Mindfulness in Knitting: Meditations on Craft & Calm

by Rachael Matthews

Anyone can pick up a pair of needles and a ball of yarn. And everyone can be mindful. Mindfulness in Knitting casts fresh light on this renowned calming craft, and reveals how the act of “knit and purl” can be the epitome of conscious living. Ethical textile artist Rachael Matthews unpicks the threads of this popular pastime to explore how knitting connects us to each other and to the world around us. Through personal anecdote and expert insight, she unravels the true value of what it means to craft, its therapeutic benefits, and the joys of mindful making.

This book is divided into chapters which will teach us   Find our place through yarn,  Knit sacred spaces,  Build knitting circles and connecting with others through craftivism,  The art of gifting our creations How knitting helps us discover ourselves. Filled with practical examples, personal insights and creative exercises for you to try at home, this book is suited for knitters of any ability, and will help you whether you want to relieve stress, build self-awareness or improve your mental health through the creative act of knitting.

This book is from the Mindfulness series, a range of titles dedicated to exploring the mindful lifestyle, including Mindfulness in Gardening, Mindfulness in Drawing, Mindfulness in Baking, and Mindfulness in Wild Swimming.
 

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2023

Reviews

[Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and loved it so much I bought a physical copy to come back to again and again 🧶

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been knitting for about 55 years, and for most of that time I have found it to be a meditative craft. A few years ago following a bereavement I feel it was the only thing that kept me grounded; I would often feel as though all parts of me were scattered and the act of creating something with my needles brought me back into one piece. I consider knitting to be as good a form of meditation as any.

So, this book would appear to be aimed right at me. Oh, and I forgot to say I love books on knitting - its history, the different techniques and experiences of knitters around the world. So again, this book seemed right up my street.

So why did I find it so disappointing? The author clearly has a lot of experience and writes well. But I'm not actually sure who would read this and what the purpose would be. I don't think it would appeal to beginner knitters, who are surely more interested in techniques, yarns and patterns. The author talks about the readers as designers, yet most knitters I know follow patterns written by others. The author did include some interesting reflections on colours and textures, and there were some reflective exercises although I didn't think that these fit together very well.

I think perhaps I was looking for more discussion on the mindfulness process in knitting. I would like to understand why knitting keeps me grounded and this book wasn't the book to do this. There were opportunities in the 5 Dharma section but there wasn't much depth there. I wondered if the author was constrained by the format of the book, as it was part of a series (I don't know as I haven't read any of the others).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book for review.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is part of a series that explores the many ways in which mindfulness can become a part of one’s life. I previously reviewed a title on gardening. This book is about the ways in which knitting can offer both craft and a quiet time for focus and reflection.

The reader’s guide is an experienced knitter. At the very beginning of the book she notes that knitting offers an “informal” meditation space while connecting its practitioners to an ancient craft. Matthews observes that the repetition inherent in knitting stitches calms and soothes. This makes it a good partner for mindfulness practice.

It is clear that knitting has been important to Matthews and she wants to share her love of this art with the reader. She offers her personal insights and also discusses how knitting may be a good activity for her audience. Its connection with mindfulness can begin with paying attention to one’s stitches and moves on from there.

Knitters may well enjoy this meditation and non-knitters may want to consider picking up a pair of needles. Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Hannah Monson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw this series of mindfulness titles, I was immediately intrigued. As someone who always has an audiobook or podcast playing and regularly does at least 2 things at a time, I know that I should practice mindfulness (I just also know that being alone with my own mind can be a scary thing).

I learned to knit when I was young, but only recently have I gotten deeper into more complex projects and techniques. Every time I knit something, I think “this project is infused with… (fill in whatever audiobook I listened to or TV show I watched). I have Doctor Who sweaters, Great British Bake Off mittens, and West Wing hats. Recently, I was knitting a baby onesie for my not-yet-born niece or nephew and was thinking about what I wanted to infuse into that piece, which I realized was a type of mindfulness I was aiming at my knitting, thus picking up with book.

I love that Matthews explored mindfulness in every step of the knitting process, as well as solitary knitting vs. communal crafting.

[Alanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I have enjoyed knitting for many years, and several years ago with a depression diagnosis started knitting during meetings and church services as a way to help keep my mind engaged with what was going on as it helped to keep my mind from wandering. In this way, I have been using mindful knitting for a while.
I found this book thought to be hard to engage with. It was very difficult for me to get into, and I found myself to be slogging through it. I also don't find it to have been particularly memorable or impactful. I didn't find this book to be helpful for my own practice of mindful knitting, other than knowing that I'm not alone in doing this, and I don't think I would recommend it to others.
It did seem to have some good research behind it which is why I did give it the stars I did.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in return for my honest review.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not the kind of book I would usually read but as an avid knitter and crocheter I was intrigued by the title and was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately I found it disappointing.

The book itself is very well written and the author obviously has a passion for knitting.

While i found it interesting i would not reccommend this book to experienced knitters. I think maybe I was expecting it to involve some knitting projects This is more of a general mindfulness book with some references to knitting.

[Selina · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who knits on a daily basis and has done for years I found The Mindfulness of Knitting a truly interesting read.

I really enjoyed how the author mixed anecdotes and factual tidbits with practical exercises to help guide you through more mindful practices.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, a good meditation on knitting and I liked the author’s language. I think this is a good book for any knitter who wants to delve deeper into their craft or a newbie knitter who wants to see something more they can do with knitting.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed listening to this little book about knitting while I was knitting. It has sections about what and how to knit mindfully - I loved the idea of making a mandala.

[R.A. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindfullness in Knitting is an interesting read for anyone who wants to explore the concept implied in the title. While I was disappointed that there wasn't knitting patterns or projects in the book, it was very well written. I would also liked to have more guided activities on how to achieve this as I felt it was more conversational than instructional. Overall, this is a good read for someone who is experienced in knitting and wants to understand the potential health benefits.

This was a NetGalley review.