Why I Knit

It was an absolute pleasure to speak to Milli about her relationship with knitting. Right now she is the owner of Tribe Yarns, a yarn shop in Richmond-upon-Thames in London but she has also circumnavigated the globe on a yacht with her family and worked with Richard Branson as his CFO. Knitting has been a constant through all her adventures. Milli also has a qualification in Applied Colour Psychol...

This week I was excited to be joined by Casey Bernard, who is one half of the Very Pink Knits podcast. I have listened to this podcast for several years now and particularly enjoy the conversations that Casey and Staci have about the differences between them and their relationship to their knitting and the dilemma of 'process versus project' knitting. To find the full transcript see the blog post...

Nasreen (also known as @sewcraftynaz on Instagram) is a multi-crafter and relatively new knitter. She joins me on the podcast to talk about how craft has allowed her to connect to her mother who died when she was very young, and to her children who have inherited her love of making. Nasreen also speaks about how making time for creativity is a really important part of her own self-care as a doctor...

Series two is starting with another 'pinch me' moment as I am joined by Meghan Fernandes and Lydia Gluck, the founders and creative directors of Pom Pom magazine! As you'll hear, discovering Pom Pom inspired me to become a garment knitter, which has completely changed my relationship with the clothes I wear. It was such a pleasure to talk to Meghan and Lydia about their love of making and how this...

The podcast is back for series two on Thursday 3rd March. I am really excited to share another series of interviews with brilliant guests all of whom believe that knitting plays an important role in their mental wellbeing. Mentioned in this episode: How to support the podcast Thank you so much for listening. If you value the podcast and would like to support it, here's how: 1. Sign up to our month...

Dana Williams-Johnson, or DWJ is a doctoral student and professor of marketing at Howard University. She is also a passionate knitter of colourful sweaters for humans and very small dogs! She also writes a column for Modern Daily Knitting. Dana and I speak about how her love of learning brought her to a knitting class and how she keeps on building on that knowledge year after year. She also speaks...

Lauren Brennan is the Managing Director of Project Knitwell, a charity dedicated to using knitting as a wellness tool and bringing this to people in hospital and community settings. Lauren speaks about her own journey in using to knitting to benefit her wellbeing as well as her involvement in project knitwell, bringing the joy and comfort of knitting to people in need. View the transcript for this...

LJ is the owner of Rusty Ferret Yarn and also speaks openly about how she has used knitting to manage anxiety and low mood. She has brilliantly named her new yarn range after her struggles with low mood. LJ speaks about knowing that she needed to do something with her hands in order to feel better, and how knitting helped her to manage a bereavement. View the transcript on the captivate player You...

Betsan Corkhill is internationally recognised as an expert in therapeutic knitting. Hear about how a stack of letters in a filing cabinet let to Betsan's career specialising in the therapeutic benefits of knitting and how she rebranded knitting as a 'rythmical bilateral psychosocial intervention' in order to get knitting taken seriously when discussing her research. View the transcript for this ep...

TW: Homophobia, suicide and depression James McIntosh taught himself to knit with chopsticks and string when he had been so low in mood that he couldn't leave his bed. He now credits knitting with saving his life. See the transcript for this episode on the captivate player James is the owner of McIntosh yarn, see their website Follow James on Instagram: @knitmcintosh Yarns, patterns and research d...

Ros Edwards is a prolific knitter who has had a bed-bound illness for the past 5 years. Ros speaks about how knitting helps her to manage chronic pain and the psychological distress of her illness. Ros also speaks about the importance of the connections she has made in the yarn community, and that she uses her yarn and pattern purchases to demonstrate her values. View the transcript on the captiva...

Atia Azmi is a knitter, sewer, blogger and podcaster who is known for her creative use of colour in her makes and her home. Atia speaks about the joy of using knitting as a creative outlet where she can combine colours. Visit Atia's website: www.thebrightblooms.com Follow Atia on Instagram @thebrightblooms The Uncut podcast: Uncut Podcast ------------- 🧶 We are hosting a LIVE version of our webin...

The first episode of Season 1 will be released on 2nd December! I have some amazing guests and can't wait to share our conversations with you. You can follow me on Instagram @knittingistherapeutic or contact me via my website www.therapeuticknitting.org Mentioned in this episode: Join us to learn more about the mental health benefits of knitting!` We are running our popular webinar The Healing Pow...