Reconnecting with 'The Wheel'

Oh dear, I didn't realise it was SO long since I have posted on my blog. I thought it was only a few months ago... ummm... Weeeell, it was only eleven of them... Oooops.

Never mind, it has been go, go, go with work at Aurora House but for the last couple of days, I've pulled my wheel out and taken some time to relax and restore - she was complaining loudly about being so neglected - and have been spinning English tops, though I cannot for the life of me remember what fleece it is.

Even though its spinning up nicely, its quite coarse so will probably use it for something other than garment wear. It might turn into a bag; there is only about 100grams so it wont go very far on its own, though I could intermingle it with something else for a fashion effect...

Spinning English fleece is such a lovely change to the Australian fleeces - there is so much more choice. Considering I have boxes and boxes of fleece I've gathered over the last couple of years or so, its about time I got stuck in and started to whittle it down. Nooooo, not by de-stashing, I couldnt let it go, but by spinning it up - before I start buying more.

'Hmmmm... fat chance of that,' say all my spinning buddies.

I've also dragged out another fleece I'm spinning and decided to wash the balance of it in readiness for use. This one is Merino/English Leicester. A nice fleece, but very dirty - more so than I thought when I bought it. It spins easily but is more coarse than I thought it would be, so outer wear will be the end result of this one - a winter jacket, if I get it done in time.  :-)

There are a number of projects I have to finish - then again, I think we all have those...

A brand new year is about to get underway, and lots of new ideas are in the making.

If you are a knitter, its an excellent relaxation therapy - and can also help with other health problems, such as pain management, depression, stress, can help with dementia. There is so much more to knitting than just clickety-clack.

If you want to find out more about Knitting Therapy, take a look at Stitchlinks - stitchlinks.com -  It is a revolutionary method of helping many health issues. Research is being carried out in the UK with amazing results. There are many options, with tips for reducing pain, and helping to conquer addiction as well as many other problems.

Apart from that, knitting gets the creative juices flowing when re-hashing a pattern, or designing a new garment or item, playing with stitches for different effects, and intermingling colour to its most effective scheme.

So, get those needles out and clickety-clacking away - and have fun creating your masterpiece...

Women's Support Network

In conjunction with Brandlady.com The Woolly Mother is helping to spread the word about the online Women's Wellbeing magazine.

Brandlady.com is a well-respected publication for supporting and empowering all women around the world. It is creating a network of women from all walks of life to help and support those in need or not so fortunate. There are many thousands of women who desperately need extra support to help give them courage to either move on, face another day, work through an illness or constant pain, remove themselves (and/or their children) from abuse, recover from depression. These are just a few areas where words and thoughts can give much needed support.

In light of this, the magazine is currently seeking writers in a number areas, including the art and crafts section - Knitting, Spinning and other handcrafts have a place on the mag. Knitting is one craft that is gradually becoming renowned as a Therapy, (see Stitchlinks.com)and here at The Woolly Mother it is whole-heartedly encouraged. Spinning, Needlework, or any of the handcrafts that supplies are relatively easy and cheap to get hold of could save a life.

With this in mind, anyone who would like to contribute either by telling their story, or adding to the craft or any of the other topics to help fellow women improve or change their life, please email brandlady@gmail.com to register your interest.

I am positive someone, somewhere, will thank you for your words!

Handspun Corridale/Alpaca Cardigan in the Making

Seems I am not very prolific on my blog at the moment - much of my time is being taken up with my online women's wellbeing magazine Brandlady.com. I have been updating and streamlining the article submission area to make it easier for writers to submit their work. And also adding a few things to the magazine.

One addition is "In the News" which is being hosted by Clare Hudd of A Krafty Catch. She will report on items of interest specifically relating to women, the new "Army Couture" currently taking pride of place.

On the knitting front, I'm still awaiting delivery of my knitting needles. Having discovered I needed the 5-set DNP's for the socks I am planning, and not the usual 4-set, and of course finding nothing in town, I proceeded with haste to Ebay where of course I found what I was looking for and duly ordered the item, via Hong Kong. Now it's a waiting game, with impatience running high, and patience running low.

It's weird having no knitting on the go, but I refuse to start anything else or will become sidetracked. This time I'm determined that is not going to happen!

