Knit Happens

When sh*t happens, I knit!  With time on my hands, needles, yarn and a desire to switch off, I’ve created plenty of items.  Knitting has been a go-to for me in recent years, from pandemic boredom to breaking my phone addiction and even helping me through cancer treatment. It’s cheaper than therapy (unless like me you get sucked into buying all sorts of fancy yarn), I can’t promise its quicker or less challenging, but you could end up with something cosy and beautiful at the end of it.

I learned to knit as a child, thanks to my Granny and Nana, and returned to it as an adult with the help of YouTube (so helpful that I wonder what knitters did before online tutorials).  My early attempts as I retrained were questionable and not always wearable but, with practice, I graduated to scarves, jumpers, mittens, and socks. I even made a pair of joggers in the pandemic.  I learned a big lesson – do NOT put wool on a high spin cycle – 4 weeks of daily knitting, ruined in less than an hour in the washing machine!

Knitting isn’t just calming; it’s also a bit like solving a puzzle. The patterns are like deciphering another language, but I love the challenge – maybe that’s why studies have shown that knitting helps brain function, potentially lowering the risk of dementia.  And that’s not the only benefit, as well as the satisfaction of saying “Oh, this? I made it,” knitting can help reduce stress and anxiety, and its almost like a mindful practice in that it helps you focus on the here and now and not run away with thoughts.  That’s my experience anyway.

So, if like me, you want to spend less time scrolling on your phone, keep your hands busy and your mind calm and end up with a new creation why not pick up some needles and yarn and get started?

Here’s my top tips:

• You can invest in a starter kit – there are some good ones at Wool Couture, Wool and the Gang or We Are Knitters.
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• Or you can go it alone:
  • You will need a beginner’s friendly pattern – there is a simple one for a scarf here that you can download for free.
  • You can scour charity shops for needles – but if you did want to buy some new, then start with these bamboo needles (for the above pattern you will need 4.5mm needles).
  • And you’ll need some other accessories – tapestry needle, snips and stitch markers – its best to buy an accessories kit, like this one.
  • Knowing what weight of yarn to buy can feel confusing.  For the above pattern, they use this yarn which is an aran weight – if you wanted to use a yarn with a higher proportion of natural fibres instead, I would recommend this yarn (although you would need 2 balls). 
  • Watch these videos – how to cast on and how to do knit stitch
• If you’re ever unsure of the language, how to do a stitch or even the yarn you should be using, then just go to you tube.  There are hundreds of simple guides.