Guest Post: Louise Tilbrook Designs

After the blog post on relaxation, knitting and 'What is Mindfullness?' last week, there was a bit of chat in internet-land about what each of us do to unwind.  

Louise (of the very lovely Louise Tilbrook  Designs) shares her view of calm & crafting, and I'm sure it resonates with many of us.  She is a sock knitting queen!  And creates some really very beautiful sock patterns which are available on ravelry. 

"Crafting for me has become such an integral part of my life that I've almost forgotten why I craft in the first place - it's like breathing. I craft therefore I am.  Knitting was and remains my first love. I knit for many reasons but if I had to pick one, I would say for relaxation. My husband might dispute this as he watches me try for the third time to execute a long tailed cast on over 300 stitches, but the rhythmic, repetitive act of knitting soothes and calms me more than I can say.

Obviously, not all knitting is created equal. There are times when my poor frazzled brain craves nothing more than a simple garter stitch blanket. At other times, the focus needed to work out a tricky heel turn or to follow a complex lace chart are just the kind of distraction needed from some external source of stress.

And, invariably, knitting is something I also do whilst doing other things; watching TV, reading, listening to podcasts, cooking, watching offspring at sporting events - the list is endless. The one thing I never do is knit and drive, but I do pack spare knitting just in case of long motorway delays.

Recently I have started spinning using both a wheel and a drop spindle and interestingly I had found that when I spin, it's all I do. I don't feel the need to pop the TV on or catch up with a podcast. It's just me and the fibre - soothing, meditative and yet stimulating at the same time.

I used to think that with knitting and more recently with my design work I had no time for another hobby. But increasingly I am aware that there is a place in a life for both - each just fills it's own niche perfectly."

You can find Louise on 

twitter: https://twitter.com/Madmumknits 

blog: http://www.louisetilbrookdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/louise-tilbrook

And some of my favourite socks from Louise, which were published in the Pom Pom Magazine!

(c) Juju Vail (for Pom Pom Magazine)

What do you think of craft & chilling out?  Or about the mindfullness movement?

:)

What is Mindfullness? On Knitting, Crafting & Chilling Out

There appears to have been a huge upsurge in the popularity of 'Mindfullness' as a concept.  A quick browse through the top 100 books on amazon is filled with both self help books and a strange new breed of book - the mindfullness colouring book.

Now, I am not one for the self help book.  I understand that (much like religion) they are of immense value to those who can believe in and act on what is read.  For me, speaking with the authority of one who has read half of two self-help books out of interest as to why they are so popular, I find them obvious and annoying.  I fail to see why the writer feels they have the authority to tell other people how to live their lives.  To essentially impart common sense.  To be fair, I suppose common sense does sometimes need a little top up.  

These books all seem to have at least 4.5 stars on amazon, which does sometimes make me feel like I'm missing something.  They include titles such as 'Sane New World' by Ruby Wax, 'The Little Book of Mindfullness' by Patrizia Collard, and 'The Mindfullness Journal' by Corinne Sweet.  The common theme is essentially to explain that you're not crazy, and that you should take a wee five minutes to yourself to calm down.  Which is all very sensible and does seem reasonable. 

However. Having said all of this about mindfullness books.  You want me to chill out whilst colouring in tiny intricate pictures? Yes, ok.  Why not?  I'm sold.  

After toying with the idea for a little while, I finally purchased a couple of books.  And a new pack of pencils, because there's no way I have enough of those already.   It feels a little like lazy creativity.  The creation of a beautiful thing without having to think about what it should be, how it should be constructed, or worry about the quality of the end product.  I suppose that's not necessarily any different from knitting from a pattern, but it's simpler than that.

Today, I've engaged in a little 'Mindfullness' colouring, some easy knitting from a pattern (Tambourine by Julia Farewell-Clay), and working on a chart for an exciting collaboration coming out later in the year.  Though relaxed almost to the point of napping by the colouring book, I felt no sense of achievement, and moving onto my chart again seemed to cheer me up more.

The pictures in the book (I'd highly recommend Animal Kingdom by Millie Marotta) are beautiful.  The ones in 'The Mindfullness Colouring Book' are more basic, and I admit I'm unlikely to engage very much with that one.  I will enjoy spending a little time colouring in.  Is it going to change my life?  No, but then again we always knew I was a cynic.

Knitting calms me, occupies my mind and a little simple knitting will de-stress.  Crafting in general will usually cheer me up on a bad day and even rifling though stash if short of time will usually work the trick!  No, I wouldn't be able to accept a book telling me to 'take five minutes to myself', but maybe that's because I already do.


How do you de-stress?  What is crafting/knitting to you?  And what do you think if the 'Mindfulness Movement'?