Why I Knit

Have you ever stressed yourself our by overcommitting to gift knitting? Do you end up being exhausted by the festive season? Then we have a bonus episode for you! Subscribe to the Creative Restoration newletter here to receive our bonus episode as soon as it is released on 14th November to help you keep your self-care on track during Christmas, and continue to use knitting to benefit your mental wellbeing.

This is the final episode in series 7 - thank you so much for listening!

Joining me this week is Kristina LaVenia who is a senior lecturer in leadership at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. She has collaborated with Project Knitwell on research delivering knitting workshops for staff in educational settings.

Kristina speaks about her own journey using knitting throughout the pandemic, and her experience of offering this as an intervention to others.

You can follow Kristina on Instagram here: @klavenia

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic

Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Carole Wyatt is a cancer doctor who has been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. She speaks about using knitting to cope with the difficult days, and also to create a handknitted legacy to pass down to her future grandchildren.

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic

Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Tamanna is a nurse practioner and multi-crafter who works in the field of mental health. Tamanna joins me to speak about her own journey to knitting, sewing and embroidery, how this connects her to family traditions and her values of sustainability and ethical production of clothing.

She also speaks about she uses fibre arts to benefit the mental health of herself and others.

Tamanna Rahman

Instagram: @slow.work.sewing

Website: slow.work.sewing

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic

Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Whitney is a plus size knitter and YouTuber who is passionate about taking back the power to create clothes she loves in colours she enjoys. She speaks about how knitting has helped her to love the body she has, rather than feel that she to change her body to fit the clothes she can buy.

Whitney Swinimer

Whitney's website: knittedbywhitney

YouTube: Knitted by Whitney

Whitney's article on how knitting helped her to fall in love with her body

Instagram: @knittedbywhitney

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic

Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Elena Lo Presti is the founder and director of Craft Forward, which is a not-for-profit organisation that provides accessible, creative, experiences suitable for everyone, regardless of their skills and background. Their aim is to disrupt the current elitism within the arts and crafts world and open creativity to all through workshops with a clear social impact.

Elena joins me to speak about her own personal story learning to knit as a way of connecting with her grandmother during the pandemic, and tells the story of how she turned this new passion into Craft Forward.

Craft Forward

Website: https://craftforward.com/

To donate to the Blankets for London campaign (before 10th November 2024): Blankets for London

Instagram: @craft_forward

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic

Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Christina Socorro Yovovich is a writer, knitter and multi-crafter. Christina speaks about how since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she had struggled to access joy without worrying about whether this was a sign that she was becoming unwell. She explains how returning to knitting has allowed her to access a safe and more grounded form of joy in her daily life.

Christina Socorro Yovovich

website: Christina Socorro Yovovich

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@DesertAgaveFiberArts .

Instagram: @cyovovich

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic



Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Victoria Marchant is an inclusive knitwear designer who puts size inclusivity at the heart of all her designs. Her latest design, the Padstow Cardigan will be released on October 18th.

Victoria Marchant

Website: www.victoriamarchantknits.com

Instagram: @victoriamarchantknits

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic



Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Creative Restoration Retreat

Come and join us at the Creative Restoration retreat

Samantha Moore is a filmmaker and animator who directed the BAFTA nominated animated film 'Visible Mending' which is about the ways we repair ourselves through knitting.

If you haven't seen Sam's brilliant film, you can watch the film at Sam's Vimeo channel here: Visible Mending

Follow Sam on Instagram: @sammooreanimate

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic



Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

In this bonus episode Dr Claire Plumbly, Clinical Psychologist and EMDR specialist joins me to discuss what the theory behind EMDR can tell us about why we find the hand movements of knitting so therapeutic.

Claire Plumbly

Buy her book:  https://www.drclaireplumbly.com/burnout-book

www.drclaireplumbly.com

Instagram: @drclaireplumbly

Mia Hobbs

Find out about our NEW Audio Course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time

Sign up to the newsletter to be the first to know about new episodes: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic



Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.

Thanks so much for your questions for the Q&A episode, it has been so interesting to be asked such great questions.

Mia Hobbs

Find out more at my website: www.therapeuticknitting.org

Follow me on Instagram: @knittingistherapeutic

Mentioned in this episode:

Knitting for Self-Care at Christmas

Visit our website to download the FREE bonus episode of Self-Care One Stitch at a Time focussed on Christmas.