Knitting as therapy

My latest creation, I think knitting is my solace, whereby I can create to my own desire. It is a comfort to me, especially when my mind is stressed out by dissertation deadlines. It also keeps me warm serving not only a practical purpose but also a creative one, whilst helping me feel that I am keeping a traditional skill alive.

This is somtheing that I discussed within my dissertation in far greater detail, examining the idea of it being used as therapy, or as a way of bringing communites back together once more (also discussing how the loss of knitting was due to the knowledge not being passed along the generations anymore for a variety of reasons). There was an interesting poem I came across by the first Welsh Poet Laureate (2006) Gwyneth Lewis (this was featured on a series of programmes broadcast on BBC Radio4 about knitting- entitled "How to knit a poem") -

Hypnosis knitting

A day of wordless misery,
thorns in the heart
that refuse to budge.
No matter, I’m keeping company
with myself, though hurting,
redeeming time that was torturing me.
My grandmother’s craftwork,
I suddenly see, was self-medication,
her fanciest knitwear
anti-depressant hosiery:
a stance against melancholy.
This pattern wants only rhythm from me:
no judging, no knowing,
just moving on
into a future. I’m working three
axels. First a new personality
Made from my patience.
Second, a scarf
composed in calm,
a respite from my usual self-harm.
The third is my finest.
Look! I’ve unpicked
myself from my worry, a delicate stitch
into the present. No one can see
this last. Mindfulness charges the air,
arrays me in intricate gossamer.

This is the stunning work of one of my favourite current designers- Angie Lewin, who does a selection of linocuts and screenprint designs. I recently saw her work on my box of organic porrdige oats, it was quite distinctive so I immediately new whose design it was.http://www.angielewin.co.uk/gallery.htm

Another designer whose work I admire is Rob Ryan, a man with a very steady hand, all that paper cutting eh..the beautiful silhouettes and the way they are all interlinked with one another is amazing. I used to have trouble getting my little newspaper cut outpeople to link hands, for the kids when they were little, alright maybe last week as well...so this is an truly astounding feat..
http://rob-ryan.blogspot.com/

Extreme knitting!! I made a blanket for a friend's baby- he certainly won't get cold. this was also an excellent way of using up all those odd balls of yarn that i buy, and i have a fair size stash....
this was my way of destressing, as i am in the throes of my dissertation, yep that is also on knitting or the loss of it over the years...

It is officially cold, really cold and that snow just keeps falling, but the garden looks magical in this weather. The chickens finally came out of the coop, but they are not too keen on this white powdery stuff and would rather attempt to eat it.

This weather has encouraged me to pursue indoor activities, so i dragged out my extreme knitting needles and made an extremely warm, chunky blanket for my friend's baby.