Thank you for making YARN happen in Melbourne.

Yesterday was my Birthday.  So to celebrate, I decided to Host the Melbourne premiere screening of a documentary called YARN!

Seriously... the date was just a co-incidence but what a fab birthday gift it was to host this event and see such a wonderful movie. I had seen reviews and promos for this documentary online for a while and since there was no distributor or any signs of screening in Australia - I decided to organize it myself.

Getting the minimum number of tickets to guarantee the screening was a little stressful, but thankfully lots of Craft and Textile fans shared my movie information and we reached the cut off. Then of course more ticket sales up to the day - 108 in all! So close to being sold out!

I was absolutely thrilled to see such a lovely group of movie goers all sharing a common love of YARN. Well done to those of you who knitted and crocheted in the cinema.

Creativity, laughter and global joy all connected to Yarn.

As hoped, the women featured in the documentary were delightfully inspiring.

Thorudottir Thorvaldar was so passionate with her protest crochet and embroided 'yarnbombing'. I loved watching her climb atop a Bongo drum in the streets of Havana to nail a revolutionary artwork to a wall. 

Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam born in 1940 was beautiful in her quest to encourage play and creativity for children who are increasingly attached to a television screen. Watching her dismantle her work after a year long installation was poignantly touching.

Join the circus and find out how you connect with the world. That's the message of performers from Cirkus Cirkor who balanced acrobatic skill and a philosophy to foster community and connected-ness.

Finally the fast talking, lightening speed crochet Queen, Polish born Olek. I loved her no holds barred attitude to life. She makes art, she has fun and loves to share with the world. Her mermaid swimming with dolphins was stunningly beautiful.

So many beautiful moments in the movie.

I'm grateful to you all who supported and attended this wonderful event.

(Special mention to Caron Wasserfall who made me this very sweet brooch.)

Easy as 1, 2, 3

Knitting Basics

Knitting can be as simple or complicated as you choose.

Here is my super simple guide on How to Knit.

Each of these videos takes you very slowly through a step by step tutorial to get you Knitting.

1. CAST ON

Let's start at the very beginning.

You can't go anywhere until you learn to cast on. Most people will learn how to cast on a lot of times, before you do it habitually. It tends to be the starting block that most people stumble on.

• The first thing you do when casting on is to create a slip knot - so you can adjust your first stitch easily.
• Then - select the style of cast on required as per your pattern.
• A simple cast on is basically knitting stitches and adding them to end of needle.
• I like to do what is commonly called a Cable cast as it creates a nice even edge.

2. KNIT

Learning to knit is like any skill, you get better at it the more you do it. So don't be too frustrated if you find it difficult at the beginning.

For many people it is the uncertainty of how to balance the needles and not let the stitches slip off.

My number one tip is to hold the needles near the tip firmly but not gripping. Use your index finger in your left hand to gently hold and manage the stitches. Your hands will relax once you get the hang of it.

Also - breathe.... seriously - when you concentrate so hard on learning a stitch you often forget to breathe. So breathe in through your nose then as you breathe out relax your shoulders.

3. CAST OFF

Congratulations if you've made it this far!

For me, this is the most rewarding step. Casting off your knitting and sitting back to admire your project.

Casting off is really very easy. Just remember not to pull the stitches too tightly so you don't get a puckered or drawn in edge.

If you can do these 3 steps you are your way to becoming a knitter.

The next step I would suggest is learning to Purl  - but you can wait to get the above 3 steps under your belt before you move on.

If you are looking for a simple project to start with, all my What Jane Knits kits are designed especially for beginner knitters. Have a look - find a project and I can send you a kit with everything you need including yarn, needles and pattern.

Good luck and happy knitting.

Is knitting the new Yoga?

We've all seen the Instagram post and wondered - IS knitting really the same as yoga?

As a knitter and regular yoga practitioner I can see how the two practices have been compared.

Yoga is promoted as a way to distract our minds from a hectic and stressful lifestyle. The focus on breath and mindfulness is intrinsic to Yoga.

Knitting is supposed to be a repetitive and relaxing process.

However in my experience the two activities (knitting & yoga) are only very slightly similar. In fact I could say that swimming puts me in a more meditative mindset than knitting. The disconnect from thinking about anything but breathe and movement puts you in the present. It stops your mind working on plans for the future or stressing about the past.

Mindfulness is a great benefit of Yoga but I certainly don't find it passive. Most of the the Yoga classes I do result in me dripping with sweat- they require actively focusing on muscles and sequences of movement as well as breathing.

There is definitely no sweating when it comes to knitting! Unless of course it's a particularly hot day and your air con is broken.

Knitting can create a relaxed and meditative mindset but of course it is dependent on your skill level and what you are actually doing. Many patterns are quite complex and while you do require focus, it is often frustrating to read and re-read a pattern and keep track of your stitches. I guess if you are frustrated you are pretty much in the present!  The meditative part comes from repetition, such as long spells of knitting stocking stitch or garter stitch. They can really become hypnotic and I have found myself literally knitting with my eyes closed as the knit purl rows send me in a trance! Even with a simple stitch and repetitive movement - many knitters are often multi-tasking - watching TV or listening to a podcast or just chatting. This does not give you a stillness of mind - rather a distracted mind.

I strongly believe in the therapeutic benefits of knitting. Creativity and mental health are always positively linked. However for me, the benefits I receive from knitting and yoga are very different. In fact part of the health benefits of yoga is that it actually gets you moving - knitting is so very stagnant and your wrists, hands, shoulders and back can often become stiff from knitting too long. So yoga is almost an antidote to the passivity of yoga - allowing us to stretch and move with mindfulness.

What is true,  is that Knitting and Yoga are both ancient skills that have recently received a renewed popularity each with their own health benefits.

So jump on board, get connected, get creative and maybe knit yourself a yoga mat! 

Canadian Living pattern for this knitted yoga bag here