Deemed by many as the yoga of the 21st century, knitting is widely known in its circle of yarn slingers as an ideal way to unplug from the world while also engaging the mind in an activity that requires concentration and a healthy dose of brain power. More portable than yoga (Downward-facing dog on an airplane much?), knitting is a great way to reduce stress and enjoy a creative project almost anytime or anywhere, even if you’re new to the knitting scene.

We Are Knitters co-founders, Alberto Bravo and Maria Jose Marin, have made getting hooked on the craft easier than ever. After visiting a friend in New York City nearly a decade ago, Bravo reflects on the first time he and Marin experienced a wool shop. With a multitude of colors and thicknesses, the yarns were special, indeed, and the act of knitting was everywhere. From inside cafes to what Bravo describes as their “aha moment” on the subway, they just couldn’t get the progressive image of “a girl knitting on the subway with gigantic needles and fluorescent yarn” out of their minds.

Fast forward to today, and We Are Knitters has made it possible for everyone to participate in the crocheting movement. With easy-to-identify knitting, crochet, petit point, and arm knitting kits labeled beginner (very easy), easy, intermediate, and advanced, everything you need to create the designated project arrives pre-measured and ready to go. Taking pride in turning novices into pros, We Are Knitters says every kit comes with “the appropriate amount and type of yarn you need, the corresponding needles, and a pattern with every necessary step.” Plus, there’s a helpful video tutorial section that explains all the techniques you’ll need.

Besides kits, We Are Knitters also stocks everything an avid crocheter could want. Individual balls of wool, sustainably forested knitting needles and crochet hooks, and free patterns and video tutorials.

As far as the yarns, many are animal-derived, however, Bravo ensures that they are all harvested in a cruelty-free, humane manner, “Our wool is 100 percent natural. Our animals are all bred in their natural habitat in the highlands of Peru. We did a small road trip this summer there and double checked that all the sheep and alpacas were treated and fed well and they didn’t suffer any harm.” In addition to regular wool, the shop also offers petite wool, baby alpaca, meriwool, meripaca, pima cotton, and fabric yarn.

Likely inspired by the girl’s neon subway medium, skein colors at We Are Knitters run the gamut. “We have a greater selection of atypical colors available, from bubblegum and turquoise to bordeaux and forest green,” says Bravo, the shop’s creative director and exclusive, seasonal color-picker. Whether it’s a chunky, coral cardigan or an aquamarine afghan you’ve always dreamed of creating, there’s easily a rainbow of yarn to choose from.

Knitting isn’t just a solitary activity, either. There are knitting parties, meetups, and groups that promote socialization and friendship, which, as adults, is always a good thing. Not only that, but as Bravo pointed out, many times “you don’t knit for yourself, but for others,” citing a selfless aspect about the craft, which can even develop into something philanthropic.  

Covered well in this The New York Times article, one of the many benefits shown to come from kitting include the ability to “induce a relaxed state like that associated with meditation and yoga” due to the “repetitive action of needlework.” And beyond the initial learning curve? In addition to boosting self-esteem, “knitting and crocheting can lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”

Oh, and it seems we’re not the first to find out about this creative health and wellness resurgence. The Craft Yarn Council has been spreading the benefits of knitting like gospel to the 50 million plus people who already know how to knit. Understandably, as this art form does seem to facilitate some miraculous healing in the lives of many, ranging from aiding the elderly with arthritic hands, uplifting the moods of clinically depressed patients, and prompting a woman battling a severe eating disorder, Liat Gat, to claim “knitting saved my life” after finding greater purpose because of the craft.

More than just something to wear or warm yourself with, in the end, knitting is actually a great way to improve long-term cognitive function and de-stress, regardless of your age, sex, or knowledge level. With kits from We Are Knitters, that are as perfect to give as they are to receive, you’ll soon be crafting your way to a new level of contentment.

Related on EcoSalon

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The post This Kit Will Get You Hooked on the Health Benefits of Knitting appeared first on EcoSalon.

When the days turn shorter, and the temperatures get nippy, that means it is time to get to work on knitting and crochet projects.

Some folks do like to knit and crochet year round, but most of us only thing about stitching when the weather turns colder and the early nights mean more nighttime TV watching. If the idea of knitting and crocheting appeals to you, but you haven’t yet finished projects from last year, then you may want to consider smaller projects. Don’t bite off more than you chew, but instead choose quick knit and crochet projects that you can finish in a weekend (or even during your week time nightly stitching sessions).

