KAL 2013 January Progress

KAL 2013 @BEMS





  

January's progress. Surprised at the number of blue days we had. 

KAL 2013 Update

KAL 2013 Sky Scarf 1/13/2013

I have been asked to show updates and my thoughts about the project:

• You can see from my notebook how I'm keeping track of the sky's weather.
• You can also see I had to start over.  This thin yarn is very hard to work with.  The first take - it became a tangled mess.  So I started over.  It was just easier just to cut the thread - cut my loss.  But, if you first don't succeed....  It took getting use to.
• I've changed my pattern and added a way to keep track of the new and full moon.  On the two knit stitches to begin and end the rows I'm purling on both sides to indicate the moon cycle.  
• Wow - look how many blue sky days.  It changes my perspective about the sky at noon during the winter months in Ohio.  

Sideways view of notebook KAL 2013

Side note - is anyone else having problems with uploading photos?

Asking for Help - Law of Giving and Receiving Love

Christ Washing the Feet of the Apostles
Meister des Hausbuches (1473) see it at
Gemaldegalerie, Berlin

Yearning Moon - What desires, deep within, are yearningto be fulfilled, and how might you begin to take steps toward fulfilling them?


“Sometimes letting other people serve us can be as profoundly valuable, nurturing, and connecting as giving to others.” David Simon, MD

“The healthy and strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it. Whether he’s got an abscess on his knee or in his soul.” -Rona Barrett

Asking for Help –Law of Giving and Receiving Love
I don’t know about you, but it is easier for me to ask Motherfather Spirit for help to get my dreams and goals accomplished than a real person (Zazen Zen Meditation – self growth by meditating on areas of self).  Why is this?  I find it’s easier for to look up the answers in a book or use Google even if the answers may be wrong rather than ask a real person.  And, I’m not just talking about cooking a new recipe; learning a new knitting stitch; or figuring out how to do something in excel.  I also have this problem even when it comes to spiritual practice.  Oh – don’t get me started on delegating work.  And why is this?

1.       I was taught that by asking for help somehow made you weak.  That you couldn’t be independent, self-sufficient and take care of yourself if you asked for help. 

2.       There was a whole lot of shame surrounding asking for help. 

3.       There was guilt in asking for help, because there might be someone else who really needs help and you are taking away the needed resources.

4.       I really didn’t have any role models who showed me how to ask for help.  And, if I did have to ask for help I felt intimidated and weak (i.e., Organic Chemistry and spelling).

5.       I was taught if you want something done right – do it yourself.  It is just easier to do it yourself than have to correct someone else’s work.

6.       I had a lot of role models showing me that it was better to serve than to be the recipient of that service.  This was wrapped up into what I believe as a one-sided interpretation of Christ’s teachings.

~#~

Knitting Shop Story

This past week I went to one of few independent yarnshops in C’Bus.  For over a year I have wanted to do the Conceptual Sky Scarf.  I thought the pattern was a cool way to bring an urbanite and CCWWW closer to nature.  When I first found the pattern, I immediately saw that it could reinforce my connection to the earth even running back and forth between my house to my car to my wherever I’m going.

Pattern in hand, I entered the store and did my typical walk around the store rather than seeking help.  There must have been something in my look or how I was wandering around the store because the store’s owner quickly came asking: “Can I help?”  Instead of saying my typical response of “I’m just looking,” I showed her my pattern and said I didn’t know where to begin.  She quickly moved to the front of the store with the lace weight yarn.  This is yarn that I’ve never used because it is so thin and tangles easily.  There were two women knitting away in the comfy couches up front.  They too became interested in my sky project and dropped their knitting to join us.  The choosing of my Ohio sky yarn became a group project.  The owner laid out the potential colors on the table and the group gave the thumbs up and thumbs down.

I was reserved about their choice with the thunderstorm colored yarn of blue, browns, yellows and rusts.  I said that it looked too much like tornado colors and I surely didn’t want tornados coming to Ohio.  They dismissed my fear telling me that my knitting project was also about making a beautiful scarf for myself.  The women oohed over the colors and asked for a copy of the pattern.

Yarn to be used:

Malabrigo – Azules (bright blue day)
Malabrigo – Bobby Blue (light blue day)
Malabrigo – Natural (clouds)
Malabrigo – Piedras (thunderstorm, snowstorm, tornado)
Isager – Charcoal Gray (gray days, fog, light rain and light snow)

~#~

From the Song of the Three Cauldrons

 “The Cauldron of Life-Work

gives and is replenished,
promotes and is enlarged,
nourishes and is given life,
ennobles and is exalted,
requests and is filled with answers,
sings and is filled with song,
preserves and is made strong,
arranges and receives arrangements,
maintains and is maintained.
Good is the well of measure.”

~#~

Law of Giving and Receiving Blessings
This law is known by many names: “You reap what you sow” or “What you put out you’ll back 3 times.”  When someone talks about this law, I get it.  I really get revved up by giving and helping someone out.  I find this an essential part of being interconnected with creation and keeping true to my spiritual path (CCWWW).  Meaning: my CO2 helps the trees and the trees’ O2 helps me. 

