Day 1... what is peace?

“Nothing would be done at all if one waited until one could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.”

— John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

This quote has been at the forefront of my mind for the past 2 months… it’s been relevant at work, home, as a knitwear designer, and writer. Yet that fear of providing inaccurate information, not knowing all the answers, or not communicating clearly has kept me from moving forward. In September, I said I wanted to blog during the fall months on the topic of climate change… and then when I needed to write, I didn’t have all the answers, I got stuck, and “nothing got done.”

And now, here I am, showing up to focus on peace for the next 21 days with all of you. And yes, I’m going to talk about climate change and how that relates to peace and knitting. We’re going to talk about birds and food and water and houses and places and peat and soil and seaweed and peace, peace, peace. I don’t have all the answers or facts but I do know this topic is vitally important and the dialogue needs to begin.

This year has been like no other for me thus far… I’ve learned more about the world and history and politics and racism and the broken food system and this precarious place we find ourselves with an extremely bleak forecast for the future than ever before. Yet, it’s also a year I’ve learned more about peace from a personal and academic perspective, met the most inspiring people, had the opportunity to visit new as well as familiar places, and how to have hope in these tumultuous times.

Blending the lessons learned from this past year is what I aim to carry forward in the next 21 days. I’ve read incredible books this year and I can’t wait to share… because they are about food and nature and peace and hope!

So, let’s talk peace.

What exactly is the meaning of this word?

Is it a state of mind?

A physical sense?

Can you see it?

Feel it?

Be it?

These are questions for each one of us to answer. And while the best definition of peace eludes me, I know that the only way to peace is to intentionally choose peace each day. I suppose that brings me back to the initial quote… the more I focus on peace, learn about it, study it, work to embrace it, I become aware of all the ways I fall short of choosing peace. And there again, the quote at the beginning rings true.

If we wait to be perfect, the model of peace, before we begin talking about what peace means, nothing will get done.

Peace is a journey, a process…

Today begins our intentional focus on peace with simplicity… just to “be” during this busy time. For me, this month is truly about slowing down, reclaiming December as one for quiet, still mornings, connecting with family and nature, embracing the darkness with appreciation for the need to rest and renew.

Daily peace tip #1

At a recent conference (on peace), one of the keynote speakers talked about her daily gratitude practice… each week for a year, she wrote down three words to capture the essence of that week and then drew a simple corresponding doodle. If interested, why not try this during our peace-along? Whether you choose to keep a notebook/journal/sketchbook or even just a piece of paper by your bed. Why not write down three words that capture your day.

Give-away #1

This year has inspired me to reduce, re-use, and share… I have more yarn than I’ll ever be able to knit and I’d like to pass along some wonderful yarn… so, I’ll send along a skein (maybe two) of fingering weight yarn and some Project Peace stitch markers in a simple fabric bag to one lucky recipient that leaves a comment in response to the following:

What does peace mean to me?

Comments will close on December 6 at midnight.

Project Peace 2019...let's do this!

“The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —
Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings.”

— The Walrus and the Carpenter; Lewis Carroll

I last wrote on 9/21 with news of two new patterns, one in honor of the International Day of Peace called the Sandhill County Shawl and the Heartsease Cowl. In this same post, I announced that Project Peace would look a little different this year and that I would blog this fall about some climate change issues but was unsure of what I’d do during December. This fall has been a bit of a whirlwind with lots of travel for work leaving me with little time for anything but trying to overcome jet lag. BUT…

With trips to Oslo, Shetland, Philadelphia and South Bend, Indiana, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect (rather a full on immersion) on the topic of peace and in the past couple of weeks, I came to realize that Project Peace is exactly what’s needed right now. I’ve had a bit of writer’s paralysis (not just a “block”) as much of what I want to write about related to climate change has left me feeling ill-equipped to do this topic justice. I’ll share a quote tomorrow that has been my beacon over the past 2 months. Project Peace is perhaps just what I need to move me from a place of being stuck to one of action…

So, after a lot of soul-searching I’ve decided to blog over the next 21 days. Yes, I’ll be here, writing about peace and sending those thoughts out into the world for anyone interested in taking a deeper dive into the topic of peace, knitting, health, and nature over the next 21 days.

Now, if you are asking yourself if there is a pattern, yes and no. No, there’s no specific pattern for Project Peace 2019 and yes, you can use any previous Project Peace pattern or knit any pattern that brings you joy and provides an opportunity to engage in mindful knitting. I just cast on another Project Peace 2016 peace loop! I think this is one of my favorite patterns of all time.

