Have you ever seen a Japanese zen rock garden? The ridged texture of hte blocks in this project remind me of a design I would rake into the sand in one of those soothing, miniature gardens. The ridged blocks are worked in one piece, each building off the last block made. Each square is picked up from the side of the last square, and they are completely reversible. A mobius benefits greatly from a reversible fabric. This simple accessory is crocheted in one piece, seamed with a couple rows of same sc-tbl. The edging is worked in one simple row, along perimeter, reminding me of the rocks you could arrange around your raked design in the zen garden. Interestingly, you would think there are two rounds of edging: top and bottom. However, the twist is in the mobius twist!

One of the great beauties of a mobius is that it can be worn in a variety of ways. Depending on how much of the shoulders you cover, it can range from a capelet to a cowl.

I researched Japenese Zen Rock Gardens and came up with some very interesting information. The garden is rich with symbolism and history.

Also known as karesansui, or simply zen gardens, the purpose of these japanese rock gardens is to provide a place of zen, and to calm the mind. Well, that sure reminds me of the reason we crochet in the first place!

Traditionally a zen garden's container is facing pefectly north and south. Twisting our rock garden into a mobius really throughs this one for a loop!

The most famous Karesansui is one created by artist Sōami at Ryoan-ji, in the northwest of Kyoto, Japan. It is believed to be over 500 years old It is 30 meters by 10 meters. The Zen Garden Mobius is a classic design that you can wear for years to come!

The edging around the perimeter of the mobius represents the rocks in a zen garden. In the spirit of Karesansui, it also represents the islands of Japan and the ridged blocks (raked gravel/sand) represent the oceans.

Another symbolism theory is that the rocks are symbolic of a mother tiger and her cubs, swimming toward a dragon. Maybe this mobius would make a great mother-to-be gift?

The pattern is $3.99 USD and can be purchased through Ravelry: