Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Knitting Meditation

buddhajunkiebuddhajunkie
edited January 2011 in Meditation

Anyone have any techniques, ideas or experiences regarding combining knitting with mindfulness meditation?

Comments

  • PietroPumokinPietroPumokin
    consider each stitch a sentient being that you didn't save because you were busy knitting
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited January 2011
    It might be interesting to co-ordinate your knitting motion with in and out breathing....but maybe not if you're a really fast knitter, lol !



    :)
  • mugzymugzy Veteran
    Any activity can be an exercise in mindfulness. When you knit, be fully aware that you are knitting. Look at the yarn and see the sheep that was groomed for it's wool, the farmer who raised it, the delivery driver that brought it to the store, and so on. When you are making something, use mindful awareness to stay fully in the moment and you will make your knitting even more meaningful :)
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    consider each stitch a sentient being that you didn't save because you were busy knitting
    Exactly!:)
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    It's exactly like focusing on the breath. Focus is focus. Attention is attention. When I was working in the scullery in the community, I faced a wall rather than a window: no distractions from scouring the pots - such blessing.
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited January 2011
    It's exactly like focusing on the breath. Focus is focus. Attention is attention.
    Absolutely - be fully present with the here and now. No need for the mind to speculate about anything else.


    :)
  • sukhitasukhita
    I think knitting can be used for mindfulness meditation. It could turn out to be more challenging than 'breath' meditation because it does not involve just one stitch after the next (like one breath after the next) but also having full awareness, at all times, of the overall pattern of the item being knitted. The stitches have to follow a pre-determined pattern. So, if you get good at this, the usual 'breath' meditation should be "relatively" easy.

    But, I feel that bringing in other thoughts, like where the yarn came from, etc.., will be a distraction. When knitting, just knit; else you're liable to lose focus and drift away. Please note that these are just my thoughts and I'm saying, in no way, that the other posters are wrong.
  • zenbikerzenbiker
    I agree with the mindfulness meditation use of knitting. I try to do this with my cross-stitching sometimes; I don't put the TV on in the background or listen to music. I try to just focus 100% on my stitching and what I'm doing.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited January 2011
    me too. :)image
    meditation takes longer than I thought!
  • sukhitasukhita
    Was that meditation or an attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records? ;)
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    The Guiness book of Meditation, actually....! :D
  • JoshuaJoshua Veteran
    Are one of them you Fede?
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    No, I'm afraid not.
    It's just a web-found pic.....

    But seriously, I do like to knit, and I find it's very focussing.
  • buddhajunkiebuddhajunkie

    Do knitters typically count as they are knitting?

    Also, should a mindful knitter pause when there's a distraction?
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    ONE: Only if it's a complex pattern and concentration is needed when altering the garment is concerned.

    TWO: There are many reasons to pause when knitting; moving the stitches along the needle, pulling more wool from the ball, looking at the progress and appearance of the piece, swapping needles over, casting on, casting off, in creasing, decreasing....
    The most important thing when knitting, is to knit.

    And you must have clean hands.....
Sign In or Register to comment.