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Knit Yourself Calm: A Creative Path To Managing Stress
Knitting is a relaxing and therapeutic pastime, and this winning combination focuses on mindfulness and the perfect stress-busting knitting projects. Whether you choose a portable project to knit on the go, a group project to do with friends, or one that introduces new skills to stimulate a creative mind, this book is the perfect path to keeping calm.
The book is aimed at beginners as well as more advanced knitters, but does not include anything more complex than basic knit and purl stitches, increasing, decreasing and some simple colorwork.
Lynne Rowe covers the essential techniques at the start of the book, followed by projects that have been specifically designed for mindfulness. The projects themselves are split into five sections: Quick and Easy, Portable, Group, Big, and New Skills. Within these sections, you can choose to make things such as a wash cloth, a hat, a blanket, a shawl and an evening bag, amongst others.
Every single one has been designed to promote calm and mindfulness and all the projects are beautifully photographed with clear and simple knitting patterns.
The Introduction is written by Betsan Corkhill, an experienced healthcare professional who founded the community interest company stitchlinks.com in 2005. It has grown into a global online community for those who enjoy the therapeutic benefits of craft, and in particular, knitting. Betsan has also advised on the projects included in the book and repetitive techniques to promote a calm state.
The five sections have different ways of promoting calm and the feelgood factor:
Quick and Easy: the projects in this section are designed for when you when you feel like a quick fix to raise your mood. Use your favorite colors and textures to enhance the benefits of the rhythmic movements and the feelgood effects. The feeling of success you experience will motivate and inspire you.
Portable: These smaller projects are even more portable, so keep one in your bag at all times. Use it to manage stress on the go, on your commute to work, in your lunch break, when traveling or at any other time when life is getting a bit much and you need to feel calm.
Group: Getting together with friends to knit, chat and laugh over a cuppa is one of life’s joys. Supportive friends help us to live longer, healthier, happier lives so why not combine the calming nature of knitting with the support of being with friends? It’s a powerful way to switch off your stress fight-or-flight response and switch on a bit of fun, play and laughter.
Big: It’s a lovely cozy feeling to sit quietly at home with your Big project on your lap, keeping you warm as you knit. Let it be your constant friend, the one you turn to to find calm and consistency when the world around you feels a bit frantic. As you get into the flow of the pattern, its familiarity will enable you to settle into a soothing rhythm whenever you need to knit yourself calm.
New Skills: Learning new skills on a regular basis is essential for nurturing a healthy brain, opening new neural pathways and even encouraging the growth of new brain cells right into old age. This section focuses on a range of new skills to encourage you to experiment with different stitch patterns and combinations of color and textures. They are designed specifically to stimulate your creative mind.
Whatever your skill level, there are plenty of projects in this book to help you achieve calm, bust those stress levels and enjoy a pastime which is creative, fun and produces beautiful projects to wear, or for the home.
The book is aimed at beginners as well as more advanced knitters, but does not include anything more complex than basic knit and purl stitches, increasing, decreasing and some simple colorwork.
Lynne Rowe covers the essential techniques at the start of the book, followed by projects that have been specifically designed for mindfulness. The projects themselves are split into five sections: Quick and Easy, Portable, Group, Big, and New Skills. Within these sections, you can choose to make things such as a wash cloth, a hat, a blanket, a shawl and an evening bag, amongst others.
Every single one has been designed to promote calm and mindfulness and all the projects are beautifully photographed with clear and simple knitting patterns.
The Introduction is written by Betsan Corkhill, an experienced healthcare professional who founded the community interest company stitchlinks.com in 2005. It has grown into a global online community for those who enjoy the therapeutic benefits of craft, and in particular, knitting. Betsan has also advised on the projects included in the book and repetitive techniques to promote a calm state.
The five sections have different ways of promoting calm and the feelgood factor:
Quick and Easy: the projects in this section are designed for when you when you feel like a quick fix to raise your mood. Use your favorite colors and textures to enhance the benefits of the rhythmic movements and the feelgood effects. The feeling of success you experience will motivate and inspire you.
Portable: These smaller projects are even more portable, so keep one in your bag at all times. Use it to manage stress on the go, on your commute to work, in your lunch break, when traveling or at any other time when life is getting a bit much and you need to feel calm.
Group: Getting together with friends to knit, chat and laugh over a cuppa is one of life’s joys. Supportive friends help us to live longer, healthier, happier lives so why not combine the calming nature of knitting with the support of being with friends? It’s a powerful way to switch off your stress fight-or-flight response and switch on a bit of fun, play and laughter.
Big: It’s a lovely cozy feeling to sit quietly at home with your Big project on your lap, keeping you warm as you knit. Let it be your constant friend, the one you turn to to find calm and consistency when the world around you feels a bit frantic. As you get into the flow of the pattern, its familiarity will enable you to settle into a soothing rhythm whenever you need to knit yourself calm.
