Colourwork Knitting and Muscle Memory

 What are the neurological benefits of knitting?

Studies have found that knitting engages both hemispheres of the brain, promoting neural connectivity and strengthening cognitive pathways. The complex patterns, counting stitches, and following instructions involved in knitting challenge the brain, leading to improved focus, attention, and mental agility.

Also know as "muscle memory" or "procedural memory", knitting is superior to many other memory games in retaining this kind of memory.

And often, in a colour work pattern, the repeats are easy enough for you to rely on that memory to keep you on track. My latest pattern does not fall into that category.

Introducing "Pressed Flower Cardigan", a sweater that has been waiting for me to start for over a year. I LOVE the pattern and picked my yarn when I fell in love, and it has been languishing in a bag since then. 

Here's a link to the ravelry page, where you can learn more about this beauty.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pressed-flowers-cardigan-2

When I read the pattern, and interpreted the charts, I questioned whether or not this was going to be beyond the scope of my muscle memory. I started knitting it, with a blown up chart and a piece of paper that I paper clipped below the row I was working on and also used my row counter, just in case. 

You cannot see it from this photo, but the legend has the following information:

• S indicates a slipped stitch
• you slip with yarn in the back on the right side
• you slip with yarn in the front on the wrong side
• The blue and white indicate main colour and contrast.
• The dot in the square indicates that you purl on the right side and knit on the wrong side
• There are 32 rows in the pattern repeat - and this is just for the body - more charts for the front, back and sleeves.

Not a pattern for the feint of heart. I was almost discouraged from proceeding. Until, I realized that I could purchase a wonderful "aide" with birthday money from my MIL. Enter the Cocoknits Makers' Board Bundle. 

It is kind of an easel, with magnetic surfaces and magnets to hold your pattern/chart, and a rule and needle gauge that you can use to mark the row your are on. No paperclips or skipping a row with this wonderful set. (I have known about it for some time, but when the birthday money and the Pressed Flower Cardi were working together, I ordered it. A little too pricey for me to indulge, but the perfect gift for me, for sure.)

I am now about double the length that is shown here, but even with my Makers' Board, I still manage to lose my train of thought mid-row, and have to back up a fair amount. This is not a pattern that is "mindless" for sure. I am getting very good at counting to 16, since there are 17 repeats of 16 sts in each row. 

Some days, none of my memories are up to it, but I do try to do a bit each day. Luckily, many other projects are also in progress, so I can trade off to another for a break.

Speaking of others, the Stool Pigeon Stool is definitely in the home stretch. I have stitched the sides together, and filled in the hooking at the side seams. It fits on the stool and my grandson has taken it for a test drive - or test "sit". He loves it.

Here are a top and side view.

Just need to whip a cord into the edge of the backing an finish with tape.

And I am still hoping for longer legs lol.