Thanksgiving, Mindfulness, and the art of Knitting with Gratitude

Thanksgiving is here this week—a perfect time to think about all the things we’re grateful for. But as we know, gratitude is so much more than a once-a-year reflection—it’s an ongoing practice. 

Gratitude isn’t about ignoring life’s challenges, but rather about acknowledging the good alongside the difficult. It's about finding moments of joy and appreciation even in the midst of hardship.  Gratitude as a way of seeing our lives and surroundings in deeper, richer colors. This doesn’t always happen automatically, especially with our busy lives and distractions everywhere. Gratitude needs to be intentional, and fortunately for us, knitting is a perfect way to bring mindfulness and gratitude into our everyday lives. 

There’s something magical in knitting’s repetitive rhythm.  Making each stitch, focusing on the motion and the feel naturally pulls us into the present.  Knitting is an important form of self care that offers a much needed quiet escape as well as a perfect way to reflect and savor moments from each day.

Each stitch holds a little bit of our day’s experience. As we knit, we can think back over what the day brought—conversations, small wins, little kindnesses, or even the challenges we overcame. In this way, knitting can become a time for gentle reflection, allowing us to pause and appreciate even the smallest things. It’s a chance to feel gratitude for the warmth of a morning coffee, for a thoughtful text from a friend, or maybe just for that cozy time with a beautiful color of yarn. 

This Thanksgiving, as we gather with friends and family, let’s think about gratitude not just as something to express on one day, but as something we can weave into our lives all year. It doesn’t take much, just a few moments with your knitting each day. Even a couple of rows can hold all the thoughts and moments you want to remember, letting your project become a story of gratitude, bit by bit.  

So, as you pick up your needles, let each stitch remind you of the small joys, of moments shared, and the simple beauty that’s often right in front of us. Knitting in this way brings us back to the things that truly matter, one stitch at a time.

Warmly,
Ellen

ps. I think the idea of daily reflection and gratitude is part of the power behind the temperature blanket project.  It's about seeing and capturing our daily gratitude as much, if not more, than it is about seeing the weather. If you would like to begin an annual practice like, the Temperature Blanket project may be just what you need ❤️