New Skills: Learning new skills on a regular basis is essential for nurturing a healthy brain, opening new neural pathways and even encouraging the growth of new brain cells right into old age. This section focuses on a range of new skills to encourage you to experiment with different stitch patterns and combinations of color and textures. They are designed specifically to stimulate your creative mind.
Whatever your skill level, there are plenty of projects in this book to help you achieve calm, bust those stress levels and enjoy a pastime which is creative, fun and produces beautiful projects to wear, or for the home.
112 pages, Paperback
Published June 19, 2017
6 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 29, 2018
Good patterns, but it doesn't really go into how to knit yourself calm.
June 19, 2024
I think this book is great for beginners who know how to knit flat and need some ways to learn new things. That being said, I made some heavy modifications to the fingerless glove pattern, since I could avoid a thick awkward seam on the side of the hand by knitting in the round. Overall, it’s not a bad book at all, just I think that specific pattern may fit oddly the way it’s written.
Unfortunately, goodreads won’t let me rate in half stars, but I’ll give it a 3.5!
Unfortunately, goodreads won’t let me rate in half stars, but I’ll give it a 3.5!
August 1, 2017
Knit Yourself Calm is a little gem of a book.
I am not an avid knitter, but I loved the projects in this book.
It has absolutely everything one needs to be creative with wool and each project starts with an explanation of what ‘calm’ it might bring.
This is a book that has been well thought out, it has help and tips to guide you. from a beginner ( it even has a section that shows you how to knit) to advanced knitters, there is something for every skill level. The technical guide lists a stitch guide, decreasing, increasing and even how to ‘block’ your knits to get the best look for them.
Even though the title suggests that this is ‘a creative path to managing stress’ this is not a ‘guru’ book. It is one that with each project you will find quiet and relaxing time to just absorb in the craft.
Each page is filled with beautifully photographed and easy instructions, Socks,Blankets and a Teddy Bear that can be created in a day are just a few.
I loved it.
I am not an avid knitter, but I loved the projects in this book.
It has absolutely everything one needs to be creative with wool and each project starts with an explanation of what ‘calm’ it might bring.
This is a book that has been well thought out, it has help and tips to guide you. from a beginner ( it even has a section that shows you how to knit) to advanced knitters, there is something for every skill level. The technical guide lists a stitch guide, decreasing, increasing and even how to ‘block’ your knits to get the best look for them.
Even though the title suggests that this is ‘a creative path to managing stress’ this is not a ‘guru’ book. It is one that with each project you will find quiet and relaxing time to just absorb in the craft.
Each page is filled with beautifully photographed and easy instructions, Socks,Blankets and a Teddy Bear that can be created in a day are just a few.
I loved it.
June 27, 2018
Fantastic basic patterns that anyone can do, and nice graphics and explanations throughout. I have been knitting awhile, but I still liked throwing together some quick easy projects from the book.
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April 5, 2021These are quite basic projects, which is to be expected of knitting that is promoting calm. The new skills section includes some more interesting projects. There wasn't anything I wanted to make.
Topics:
Intro, materials etc.
Quick and Easy projects e.g. washcloths
Portable projects e.g. beanies
Group projects e.g. patchwork blanket
Big projects e.g. shawl
New skills projects e.g. cabled fingerless mittens
Essential techniques (CO, BO, inc, dec, etc.)
If you're looking for patterns that are gorgeous, unusual, and fit with the idea of knitting for mindfulness I'd recommend: Knit the Sky: Cultivate Your Creativity with a Playful Way of Knitting.
Topics:
Intro, materials etc.
Quick and Easy projects e.g. washcloths
Portable projects e.g. beanies
Group projects e.g. patchwork blanket
Big projects e.g. shawl
New skills projects e.g. cabled fingerless mittens
Essential techniques (CO, BO, inc, dec, etc.)
If you're looking for patterns that are gorgeous, unusual, and fit with the idea of knitting for mindfulness I'd recommend: Knit the Sky: Cultivate Your Creativity with a Playful Way of Knitting.
October 6, 2021
This was not the book I thought it was.
I have Betsan's Knit for Health and Wellness and thought this would be similar. It's not.
It's a book of projects chosen with mindfulness and calm in mind.
However, that's not to say it's not a good book.
I always have several projects of different types on the go at any one time. This book explains some of the reasons why doing that helps manage stress.
Like all good books it also has a couple of unexpected light bulb moments.
For me, as a fairly experienced knitter, these somewhat surprisingly come into essential techniques section; the Make 1 stitch illustrations and text gave rise to an, "Ohhh" flash and the illustrations for mattress stitch are the clearest I've seen.
I have Betsan's Knit for Health and Wellness and thought this would be similar. It's not.
