A Knitted Reflection
Leanna Scheitrowsky (DTATI Cand.)
Toronto, ON
This self-reflective art practice made me mindful of how I spend my time. For 30 days, I logged each hour and translated my daily activities into knitting. The process of recalling the day’s events and stitching the hours row-by-row removed me from the daily grind and offered me a space to reflect.
“In knitting, each stitch flows into the next, influencing the overall fabric. The same can be seen in life where each hour impacts the next, creating ripples that are felt throughout the day.”
While building up this small fabric swatch, I could see patterns arise throughout the month which gave context to my emotional and physical states. On days where I had less than five stitches to indicate the length of time I had slept, I could empathize with why I might have been irritable or sluggish. Becoming aware of when I was running on less than optimal sleep meant I could respond to my body and mind with acceptance and compassion. Additionally, beyond simply noticing patterns, the physical act of knitting added a tactile element to the visual experience, and while switching back and forth between yarn colours and textures to represent different activities, I was able to re-experience my day through several of my less discernible senses.
Overall, the process of using yarn as a medium to build up a timeline of my ordinary life – like layers of sedimentary stone – was validating. This process was helpful for noticing routines because it slowed me down and gave me a new context that I could observe my patterns through. I know that I am my most effective self when there is balance in my life — not a new concept but one we often forget when attempting to crunch as much productivity into our schedules as possible. In knitting, each stitch flows into the next, influencing the overall fabric. The same can be seen in life where each hour impacts the next, creating ripples that are felt throughout the day. This self-reflective art practice made me realize that the hours I spend on myself are never hours wasted. In fact, slowing down has been one of the most powerful things I've learned that I can do for myself.