As anyone who enjoys knitting, crochet, tatting or any of the other fiber arts can tell you, there is a meditative calm about the movement of the needles, the slip of the yarn, and the growth of the final project. In YOGA OF YARN (A Knitter’s Handbook for Self-Discovery) author Liza Laird explores the potential relationship between the meditative flow produced in knitting and the meditative flow created in a yogic practice, and how the two can be used together to create a synergistic result. She focuses on knitting, and a basic knowledge of knitting stitches and pattern styles will be needed to follow the patterns she includes, but there are plenty of lessons here that can be applied to other fiber arts, including crochet or tatting or weaving. The book contains everything from suggestions for hand stretches and postures to relieve the pains associated with long bouts of knitting to breathing and concentration exercises to discussions of philosophy and ideas like beginner’s mind, the impermanence of all things, and the joys of compassion, of creating something that will be used for another’s well-being.

YOGA OF YARN is thoughtfully structured, with exercises scattered throughout to help the reader take a break from reading and turn some of the ideas being discussed into real, concrete physical practice. Laird also offers suggestions about which types of projects relate best to which types of yoga, and also suggests different types and colors of projects to be used to stimulate and sustain the chakras, if that is a part of your spiritual practice. There is practical advice here ranging from how to travel successfully with knitting projects to how to listen to one’s body to know when to take a break, use stretching exercises, or limit a knitting session to avoid pain. And Laird also offers guidance on how to relate spiritual lessons learned from knitting to real life. For example, the patience and energy directed at learning a new stitch, until that practice becomes smooth and easy, can be directed at transition periods in one’s own life, where a difficult task or lifestyle change must be incorporated and worked with until it is mastered and becomes a simple, smooth part of everyday life. Likewise, the joy of creating objects that will be used to comfort, warm, and bring happiness to others can be extended into a value of compassion and caring that permeates one’s whole life. This is a thoughtful and useful book that offers to the reader the simple pleasure of simultaneously creating serenity and peace in your mind and heart while a scarf, shawl, sweater, or stuffed toy takes shape in your hands.

A thoughtful exploration of the relationship of fibercrafts–especially knitting–to yoga, meditation, and internal serenity, Liza Laird ‘s YOGA OF YARN (A Knitter’s Handbook for Self-Discovery) offers guidance on how to bring a dose of spirituality to your knitting projects.

~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader

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