But how to choose quick projects? Whether choosing a free project from the Internet or purchasing a pattern from Etsy, Craft site here, or craft store, there are a few ways to identify a quick stitching product.

4 Tips for Choosing Quick Knitting and Crochet Projects

• Look at the number called for in the project. If it calls for more than 1-2 skeins of yarn, it’s probably going to take more than a couple of days to complete. Of course, it does depend on how quickly you stitch, but for us occasional stitchers more than 1-2 skeins may mean a little more dedication is needed to finish the project.
• Chunky knit and crochet projects are usually quicker to complete. The chunky yarns mean fewer stitches, which means a quicker finish. Chunky knits and crochet are also super cute and on trend.
• Size matters. Keep your goals realistic when choosing a quick stitching project. It’s really a no-brainer–a scarf is a realistic goal to complete in a weekend, while a queen-sized afghan is not. Choose carefully and realistically–otherwise, you might just end up with yet another unfinished project this time next year.
• Choose patterns you understand. If there’s a new technique or stitch in the pattern, maybe save it for another time. If you want a guaranteed quick project, use skills you already have. While learning new skills is usually a good thing, it’s not ideal when you are looking for quick knit and crochet projects.

Quick Knit and Crochet Projects

1. Crochet Market Tote – We’d crochet up a few of these to keep on hand for the farmers market.
2. Crochet Coaster – Crochet up a dozen of these beginner crochet coasters in different colors to use up leftover yarn.
3. Knitted Fingerless Mittens – Knit up these babies to wear while you kit other projects.
4. Chunky Knit Earwarmers – This beginner pattern is just what you need to keep your ears warm.
5. Knitted Hot Water Bottle Cozy – Knit this water bottle cozy up for extra warmth this winter.
6. Super Chunky Knitted Hat – If ear warmers aren’t enough for you, knit up a textured chunky knit hat.
7. Coffee/Tea Cup Cozy – Keep your warm drink warm with this tutorial for a knit or crochet cup cozy.
8. One Skein Knit Cowl – This easy projects boosts that it should only take one night to complete!
9. Knitted Basket – Knit up a handy yarn basket  in which to store your latest stitch project.

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Image: Knitting With Bright Manicure via Shutterstock

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Here’s a DIY scarf anyone can make. Seriously, anyone.

Whether an avid knitter or not, many crafters are stuck with stashes of beautiful yarn and too many knitting projects from which to choose. No-knit yarn projects are the ideal solution for knitters and non-knitters alike. No-knit yarn projects are the perfect way to use up your yarn stashes without ever picking up a needle. They are also often not too complicated and an awesome way to keep your hands busy while catching up with your favorite shows!

What if you need inspiration though? Enter “KNITLESS: 50 No-Knit, Stash-Busting Yarn Projects,” a new book by Laura McFadden that features great projects for any crafter, beginner or advanced. From rehabbing old chairs to adding a DIY touch to a plain lamp shade, it’s a book for people who love yarn, but who don’t always have the time (or the advanced skills) to knit!

Among the super easy yarn projects is for a no-knit DIY scarf. There are two variations: one that involves sewing, and a no-knit AND no-sew version that is a super quick project. Both would be perfect ways to use up some yarn and add some wonderful texture and color to your fall wardrobe. Or if you are feeling generous, make up a bunch to gift this holiday season!

No-Knit One-Hour DIY Scarf

Materials

• Scissors
• 123 yards super bulky weight yarn (teal)
• Sewing machine
• Sewing thread (gray

Directions

1. Cut the bulky weight yarn into 63-inch pieces. Use up all of the yarn.

2. Align the pieces side by side on your work surface. Feed the whole bundle underneath the presser foot of your sewing machine, placing the needle about 7 inches in from the cut ends on one side.

3. Sew perpendicularly across the yarn, holding on to the yarn bundle tightly as you run it through the sewing machine.

4. Sew back and forth from edge to edge about six times, not worrying about the stitches being even. The uneven nature of the sewing will make it feel even more handmade.

5. Repeat Step 4 every 6 inches, sewing across the yarn bundle to secure the strands of yarn. Do this nine times total.

6. Trim the edges of the yarn evenly.

VARIATION: An even simpler “no-sew” version can be made by using 3 different colors of yarn. Measure and cut out six 100-foot strands of each color. Take the three different colors of yarn and twist them into a spiral. Gather the ends with a piece of yarn, leaving an excess tail of 14 inches. Tie the pieces together tightly. Trim the tail ends at various lengths to get a cascading effect.

