Knitting is the best form of Mindful Meditation

In the rhythm of the needles, there’s music for the soul

Since the Covid-19 virus introduced the lockdown in March, I took out my knitting needles (which I last used about 20 years ago) to busy myself  in the “down” time. Like me, my daughter has migrated from synthetic to fully organic cotton and pure wool clothing which gave me the perfect excuse to knit a 100 % wool sweater for her. I have knitted three for her already during the social distancing time and just completed this mustard, cable knit in a gorgeous New Zealand Shetland pure lambswool yarn yesterday (see photo). 

I am so glad to be clicking my needles again because apart from producing a beautiful woollen creation from two bamboo sticks and some yarn, knitting takes me to my happy place. I am an introvert by nature (not in the quiet, shy sense but more like preferring my own company)The repetitive motions of knitting  centres you like meditation does. While repeating the same pattern over and over, you stop thinking about other things and you’re brought right into the present moment - a peaceful state of mindfulness where you are not pre-occupied about the past nor fretting about the future. 

Like the monotonous metronome which swings to and fro, the rhythmic,repetition of the knitting stitches which a member from one of my knitting groups so aptly described as “stab, strangle, scoop and throw”, helps to calm the breathing and lowers the heart rate by doing the same stitch over and over again. One can say it is similar to effecting the yoga asanas(poses) time and time again. This tactile craft forces me to be present there in the moment and to pay full attention. It’s humble and repetitive, challenging and meditative. While yoga is known to have restorative powers, the act of knitting does too but goes one better by producing a tangible work of art at the end. 

It is said that Albert Einstein knitted to clear his mind and Ryan Gosling, the movie star revealed that his perfect day would include yarn and knitting needles. He learnt to knit from a room full of old ladies who taught him the craft while he was filming the movie, “Lars and the Real Girl”. Kaffe Fassett, the American born textile designer who is world renowned for his colourful knitted designs, thinks that knitting is “the most therapeutic thing in the world”.  Other famous celebrities that knit all the time are silver screen actresses, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, queen in waiting, Kate Middleton and actor David Arquette and many more. 

When you really think about it, knitting is akin to a modern day miracle. For those of you that are not yet into this captivating textile art form, did you know that all knitting is made up of just two stitches, plain and purl? Can anything be more simple than that? The jaw-dropping Aran jumper with its labyrinth of cables, the sheer, silky gossamer shawl, the colourful, Intarsia work cardigan, the intricate colour work of the Fair Isle sweater, the pretty lacework of a summer singlet, the stitch sampler of a bed throw or just the humble socks, scarves and hats are made up of just two stitches: a plain stitch that is done through the back of the needle and a purl stitch whose loop is made by bringing the needle in front. From these two basic stitches, a whole array of knitted masterpieces are designed and created. Mind boggling, isn’t it?

At the alternative Waldorf School based on the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner, first graders learn to knit before they learn to read. Steiner favoured handiwork because it “introduces the world of mechanism and brings movement, while on the other [hand] it trains in the power of attention.” Knitting helps the brain create neural pathways that connect what the eyes see and what the hands feel. Therefore, essential skills like hand-eye co-ordination, fine motor skills, visual discrimination, sensory perception and spatial awareness are all practised in a fun way through a pair of sticks and pretty string.

While knitting can become quite addictive, the irony is that it has enjoyed such transformative benefits by getting rid of other destructive addictions. In Australia, there’s a Knit to Quit group for smokers, I read an article about a psychologist using knitting with a group of women suffering from eating disorders and another of a counsellor using knitting with inmates to reduce feelings of anger, depression and frustration. There is a large body of research that shows that knitting regularly, keeps dementia at bay. Also, keeping the fingers moving with knitting is great for maintaining mobility for those suffering from arthritis. Knitting, because of it’s binary nature, is all about counting, multiplying, measuring, and patterning, which are great for all math and coding skills.

Today, like in the ancient times, knitting is a social activity and creates a sense of community. There are thousands of knitting pages, groups, podcasts or blogs that you can interact with. One knitting page that I follow is called Knitting Bartender and is run by a talented, American knitter called Keenan Goldsmith. He is a big, burly hunk of a man who mesmerises his followers with the most complicated cable patterned sweaters and his enthusiasm for knitting is so infectious. 

Unlike grandma who sat inside her home and knitted on her own, nowadays you can get so much of help, hints, advice, tips and tricks from like-minded people who make the most amazing knitted creations one stitch and one row at a time. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is, YouTube is bursting with tutorials to teach you how to knit anything from the simplest scarves to the most complex cardigan. A popular podcast on Youtube called The Grocery Girls, hosted by two Canadian sisters, Tracie and Jodie, share their passion for knitting and fibre and are a delight to listen to as they discuss various topics that interests knitters. The pandemic has been instrumental in jettisoning this craft which goes back to the 5th century where it first originated in the Middle East to new heights in popularity with sales going through the roof in yarn, needles, patterns, knitting accessories and knitting kits. 

I usually have two knitting projects on the go at any one time: a simple pattern where I can knit mechanically without really focussing on my work like when I am watching the footy, tennis, cricket, Netflix or talking to a friend on the phone. The other piece of work could be a complex design where I need to be highly focussed on the task at hand which involves counting stitches like in cable work. In both instances, however, my mind is free from stress and in an harmonious state of flow where nothing else matters. Knit one, purl one, breathe in, breathe out, stitch by stitch like counting on a rosary bead or a mala and at the end there’s a beautiful creation that bears the stamp of your sense of accomplishment and creativity. 