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about foot washing.  Foot washing was considered a form of hospitality back in the day when traveling was done all on foot.  Having healthy feet was a necessity.    A host would provide water for guests to wash up their feet before joining the meal.  This Bible story occurs during the last supper before Jesus’ death.  Before dinner, Jesus begins washing the Disciple’s feet (John 13:14-17).  Peter, one of the Disciples begins protesting that his beloved teacher shouldn’t be washing his feet; it should be the other way around.  Peter demands to take over the task.  But, Jesus tells the group: “a servant is not greater than his master.”

How this story has been interpreted to me is that everyone is a servant or a friend to another.  This friendliness isn’t dependent on who the person is or who the person is receiving this gift of service.  No one is greater than another; and there are no strings attached in this type of action.  You serve others because it’s part being active in this earthy cycle of giving and receiving.

What I have realized in this Zazen Zen Meditation is there is another part to this story: allowing others the opportunity to be givers and servants to me.  When I don’t ask for help or allow someone to help me out  - I’m denying this other person access to this cycle.  I’m not allowing them to have a generous giving heart.  I turn into a Peter in a sense. 

I have been reflecting back on what my big desires are this year.  The desires I feel nudged by Motherfather Spirit to get done.  Several of them I know that I’ll need to ask for someone’s help.  One of my re-solutions this year will be to practice asking for help. 

~#~ 

Activity:

KAL (Knit Along or Crochet Along) 2013 – Getting in touch with the sky and weather.

I don't know if you have this problem in the winter?  It is hard to stay connected with the earth from inside during the cold.  I think it is so easy in our modern society to be camped out in cubicle land, drive home and camp out in front of the television.  I believe when we follow this pattern it leads us to be out of touch with the land and frankly out of harmony with everything.  Part of being a CCWWW is walking with nature through the seasons and being observant of her Wowness.  Knowing the phases of the moon and sun and watching the trees change their clothes; this is the mystery and magic around you.

I would like to invite you to join me for KAL project for yourself.  It is a scarf that will put you in touch with the sky color and weather pattern throughout an entire year.  The finished project will be a reminder that you are part of nature and all her Wowness. 

Challenge #1:  Go into a yarn store with a print out of the directions and ask for help picking out the yarn.  

Challenge #2:  If you don’t know how to knit or crochet ask someone to teach you.

Challenge #3: If you know how to knit or crochet ask someone to share a pattern with you.

Challenge #4: Ask someone how they would classify the sky for the day.

Feather and Fan pattern:

Cast on 40 stitches.  Knit 3 rows. 
Row 1 (Right Side) Knit to the end of row
Row 2 (Wrong Side) Knit two and place a marker.  Purl until you get to the last 2 stitches, place a marker and Knit last 2 stitches
Row 3 (Right side) Knit 2, * (Knit 2 together) 3 times, (yo, Knit 1) 6 times, (Knit 2 together) 3 times *place a marker.  Repeat the portion between the **s once; Knit last 2 stitches.

Row 4 (Wrong Side) Knit to end of row.

 

Summer KAL Update

BEMS - KAL Summer Scarf

As you can see – this is my wonderful scarf that is being donated.  The proceeds of the sale will go to Cat Welfare.   This organization helps orphan kitties find new human friends. 

Thanks to all who contributed by giving me the next color to knit.

Solar Oak, Meryln, Maria, Jean, Diane, Criag, B, Adrienne, Tom, Amy, RC, Adrienne, Beth, Kathy, J, Joyce, Roberto, F, Z, Norma, Walter, H, Naderah, Kim, Betty, Debra, Nancy, Linda, Avonell, Rayma, Dorothea, Deb, Rainbow, Phoenix and several friends who wanted to remain anonymous........

If you participated in this KAL – please share.  Would love to see your scarf.

Changing the world’s energy one task at a time.

Next project after Yule?

PBP KAL – Social Knitwork Scarf Update

BEM copyright - PBP KAL

My first attempt to get people to assist me with this summer KAL (Knit-Along) project seems to demonstrate my poor ability to communicate.  As I wrote before, a KAL is when a group gets together to work on a common project.  This case we are all working on the Social Knitwork Scarf at different levels (i.e., those who are knitting and those who are contributing colors). 

The PBP KAL is to show how art/crafts connect with our spiritual selves.  By giving the scarf away, you create art with meaning that can make a difference in the greater good.  It is my belief that this act of generosity and expression of kindness is a living example of what Buddha stated: “no true spiritual life is possible without a generous heart. . . . Generosity allies itself with an inner feeling of abundance — the feeling that we have enough to share" (Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness).  The KAL also supports what Matthew Fox wrote about in Sins of the Spirit, Blessing of the Flesh: "Generosity is about giving without a guaranteed return — it is about the 'giveaway.' I believe that the true moral path of the twenty-first century will be very different from the path of the modern era because it will be marked by generosity."

Facts about this project:

1. I’m doing the knitting.  You do not have to learn to knit.
2. This scarf I am knitting is going to my charity of choice – Cat Welfare 
3. Below is the pattern that is being created by my friends and family and possibly you.  We are connecting together to help orphan cats.  
4. You can participate in this KAL in two ways.  a) You can be the next person to pick a row color for me to knit and tell me why you chose that color; or b) You can choose to knit a scarf yourself by choosing who you’ll be giving it to, by choosing your own four colors of yarn and by asking your friends, family and hopefully me to help with your design.

