creativity – Sycamore Cove Knitting

Creativity as a Spiritual Practice—Whether You Knit or Not

June 6, 2025Cynthia Coe

Whether you knit, write, bake, or daydream—your creative life might be more spiritual than you think.

In my life, creativity has always been more than a hobby. It’s a way of slowing down, listening deeply, and connecting with something greater than myself. Whether I’m holding knitting needles, writing a chapter, or just dreaming up new ideas, the creative process becomes, for me, a kind of prayer.

I’ve found that creativity invites us into stillness. Into presence. Into wonder. It doesn’t have to look like a finished project or a gallery-worthy painting. It can be quiet, even hidden—a moment of beauty in an ordinary day. Maybe it’s the way colors come together on your needles. Or the way a sentence finally says what your heart has been holding.

You don’t have to be a knitter to experience this. Whether you bake bread, write sermons, arrange flowers, doodle in the margins, or simply take time to notice the sacredness in the world around you—that’s creativity. And when we approach it with reverence, it becomes spiritual.

As a writer and lifelong maker, I often explore how creativity weaves its way through both daily life and sacred space. I reflect on themes of faith, prayer, and making meaning—on and off the page. Creativity, after all, isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.

If that speaks to you, I invite you to follow more of my reflections at www.sycamorecove.org or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CynthiaCoeAuthor. I’d love to share this journey with you.

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, a series of fictional stories woven together by the theme of human connections made through prayer shawls and the craft of knitting. Her newest book is her first historical novel, Knitting Through Time: Stories of How We Learned to Knit. Learn more by visiting her Author Page at this link.

Snow-Bound? Stranded? Time for Creative Yarn De-Stashing

January 17, 2024Cynthia Coe

I’ve found myself in Florida much longer than expected, and I’m a knitter stranded alone with a “mystery stash” of yarn. What to do???

It’s a great luxury to plan a project, decide exactly what yarn to use, and even mull over exactly what color you’ll use from a wide selection available. It’s nice to make a few swatches and decide which size knitting needles to use.

But what if you can’t?

I checked into a condo in Florida at the end of December, and I’m still here. With Tennessee closed for snow for the foreseeable future, I’ll be here for a while. Fortunately, I had ordered a “mystery stash” of clearance sale yarn shipped to me before I arrived, so I’m not exactly hurting for high quality yarn to knit with.

The problem is, I received 4 skeins of two different yarns from this mystery box – 4 skeins of a dark grey yarn, and 4 skeins of a bold pink and grey striped yarn. From past experience, I know it usually takes 5 skeins of these kinds of yarn to make a sweater (which I need; it’s 34 degrees here in paradise today). I puzzled over these yarns and made a swatch with the only needles I’ve got on hand. Mercifully, the needles will work with the yarn. But what to do with an underabundance of one or the other color of each yarn?

This is where necessity becomes creativity’s best friend. Like it or not, I’m looking at stripes. With the loud pink, I could end up with a sweater I wouldn’t be caught dead in. Or I could end up with a sweater I never would have planned but turns out better than expected. So I cast on and see how it goes.

I’ve ended up with a sweater with more texture and interest than I would have designed if I’d had my pick of materials. It’s mostly dark grey, in a heavy wool and alpaca, with pink and grey stripes that pop…but not too much. Heck, it might be one of my favorite sweaters!

And all because I’m stranded and used what I had. Sometimes maybe we need to look at what’s in front of us and work out a solution we wouldn’t have even considered otherwise. Maybe that’s what makes the best crafting – letting necessity befriend and collaborate with the creativity that needs a little shove before it kicks into action.

Blessings to those who are snowed in or stranded this winter day!

Cindy

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, interrelated short stories woven around those who make and receive handmade, prayerfully crafted gifts of prayer shawls. Click this link to order or for more information.

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, a collection of interrelated short stories about knitters and those they meet through knitting and sharing prayer shawls.

Be sure to check out my newly published A Prayer Shawl Handbook: Inspiration and Resources for Your Prayer Shawl Ministry, now available in paperback and e-book editions and included in Kindle Unlimited.

The Rhythms of Knitting – Patterns Are Not Just For Show

January 7, 2024Cynthia Coe

Recently, I found myself happily knitting in a 1-2-3, 1-2-3 pattern. I had been a bit down in the dumps, but knitting in this simple pattern actually made me feel better.

In the world of knitting, there’s more to those numbers in your patterns than meets the eye. Beyond the stitch counts and repeats lies a fascinating realm of numerical rhythms that not only enhance the aesthetics of your creations but also contribute to a sense of calm and mindfulness.

Knitting has long been celebrated for its therapeutic qualities, and the incorporation of numerical patterns adds another layer to this experience. Engaging in rhythmic and repetitive activities, like following numerical patterns in knitting, induces a relaxation response. This effect is akin to the calm achieved through meditation. The focus required to execute a pattern, combined with the tactile experience of working with yarn, creates a meditative state that eases stress and fosters mindfulness.

The beauty of the rhythms we experience in knitting lies not just in its visual appeal but in the comfort it brings to the knitter. The predictability and order of this sequence provide a structured flow, allowing the mind to enter a state of relaxation. As you navigate through your project, the rhythmic counting becomes a soothing mantra, transforming the act of knitting into a mindful practice.

Whether you’re a seasoned knitter or just starting, exploring the world of numerical rhythms can add a new dimension to your crafting experience. So, the next time you find yourself immersed in the rhythm of your pattern – whether a simple 1-2-3, 1-2-3 or something far more complex – know that you’re not just creating a beautiful piece – you’re also weaving a tapestry of calmness and mindfulness.

Blessings on your knitting, Cindy

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, a collection of interrelated short stories about knitters and those they meet through knitting and sharing prayer shawls.

For an easy 1-2-3 pattern like the one described in this blog post, try the “Trinity Moss Stitch” pattern in my new book!

Knitting and Creativity

August 21, 2019Cynthia Coe

Often, I may look like I’m sitting in a quiet corner, knitting. I may look absorbed in my stitches, paying no attention whatsoever to what’s going on around me.

I’m actually “writing.” And by “writing,” I mean I’m in the middle of the creative process that eventually ends up as a short story, a blog post, the outline of a non-fiction book, or even a novel. And it all includes those crucial half hours of knitting.

Other creative people probably have some form of creative meditation – fishing, woodworking, cooking, sewing. Anything relatively simple that gets you out of your daily cares and allows your subconscious to run free works as this sort of creative preparation exercise.

When I knit before writing, I always knit something I don’t have to think about too much. Several rows of garter stitch work wonders. If I know a pattern so well I can do it in my sleep, that pattern becomes “meditative” for me. It forces me to sit down and focus on a problem, while also giving my mind an opportunity to go off exploring.

I’m sure knitting-as-meditation works for anyone, even if you’ve never called it that. So for anyone who has a problem they can’t figure out, an impasse on a work project, or a relationship dilemma, take a few minutes and knit. After a few rows, the perfect answer might just pop into your head.

Blessings, Cindy

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, a collection of interrelated short stories about knitters and those they meet through knitting and sharing prayer shawls.