Create your happy

I know what you're thinking - wasn't this the title of the last post? Where did the other post go?

I deleted it. Why? Cause it was rubbish. I spoke about how your use of colour could reflect your mood but really the post should have been about how knitting with colour can boost your creativity and improve your frame of mind. Although I have a full black wardrobe I do enjoy colour as you can see below.



My designs are rich in colour and when I go yarn shopping I'm always drawn to the brightest thing in store. I'm obsessed with textures so my patterns may not be flamboyant but they all feel amazing which is a comfort "blanket" for me when I don't feel good.

I have the blues from time to time and when I'm in a funk I tend to knit until my mind goes numb. Most of my projects get frogged but the motion of knitting has a metronome affect of calming the heart and slowing down your breathing. When you're in a depressed state you just need a feeling of stability and inner peace so you stop overthinking and worrying about everything

...

Post activity you have something in your hand that you have created. Good or bad you have achieved something and sometimes that all you have to do to get through the day - achieve something.

Good or so bad it's perfect. Well that's it folks, hope you enjoyed this post and see you next time!

Happy knitting,

Five years on and I still have it

Anxiety. It's a popular word in the blogging sphere but what is it and why do so many people experience it. According to the Oxford dictionary, anxiety is "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome." With that explanation, there's no surprise that this condition affects on average one in four people in their life time and can be triggered at any moment. 

My first awareness of anxiety was returning home from university and seeing old friends again. I hadn't enjoyed my uni experience so I had no grand stories to tell or career prospects I wanted to share with my eager audience. Walking up to the pub to greet my friends all I remember is getting sweaty, dizzy, and feeling cold. I wasn't prepared. I had a brief script in my head that was fool proof but it still took me 30 minutes to enter the building and perform.

Basic Tunisian crochet

Five years on, I still have these moments but I panic at home and calm my brain well in advance so I can socialise with confidence and grace. DEEP breathing and knitting has always been my medicine and if I can knit on the go, my life is even better. I carry a little crochet hook on my keys and create little patches of magic that can be recreated over and over again through Tunisian crochet.

Described as being more crochet than knitting but I liken it to knitting because it's easy to complete without looking. I've found that crochet requires a lot of counting but this style of "knitting" is relaxed and care free - exactly what you need when you need to focus on nothing.

Do you have any tips to for knitting on the go? Share your thoughts below and look out for our next post.

Happy knitting,

Why I knit

Before I started knitting I only saw it as an activity for old people who had too much time on their hands but as I've grown as a person I have realised that it has value to one's time. I could spend a few hours scrolling through Instagram, destroying my self esteem, or I could use those hours creating something beautiful that boosts my confidence and well-being.

The activity morphs me into a mediate state as I work rhythmic patterns and embracing repetitive movements. Whether it be the choice of yarn, to the colour palette, each project tells a new story about how I felt in that moment. Sometimes my projects are not completed and I frog the yarn but in that time I have a chance to be still and unclog my mind.

Although my hand are occupied I tend to keep busy while I knit - catch up with soaps, listen to music, call friends, and research new stitches. I like the contrast of a "quiet" activity in the mist of chaos but for you it could be a different experience. You could find a pattern, log off the internet, and dedicate your time to yourself and your yarn. It all depends on your personality and creative journey.

Share the benefits you have had knitting below and enjoy our next post.

Happy knitting,

Confessions of a Knitter

Funny story, I went to university to study Fashion Knitwear and I couldn't knit! As excited as I was to be on this unusual course I was overwhelmed by the skills everyone had already mastered. Alone I struggled to understand my tutors step-by-step tutorials on how to cast on and how to do my first knit. I was soon to quit after an hour into the session until my tutor did a walk around and asked me the magical question:

"Are you left-handed?"

Before she had asked it never occurred to me that the way I held objects would affect the way I would learn to knit. There's two main ways to knit (English and Continental ) and as a leftie, I would soon master the craft as a English style knitter. My world opened up. I learnt to google "English style knitting" when I didn't understand written guides and become friends with a mirror to flip confusing diagrams around. Without knitting I dunno who I'd be. It brings me so much relaxation and joy.

Seven years into the craft I have learnt how to be patient and understand when my body needs a time out. I have found out that I love researching and take great pride in discovering something new and mastering it. You become so patience with yourself because you learn to trust in yourself that if you can knit; you can purl .. if you can purl; you can do cables .. if you can create cables; gosh, you can make a sweater or even a TAZIE KNITS bag. You just fall in love with your endless possibilities and the visual representation of your time.

So if you're struggling with your knitting, please, please, please don't give up. It's a positive habit that could change your outlook on life and how you spend time with yourself.

Let us know your journey below and look out for our next post.

Happy knitting,