It's a book of projects chosen with mindfulness and calm in mind.
However, that's not to say it's not a good book.
I always have several projects of different types on the go at any one time. This book explains some of the reasons why doing that helps manage stress.
Like all good books it also has a couple of unexpected light bulb moments.
For me, as a fairly experienced knitter, these somewhat surprisingly come into essential techniques section; the Make 1 stitch illustrations and text gave rise to an, "Ohhh" flash and the illustrations for mattress stitch are the clearest I've seen.
June 11, 2018
The first project begins with "These homely washcloths..." - so I was a bit worried as to how well the rest of the book was edited. Most of the projects seem fine, ho-hum, nothing crazy wild nor super-innovative. A quick book to flip through but nothing to flag as a project for later. Nice photography. And, yes, knitting is supposed to be both creative and a stress-reliever.
June 26, 2018
Knitting is my go to "get calm" activity. The repetition, the smooth needles, and the soft yarn all combine to relax me, while creating something beautiful at the same time! Projects range from washcloths to finger-less gloves. Lists of techniques and explanations, materials needed and so on. I read a library copy but I think this needs to be added to mt personal knitting library!
November 11, 2020
This wasn't quite what I imagined it would be...I guess I was expecting more discussion of mindfulness and calming techniques that could be used while knitting or a discussion of how knitting affects your mood and mental health. Aside from a brief introduction addressing that topic, this is a collection of patterns that I can access very similar versions of on Ravelry.
February 21, 2020
Great book, I got it out from the library, then found so many patterns I wanted to make, that I bought my own copy. A good variety of patterns, difficult or easy, long projects or short. I’m an experienced knitter, and found the patterns easy to follow.
October 12, 2020
Think is a good book of itself.My issue with it is that it was difficult to read on my Kindle. I had to write out the patterns by hand
This is a good book of itself.I found it tricky to work from the patterns as I was constantly adjusting the zoom.
This is a good book of itself.I found it tricky to work from the patterns as I was constantly adjusting the zoom.
April 26, 2024
Not really anything in here that I would make. It’s a nice idea for someone who doesn’t think of knitting as calming. There are worsted dish cloths in here that I would make, but that’s pretty much it. Oh, and cable fingerless mittens that are gorgeous… They are DK
January 7, 2018
Three plus.
The "science" around knitting as a calming influence is kind of cheesy, but the patterns are cute and the directions explicit. Worth picking up for my knitting library.
The "science" around knitting as a calming influence is kind of cheesy, but the patterns are cute and the directions explicit. Worth picking up for my knitting library.
January 30, 2018
Mostly patterns - mostly beginner level - but some cute ideas for later.
Shelve as a reference.
Shelve as a reference.
August 22, 2023
I didn't get the book for 'knitting to calm myself.' I got the book from the library for the patterns. There are several I think I will knit.
January 31, 2020
Beautiful patterns
December 31, 2019
I thought this book would be about knitting and how it works to calm and soothes us. Instead other than the forward and introduction you get a very basic 4 pages on knitting tools and it dives right into the projects. Maybe the projects are supposed be calming?
It says in the description this book can be for beginners (like me) and I can do the first 3 projects-washcloths, a scarf and pillows. After that it goes right to hats knitting in the round (I'm not ready for that yet), a cowl and then socks. Socks! I don't know about you but I'm still at the basic knit and purl stage and if I attempted socks at this stage it would be the opposite of calming.
It says in the description this book can be for beginners (like me) and I can do the first 3 projects-washcloths, a scarf and pillows. After that it goes right to hats knitting in the round (I'm not ready for that yet), a cowl and then socks. Socks! I don't know about you but I'm still at the basic knit and purl stage and if I attempted socks at this stage it would be the opposite of calming.
February 15, 2024
This is a book in my knitting library that I often forget is there. The patterns range from easy, to portable projects, to new skill projects. If you like to learn to knit with Fair Isle patterns, there's an easy project to get you started. There is a pattern for fingerless mittens and an evening bag. I will probably try to knit some of the dishcloths, the pillows, and there's a shawl and scarf that look interesting to knit. Happy Knitting!!
May 30, 2020
The foreword is about how knitting can help you reduce stress.
The chapters are broken out into Quick & Easy projects, Portable Projects, Group Projects, Big Projects, and New Skills projects.
a lovely selection of projects. There are several I am interested in knitting. The tea and mug cozy with hearts is absolutely adorable as is the nursery blanket and shawl.
The chapters are broken out into Quick & Easy projects, Portable Projects, Group Projects, Big Projects, and New Skills projects.
a lovely selection of projects. There are several I am interested in knitting. The tea and mug cozy with hearts is absolutely adorable as is the nursery blanket and shawl.
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September 11, 2017Well, yeah. Knitting is supposed to be a stress reliever!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews