A Teal Cowl, and Some Thoughts about String and the Sea

This is my new wool blend teal cowl.  It is a new stitch for me as well.  Sometimes I find myself wondering why knitting stitches all seem to have two or three names!  It is really confusing, especially when you're trying to track a pattern down.

But it is amazing what you can do with what is essentially two sticks and a ball of string!

If you have a few minutes you might want to pop over to Hakai magazine and read their article about how the invention of string was more important than the wheel.

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/the-long-knotty-world-spanning-story-of-string/

Hakai magazine features Coastal Science and Societies, which usually means the sea , and the animals and people who live in and around the sea.  You can get it sent to you free in your inbox!

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/newsletter-sign/

They are based in Canada on the coast of British Columbia.  I am not affiliated with them but it is nice to promote their work.

There was a really interesting article about traditional wooden Indigenous fish hooks the other day.  They were hand carved to catch halibut and the size of the hook determined the size of the fish you'd catch, so they wouldn't catch the sizes they didn't want.

I find it interesting that something that seemed so simple was so sophisticated.  And artistic!  And a bit mystical.  And the idea that sometimes your dreams can tell you something.  I also like the idea of reclaiming a traditional craft that is also a kind of cultural connection.

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/the-halibut-hook-revival/

A lot of traditional knitting patterns and stitches came from islands that relied on sheep and fishing.  Perhaps the act of knitting is connected with nature in that way.