Other cool yarn projects from “KNITLESS” range from home décor and accessories to gift ideas and yarn art. Projects include the Braided Yarn Rug, Yarn-Wrapped Air Plant Displays, and Ombre Tassel Necklace. We love them all!

Tutorial is reprinted with permission from “KNITLESS” © 2015 by Laura McFadden, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

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All Images: KNITLESS © 2015 by Laura McFadden, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group

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ColumnConscious life, hear me roar.

I met a friend last week for lunch in New York City who knows a lot about sewing, knitting, using one’s hands to make and yet she brought up a really good point: how to change the image of women who “craft.”

“And yet keep its very essence intact,” she said.

With knitting co-ops, hipster sewing circles, juried craft fairs, and even Vogue taking on knitting via public seminars, embracing craft is a hot topic. But why? My lunch date, an authority in her field, wondered the same thing and also made it well known that she had been a knitter for a very long time. With all these knitters and the trends, and the cool factor of it, what was the big deal. Her bosses wanted to know too. In fact, they wanted to start calling the genre “Fashion How-To” instead of “Craft” having taken note of it, and as if it had just suddenly appeared before them.

If you’re a plumber you can equate this to your profession suddenly being called “Pipe How-To,” or if a lawyer, try on “Persuasive Oral Communications How-To.” It doesn’t make sense to change some things. It is what it is. It’s really just how you market it.

“Well, I think the first way to change the image is to understand it better. We must deconstruct,” I said.

“Craft” has been with us since the dawn of time. Think cave drawings to communicate life story, roughly-carved eating utensils and clothing woven from primitive looms. Without the ability to “craft,” people would have starved, frozen, died (not to mention, been very bored).

“Fashion How-To?”

When I think of all the women I personally know who are creating with fibers, I see them as self-sufficient rebels, the ultimate feminists who give the finger to “The Man” and make their own wardrobes instead of shopping at a fast-fashion mega wearhouse dictated by trends. These are the women that, should the world end today, you would want them near you to find ways to clothe you and keep you warm, stitch up your wounds, maintain calm and gather everyone around for rational dialogue.

“The other thing we have to realize about craft,” I said to my friend, “is that using your hands to create makes you aware that you’re alive.”

After I said it, I sat back and heard that sentence swirling about the quiet little bistro we were sitting in.

These hands of ours (of mine) that type up columns like the one you are reading, are so used to repetition that they’ve forgotten their human history and that to be a part of life, we have to somehow document it and prove that we exist. Build a house, plant a garden, knit a scarf, make bread, it doesn’t matter so much how well you do it as that you do it. Craft is nothing more than executing an idea, embracing a spark of creativity that rolls out from our brain to our hands that says “Do this. It will somehow help you.”

This past weekend I made my very first DIY necklace inspired by Gretchen Jones. After that lunch date in New York City I realized that there’s more to documenting this life than just writing about it. I want to make.

I just realized this isn’t a “How-To” anything, this is all about survival.

Between the Lines is a weekly column navigating the sometimes-sharp, sometimes-blurred lines of conscious life and culture between city and country, between inner worlds and outer.

Image: botheredbybees

The post Between the Lines: Do You Know You’re Alive? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Because knitting should have a lot more sexy dialogue.

Ask a knitter if they think using their hands to create is only for crazy cat ladies and they just might stab you with a poison needle. These fiber shape shifters are actually at the forefront of something very liberating, sexy, counter-culture and inspiring which is why we think pick up lines to try outside of the confines of the underground knitting circle, craft fair or feminist yarnfest is in order.

Whether you’re a seasoned knitter who likes to meditate with the craft or you’re a renegade hipster feverishly yarn bombing community landmarks, these 20 pick up lines just might make your hobby a whole lot sexier.

1. Your yarn is sooooo soft. Touch mine.

2. You’re so cute I’d give you my pattern for free.

3. There’s nothing quite like a new ball of yarn in the hand, don’t you agree?

4. I want to frog you.

5. I’ve been looking across the room at you all night and I think it’s high time we purl the two of us together.

6. Let’s repeat.

7. You do that like you’ve been slip stitching your whole life.

8. Let’s finish off this dinner then try some back-looping.

9.  Your needle tips are so cold, let me warm them for you.

10. I soooo want to handle your hank.

11. Are you left-handed or right?

12. Do you like your yarn forward or back?

13. You’re loose like chenille.

14. I like my men like my balls of yarn, manageable.

15. What will it take to convert you to come home with me?

16. Ooooh, a blocker playing hard to get!

17. You like working with naturally dyed yarns? That’s so raw.

18. What I wouldn’t give for some of your purls of wisdom.

19. (kiss me) many times.

