Knitting34 Betsan Corkhill, and Jessica Hemmings, AngelaWell-being Maddock, and Jill Riley PLC E-print BLOOMSBURY © Abstract ore encompassing than have felt or intuited—established Mjust the facts and figures by Betsan Corkhill and Jill Riley of physical health, well-being in their joint contribution on the is often used to acknowledge therapeutic benefits of knitting. how we feel. The World Health Angela Maddock then follows, not Organization has defined well- with the stuff of scientific reason, being as “an ability to realize but with its exact opposite: the personal potential, cope with symbolic contribution which daily stresses, and contribute knitting that is disrupted or productively to society.” This troubled can signal in a narrative. article explores the varied ways My interest in the difficult identity knitting can contribute to our of solitary knitting in literature, well-being. It brings together the and the need to take stock of authors’ individual presentations the current infatuationPLC academic from the well-being panel at the research holds for collaboration, 2012 conference “In the Loop now acts as the final contribution BETSAN CORKHILL, JESSICA 3: The Voices of Knitting,” now to this dialogue. The outcome is HEMMINGS, ANGELA MADDOCK, AND reconfigured and reordered as a eclectic, the voices varied; but so JILL RILEY coauthored paper. Opening the too are the many ways to consider Founder of Stitchlinks, Betsan Corkhill has a background in physiotherapy and pain paper are facts and figures—the the contribution knitting can make management. Since 2005 she has been very evidence of what many of us to our well-being today. researching the therapeutic benefits of knitting and developing therapeutic knitting as a tool to improve well-being and to manage long-term Keywords: knitting, well-being, therapeutic knitting, Wool 100%, medical conditions in mainstream healthcare. Her mothering, red, solitary production, introversion work highlights the importance of creativity for well-being, psychological flexibility, and the ability to self-manage. Professor Jessica Hemmings is Head of the Faculty E-print of Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Research interests include contemporary textile practice, fiction about craft, and postcolonial theory. Recent publications include In the Loop: Knitting Now (Black Dog, 2010), The Textile Reader (Berg, 2012) and Warp & Weft: Woven Textiles in Fashion, Art and Interiors (Bloomsbury, 2012). Angela Maddock is a part-time Senior Lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University, where she teaches contextual studies and manages MA Contemporary Dialogues: Textiles. She is a research student in materials at the Royal College of Art and is interested in the negotiation of meaning in and through craft practice. BLOOMSBURY Jill Riley lectures in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Healthcare Studies at Cardiff University. Her Ph.D. studies and recent publications have concentrated© on handcrafted Textile, Volume 12, Issue 1, pp. 34–57 textiles and the relationship between textile DOI: 10.2752/175183514x13916051793433 making, quality of life, and well-being. Her recent Reprints available directly from the Publishers. research with colleagues from Cardiff University Photocopying permitted by licence only. and Stitchlinks UK focuses on the impact of knitting © 2014 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. on personal and social well-being. Printed in the United Kingdom Knitting and Well-being Knitting for Well-being: The qualities (Katz-Freiman 2010). The Psychological and Social knitting process generally leads to Benefits of Hand Knitting the creation of an end product, a knitted object as either the result Betsan Corkhill and Jill Riley of following a defined pattern or an As a creative art and craft, hand outcome designed by an individual. knitting has the advantage of Whereas knitting is often a being both versatile and portable. solitary activity, it is also a vehicle Knitting’s apparent simplicity, for making social connections needing only a length of yarn both virtually, through the rise of and needles, and the fact it can Internet knitting sites,PLC and in real be done almost anywhere at any time through local knitting groups time, makes it a widely accessible (Minahan and Wolfram Cox 2007). craft that has enjoyed a recent Indeed, knitting as a social activity resurgence (Turney 2009; Stanley is not new. Black (2012) documents 2002; Gillow and Sentance 1999; the historical importance of social Harris 2004). knitting in rural communities where Knitting is both process groups of knitters gathered to knit and product oriented (Blanche and talk after a day’s work. The 2007). As a process, knitting inherent psychological and social encompasses repetitive tasks that benefits that are known to come require physical and cognitive from knitting practice, together with skills (Hosegood 2009). These are the satisfaction that comes from relativelyE-print easy to learn in the first creating an end product (Hosegood instance but can be developed 2009), are an indication of its incrementally, initially within a potential to contribute to personal safe structure, but as skills and and social well-being. confidence improve include more Well-being is defined as “a creative experimentation. In terms combination of feeling good and of skills, knitting can be fairly functioning effectively” (Huppert simple, the continuous looping of 2009: 137). It arises from an ability yarn over a needle to make a stitch, to realize personal potential, cope or incredibly complex, through with daily stresses and contribute the use of multiple needles, productively to society (World stitch combinations, and different Health Organization 2009). The BLOOMSBURYyarns to create intricate patterns relationship between engaging in (Turney 2009, Gillow and Sentance creative activities and well-being 1999). The process of knitting has been explored in general also has psychological benefits. terms and there is a growing body © Turney (2009) refers to knitting’s of evidence to suggest that such rhythmic and sensory nature, which engagement or participation can can be calming, with potential positively impact on both health meditative and therapeutic and well-being (Department of Knitting and Well-being 37 Health and Arts Council for England set at 5,000 and a total response five years. A total of 72% reported 2007; Staricoff 2004; Leckey 2011). of 3,545 (of which 3,514 were valid) knitting more than three times per However, the literature referring was received within two weeks. week. to creative activity and well-being Quantitative data was analyzed Respondents were asked to list tends to concentrate more on the for descriptive statistics and their four main reasons for knitting. visual and performing arts (Staricoff correlations and to establish Among the most common reasons 2004) rather than on specific differences among variables. were the perceived psychological craft activities such as knitting. In Qualitative data was analyzed to benefits that came from the process this article we concentrate on the establish patterns and themes of knitting, such as relaxation, psychological and social benefits of through coding and developing stress relief, and its therapeutic knitting for well-being specifically. categories. The key findings and meditative qualities. In First we outline the key findings relating to demographics, reasons addition, respondents found from an international online survey for knitting, knitting and mood, that knitting helped them feel of knitters conducted in 2010. the impact of color and texture, productive at times when they were Second, by drawing on Betsan cognitive ability, the social aspects engaged in passive activities such Corkhill’s experience of using of knitting, transferable skills, as watching television,PLC listening to knitting as a therapeutic medium, and knitting as a coping strategy music, waiting for appointments, we consider the components of are summarized in the following or traveling. Knitting was described therapeutic knitting, its practical sections. Further detail on the as an outlet for creativity offering application, and benefits for people analysis and findings can be found a sense of accomplishment and a with long-term medical conditions. in Riley et al. (2013). connection to tradition. Knitting Respondents were was also considered a social The Survey predominantly female (98.8%) and activity, a vehicle for connecting The purpose of the survey was to classified themselves as “white” with others both virtually and in identify the impact of engaging (31.0% as “white British” and real time. in knitting on individuals’ 59.3% “other white”). In terms A cross-tabulation of the results perceptions of their mental and of age, over half (54%) reported from the survey revealed a strong social well-being as a prerequisite being between 21 and 40 (2% relationship between knitting for further research into knitting’s wereE-print under 20, 18% were 41–50, frequency and other variables such therapeutic potential. The 15% between 51 and 60, 8% were as mood. Further statistical analysis survey was conducted using over 60). Thirty-one countries showed that knitting more than an online questionnaire, which worldwide were represented in the three times per week significantly was piloted with a group of 40 survey, although the majority of increased respondents’ perception knitters to improve its reliability respondents lived in the Western of feeling calm after knitting.