for the amount of money I've spent on my yarn stash...but I don't. I don't really produce very much at all if I'm honest with myself. I knit quite a bit though. I like starting something and trying out new techniques, then when I get bored or want to try something else...I rip it out. When I knit, however poorly, the rhythmic action of working with my hands, yarn and a set of needles takes me to another place. It's really is kind of zen experience for me. I can lose myself in the knitting, in the intricate patterns that are produced from a seemingly simple pattern of loops and knots. I think about how for centuries women (and men too) have taken needles and fiber in hand and created. It makes me feel connected to the past through this simple craft. I think that might be why knitting is such the craze. It really is a simple thing too. Aren't we all just looking for a simple way to quiet our souls?
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1 comments:
I *wish* I were a process knitter. I'm a knitter most interested in the result so I get so impatient when it takes a long time to finish. As such, I usually choose less intricate patterns. Although, paradoxically I guess, I love to learn new techniques. Well, it's not so paradoxical when I think of it. I like to feel accomplished so when I learn a new technique, it feels like a notch on the belt. I think knitting is far more enjoyable if you are a process knitter. Trying to get to the end is not as much fun (although the feeling of finishing give me a high). I've tried to use my knitting as meditation and it was so difficult for me. I just want to get to the end of the row, the end of the section, the end and bind off. :)
But I agree . . . we are all just looking for a simple way to quiet our souls. I think my soul-quieter is my journal writing moreso than my knitting. I have endless patience and love for the written word.
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