Knitting while Hiking

One of my favorite moving meditation practices is knitting while hiking.
Whether hiking out my door up and down the mountains, in town around Santa Fe's Plaza and up Canyon Road or on lake and ocean shores, mountains and deserts during my travels, I love to knit a touque, beret or scarf for my family members and gifting.
There is a long history of women knitting while hiking or walking from Indian women in Peru who knit as they climb up and down mountais, women of the British Isles who knit as they carry home bales of peat on their backs across the heaths. And my grandmothers among the Acadian, descendants of the Mikmaq women and Cardinal Richelieu's farmers from Bretogne and the French Pyrenees, who knitted snd made lace during daily activities in Acadia before the Grand Derangement of 1755, a skill their daughters handed down despite the diaspora.
Knitting while hiking or walking takes concerntration, but is not difficult once you get the rhythmn. Small knitting projects like hats, gloves, scarfs, socks and pouches with simple knit or purl patterns are best to start. It's easiest if you do a pattern you know and can do mostly without looking.
I like to tuck the yarn ball under my left arm, which helps keep the torso aligned, but a pocket does well too. Remember to pull a few lengths of yarn free before you secure yarn ball and start walking and knitting.
Hiking and knitting while hiking the trail to Lost Palms Canyon like we did last Sunday is a challenge with all the rocks and up and down hike at a brisk pace. Managed like last year to keep knitting through most of hike until last steep descent into the palm canyon. Last year I knit a simple 3 stitch rib hat and gave it to my brother-in-law who is our gracious host on this hike and makes us a delicious lunch we share in the palm canyon. This year, I wanted more of a challenge, so I knit a 3 cable touque for our daughter who accompanied on the hike this year with our third son and Martin. It was more complicated and took more concerntration so got about a third done.
One of the funnest times I knitted while walking was when our daughter and I went to the U.S. Congress and the White House in D.C. for Realizing the Dream's Report to Congress. Congressman, now Senator Tom Udall arranged a tour of the Capitol for Liesette and I knit a hat for Adam Fullerton, Tom's assistant, who patiently waited in the long lines with us waiting for the tour.
But just about my favorite place to knit and hike is in Canyon de Chelly near our old home in Chinle, Arizona, second only to knitting while horseback riding in the canyon or just about anywhere.
Why knit and hike, you ask?
Like much handwork, it is a practice that balances the mind and nourishes the spirit.
Hiking while knitting is good exercise, meditating and you make something to give to another human being.

Charleen Touchette
OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
www.touchart.net