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A Soothing Yarn

Tonight will see my knitting being added to my work bag once again. Yarn, needles or hook have been quite a useful tool in my box of coping skills over the last few months.  I have neglected to bring in any textile WIPs over the last couple of weeks and that will change today. My lunch breaks will once again be woolly. 

As someone who has depression and anxiety, I find the tactile action of knitting or crochet to be a soothing experience.  I use simple stitches and basic instructions to prevent my work from going awry and it's become a gentle way of reminding myself to find breathing space during the day and calming my occasionally befuddled brain.  Some yarnaholics love the focus that a complex and mathematical pattern requires, others enjoy the repetition of stitch patterns or the use of colour in their work.  More power to their respective elbows I say!

I don't see this as a pattern per se and I certainly hope I'm not stepping on any Ravelry toes here.  I literally just cast this on last year, made it up as I went and I've knitted about five of these so far, without finding a pattern or specific instructions.  I apologise profusely if this has already been documented elsewhere (in other words, no copyright infringement is intended). 

The instructions for the basic moss-stitch cowl that I knit is as follows: 

You will need:
  • 2 skeins of chunky yarn of your choice
  • 9mm knitting needles
  • Yarn sewing needle
  • Scissors
Cast on 33 stitches.
First row: *Knit one, purl one. Repeat from * until rows end.
Second row: *Knit one, purl one. Repeat from * until rows end. 
Repeat until you have about 12 inches of the first skein left.  Add in the second skein and continue until you have about 20 inches of yarn left. 
Cast off.
Use the 20 inch tail of yarn to sew up the two short sides together. 
Weave in all the ends.  Gently block it if you need to. 

The tension is entirely up to you, dependent on your preference for firmer or softer fabric.  The moss stitch is very forgiving and gives plain yarn a wonderful texture. It also translates well with slub and special effects yarns and works especially well with space-dyed yarn. 

The repeat lines of moss-stitch means you don't have to work out which stitch you begin with as every row begins and ends on a knit stitch. 

Enjoy some easy knitting and remember that fibre is good for you.

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