Just Keep Knitting: a journey of healing through forgiveness, faith, and fibre

by Lonna Cunningham

One day out of the blue, Lonna found her life interrupted by delayed Post Traumatic Stress the anxiety, sleeplessness, and ongoing chest pains were the legacy of the chaos that took over her life when her first husband’s brain tumour took hold and turned him into a stranger with a familiar face. During and after his illness she had so much on her plate that she just kept on pushing through life, fully occupied with a child to raise, bills to pay, and a life to rebuild. The old troubles were tucked away in the hopes that time would heal the wounds.

Well, time alone didn’t do it, and Just Keep Knitting is the result of Lonna's healing both the story it tells and the knitting projects that she created as she wrote her story.
This book will shine a light of hope so that perhaps, someday, there might be just enough light for someone else to find a way out of the dark.

173 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 2012

About the author

Lonna Cunningham lives on a very small farm in rural Alberta where she and her family raise sheep, chickens and veggies, accompanied by a Dexter cow, several dogs and a fluctuating number of cats. You can read Lonna’s musings about life on the farm, knitting, gardening and a variety of other somewhat random subjects on her website at blog.applejackcreek.com.
Lonna rarely goes anywhere without a knitting project in hand and once sat at the side of the road after a car accident working on a sock while waiting for the police to arrive. She is engaged in an ongoing effort to balance the size of the fibre stash in such a way as to ensure that there is always enough on hand to allow for the immediate implementation of suddenly-inspired projects while at the same time attempting to stay within the available storage space. In addition to knitting, Lonna also enjoys spinning, particularly on her beloved century-old Canadian Production Wheel, and she can often be found online in the Ravelry or Homesteading Today forums, where she is known as Frazzlehead.
The onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder brought Lonna’s twenty-year career in Information Technology to a rather unexpected end, and she is now exploring other ways in which she can contribute to the family’s financial stability (and pay for yarn).

Reviews

[Cathy]

The mix of reflection and constructive creativity brings a balance to a story that is at times shocking. We have probably all had moments when we’ve thought “How could someone be so mean!” or thoughtless or selfish or etc. This book tells what it’s like to examine that question and gain some understanding of how or why someone can hurt you, and to truly come to understand someone else’s motivation – even if you don’t identify with that motivation. It was fascinating to me to see how the author was able to find neutral or positive ground after undergoing such tragic and unjust experiences.

The writing style is skillful and natural. The story flows easily over difficult, even impossible, territory. When I read a preview I was almost afraid to read the book, but I’m glad I did. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of trying to imagine life in someone else’s shoes, and of the value of patience and empathy toward others.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are ready to walk through some darkness to see the light, and enjoy a good knit while you are at it, then this might be the story for you. Lonna's ability to tell us all about the darkest parts of her past, while bringing hope of healing is inspirational.

I feel like a better person for reading and joining in the journey.

And even if you don't knit (I don't) the story is worth it. Just have some tissues close :)