Here’s some options: Sandhill County Shawl from this fall, Seeds of Peace cowl from Project Peace 2018, The Ripple Shawl from Project Peace 2017 or the original Project Peace 2016, a free pattern with over 30,000 downloads. The Heartsease cowl is a simple meditative stitch pattern that could be just the right project for this year’s Project Peace. Just as it is with peace, there’s no single path to peace so this year, let’s have our “peace-along” with your choosing of a pattern.

The new Tree Seed shawl pattern would make a perfect shawl for this peace-oriented season especially since it is in honor of trees…

The Tree Seed Shawl

So, Project Peace 2019 will have a little simpler approach. I’m not sure how much of that will be apparent to all of you however on my end it will be. First, this year, I’ve done absolutely no promotion of Project Peace. This step alone has simplified the process immensely and allowed me to have no grandiose expectations of what this 21 days might accomplish. Second, there is no theme beyond that of peace. Third, I won’t be spending a lot of time on Ravelry moderating the group thread. I’ll pop in now and again but my main focus will be on the blog. Finally, I don’t plan on sending an email announcement each day. My intent with Project Peace is to promote peace and if you’re feeling overwhelmed with a busy inbox, well that just isn’t what I’m after. I’ll send emails on Day 1, 7, 14, 20 and 21. Again, this really helps simplify the process on my end.What this means to you is that you’ll need to go directly to the blog each day to read the posting. I’ll post directly to the blog (www.thehealthyknitter.com) in the mornings (central time, US).

I would love to encourage folks to engage in Project Peace by leaving comments on the blog. I would also be thrilled if anyone that was interested to find a journal/notebook to keep a simple record of your journey with peace over the next 21 days. Here you can write, doodle, paint, write down random words that are meaningful to you, etc. This is such an important time of year to slow down and without being intentional it’s easy to let December pass by without notice.

I intend to offer a couple of give-aways. At this time, all items will come from my stash or perhaps the stash of a friend or two.

Are you ready to pause and ponder peace?

Remember, you don’t have to knit to engage in Project Peace… this is 21 days of being intentional and mindful about peace.

Are you in?

So, as the walrus said, it’s time to talk of many things… let it be of peace.

See you tomorrow!

Peace, autumn and new patterns...

It’s hard to believe I haven’t posted anything since February. As I reflect on the last 6 months, there’s so much that has occurred and most of this I’ll save for a later date as to not overwhelm you with too much information. It’s still a lengthy post but I have so much to share… important updates on patterns and changes to Project Peace 2019.

First, if you happened to purchase the Project Peace 2018 ebook, my sincerest apologies for the length of time it is taking me to publish these patterns. The good news is that the publishing has begun. Today I released the “Heartsease Cowl,” a word that means “peace of mind.” It’s a simple to knit slipped stitch cowl that results in a textured fabric that looks like seeds. I am so grateful to all of you for your patience. I’ve carried a lot of guilt over this delay so it feels extra joyful to begin releasing this collection of peace-themed accessories. This cowl is available as a single pattern however ebook purchasers will receive a bonus pattern not available elsewhere.

Heartsease Cowl

And today, is an extremely special day. It’s the International Day of Peace. To honor this day, I’m releasing a very special pattern created with my friend, Sharyn from the YarnScout. It’s called Sandhill County and is a tribute to the Sandhill cranes. Here’s a bit about it:

Sandhill County Shawl

This shawl began during a time of loss, when knitting was my solace and garter stitch was all I could manage. The simplicity of garter stitch provided a soothing knitting experience. As I moved through those initial days, I found myself ready to tackle more; a simple lace stitch was just the inspiration I needed! Once the shawl was completed, I noticed how the colors I’d selected and the movement of the lace pattern captured the image and spirit of the Sandhill crane. Even though the shawl satisfied my need for simplicity, I wanted it to have a more sophisticated shape before I released it to you. My friend Sharyn, from the YarnScout, added the bias shaping while maintaining the original spirit.

Sandhill cranes are majestic birds that are a treat to view in their natural habitat, with their beautiful color, funky dances, and bubbly call. Each year these birds migrate up to 6000 miles (each way) to their nesting grounds. This tribute to the cranes and commitment to migration despite challenges seemed only fitting, as the theme for the 2019 International Day of Peace is climate action. I hope you enjoy this garter stitch shawl with lace insets and a fancy little edging to capture the beauty of these very special cranes.