20. You make me so hot I want to cast off.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

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ColumnThe Awamaki Lab returns with a Season 2 collection featured at the Textile Arts Center in Manhattan.

Fashion designers Andria Crescioni and Courtney Cedarholm both knew from a young age that designing was integral to their composition. Each grew up with an individual attraction to the tactile and hands-on approach to creative expression. Cedarholm was always especially drawn to fabrics and yarn, and by third grade, had already proclaimed her desire to be a fashion designer.

Crescioni, on the other hand, lived out her early days in the suburbs of Southern California, spending her weekends reconstructing vintage finds from thrift stores and flea markets.

“The process of seeing something go from a vague idea in my head to a tangible piece drives me to continue creating things and exploring new ways of doing so,” says Crescioni.

With the collaborative effort of Awamaki, a non-profit weaving project that works for sustainable community development in Ollantaytambo, Cusco, Peru (and empowers young indigenous women), these two fashion students from Parsons were given an opportune design residency to explore their own garment genesis amidst the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Cedarholm and Crescioni were off on a journey into unfamiliar lands and unknown textile territory. That adventurous spirit subsequently permeated into the depths of their design inspiration.

“The clothing was inspired by the idea of a vintage explorer, especially Hiram Bingham,” says Cedarholm. When reviewing pictures of Hiram Bingham exploring in the 1900s, Crescioni was instantly taken by the garments featured. “I decided to juxtapose the Andean textiles with more casual and tailored sportswear, inspired by vintage explorers, to make them feel more unexpected and modern.” adds Crescioni.

In their own collaborative format, the designers decided to each embrace a particular angle for the collection; Crescioni developed the woven pieces, while Cedarholm concentrated on the knitwear.

“One of the main focuses of the collection is to showcase the traditional hand-woven textiles from the Patacancha Valley,” Crescioni explains. She was also intent on incorporating an element of hand-woven textile into every design, whether it be the entire pattern or an adorning trim.

For Cedarholm, her knitting became an extension of her everyday existence.

“I was quite a fan of carting my knitting everywhere, walking and knitting is my new favorite skill.” As Cedarholm explains it, creating the garment sample was necessary before any of the next steps in production could be tackled. So, for both designers, developing their patterns was key to moving forward in relaying their design framework to the Quechua women weavers for production.

Rooted intentions of showcasing the authentic artisanship of the weavers vibrates throughout Cedarholm and Crescioni’s garments. Cedarholm says: “We did not dictate designs to them [the women weavers] but instead observed them weaving and began to learn it to really understand how much goes into one textile and that turns into a great respect for the material and a true questioning of design to make sure the textile is showcased in its best form.”

The collection’s evolution unfolded atop a table of collaboration in genius and resourcefulness – designers and artisans learning and sharing with each other along the way. As Crescioni says, “This hands-on experience really gave us the opportunity to design pieces that compliment the way they [Quechua women weavers] work, rather than hinder it.”

The cultural exchange of working with the women weavers of Awamaki undeniably affected Crescioni and Cedarholm’s design process. “I think the limitation on materials in terms of diversity was the biggest challenge, yet at the same time helped narrow things down,” Cedarholm says.

As the saying goes, less is more sometimes. For Crescioni, this idea of reducing the options almost calmed her creative process. “When you are working in a city like New York, there are no limits, which can sometimes be overwhelming for me. In Peru, you are forced to simplify, to be creative with less, not only when it comes to making clothing but in day to day life.”

Crescioni’s own reaction to the differing lifestyles of these locations inadvertently comments on the consumptive culture of the U.S. Through the art of the Sacred Valley of Peru’s local culture, themes of simplicity and necessity simply surface. Design in this context could potentially symbolize larger lessons and reflections of the societies in which they are harbored.

Experiences from the Awamaki Lab relationship fosters rewards that extend far beyond an exchange of creative innovations. For Crescioni, one of the most rewarding parts of the project is the direct relationship that one gets to have with the weavers at Patacancha.

