Knitting is the new yoga--huh?

Go on my Ravelry project list and you'll see that I've spent the entire summer working on knitted lace tops: Cece cardigan from Bonne Marie Burns (www.chicknits.com), Lotus Blossom Tank from Interweave Knits, and Hey Teach from Helene Rush (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer08/PATTheyteach.html.) None are particularly challenging but I've had my share of frustration knitting them, especially Hey Teach. I'll bet there's not 15 rows in the entire sweater that I haven't ripped out and reknit at least once! First, I realized, after having done most of the back section, that I was knitting the wrong size. Then, I had problems maintaining a consistent stitch count while doing the armhole shaping. When I got things going on the armhole, it occurred to me that I'd neglected to decrease for the neckline. After I ripped back (again) and did the neckline shaping, I did it on the wrong side (talk about feeling stupid!)

About that time, I saw an old article somewhere that claimed that, "knitting was the new yoga." HA! I scoffed. "Whoever wrote that couldn't have known how to knit or do yoga," I thought. When I do yoga, I come away with a satisfied, even feeling that has absolutely no relationship to the awful tightness that I'd been feeling in my neck. Knitting is NOT the new yoga.

Something told me it was time to walk away for awhile.

A few days later, I was extolling the benefits of yoga to a co-worker. I heard myself saying, "By concentrating on your breath, you forget about everything else. It keeps you focused on the pose and how your body feels while doing it." Suddenly, I thought of my sweater and I got it.

My knitting problems were all about focus. Every stitch I'd made was only a step toward a glorious future that I'd imagined for those sweaters: how cute they'd be, how I'd love wearing them, and, oh yes, how many many compliments I'd get when I wore them. It was like I was a runner, just willing myself toward the finish line so that the race would be over. I'd completely forgotten about how the yarn felt as it slipped through my fingers and the sheer joy of creating a fabric with each stitch. It was as if I'd done my yoga practice while holding my breath.

So, here's the deal. I still disagree that knitting is the new yoga--that's just Madison Avenue jibber jabber. Good knitting, like good yoga, is all about the present. I'm going to go back to my knitting and I'm just going to concentrate on each stitch and row. Sooner or later, it might even turn into a sweater!