Mala Bead Cowl

Mala or prayer beads are used in many religions and cultures around the world, either to help with prayer and meditation or to simply keep the fingers occupied during times of stress. The traditional use of Mala beads is similar to a rosary, but with mantras for each bead, rather than a prayer. The Mala help you to remain focused during meditation and are  a tool for personal therapy as they're a great way to pass the time and soothe an anxious mind by keeping your hands busy.

A mala bead necklace typically has 108 beads, allowing meditators to count mantras in sets of 108 repetitions. In our cowl design we are using 108 bobbles to mimic the beads and the rhythmic introduction to knitting them without turning your work makes for a good flow of crown chakra. You first work a triangle, which is then joined point to point to form the cowl which can be worn in many ways and tucks safely into your coat or jacket, staying put keeping your neck cosy.

For the cowl we used Smuid Yarn, a 75% Blue Faced Leicester/25% Gotland mix, soft and bouncy with a lovely halo. Like all other yarns from the Isle of Skye Natural Dye Company, the yarn is hand-dyed by Kirsty and Simon, using healing plants that grow on the Isle of Skye. We hope that knitting this cowl will give you moments of complete calm, help you to focus on your feelings and become aware on the present moment and your thoughts. Every bead (bobble) is a worry knitted - a worry gone.

Materials

Smuid

75% Blue Faced Leicester/25% Gotland

50g/175m

Sample 1:

1 x Natural – Col 1

1 x Meadowsweet – Col 2

Sample 2:

1 x Natural – Col 1

1 x Madder – Col 2

3.75mm Circular Knitting Needle

2 x 3.75mm DPN’s for applied I-cord edge

Darning Needle