You may recall that over the past 1.5 years I’ve mentioned a shawl I designed following the passing of my father. This is the shawl and the connection to the Sandhill Cranes is of great significance as he lived in Albuquerque, one of the migratory fly-ways for the cranes. In the months before his passing, we had visited the fields several times and watched the birds eat and dance, and listen to them sing their silly songs. The fact that Sharyn helped bring this shawl to existence demonstrates the profound importance of friendship and community during times of loss. Thank you Sharyn!

You can purchase the Sandhill County shawl pattern here. Sharyn has put together some wonderful yarn kits, available from YarnScout. And through September 25th, if you add both the Sandhill County shawl and the 2017 International Day of Peace pattern, “International Peace Park” to your Ravelry cart, you’ll automatically receive 50% off International Peace Park, no coupon needed.

Sandhill County Shawl, the 2019 International Day of Peace pattern

Upcoming fall plans…

This year has been filled with so many changes that I’ve had to re-evaluate how to manage my commitments. Just this fall, I’ve been to a conference at the Nobel Peace Center on climate change and peace, this October I’ll be spending a week in Shetland with my mum, speaking at a peace conference in Indiana about building peaceful communities through food, plus my day-job and family. My work with peace has continued to grow and I must find a way to balance all of it. So, with great reflection, many walks and chats with dear friends, I’ve realized I need a new approach to Project Peace. This year, the pattern, Sandhill County will be the Project Peace pattern. I intend to blog weekly from today through 12/21, World wide knit for peace day with a few extra posts in the month of December. The theme will be climate action… I’ll promote a knit-along in December but I won’t be blogging daily. It honestly takes me months to recover from the intensity of December and it hasn’t been healthy for me or my personal relationships. So, I’m not going away, not at all, just redefining how I can promote peace in this space.

From the bottom of my heart… thank you for all your continued support. May we work collectively to bring peace to this world. And as I heard a friend say recently “climate reform through peace.”

And on that note, I set free Sandhill County to all of you… as a tribute to my late father, the incredible birds, and peace.

A short note filled with good news and hope...

For 6 weeks, it’s been cold, snowy and at times windy… as you all probably know by now, I’m a fan of winter. Now, that doesn’t mean I like every aspect of winter but overall, it’s my season. Even with my passion for winter, I’ve noticed my thoughts shifting to a new wardrobe season filled with clogs, linen, and color.

After deciding on my “professional attire” for the day, I made my way down the stairs to prep my morning cup of coffee… my favorite daily ritual. My thoughts were jumping all over the place sorting through my tasks for they day. I’ve been a bit inundated with work lately and have found this mental organization of my day infiltrating my special, quiet morning time. Quite honestly, these past couple of months have been challenging… just so much to do.

I reached for the stack of mail and found a letter from the Gardens of Health. Recall, they were one of the organizations we supported through Project Peace. I opened the envelope and to my delight I found the most inspiring contents… a beautifully, hand-written note with a photo.

Check that out! We are a team! This fuels me to persist.

We are making a difference… one stitch, one seed, one veggie at a time.

Our efforts ripple to reach others and we must continue to strive for a world filled with peace and justice.

Through knitting, we are nourishing families.

Peace and love to all of you on the Healthy Knitter team.

A couple of updates…

1. Several people have asked if I’m still planning on a 2018 Project Peace bag. My answer to this is “yes” and “no.” We have the bags almost finished except for the screen printing and post-printing assembly. I’m considering creating a new screen print that will not be specific to the year… stay tuned. So, there will be a bag but it not break tradition.

2. I’m still working on the patterns for the seeds of peace ebook. I’m nearing completion but it’s been a bit slower than I expected due to work and then changing my mind on a few of the designs. I can say that I really think you’ll agree that the patterns are worth the wait.

3. Finally, last year, I decided to move the annual walk-along to the month of May (it’s been in April the past couple of years). This will align better with walking weather and my work schedule. I’m still debating if I will do this project as a mystery or not. If anyone feels strongly about this as a mystery (or not), please let me know.

Here comes March! Can you believe it. Don’t forget we are still in the 64-day Season of Non-Violence (through April 4). Read more about this here. The daily intentions have been wonderful and you can join in anytime.

Peace,

Christina