Welcome to Therapeutic Knitting

We were so pleased to have such a positive response to the Journal Club bonus episode we released in January! The second of these episodes will be released next week. Along with many lovely comments we also received some great questions which we thought we could answer on a Q&A episode. So if you have a question you’d like to add to the conversation then do let me know and we’ll do our best to answer them or give you our thoughts! Thanks! #knittingpodcast #knittingresearch #knittingformentalhealth

Inspired by @meghanaf (and recently always wearing my one small shawl around my neck to stay warm) I have cast on a small #RedwareShawl from some leftover yarns.

It is also my small portable project at the moment - it has already been to a jazz concert and at the weekend it will go to the seaside

#pompommag #ppq47

Does knitting help you to access rest?

Read the full blog at the link in my bio #knittingblog #knittingtorelax #restisimportant

When it’s the yarn I am actually knitting with it does feel like it’s a personal attack 🙄🧶🐩😈
#dogswhoknit #knittingwithpets #poodle

A day in the life of a psychologist and knitter #arcticlightsweater #redwareshawl

The first of our Journal Club bonus episodes was released today! Each month @drpaularedmond and I will be recording a bonus episode of the podcast where we discuss a research paper about knitting and mental health. You can listen to the episode and find a link to the article at the link in bio
#knittingandmentalhealth #healingstitches #journalclub

@drpaularedmond is hosting a monthly knit night starting next week! If you’re in the Warlingham, Surrey area #knitnight #learntoknit #surreyknitters

Finding time to get my sewing machine out has been a real challenge over the past year or so, but I managed to make a #kielowrapdress over the last few weeks 🥳🎉 and I’m super happy to be able to wear it with my warm and cosy #bindweedcardigan
#sewing #handmadewardrobe

A relaxing start to my Friday! #knittinglove #knittingbreak #strikkehygge

What I am working on at the moment- I think 3 projects is my happy place- one must be complicated and one must be easy and portable, and knitable in the cinema! How many do you usually have on your needles??
These are:
1. Arctic Light by @kutovakika #arcticlightsweater
2. A hybrid inspired by #sofadedsweater by @dreareneeknits and #seaglasssweater by @wool.and.pine.designs
3. #knocknockmittens by @verypinkknits

Thanks to @theknittermag for your feature on the Why I Knit podcast!

#theknittermagazine #knittingandwellbeing

Like everyone else at this time of year, I have been using up my leftovers!

I have been wanting to make a jumper dress for a while but couldn’t find a pattern that I thought would hold my interest for the length of a dress, and they are also expensive to buy all the yarn for!

This one was completely free, as I used all the yarn I already had leftover from other projects. And I loved picking a new colour for each square, so I didn’t get bored!

Some of the colours were chosen by my kids, there is yarn from a sweater I made my mum, and one I made my husband, a few from a shawl I made my best friend, and a specific dusty pink that always makes me think of my sister ❤️

Pattern is Bit By Bit Sweater (made into a sweater dress) by @laerkebagger

#bitbybitkal #bitbybitsweater #christmasleftovers #strikke #knitting #stashbusting #knittingscraps

Took my festive knits for a spin! ⛸️
#knittersonice

Is it just me?

At this time of year especially I find that when I sit down to relax for 5 minutes there is always something (or someone!) demanding my attention! If it’s not the dog, it’s the organising the kids social lives, the 8 billion special things happening in school, or my own brain remembering another thing I need to buy/plan/organise!

If you’d like some help keeping your self-care on track then our audio course, Self-Care OneStitch at a time is available at the link in my bio

#knittingwithpets #knittingatchristmas #knittingforselfcare

Thanks @the_knitchen for your kind words- we are so delighted to hear feedback from users of our course who have found this helpful.

If you’d like to give this gift to a knitter in your life you can buy gift cards at the link in my bio.
#giftsforknitters #knittersofintsagram #knittingismytherapy

I am a very experienced knitter AND I made a pretty big structural mistake in my knitting.

At first I couldn’t even figure out which sections were wrong and I decided I didn’t want to rip it back (almost half the back of a jumper!) so I thought I’d fudge it and live with it. But when it came to thinking about sewing it up, the mistake really annoyed me.

So I looked at it again, and could now see what I needed to remove to make it work. If it went wrong I knew I could reknit it.

This time the surgery was a success! But it doesn’t always go that way. Which is why knitting is such a great playground for trying things out, messing them up, taking a risk- because it’s only knitting! You can always unravel it and start again.

Would you have lived with the mistake, tried surgery or unravelled it?
#whenknittingattacks #bitbybitkal #knittingmistakes #knittingismysuperpower

How many of these festive making traps have you fallen into?!

Are there any I’ve missed?

If you’d like to find out more about our audio course helping you to use knitting as part of your self care then click on the link in my bio

#knittersofinstagram #sewistsofinstagram #makersgonnamake #handmadechristmas

Doing a few stitches on the hat for this doll while I have my morning coffee rather than reaching for my phone.

Not pictured: the same before-school chaos that’s happening in everyone else’s house too

#idonthavetimetoknit #crochet #amigurumi

If you're one of the brilliant and talented people who can make things themselves, have you ever confused the fact that you CAN make it yourself with the idea that you SHOULD?