In the meantime, I've been hand-carding and blending more of the corridale and alpaca for the next project, and spinning some along the way. The challenge will be adding the 'slubs'. Slubs in themselves are easy, but these are no ordinary slubs. These slubs are a different colour, in fact they will be of white alpaca, against the 'denim' blue of the main thread. It will be interesting to work, but fun.



The spinning process of hand-carding and blending is a time consuming, but worthwhile one. Starting with the blue base and a small amount of the white alpaca, blended until most of the white is absorbed into the blue corridale.

The resulting colour is a few shades lighter than the original blue, giving a mellow shade that will be enhanced with the planned 'slubs'.

Finally, enough has been carded and prepared for the next lot of bobbins. So far, one and half bobbins in a fine lace-weight thread sits ready for the next stage.

And this is BEFORE the cat decided to sleep on the prepared rolags and squash them again!

From now on, I will make sure the lid is firmly in place!

The 'therapy' is not just in the knitting, but also in the preparation and spinning, providing the atmosphere is relaxed and not all up in the air.

Now, all I need is the time to sit and spin...

Knitting for Therapy

Those of us who have been knitting for many years do not think about it as being a therapy, we just carry on regardless. But for newcomers, particularly those with pain or other health problems, knitting can be a lifesaver – literally. The advantages far outweigh any minor disadvantages, like cost of supplies.

When it comes to health, one always, or nearly always, does what is best for yourself. Knitting is proving to be one of the ‘must do’ practical self-help therapies. Besides which, once started, it becomes very addictive with some, if they can, moving on to dyeing their own yarn or spinning their own wool.

Not to get sidetracked – research is currently being undertaken as to how knitting has therapeutic advantages.

Picture left: Sick children from Bellevue Hospital New York knitting and weaving. ca. 1920-1925


Betsan Corkhill, a senior physiotherapist, and founder of Stitchlinks.com, became interested in the effects of knitting on pain, memory, depression and post traumatic stress when she was editor for a knitting magazine. She decided to look into it further and is now working in conjunction with five universities in the United Kingdom researching the effect knitting has on brain patterns, dementia, pain management and depression to name just a few health issues it may assist to minimise.

Knitting also has other advantages in helping people come together, it transmutes languages barriers, helps quieten children and can reduce stress in the workplace.

More research needs to be undertaken to map the changes of brain patterns as to how the therapy re-generates and grows healthy brain cells. Some of the benefits are listed below. If even one of these apply to you, then the whole business is worthwhile:

* Helps alleviate pain
* Assists in gaining control over you life
* Improves hand movement
* Helps break addictions
* Stimulates brain patterns by using visualisation
* Creates a sense of belonging (in a group)
* Gives back the lost identity and self-confidence
* Creates positive thinking
* Improves memory through remembering stitches, patterns, etc
* It can teach goal setting and planning, anticipation and excitement that can all be lost through continual pain and illness
* Compliment medical treatments by occupying the mind and keeping it busy
* Reduce stress in the workplace
* Quiets over-active or violent children

There are many more positive aspects that can be added but these create a starting point.

While knitters do not normally think ‘therapy’, looking at myself over the years I can see where it has helped me during difficult times and one instance in particular comes to mind when I was staying with friends and I felt ‘compelled’ to knit, so I borrowed a pair of needles and some wool and started knitting. I did not think too much about it at the time, but looking back it did remove the stress and relax my whole being.

Betsan is currently looking for funding for research studies to:

* Explore the Effects of Knitting on Memory Scan, Memory Recall and on Local versus Global Attention.

* Knitting and the Knitting Group as a Complex Intervention for the Management of Chronic Pain – a feasibility study for a definitive trial.

* A Brain Imaging Study of Knitters - Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics Reading.

For more information visit Stitchlinks www.stitchlinks.com

In the meantime, try it for yourself – knitting is an ancient, timeless craft and is achievable by all age groups, girls and boys, women and men.

But be warned – Knitting is Very addictive! So it might pay to ensure there is a well-prepared empty cupboard for all the yarn that will become your ‘stash’!


More websites where you can find support and friendship:

Crafting with Pain on Ravelry www.ravelry.com/crafting-with-pain

Fibromyalgia www.ravelry.com/fibro-froggers

iKnit www.iknitlinks.org