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. 




<><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><>

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.