Socks and Meditation

I finished another pair of socks.  I'm officially a "sockaholic".  I can't stop!  I had these started when my DH had his little run-in with the table saw.  I had them in my purse and ended up spending hours at the hospital by his bedside knitting.  Knitting, hand applique, and other hand work projects are meditative to me.  While I can knit or hand-sew while talking or watching TV, I've learned that doing work that requires concentration can take my focus off of my worries and onto my needlework.  I can do simple knit-purl on autopilot.... and I can still have a conversation or worry or focus on fear or anger or any other emotions (including good ones).  But complicated or new patterns require my attention, and that means that my attention is not on life around me.  It's as good as a nap.  I have to count and concentrate, and before I know it, my blood pressure is lower and tension is relieved.

It really doesn't matter what I do.  Knitting was just easy for me to carry around and I just happened to have a pair of socks started.  But anything that requires concentration works.

These socks are the "Simple Sock" from "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi.  I lost the wrapper somewhere in the hospital so I can't tell you what the yarn is, but it's a wool blend sock yarn with long color runs.  I used size 2 circs.

 

 I made these... 2 at a time... on two circular needles.  I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon.  I kept getting tangled up.  My niece told me to just be sure I turn every other row in the opposite direction.  Yea-- well--- I tried, but I still ended up spending too much time untangling things.  I think one-sock-at-a-time is for me.