PTSD Recovery and Knitting Progress: My Dottie Shawl is 21 Rows from Completion.

baby pink color knit shawl

Last night, I fell asleep by 8:30 and slept through the whole night. I woke up this morning free from my latest PTSD episode, and my excitement is hard to contain. Shouting it out sounds exhausting, but I feel tremendous joy.

Now that I’m on my second cup of coffee and feeling more awake, I realized I’m just 21 rows away from finishing my latest knitting project—the Dottie shawl by ALJayknits. I’m using a cotton sport-weight yarn from Juniper Moon Farms in a soft baby pink. The pattern says I can make the shawl bigger if I want, and gives instructions for that, but I’m not sure if I should stick to the original size or keep going. This is my first time knitting a shawl, so I’d love advice from anyone with experience. Should I follow the pattern or make it larger? Any tips for finishing or sizing would be really helpful.

With my PTSD episode behind me for now, I can knit just for fun. Since my mind feels clear and I’m not weighed down by old fears, I might even bake today—maybe some biscotti, though I haven’t decided between fruit or chocolate yet. It’s hard to put into words how good it feels to have a clear mind. I really feel alive today. Yay!

I might spend the day on the couch watching PBS or BritBox while knitting or baking, so the Dottie shawl might not get finished today. Still, I’m really

enjoying working on it.

It feels amazing to have this freedom. I’m no longer trapped by PTSD, and I can be creative because I want to, not because I have to distract myself. I hope anyone else who’s struggling can find comfort in a craft or a simple routine, too.

Today is going to be a wonderful day.