“The secret to winning is learning how to lose. That is, learning to bounce back from failure and disappointment—undeterred—and continuing to steadily march toward your potential. Your response to failure determines your capacity for success.” – James Clear
As we continue to endure this seemingly never-ending global health pandemic, I want to encourage you to stay hopeful and keep moving forward with patience, one day at a time.
As you’ll read in “There is No Finish Line” below, life is an endless series of “loops,” and it’s easier to endure when we just focus on finishing the next loop…then the next one. Much like completing a big knitting project (think afghan or sweater), we avoid the overwhelm and get it done by focusing on the process and simply knitting one stitch at a time.
I hope you’ll find a quiet moment this weekend with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy these hand-picked articles and projects that encourage less stress and more knitting (a.k.a. joy) in your life.
Stay safe,
Peace, love, & Knit Om
Becky
:: Knitting – Wellness – Conscious Living ::
Controlling Ladders When Working Cables
One of the most common problems when knitting cables is the appearance of ladders between the cable stitches and the background stitches. In this article, you’ll learn how ladders are formed when working cable patterns and ways to avoid them (or fix them after the fact)… Read more.
10 Best Free Sock Knitting Patterns
For some reason, socks get a bad rap as being difficult. Guess what? They are much easier to knit than you think. This is a great round-up of some of the best free sock knitting patterns to get you started. These easy sock knitting patterns also have full tutorials available to help you at any tricky spots… Read more
Painterly Yarn Combinations: Layering Mohair Over a Base Yarn
This gem of an article from the Tin Can Knits archive demonstrates how to make use of this awesome yarn blending technique. Chock-full of photos, you’ll (hopefully) appreciate the value of swatching and you’ll learn how to select colour combinations when blending a lace weight mohair with a sock weight yarn… Read More.
The Top Mental Survival Tools I’m Leaning Into This Winter
Like it or not, winter is coming. There’s limited sunlight, limited warmth, and this winter in particular, limited social capabilities. And in a year when many of us have been struck with loss, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty, we all need to buckle up mentally to survive this winter. Here are some mental survival tools to help you through this winter… Read more
The pandemic is a marathon without a finish line. In this article, the author reflects on the idea of “the loop eternal” and how it not only relates to getting through a (seemingly endless) global pandemic but also to our creative projects. Where there is no predefined finish, just a never-ending cycle of loops, mentally, it’s easier, as you just have to think about the next loop…or in our case the next stitch. Forget the finish line, focus on the next stitch. Then the next. Keep going… Read more.
5 Stress Management Techniques That Are Proven to Work
As you read these stress management techniques, think about how your knitting can come into play, especially for tips 1, 3, and 5. I’m a huge advocate for starting and finishing the day with restorative knitting, as well as a little bit thrown in-between “just for fun.”… Read more.
What to Knit When the World is Falling Apart
Knitting is soothing, practical, portable and … well, it’s not a bad way to stay busy while the world is falling apart. The answers to what ails us may not come easily (or quickly), but there’s one thing we know for sure: come the apocalypse, there will be knitting – and a lot of it… Read more.
:: Pattern Inspiration ::
Baby Bear Balaclava by Knitting for Olive
The Baby Bear Balaclava is a cute children’s balaclava with rounded bear ears. Worked with two strands together at a small gauge, and fitting snugly around the face and neck, it makes a nice and warm accessory for those colder months (and one that the littlest ones won’t be able to pull off easily!).
North Star Flip-Top Mittens by Shelby Goddard
(Featured in Interweave Knits Gifts 2018 Edition)*
About this design:
From the Interweave Knits Gifts 2018 Edition*, these Convertible mittens are perfect for those cold winter days when your hands demand coziness but you still need to use your smartphone and dig for your keys. The slip-stitch stripes of the starburst design are a modern take on the retro look and add a bit of light to your winter wardrobe.
*This is an affiliate link. This means I receive a commission if you use my unique link to make your purchase ☺️.
Snowflake Garland (Crochet) by We Are Knitters
A cute little crochet project to use up wee bits of leftover yarn, while also getting your home decorated for the winter holidays! I’m not much of a crocheter, but I might have to give these little cute snowflakes a try!
:: Noteworthy Deals and Steals ::
Knit Crate 3-month Gift Plan (affiliate*)
Do you have a special someone in your life that could use the gift of yarn therapy right about now? Then this 3-month gift plan of KnitCrate might just the pick-me-up they need.
With this gift, your special someone will receive one crate each month for a period of 3 months in any of the 3 color vibes. The crate contains two skeins of in-house premium yarn brands and 2 exclusive patterns (1 knitting, 1 crochet).
(p.s. That special someone could be YOU! 😘)
*Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, if you make a purchase using one of my links, I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. If you do make a purchase, I truly appreciate your contribution 🙏.