Let’s find: Mindfulness in Knitting (Rachael Matthews)

#MindfulnessinKnitting #NetGalley

This title is part of a series that explores the many ways in which mindfulness can become a part of one’s life. I previously reviewed a title on gardening. This book is about the ways in which knitting can offer both craft and a quiet time for focus and reflection.

The reader’s guide is an experienced knitter. At the very beginning of the book she notes that knitting offers an “informal” meditation space while connecting its practitioners to an ancient craft. Matthews observes that the repetition inherent in knitting stitches calms and soothes. This makes it a good partner for mindfulness practice.

It is clear that knitting has been important to Matthews and she wants to share her love of this art with the reader. She offers her personal insights and also discusses how knitting may be a good activity for her audience. Its connection with mindfulness can begin with paying attention to one’s stitches and moves on from there.

Knitters may well enjoy this meditation and non-knitters may want to consider picking up a pair of needles. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 20 June 2023

From the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

From the origins of society’s natural evolution, two ancient cultures have emerged, guiding the way for our heads, hearts and hands. One of these cultures is knitting, or to be more descriptive, the addictive habit of forming a soft textile with your hands. The other culture is mindfulness, or, as I like to think of it, a childlike love of hooking up with your inner being, listening to the pattern of your breathing and exploring the flow of intimate thoughts.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Knitting, a Lifelong Structure for Learning Your first knitting lesson qualifies you to enter a rich dynasty of nimble-fingered, creative people, who have made precious fabrics for thousands of years. All your new associates have characteristic a little bit like yours. That itch in your fingers that inspired you to learn was possibly boosted by watching someone else knitting, or feeling conscious of a family tradition. Once knitting, you are not alone, and through a lifetime you can develop an authentic habit of meticulous work, made with head, hand and heart.	Finding Our Place Through Yarn In terms of human needs, textiles are of key importance, alongside food, drink and shelter. Our relationship to our second skin is profound, yet we very rarely know exactly how and where our trusted materials were made. Our attraction to certain colours reflects our mood and this changes throughout our lives. Our choices in textiles tell us much about who we are and the culture that we live in. Noticing the interdependence between colour, texture, nature and human skills can deepen our relationship to the entire universe.	Knitting Sacred Spaces Deep within a knitter is a unique home. Let us call this the ‘sacred space’. A sacred space is built around the heart of creativity; fortified by experience, it grows to become a safe place for us to be, make things and find our wisdom. Sacred space offers us peaceful isolation to develop a craft, privacy to evolve ideas and the mindfulness needed to follow our inspiration through. Once we have learned the routes to our sacred space, and some tricks to prolong our stay there, we can visit it easily and become productive and happy knitters.

Knitting Circles & Craftivism Craftivism is a word coined to describe the activities of a new generation of socially engaged crafters: Craft 1 Activism 5 Craftivism. It’s a great way to connect active creativity, social responsibility and mindfulness, and a safe and strong way to demonstrate your beliefs without shouting and waving banners. For generations, knitting circles have been unique social meetings where old and new friends are approachable for deep chat, simply because their work tells a story about their life. Crafty gangs form proactive, live, bubbling organisms, gassing with hopes and aspirations and often building platforms for cultural change.	The Gift Writing this book is a gift for me. As I give my thoughts to the page, new thoughts arrive, and what I cherish most is the opportunity to share my contemplations with fellow crafters who, over many years, have generously discussed their own experiences. I want to organize what I have heard and give a book back to them all. Creative projects always contain gifts. Mostly the gift is for ourselves, though hopefully also appreciated by friends, and occasionally the greatest gift is a mistake that we can learn from. The mindful weighing of these values of gift leads us to a deeper understanding of our reasons for making.	Knitting & Self-Discovery However peaceful we feel working lengthy projects, the constant use of the same yarn does not always promis a daily remedy for our colour-sensitive souls. Perseverance on the long-term project requires a different meditation from playing with the yarn and knit stitches you lust after right now. Stopping doing something, it doesn’t mean you have rejected it; you are having a look round another corner for something new. This book can’t promise to deliver you to a place of enlightenment but it can direct you towards unchartered territories. Let us now knit purely as a voyage of self-discovery.