Cedarholm reflects on her time spent working closely with the women.

“Beginning to know them more has given me such a curiosity and respect for those who are behind the actual making of a garment. And in thinking about who made a garment you also think of who designed it. They are usually on the higher end of the food chain, but this collection attempts to disregard any mention of food chain.”

For her, the intention of the Awamaki Lab Season 2 collection was to just work together to create something fresh and new.

Due to the way Crescioni and Cedarholm approached their adventure abroad, they were able to absorb authentic and intimate connections. Their openness allowed for true dialogue outside of the daily design activities, such as time spent in the homes of the Quechua families, learning their crafts and sharing meals with them. Crescioni reminisces about one weekend in November when a weaver in Patacancha taught them her age-old methods. “It was an intimate experience, walking through the surrounding hillside with her and her children while their sheep grazed. As we walked, we would take a seat, set up our back-strap looms and weave, enjoy the view, and chat. It was an incredible example of life and craft coinciding together.”

For Cedarholm, the garments largely represent that comfortable, content, and serene atmosphere. “We want the clothing to feel like home, you can just climb into them and live.”

Meditating on the process, Crescioni says, “I have a deep respect for the artisans that create the textiles and I hope the garments we’ve created allow the weavers’ unique vision of life to be appreciated in a new context.”

The Awamaki Lab Season 2 Collection will be unveiled in its entirety on Friday, January 27th at the Textile Art Center‘s Manhattan location. Featured alongside the garments will be a backpack collection; Brooklyn-based pattern maker Hannah Flor volunteered with the Awamaki Lab this season, developing a project with the sewing co-op in which each weaver designed their own backpack.

The post THREADED: The Awamaki Lab Places Peruvian Handwoven Textiles Front & Center appeared first on EcoSalon.

Artists are working to create a more fashionable frontier for all.

The blank slate of a new year is as seductive as the lure of a crisp white piece of clothing for one’s mishmash wardrobe. We all crave a fresh start and the promise of renewal, although I have never been one to hastily cast off the old in order to usher in the new. I am just way too practical as an artist who examines and preserves every scrap of fiber for some drafty hole that might present itself unexpectedly. 2012 will instead be a continuation of my ongoing mission to seek out individuals who understand the power of resourcefulness and the collective twining of fiber taking flight.

Naturally dyed-fiber from The Sacred Valley of Peru via Source4Style 

2011 found us exploring therapeutic connections between the heart, the mind, and handcrafting, and the year to come will no doubt be a continued testing ground for how and why we choose to implement DIY strategies as well as having increased access to sustainable fiber and artisan-made textiles via sites like Source4Style. I will be looking to designers, (outsider) artists, storytellers, and even urban gardeners for evidence of why the cultivation of local narratives and subversive craftiness makes good sense. It is at the fringe of these diverse realms where I feel that many sustainable solutions reside.

‘Knitta, Please’ urban fiber installation in Sydney, Australia

Fashion happenings are all good fun but for a huge sector of the population, this is still foreign territory and not so inviting at that. Our day-to-day lives are riddled with break out moments of stylistic genius, but it is is our immediate environs that influence how we look and feel in a sustained manner. I like the idea of casting the net wider to consider ideas related to ‘fashioning self and the environment’ – meaning that, a true understanding of how to map out a lasting fashion sensibility must now include a closer (smarter) examination of self in relation to one’s environment and the resources available.

The ‘Knitta, Please’ handknit bus paves the way for a more fashionable frontier

Women are quite good at this. We know how to make do, mend, and even tie together the loose ends to create safety nets for ourselves and those random beings who dare to cross our path. We also know how to turn an impossible situation into a crazy quilt that warms an entire community of loved ones. I am reminded of artist Magda Sayeg who went from being a single mother on welfare to being an entrepreneurial design maven with her knitted public works (aka guerrilla yarn bombing projects) under the studio name, Knitta, Please. In a recent article on Magda’s work in the Wall Street Journal, one is seduced by the power of crafting a path to a brighter future with a stockpile of pop art yarn and the conviction to subversively adorn just about everything labeled commonplace or inconsequential.

Textile scraps being handspun for knit couture by designer Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda

Similarly, I admire how designer Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda is currently scouring the floors of designer work rooms and studios for scraps of textiles that are being hand spun into knitted runway creations for The Green Fashion Competition at Amsterdam Fashion Week in late January.

