This post is written by Betsan Corkhill, author of Knit for Health and Wellness. How to Knit a Flexible Mind and More... Betsan will be a keynote speaker at our online February handwork conference Feb, 15-17, 2025
I am looking forward to speaking at your annual conference in February 2025. My talk will lay down the foundations of my work then widen this thinking to discuss how we can use knitting to enhance connection to ourselves, our community and wider world.
I have been researching the meditative, creative and social benefits of knitting since 2005 when I stumbled across a vast treasure trove of anecdotal evidence in the form of letters written to a knitting magazine. As a former physical therapist, I immediately wanted to know the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind the claims being made by large numbers of people from different backgrounds and cultures around the world about the therapeutic and healing benefits of knitting. I wanted to know if the world of science could explain their claims and whether this could be used to enhance the lives of others. I knew that the media headlines would sensationalise any findings so I set up Stitchlinks (Stitchlinks.com) in 2005 because I quickly realised that people would need a trustworthy source of information on the topic.
I began developing the idea of Therapeutic Knitting when I realised that we could learn to enhance the benefits of knitting in order to deliberately improve our health and wellbeing – we could use it intentionally. This idea initially focused on improving the health of the individual. Those who are fit and healthy can use therapeutic knitting to manage day-to-day stress in order to find moments of balance throughout their day, as well as to manage those more challenging times that life throws at us all. In addition, those living with health problems could use it to manage symptoms.
The beauty of knitting is that as a two-handed, rhythmic, creative activity it requires a complex integration of mind, body and movement. The hand movements play a significant role as does the hand position in protecting your personal space. It enriches the knitter’s life in many ways. Its portability raises it above other activities which makes it an ideal healthcare tool. You can take it anywhere and use it any time. It enables people to be social by providing them with a self-soothing tool to manage any anxiety at being in social situations.
Knitting alone and knitting in a group have different benefits and I would recommend doing both. Knitting alone enables and strengthens that inner connection of mind and body, whilst knitting in a group facilitates a connection to others and the wider community. Knitting enables connection. It unifies mind, body and spirit, and when used intentionally can connect the individual to their local community and wider world.
My book ‘Knit for Health and Wellness. How to knit a flexible mind and more…’ gathers together these ideas and research findings and is available on Amazon.
More recently I have been expanding my ideas beyond the individual. We live in a society that focuses on improvement of the individual. Often that becomes a drive at the expense of others, but it doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, we cannot truly thrive if those in our environment, and indeed the wider world, suffer. We can extend this thinking to our planet Earth. The recent Covid pandemic was a harsh reminder of this. When we start thinking of our self as a wider self who is intricately connected to our environment, nature and our planet to the extent that we ARE this wider being, we truly thrive. And in turn those around us, even the planet benefits. It moves from a win-lose situation to a win-win one. We grow together.
It's an accepted fact that people experience more pain and other symptoms when their mind/body perceives the world around them to be a dangerous or threatening place. Symptoms improve when there is a sense of inner safety or of ‘being in a safe place’. When we feel safe, our bodily systems move into a balanced state where healing and recovery can take place. This doesn’t, and cannot physiologically, happen when we are in a state of stress or distress.
A knitting group provides a safe place to meet others, to experience a rich form of social contact. Stories are shared, friendships are made, and local supportive networks are formed. They provide a level playing field where those from diverse backgrounds and cultures come together as knitters enjoying their craft. A place where you are ‘seen’ primarily as a knitter, where other social labels fade. A place of acceptance and connection between people who may otherwise be regarded as ‘different’. You hear their story. In my experience of many years working with people with long-term health problems, when you learn their story, you begin to really understand why they are where they are in life. You make that connection.
When we nurture our ‘wider selves’ and our connection to community, nature and planet we are less likely to want to do anything to harm that environment. We naturally start to think about the source of our materials and the environmental cost to the planet of their production and disposal.
Therapeutic knitting starts by nurturing the individual and through nurtured individuals we nourish and enhance community and the wider world. We grow together.
I look forward to expanding and discussing these ideas further in my presentation ‘Knit to Connect’ in February.
Knit for Health and Wellness. How to knit a flexible mind and more…’ https://www.amazon.com/Knit-Health-Wellness-knit-flexible/dp/1910291331/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
To hear more from Betsan, join us online this February for our online international handwork teaching conference - Growing Together: The Power of Community Handwork
Registration opens December 1, 2024. Sign up before December 22nd and take advantage of our special Early Bird pricing! Full details online.
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