Sometimes, I’ve referred to sections of a project as “mindless knitting.” Usually a result of circular stockinette stitch, these are the parts of a project where I can let my mind rest without counting or keeping up with a pattern. In reality, I find that this is the time when knitting becomes the rhythmic backdrop to deep thinking, the opposite of mindless.
All of my best ideas come to me while knitting. My creative juices flow fast and free, unlike when my hands are unoccupied. I think of a thousand introductions to a thousand essays and poems. I explore business venture ideas with everything seeming somehow possible. I visualize new home organization and decor. There is no stone left unturned, and my mind happily explores.
With my mind in this heightened state, I also meditate and reflect. There is healing and self-discovery in these moments. Sometimes, the directions of my thoughts surprise me. Like last night, where I suddenly found myself offering forgiveness to someone I haven’t spoken to in years. As the stitches passed through my fingers, I released myself from the hurt caused and prayed for a good life for this person. The progress of my growing project suddenly represents the progress of my growing acceptance for the things I cannot change.
I’m most likely to find myself in this reflective state when knitting for myself. For gifts, I often recite a mantra intended to infuse the finished item with love, hope, and positivity for the recipient (like for my mom’s wrist warmers). For myself, I wander aimlessly through the depths of my psyche, ready to discover my truest self and rise to my potential.
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