This is a familiar trap to me! I love making things by hand, but sometimes it's just not realistic and if I try to stick to these aims too rigidly it results in stress and disappointment.

This is a gentle reminder that just because you CAN make it, doesn't mean that you HAVE to - it might not be the right choice for you right now!
#makersofinstagram #imadeitmyself #handmadechristmas #knittersofinstagram #sewistsofinstagram

Sharing this again as a reminder to myself as much as anyone else….just because you CAN make it yourself doesn’t mean you SHOULD!

If you’ve ever been caught in the trap of overcommitting to making all the Christmas magic then our Christmas bonus episode aims to help you keep your self-care on track throughout the festive season- download it at the link in my bio
#nisser #christmasmaking #adventcalendar #homemadechristmas #selfcareatchristmas

I don’t crochet too often, but my daughter got a book for her birthday and we agreed I would make the amigurumi person and she would crochet the clothes. Predictably it didn’t go that way, so I have now made her a coat 🙃 #crochet #amigurumi

What values are important to you as we head into the run up to Christmas?

I find it so helpful to take a few minutes to think about this before things get busy, I know what I am navigating towards.

If you'd like to think more about your values for the Christmas period you can download our FREE bonus session at the link in my bio.

#values #creativerestoration #knittingpodcast

Knitting the colour into winter- here are all the knits I have worn in the last week!
1. Bedale Hat #coopknitstoasty by @coopknits
2. #stonecropsweater by @dreareneeknits
3. #elibelindesweater by @_woolwitch_
4. #knockknockmitts by @verypinkknits
5. #paragonsweater by @withcherriesontoptoo
6. #bindweedcardigan by @life_is_cozy
7. #rollupknitdownjumper by @laurenastondesigns
8. #midcoastsweater by @knit.love.wool
9. Some generic vanilla socks
10. #takeitallshawl by @malihadesigns
11. #spotsweater by @anneventzel

A sneak peak of the workbook that accompanies our Christmas bonus episode - FREE to download now- link in bio.

#christmasknitting #christmasgiftknitting

Our audio course is available now! (link in bio)

This is for you if you want to learn more about how knitting can benefit your well-being and to think more about your self-care and how you can get the most out of your knitting! (swipe to see the contents page)

- 11 core audio sessions in a private podcast feed
- a 35 page accompanying workbook
- Gift vouchers also available!

www.creativerestoration.org
#knittingismytherapy #knittingismyyoga #knittingistherapeutic #knittingpodcast

Every winter I feel grateful for being a knitter...and not just because I have plenty of jumpers to keep me warm

So many of us struggle with the cold, dark (and lets face it, rainy) winter months. Despite knitting almost every day of the year, this is the time of year I feel particularly grateful my knitting. Here’s why:

❄ I love the first cold day of the year when I get my lovely winter knits out of storage – it’s like greeting old friends!

❄ ‘Knitting season’ is when there are yarn festivals, new patterns are released so there is new inspiration for projects to be excited about

❄ Knitting is great way to lean into the seasons, by choosing seasonal colours or projects

❄ It’s easy to feel that staying home is equated with being lethargic or unproductive – but knitting changes all that and gives you a sense of achievement and mastery from your sofa

❄ Every day I get to wear handmade clothes that fill me with a sense of pride – I always say I feel 20% happier when wearing clothes I have made myself.

How do you feel about winter?
#winterwoollies #selfcareinwinter #knittingseason #knittersofinstagram #knittingismytherapy

Come and knit with us!

@filmworksealing have invited us to host some knitting workshops on Sunday afternoons in December. Tickets are free and bookable at the Filmworks website (link in my bio). We can teach new knitters and will supply yarn and needles if you need them.

We'd love you to join us!

#ealing #christmascrafts #learntoknit #knittingistherapeutic

Suggestions please! I have this lovely gradient of 4ply/fingering weight yarn but I don’t know what to use it for!

This is a So Faded sweater but I don’t think it fades that well so I am planning to rip it out. I could also combine it with the solid colour in the second photo.
What should I knit?

I prefer sweaters as I wear them so much more than shawls. And my wrist doesn’t tolerate too much purling.

Can anyone think of a pattern that might meet my niche requirements?!

Thanks!

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Do you want to use knitting as part of your self-care?

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About Me

Dr Mia Hobbs, Clinical Psychologist

I am a Clinical Psychologist with a passion for knitting and spreading the word about the therapeutic benefits of knitting. I am based in London,UK.

I work with children, young people and their families who have mental health difficulties, and often bring craft, and creativity into my work.

I offer workshops, courses, training and supervision to individuals and organisations about the therapeutic benefits of knitting.

My podcast - Why I Knit- explores how knitting can benefit our mental health. In each episode I interview a different knitter about why they knit and how it benefits their mental well-being.

Blue and Pink Illustrative Arts & Culture Podcast Cover (2).png

What I offer

I offer workshops, courses, training and supervision to individuals and organisations about the therapeutic benefits of knitting. To find out more click the button below

My podcast - Why I Knit- explores how knitting can benefit our mental health. In each episode I interview a different knitter about why they knit and how it benefits their mental well-being

I offer therapy for children, young people and their families who are struggling with anxiety and low mood, and sometimes incorporate knitting and other creative approaches in therapy

Services

Therapy

Contact Me

mia@therapeuticknitting.org