Knitting for inspiration

Fuel for the imagination.

Hi, I'm Carol, and I'm a writer living in the beautiful shire of north west England in the UK. Welcome to Letters of Insight where I share reflections about my writing and passion for creativity, nature, books, and slow, joyful living. ♡

Dear Reader,

Coming from an Earth family of creatives and crafters, I’ve always enjoyed making things albeit often in an experimental and rustic way. Although I was shown the rudiments of knitting when I was a child, I didn’t have the patience to take it any further back then. Roll on the years and, after being gifted some wool and knitting needles, I started to knit on an occasional basis as a break from writing.

Since then, I’ve made countless scarves, shawls, ponchos, a few hats, a hundred+ pairs of fingerless gloves, lavender pouches, bags, and a cardigan – all experimental, using straight-forward knitting stitch, and made without a pattern.

Knitting is a curious ambiguity; it’s wonderfully relaxing but in a busy, click-click kind of way. And as I often knit on auto-pilot, using a simple repetitive stitch, it’s fantastic for day-dreaming up the most incredible ideas.

I imagine and reflect while I knit. I’ve gathered ideas for stories, solved novel plot issues and visualised a beautiful new Earth where we live in harmony with nature. Stitch by stitch, I set my intentions, seeing a world knitted together with love. I enter a place of deep peace and clarity. And while my thoughts create reality, my hands have produced a scarf, a bag or a wall of wool. How fulfilling to ‘be, do, dream and manifest’ all at the same time.

I’ve come to realise that there’s something cosmic about knitting. I have a direct line to my imagination, and it provides me with an alternative creative outlet to writing.

Thousands upon thousands of stitches later, I’m still knitting on an occasional basis. I have spells where wool-weaving is essential and occupies my spare time for weeks. This is usually when I have to work through something or I need to be an open channel for ideas and solutions. Then I’ll stop for a while – for weeks or even months – without even being tempted to pick up and knit any colourful yarn. And that’s perfectly fine.

Knitting might seem like a homely, old-fashioned kind of crafting hobby but I’ve discovered that it’s relaxing and offers so much more than an end result. Why not give it a try? If I can do it, anyone can.

Questions for You…

+ Are you making time to create simply for well-being?

+ How often do you learn something new or create something different?

+ Where can you make space in your day to take up an interest that enables you to think, dream and self-nurture?

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Carol Anne Strange is a weaver of words, ideas and possibilities. For over 35 years, she has been writing stories, magazine features, books, courses, and much more. She is now on a new adventure, writing her next novel. Find out more: carolannestrange.com