Knitting with benefits
How knitting can help us help ourselves and others both inside and outside the knitting community.
Knitting is not just a pastime. It allows us to express our creativity through a practical and relaxing medium that can also be an amazing help during times of stress or anxiety. The rhythmic act of producing fabric with two needles and yarn is known to have a calming effect as well as helping keep us focussed, by blocking out our worries or at least lessening their hold over our minds. And no one can overestimate that sense of pride and accomplishment that we feel once we’ve completed a project. And there is always that teeny tiny sense of smugness when we can respond to a comment about something we’ve knitted ourselves with, “thanks, I made it myself!”
But knitting is also a source of joy (occasionally frustration!) and community that not only benefits our own mental health and wellbeing, but it can be used to bring people together from all over the world. I’ve met so many amazing knitters, dyers and designers over the years, and know the power the community can have in uniting us in a common cause or to help raise awareness of the challenges that so many face. It also offers many ways to provide practical help and support to those in our community and beyond.
But there is one knitter in particular who supported me through thick and thin and who inspired me to help and support others in the fight against something that will unfortunately touch most of our lives in one way or another. That knitter is my Mum who took on cancer twice, but unfortunately lost the second time. It’s an evil disease that doesn’t care who you are, where you come from, how much money you have or if you’re a mother, father, partner, sister, brother, child or friend. It’s a devastating disease that has impacted my immediate and extended family in so many ways and continues to do so.
But there are amazing charities out there that continue to research treatments and cures to help those affected by cancer personally as well as those who help patients and their families more practically. And going forward, I will be helping to support some of these charities and their work by designing a new knitting pattern every year that will be launched on my Mum’s birthday. I will then donate 50% of the pattern’s sales proceeds to that year’s chosen cancer charity.
I do, however, already have one published charity pattern and there will be another launching this week on May 23rd 2024. The current pattern, which you can purchase from any of my pattern stores, is The JEE and you can read about how this pattern came to be here.
The new pattern, Big Drop, was meant to be launched last October, but as you will read in its own creative journey post that will be available on Wednesday, things really didn’t go to plan.
Both The JEE and Big Drop (once it’s published) will have 50% of their sales proceeds donated to the charity Cancer Research UK until October this year. This is an amazing charity that funds research into cures, treatments and prevention for a variety of cancers. It’s the work of charities like this that provide hope for the future to those who are currently afflicted by this most indiscriminate of diseases, and those who will be.
And if you follow me on Instagram you will be able to see updates on my Lady Thistledown design which will be launched later on in the year. The chosen charity will also change upon the launch of this pattern in October. For 2024/25 the charity will be MacMillan Cancer Support that provides a wide range of practical support as well as clinical nursing specialists to individuals and families of cancer patients. Again I will be donating 50% of pattern sales proceeds for The JEE, Big Drop and Lady Thistledown to this charity until October 2025 when a new knitting pattern in honour of my Mum will be added to the charity pattern fold.
But for now, if you want to knit yourself a cosy, textured DK scarf or a light and airy shawl that is perfect for those summer evenings or your favourite special occasion outfit, and do so in the knowledge that you are helping others in the process, then The JEE and Big Drop (from Thursday) are the patterns for you.
Until next time…