The design for my scarf so far:  Cast on with first color (green).  Knit down and back with the colors in purple.  Begin the purple colors again and add those in white. 




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Name	Color	Reason
Solar	Green	Color of Nature, Grounding
Merlyn	Natural	Everyone should learn to have fun being themselves
Maria	Coral 1	Because it is pretty
Jean	Blue	For the ocean water of life
Diane	Green	For plant life
Craig	Natural 2	Black like the depths of my soul &with specks of gold-- the light reflecting off the dust of my mind.
Budd	Green	You know green has always been my color
Adrienne	Blue	Weird, I was going to say green how about blue
Tom	Blue	Blue is the color of your eyes
Amy	Coral	Red is still my favorite color
RC	Blue	Blue, because it always makes me smile
Adrienne	Blue	Aqua like the sea
Me	Blue	My favorite color
Kathy	Coral	I love the color of coral, perfect for a hot day
Jakob	Blue	Oxford blue is what I’ll pick
Joyce	Blue	Teal and turquois are my color
Roberto	Coral1	Lavender is a healing color
Fabian	Green	Cause I like the green one
Zyg	Blue	70% of the world is blue
Norma	Blue	It is beautiful
Walter	Natural	Because this has been used the least – fewest repetitions

1. Purple reassigned to Coral

2. Mixed colors reassigned to Natural

PBP KAL – The Social Knitwork Scarf Knit-Along

What color should I knit next?  Let me know.

What the heck is a Knit-Along?
A Knit-Along or KAL for short is any event where people get together and knit for a common purpose. 



PBP KAL Social Knitwork Scarf
Here is how the PBP Knit-Along will work.  The project I picked for the PBP summer Knit-Along is called the Social Knitwork Scarf.  The pattern can be found from Leafcutter Designs.  It is an easy pattern for those with beginner skills: cast on, knit, cast off.  For those who would like to learn how to knit through this KAL I have references below to youtube videos to get you started.

Lea from Leafcutter Designs describes this scarf as a playful way to connect your knitting life with your social life.  It is a way to involve your friends, family, and acquaintances met on PBP.  Each person’s scarf will be unique.  You will be asking folks to pick a color and tell you why.  The rows of the scarf are knitted from the responses you receive.  The pattern encourages you to use your social networks for responses.

The common purpose of this project is – you are to give it away.  My completed scarf will be donated to a sale for Cat Welfare. 

History of Knitting

No one knows when the first yarn was cast onto needles.  The oldest evidence of knitting in its present form on two sticks is a “Coptic sock” from Egypt dating around 4-5th Centuries CE.  The Oxford dictionary states “to knit” was introduced into the English language around the 1400.  Compared to weaving, knitting is considered a new invention. 

In the Goddess tradition, there are a lot of references to spinning and weaving but not to knitting.  My first thought that knitting could have a place in the pagan tradition came from a novel I read in high school about WWII that was loosely based on the story of Osiris.  To seal the fate of the prince, three women, reminding me a lot of the three Fates came to knit a spell for England to be saved.  The three women gathered around a fireplace and knitted away.  The prince died and England was saved.

Knitting as a Spiritual Practice

I use knitting as a spiritual practice.  It becomes this when I create a purpose for my project.  In the case of the PBP KAL its purpose is to meet people and help orphan cats in Central Ohio.  This project, like most of my projects that I donate uses only one stitch.  Unique to this project, I have no idea what the scarf will look like – it is all based on faith.  I know that I will be casting on 32 stitches and there will be rows knitted in one of 4 colors and that my social network will choose the colors that I will knit, but I don’t know what it will look like in the end. 

When I knit I am put into another space.  As Thomas Merton suggests, it is another way for me to hear my true self talk or my belief Motherfather Spirit.  It shuts up the monkey brain chatter with an activity that is slow and deliberate and focused on one stitch at a time.

Like other contemplative knitters, I sometimes like to use a mantra or chant.  When I do this somehow the rhythm of the knitting matches the chant.  Again, this helps me to slow down and put things into perspective. 

Chants I like:

OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti (Hail, Peace, Peace, Peace)

Be still and know that I am God

My favorite is a portion of the Navajo’s Beauty Way

With Beauty before me may I walk

With Beauty behind me may I walk
With Beauty below me may I walk
With Beauty above me may I walk
With Beauty all around me may I walk…..

Activity

Join the PBP KAL and let me know - please feel free to post on my blog about how it is going.  Show pictures.

Pick a color for me to knit.  And, tell me why you picked that color.

Yarn I’m using: Naturally Caron.com Joy! Colors – Aquatica, Cerise, Kiwi, Naturally.  I am also changing my needle to a size 5 to get the gauge. 

Beginner resources:

How to cast on

How to knit

How to cast off

Also note:  Every independent knitting shop has very helpful people.  I have brought in my free directions and they have helped me out.  This is what knitters do.