Knitting the Gridiron: Stitching Wins and Losses into My 2025 Football Scarf
For four seasons, Miss Purl's Sunday social stitching has been paired with the excitement of watching the Bears game. This year, I decided to add a creative twist by designing the Football Fan Scarf pattern. Each week, we knit stripes based on the game's outcome, making it a fun project for football fans.
The NFL regular season spans 18 weeks, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week. This setup gave us plenty of chances to add new stripes to our scarves each week.
Despite the ups and downs, each Sunday Social Knitting and game watching brought its own lessons and memories, which I captured in the stripes of my Football Scarf. Creating allows us to process our thoughts, celebrate our achievements, and learn from our challenges. Through each stitch and stripe, we can choose to reflect and find meaning.
Join me as I share the lessons learned while knitting this unique project and how each stitch and stripe tells the story of the 2025 Chicago Bears season. 🧶🏈
Rhythm Develops Even in the Hard Times
As I knit my Football Scarf over the 2025 NFL season, I noticed a rhythm developing, even during the challenging weeks. Each stripe, whether it represented a home win, an away win, or a team loss, contributed to a soothing pattern. This rhythm became a source of comfort, reminding me that consistency and perseverance can create something beautiful, even when times are tough. This lesson resonated with me as I journey through the early years of new business.
Time is the Same. Be Present.
During the losing weeks, it felt like time dragged on. "How much longer is this stripe gonna be?" Each row seemed to take forever. But in reality, it was the same 18 rows each week. This taught me the importance of being present and not catastrophizing difficult experiences. Embracing each stitch, regardless of the outcome, helped me appreciate the process and stay grounded. By staying present, we transcend the tough moments and truly enjoy the good ones.
Seeing the Final Piece: All the Patches Fit Together
When I finally completed the Football Scarf, I was amazed at how all the patches fit together to form a beautiful pattern. Each section, with its unique story, contributed to the overall design. Every experience, whether a win or a loss, plays a crucial role in the bigger picture of our lives.
Good to Process Through an Action
Knitting my football scarf was such a vibe. Every stitch helped me sort through my thoughts and feelings. The repetitive motion was super calming and gave me some solid mindfulness time. It's like a mental wellness hack!
It Wasn’t the Pattern I Thought It Would Be, But It Was Still an Awesome Experience
The scarf didn't turn out the way I pictured, but it was still a blast. As the season went on, the pattern totally surprised me. Even so, the whole experience was super rewarding. It taught me to roll with the punches and enjoy the ride, not just the finish line.
And guess what? My mood skyrocketed when I saw a commercial during the Super Bowl.
Delaying Difficulty is What Makes It Heavy
There were weeks I totally skipped working on my football fan scarf because, let's be real, I wasn't feeling the fan vibes. 😂 But then, one day, I saw Matthew McConaughey's Uber Eats commercial during the Super Bowl, and my mood did a 180. OMG, my scarf is giving major vintage Bears energy. I'm living for it!"
The pattern was supposed to be knit one section a week, but I powered through a few weeks of non-stop, catch-up knitting in just two days. It felt kinda anticlimactic and made me realize that putting off tough tasks under a time crunch just makes me feel, well, crushed. Tackling challenges as they come is way more manageable and fulfilling.
Wins and Losses: Perspective from the Rearview Mirror
Looking at this completed cowl and its stripe pattern, a loss is just a loss and a win is just a win. The details that seemed so huge at the time, like the heartbreaking Week 7 loss to the Commanders, the overtime heartbreak against the Vikings in Week 12, or the 20-point smackdown by the Cardinals, all blend together into sets of stripes in the rearview mirror.
But the sheer joy of finally beating Green Bay in the last game of the season? That stands out as a win, no matter how frustrating the season was. By choosing to let go of the emotional meanings tied to each event, we can release past frustrations and move forward, appreciating the beauty of the journey and the lessons learned along the way.