I was listening to The Right Next Thing podcast late the other night while doing dishes. The house was quiet and I like to take a chore and turn it into a joy by lighting a candle and catching up on podcasts. The podcast conversation was about using all our senses to complete a feeling. The host was speaking with her sister, who is The Nester, about how to make the feeling of fall happen in your home without cluttering up the visual space which tends to then invade our mental space. They discussed how most of the time we tend to think of moving on to the next season means buying all that seasons decor. When what we are really after is creating the atmosphere and feeling of the season. To create the right atmosphere or feeling requires using all of our senses.
This got me to thinking about knitting. How often are we seeking to create a feeling or atmosphere to surround us with our knitting? I feel for me and I think most knitters I know, that is one of things we set out to create when we sit and knit. If we really just needed a hat or socks we can go to any big store and get those things and have our physical needs taken care of. Our spirit is refilled when we create something from our two hands. How many times have you said to yourself "I feel like knitting", but what you mean is "I am going to knit while sitting and watching the latest comedy, while a candle flickers near by, my warm beverage sits handily next to me and my feet are toasty with my latest finished socks"?
See what happened there? We created a mood or a feeling for knitting. So what are the five senses of knitting? Here is what I tend to think of when I am creating a cozy corner for myself to knit in.
Touch- This comes in several forms. From the wool itself. Is it plump and oh so touchable soft? Perhaps I have paired Mohair or Suri Alpaca to create a bit of soft fuzz. What am I wearing when I go to knit? Usually hand knit socks, leggings or pjs and a relaxed shirt. Maybe I have a blanket on my lap.
Hearing- music, movies or shows, and podcasts
Taste- The drink or snack you are about to settle in with. For Fall/Winter this could be hot cider, PSL, Peppermint Mochas, Hot Chocolate
Smell- The candle I have burning. The drink I just made.
See- Finally the finishing touches that lend to the knitting mood. The project bag I hold my knitting in, the pattern I’m knitting, the progress keeper I choose to place on my knitting, the yarn color I choose. I pick out all my accessories to match the season or even my mood. I might choose to work on a bright and happy colored project to brighten my mood, where when I am feeling all the cozy vibes I lean into more rich muted tones.
Tell me do you feel the same way I do about using your five sense to create a knitting mood? Let me know in the comments below.
Happy knitting,
Manda
I loved reading your blog! You are sooo right. Knitting is my therapy and all’s it costs is a ball of yarn and relaxing with a good beverage and listening to a podcast. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with everyone! I hope you and your family have a safe and wonderful Labor Day holiday!🧶❣️🧦