Description
Book SynopsisKnitting is the miracle of creating new dimensions from a strand of yarn. Let it bring that miraculous transformation to your spiritual life too. "This book is about seeing and listening. It's about becoming aware that through knitting you can hear and give attention to what’s in your heart and soul—that knitting can be a place of rest and thought and a place for the Divine. It’s about connection—to yourself, to the world, to others and to the Holy." —from the Preface What can you learn about yourself through your knitting? What deeper symbolism lies behind the loops and patterns that you create? How can this simple activity help you make your way down a spiritual path? Delve into these questions and more in this imaginative book that will become your spiritual friend, your teacher and your sanctuary. Follow the knitting journeys of the authors and other knitters to discover how they have used their knitting to explore and strengthen their spiritual selves, and how you can do the same. In this joyful and engaging look at a time-honored craft you are invited to: Find time and space that was previously hidden in plain sight Try creative, thought-provoking original knitting patterns Recognize and deepen spiritual connections through knitting Meet other knitters on the journey to spiritual and self- discovery Explore new ways to expand and savor your knitting community Recognize your own power to pass along the knitting wisdom
Trade Review"An enlightening, entertaining and affirming text on the spiritual depth of knitting. Finally, Skolnik and MacDaniels have put into words what I have been trying to express for so long about why knitting means so much to me." —Melanie Falick, author of Handknit Holidays, Weekend Knitting, Kids Knitting and Knitting in America “A fascinating tale, knitting together the often disparate strands of science and religion, faith and reason, art and technology. Expert knitters and spiritual seekers, Skolnik and MacDaniels have filled their book with stories about design and wisdom to enrich our journeys, and guide us gently into Mystery.” —Susan S. Jorgensen, spiritual director, retreat leader and coauthor of Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry “Can make some of our knitting time not be about product or even process, but about understanding, meaning and connection. Linda Skolnik brings to The Knitting Way an enthusiasm, curiosity and honesty that we trust.” —Elaine Rowley, editor of XRX Books “A heartfelt journey that inspires us all to look both outward, into our culture and families, and inward, into our hearts, to seek the true meaning of our own knitting pathways.” —Deborah Newton, author of Designing Knitwear
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Finding the Knitting Way 1 Knitting into Awareness: Escape versus Care for the Soul 2 Science, Mystery, and Knitting: A New Way of Looking at Things 3 Sacred Space: Your Knitting as an Opening and a Sanctuary 4 Once Upon a Time: The Stories of Our Projects 5 The Bearable Lightness of Knitting: Learning to Let Go of Perfection 6 Making a Daily Practice: Cultivating the Time for Knitting 7 Mind and Body: The Role of Knitting 8 Bearing Witness: Following Your Own Knitting to Find Your Story 9 Paying It Forward: Passing On the Knitting and the Wisdom Conclusion: Continuing the Story Appendix Notes Resources Acknowledgments
