Starfish
Today I knit a starfish.
I used a pattern which is a VERY easy combination of casting on and casting off and knitting.
When I was a counsellor at summer camp years ago, we were given a story to read during our staff training; it was the story of the starfish, and it goes something like this:
The Story of The Starfish
A man was walking along a beach at low tide. He saw a boy in the distance that looked like he was dancing into the water and back onto the beach. As he got closer, he could see that the boy was not dancing, but reaching down to pick up starfish that had been stranded when the waters receded, and tossing them gently back into the water.
The man approached, and asked “why are you throwing starfish into the water?”
The boy replied,”the starfish will die otherwise.”
The man then asked, “what’s the point though? There are hundreds of miles of beach, and thousands upon thousands of starfish. How can you possibly make a difference?”
The boy silently stooped down to pick up another starfish from the beach, and tossed it gently back into the water. “I certainly made a difference to that one!” He answered.
After reading this story, the symbolism of the starfish has stayed with me over the years. Sometimes, when I notice people getting frustrated, and thinking that they can’t possibly make a difference, I print off the story of the starfish, and give it to them to remind them that they can make a difference, to one starfish at a time.
I’m going to send this knitted starfish in the mail. I hope the recipient is surprised, and happy, and reminded that they too can make a difference to others, one person at a time.
Take the time to share the story of the starfish to people you know. Knit them a starfish too! It just takes 10 minutes, but it could make their day.
- Directions: Cast on 10 stitches
- Row 1: Knit 10
- Row 2: Knit 10
- Row 3: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches
- Row 4: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches. This splits the row to make the gaps between the legs.
- Row 5: Knit 10
- Row 6: Knit 10
- Row 7: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches
- Row 8: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.
- Row 9: Knit 10
- Row 10: Knit 10
- Row 11: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches
- Row 12: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.
- Row 13: Knit 10
- Row 14: Knit 11
- Row 15: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches
- Row 16: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.
- Row 17: Knit 10
- Row 18: Knit 10
- Row 19: Cast off 7 stitches, knit the remaining 3 stitches
- Row 20: Knit 3, now turn the needle round and now cast on 7 stitches.
- Row 21: Knit 10
- Row 22: Knit 10
- Cast off 10 stitches
- You should now have a knitted piece with 5 legs that needs to be stitched into a star shape
Tags: art every day, knitting
