Knit Yourself Calm

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 colourwork.

Betsan Corkhills book will transform the way you think about your health, wellness and knitting. It rises above other self-help books because it provides an accessible tool which gets you actively involved in improving your health and wellbeing and shows you how to do this any time, anywhere. It quite literally puts the power in your hands.Betsan shares her knowledge of using Therapeutic Knitting clinically and integrates this with recent research, her medical knowledge, data from a survey of over 3,500 knitters from 31 countries, and numerous stories sent to her from knitters around the globe. Her writing style makes this an easy, enjoyable read whilst at the same time conveying valuable neuroscience, research and knowledge which will improve your life. Betsan is the recognised world expert on the use of Therapeutic Knitting for improving health, wellness and managing illness. She has pioneered this research since 2005.

Mindfulness in Knitting casts fresh light on this famously calming craft and reveals how the simple repetition of plain and purl can nurture wellbeing. Through personal anecdote and mindfulness exercises, this book explores how everyone can experience the joys of making and looks at the numerous benefits of taking up one of the simplest and most useful of crafts.

Keep Calm and Cast On is a delightful pocket book full of quotes, quips and wit plus expert troubleshooting tips and techniques to keep the contemporary knitter calm in the face of a dropped stitch. The wise and often amusing quotes are compiled from a myriad of sources, including historical and contemporary essays, poems and fiction. Also included is a selection of previously unpublished quotes from contributors such as Kaffe Fassett, Jared Flood, Brandon Mably, Pip Lincolne and other luminaries of the knitting world. Knitting's calming properties are well documented, and interesting facts concerning the therapeutic benefits of practising this craft are interspersed amongst the quotes and technical tips, ensuring that this book is not just informative and humorous but also good for your well-being. Alongside the witticisms and fascinating facts is solid, practical advice designed to keep the knitter sane while all around them is unravelling. Erika will share her foolproof tips for making sure you don't get yourself into a tangle and that your knitting will go that much smoother.

Record the beauty, emotions, and experiences of everyday life — not in your journal but with your knitting needles! Author Lea Redmond offers 32 enchanting projects that will inspire you to create beautiful finished pieces full of personal meaning and memories. Stock up on shades of blue, gray, and white and knit one strip of a scarf each day for a year, using the color that matches the sky on that day. When you’re done, you’ll have a unique memento of your year better than anything you can keep in a scrapbook. Or when you’re traveling, knit postcard-size swatches at each place you visit, using the colors you see around you. When the trip is over, piece the swatches together into a throw or scarf that will remind you of your journey every time you use it. Or knit a height-chart scarf for a beloved baby, starting with her length at birth and adding inches each year until you have the perfect gift for her 18th birthday. These are knitting projects like no other, resulting in one-of-a-kind heirlooms that tell a story only you can tell. Redmond provides instructions for all the stitches and techniques you need, as well as required patterns.

Knitters: It's time to take it to the next level. And who better than Debbie Stoller to show you how. The expert knitter and gifted, edgy author who introduced knitting to a new generation with her New York Times bestseller, Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook, now shows her readers how to do more—lots more. Stitch 'n Bitch Superstar Knitting is the only knitter's handbook to teach the full array of advanced knitting techniques and skills, such as double-knitting, knitting lace, complicated color work, beading, and more. Writing with the clarity that makes her such an effective teacher, and the attitude that got her dubbed "knitting superstar" (San Francisco Chronicle), Stoller explains how to "knit by the numbers;" get creative with stripes; embellish with crochet, beading, and I-cords; how to make cable patterns; and how to use color forms. There's also a whole section on DIY—which gives a tutorial on creating your own knitting patterns. And then the brilliant icing on the cake—41 cool, funky, and fabulous patterns from Debbie and the Stitch 'n Bitch community: a fluttery Rococco Shawl, Cap Sleeve Lattice Sweater, Jackie-O sequined cardigan, Empire Strikes Back dress, the adorable Button It children's sweater with changeable animal patches. Plus sexy stockings, stylish handbags, blankets, scarves, and more, all photographed in full-color.

A real return to the timeless, unchanging qualities of knitting – knitting to clothe, protect, wrap, comfort, enhance and insulate for all seasons. The aim here is show off the beauty of the stitch, the real joy and intimacy of knitting, and to emphasise that the slow, meditative, unhurried creative process counts just as much as the end product. Jane offers 40 patterns for knitting simple, honest, projects that are practical, easy to knit, easy to wear and use, and made with beautiful fibres in gorgeous colours inspired by nature’s own comforts. Notes and photographs illustrate the author’s diverse sources of inspiration for each project, whether it is a beautiful flower in her garden, a favourite wine or a treasured book. From a Plaited Bread Cabled Blanket and Fabergé Egg Cosies to a String of Purls Cushion and a Chanel-style bag, Jane’s designs are knits that you will want to stay around. This inspirational and instructive book – with knits for you, your home, your life – will be a true pleasure to explore.

From a portrait of penguins wearing sweaters to a yarn-bombed forest and a mandala of mittens and socks, this adult coloring book offers an incredible variety of inventive items that knitters love. Crafters — and colorists — of every persuasion will appreciate the creative appeal of these 31 fanciful images. Pages are perforated and printed on one side only for easy removal and display. Specially designed for experienced colorists, Knitting Notions and other Creative Haven® adult coloring books offer an escape to a world of inspiration and artistic fulfillment. Each title is also an effective and fun-filled way to relax and reduce stress.

Whether you knit them toe-up or top-down, getting just the right fit on hand knit socks can be a major challenge! In Custom Socks, Kate Atherley sets out to teach knitters of all levels the skills and tools they need to understand sock fit, and to knit a pair of socks that fit properly. She calls on her years of experience as Knitty's Managing Technical Editor, where she has edited hundreds of sock patterns, to share this information in a way that is easy to understand with patterns that inspire. So go ahead and treat yourself to these 15 original sock patterns that are easily customizable and work with any needle configuration. Your feet will thank you!

As our world has become increasingly dependent on technology, and our Western societies have become woefully “Crackberried”— to use the title of a recent documentary on the emotional and social pitfalls of our too-wired ways—an intriguing phenomenon is occurring: There is an increasing amount of interest in returning to some of the simpler arts that were neglected or left behind with the onslaught of technology. Artisans and everyday crafters are finding a renewed satisfaction in making something with their own hands; some are even communicating about the inherent physical- and mental-health benefits found in handwork—and, even more than that, they are framing their handwork as meditation or spiritual practice. In today’s sophisticated and pluralistic society, people are more aware than ever that spiritual practice can be defined more expansively—and the popularity of books focusing on alternative spiritual practices demonstrate that readers are hungry for new (or ancient) ways of enhancing their inner lives. In Crafting Calm the author will explore these new forms of creative spiritual practice and the benefits they provide. The format of With Shannon's book will itself be creative, a rich “potpourri approach” that weaves together interviews, historical facts, projects for readers to do themselves, quotations, and suggested resources. Crafting Calm will serve as an inspirational resource guide to a broad assortment of spiritual practices gathered from the global arts-and-crafts communities, as well as from people who don’t consider themselves artists but who have adopted creatively expressive forms of spiritual practice. While there have been a few books published focusing on a particular form of creative spiritual practice (Skylight Paths, for example, has published books on beading as a spiritual practice; painting as a spiritual practice; and using clay as a spiritual practice), no one has yet explored the breadth of possibilities for creative spiritual practices contained in Crafting Calm.