Knitting, the modern day yoga, is an activity that stills the mind and destresses the body. So, if you’re stressed, fighting an addiction, looking for a way to connect with other people, or make someone’s day by gifting them your knitted creation, what are you waiting for? Learn to knit! You will discover the therapeutic benefits of knitting - because the fact is, “Beautiful things come together, one stitch at a time” while at the same time leading you to a place of love, quiet and peace. 

So, quit knit-picking and become part of a tight-knit group; I assure you, you will be hooked in no time. 

Have a fabulous week, Folks!

Real Heroes don’t wear Capes

“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.”

Maya Angelou

While scrolling through my Facebook feed on my phone last Saturday night, Fatima Sydow’s cooking video popped up with her Cape Malay recipe for Soesys Bredie (Sausage Stew). Ah, a great idea for Sunday lunch, I thought, so I settled in and watched Fatima, the inspirational home cook whom I have been following lately, show me how it’s done. 

Fatima’s cooking videos are a far cry from the other professionally set up ones that have become popular: the ones with well-known celebrity chefs in well-lighted, state of the art kitchens with latest in colour, co-ordinated gadgetry and utensils and all the fine ingredients neatly measured, prepped and laid out in mini, cute, glass bowls. No, Fatima just uses a no-filter, amateur, video camera propped up above her stove cooktop and she literally just throws stuff into the sizzling pot from her plastic bowls or whatever as she talks and chuckles mischievously. With the absence of industry standard production techniques, the cooking experience is scaled down and so much more humbling and heartfelt - it is like you are right there in your favourite aunty’s kitchen.  It cuts back cooking to basics and for those that are still intimated and lacking in cooking skills, it gives you a sense that you can hack this too because everything is so simple and non-fiddly using familiar ingredients. 

In her Cape Malay accent, the lady who hails from the Mannenberg, Cape Flats district, attests to the simplicity of her cooking style: ”You know any good recipe is determined by what you have in your pantry, what you have in your fridge and what you can afford at that time and what’s available in your region. It will still taste lekker.”  I feel relaxed and nostalgic and get so much of joy while I watch Fatima cooking especially listening to the rustic, Cape Town accent: “That is going to fry until it’s DORK, DORK, DORK brown and we will be right back.”

I was looking for inspiration to shine the light on a phenomenal woman for my motivational piece this week in honour of Women’s Month celebrated in August in South Africa and what a perfect example of a local, honest-to-goodness soul sister bringing so much of joy to her over 45 000 YouTube subscribers, nearly half million Facebook followers, countless readers of her Cape Malay Style recipe books and her television show she hosts with her twin sister, Gajima, called “Kaap, Kerrie en Koeksusters”. She succeeds in changing ordinary people’s lives by using her gift of cooking to make people happy: 

“When I make food, I feel very calm and feel closer to the people who taught me to make it. So I hope I give the same energy to others to enjoy this whole process of cooking”. You sure do, Fatima, and thank you too to your late mother, Wasiela, who inspired you and your sister in her District 6 kitchen to be the awesome cook you are. 

What adds more to Fatima’s amazing success is her backstory. She grew up in a poor home in Mitchell’s Plain with her five siblings. She dropped out of school in Year 10 and then one day she just woke up and said ‘No, I want to make something of my life and do something and education is important’. With that determined promise she made to herself, she resumed her studies at school and “at 19 years old, I finished with flying colours,” she reports with her infectious chuckle. Although she had enrolled as an Archeology student, she had to withdraw because of lack of funds. She then opted to pursue her other passion of culinary arts and worked in a hospital canteen frying “slap chips” where she slowly introduced her own style of cuisine to feed the exhausted, over-worked medical staff. 

Fatima sought refuge in the hospital which became her second home as she tried to escape from her own home where she was suffering from an extremely abusive marital relationship. This miserable marriage was compounded by the fact that she couldn’t have children of her own so she gave all the love she had to the little ones recovering in hospital at that time. 

They say real heroes don’t have to wear capes; they are all around us rising above the terror of their barbaric experiences to sprinkle a little light and laughter to light up the lack-lustre lives of others that are also doing it tough. It is inspiring and reassuring to know that from the bottomless depths of despair, these living angels amongst us have been plunged like fresh tea leaves into scalding water to rise up on the other side with their aromatic scent of forgiveness to bequeath us the heart-stopping pleasure of a soul satisfying cup of tea. 

I hail from a humble but happy childhood home and I was not exposed to the cruelties of the world that many of my soul sisters have been through so while my heart bleeds for the unnecessary pain and suffering that you have been subjected through to abject poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, molestation, emotional abuse or abandonment or disengaged parents, my heart sings sweetly when I come across the proverbial phoenixes like Fatima who is a living testimony that signals the universal truth that things can be turned around for the better. 

Thank you to all the phenomenal women that I interact with daily especially through social media who have been through turbulent times and still continue to put on brave smiles as you work through your challenges with health, professional, relationship and personal development issues. Life is bound to knock you down but you have to get up, stand up and show up like Fatima Sydow is doing it so beautifully and effortlessly. 

Have a phenomenal Women’s Month in South Africa and continue on your journey of being the authentic woman you already are. I don’t think I am going to wait for next Easter to make pickled fish that I used to love while I lived in South Africa or the hot cross buns - going to try many more recipes from her Facebook page Fatima Sydow Cooks. 

Have an awesome week and month and do your bit to honour and spread a little sunshine to a lovely lass or lady in your midst. 

#fatimasydow #Womensmonth #phenomenalwoman #heroesdontwearcapes