In Defense of Simple Knitting

I've been knitting rather steadily for over a decade, and for many years greatly enjoyed learning new techniques. I have fond memories of my first intricate lace shawl, my first sweater, and my first colorwork mittens. Aside from the novelty and slight vulnerability of learning something completely new, I absolutely loved getting lost in the process: checking off boxes for sleeve increases, moving a narrow magnet up a lace chart as I progressed, and carefully adding beads with a tiny crochet hook. Fiddly, detail-oriented work like this has always been a comfort to me.

I still love complex designs - especially when it comes to my favorite thing to knit, lace shawls - but lately I've been gravitating toward super-simple projects that don't even require a pattern. Much like the meditative, repetitive quality of spinning, simple knitting allows the mind to wander and the breath to slow. Because there are no charts to follow or patterns to reference,  I can lose myself in an audiobook, podcast, or TV show without making a mistake, and I also find that I can concentrate better on the story being told when my hands are busy.

This kind of knitting makes my heart sing. And if you haven't done it in awhile, I humbly urge you to cast on something simple and soothing, and allow yourself to enjoy the quiet, understated elegance of stockinette or garter stitch.

The first project I've been working on is a simple stockinette hand towel, bordered in seed stitch to keep the edges from curling. I'm knitting it in Louet Euroflax Sport (100% linen) in the Shamrock colorway. This yarn has unfortunately been languishing in my stash for almost three years - admittedly, I was intimidated by its crisp hand and lack of elasticity - but after all I've read about linen's nearly magical ability to soften with each washing, I'm too intrigued to let fear or uncertainty prevent me from working with it. Yes, it's a bit stiff to work with, and my stitches look uneven and wonky, but I'm going to trust the yarn and see what happens. I think it will look lovely (and be eminently practical) next to my bathroom sink.

Also - as I knit along, I'm becoming convinced that my hand towel will be more squarish than the desired rectangle. If that happens, it will make just as lovely a liner for a basket of muffins or scones.

The other project I've been working on is a simple triangle shawl, knit with some of my own hand-dyed yarn. This particular blend is 60% organic cotton and 40% hemp, and I hand-painted it with fiber-reactive dyes. (You can see it in the background in this photo, though the color is brighter here than in person.)  Can you tell I've been enjoying pastels lately? :)

The pattern that inspired this little shawl is Laura Chau's Simple Yet Effective Shawl. It's really more of a method than a pattern, as it only takes a few rows to get the hang of it, and you can use any weight yarn in just about any amount. (Obviously, the more yarn you use, the larger and cozier the finished shawl will be.) I'm not even counting my garter ridges: I'm just eyeballing it. And though I don't usually operate this way, this throw-caution-to-the-wind method of knitting feels wonderfully freeing.

The short color repeats in the yarn are making a pleasant, slightly blotchy fabric that's surprisingly soft. Like other plant-based yarns, I suspect this shawl will get even softer with washing.

What have you been working on lately? I'd love to read all about it in the comments. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a lovely week!