 Handspun fiber is knitted and prepped  for the runway by Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda

Zaida shared some of the following sentiments with us regarding her resourceful process and intention:

“Through my work I intend to encourage and engage people to use craft for solutions, and for my current project we are recycling studio textile waste. I discovered the spinning process while researching recycled yarns, and given that I was not really satisfied with my finds, I wanted to work with a fiber that I had complete control over and that would positively impact my surroundings, including the people I know. Spinning yarn can be done with a very simple tool, and many people can participate in the transformation of this raw material. In just one week I taught my grandparents, brother, sister, and mother how to spin. We are creating and sharing stories together, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see everyone cooperating and enthusiastically wanting to learn a new skill. Each skein is unique, just like its spinner and the runway garments that we are knitting as well.”

Recycled fiber forms by Abigail Doan include street flotsam and recycled textiles

In regards to my own work, the challenges that interest me the most are those where seemingly complex situations might be untangled and plied into revitalized objects of texture and hue. In preparation for Vogue Knitting Live‘s curated fiber gallery this next week, I have been creating sculptural fiber forms, some of which include “Plarn” or recycled plastic bag yarn created by a Roma woman named Abibe in Eastern Bulgaria. I was introduced to Abibe by my friend Charity Wright, who is currently working as an educator and sustainable business consultant while in the Peace Corps in Malko Turnovo. This historic border town at the gateway to Turkey has a history of traditional textile weaving as well as organic wool production from the flocks that roam freely in the Strandja Mountains. I welcomed this introduction to Abibe, as she was some one who had never worked with recycled materials for an art installation but had instinctively been repurposing items in her own home for a recycled plastics and crocheted eco-accessory collection. Through the bridge that Charity helped to build with this self-taught artist, my most recent fiber forms have even more layered meaning and a connection to the lifecycle of Abibe’s household.

Artist Abibe of Shau New Light, proudly shows off her recycled accessories in Bulgaria

It is interesting to think about fashion as something that connects us to those fibers that transgress borders, trends, and in turn might even redefine who we are dressing up for. It has been eye-opening for me to create my latest work with input from some one who has never traveled out of Bulgaria or visited my distant home, but definitely shares the same worries and concerns as a mother and artist trying to carve out time for herself. I will be so honored to present this effort to the public in New York City next week.

Judith Scott’s fiber sculpture crafted out of recycled textiles and found broken objects

I am reminded also of the fiber artist Judith Scott who was institutionalized for more than thirty-five years for being profoundly “retarded” with Down Syndrome. It was not until Judith’s twin sister Joyce was finally reunited with her, that the threads of this story unraveled. Celebrated in her later years as being one of the most powerful textile artists of this century, Judith Scott is still considered by some to be an “outsider artist” who operated at the far frontier of contemporary craft. Scott’s sculptural forms, created out of artfully wound scrap fiber and broken objects that had been blatantly dismissed, make her pieces ones that rival many of today’s upcycling expressions. Which begs me to ask, whether the plying of the marginal and disenfranchised with our current ideas about what is fashionable might finally redefine the edginess that we are so desperately hoping to occupy? I say, let’s work to ply a more fashionable frontier for all.

lead image: Jazmin Berakha

The post Plying A More Fashionable Fiber Frontier appeared first on EcoSalon.

The reaction to this series by women of all ages via social media has been really amazing. When EcoSalon introduced it two weeks ago, launching with Americana Couture designer and author Natalie Chanin, fashion writer and textile artist Abigail Doan, Owyn Ruck of Brooklyn’s Textile Arts Center as well as occupational therapist and FiftyRX3 writer Jill Danyelle, many people either wrote to us at the site or commented via Twitter and Facebook. Among some of the reactions, the series is being used as reading material for knitting groups; while others have expressed that without the ability to sit quietly and use their hands, they’d need to jump back on anxiety medications.

Maybe there’s something to all this handiwork?

How it all began: When I came across this blog entry from sustainable designer and writer Natalie Chanin, it not only piqued my perception of the positive effects of “women’s work,” but it brought to light a real aspect of how using our hands to do meaningful tasks can benefit our overall health and well being.

Chanin cites neuroscientist Kelly Lambert, author of Lifting Depression:

“Lambert shows how when you knit a sweater or plant a garden, when you prepare a meal or simply repair a lamp, you are bathing your brain in feel-good chemicals and creating a kind of mental vitamin. Our grandparents and great grandparents, who had to work hard for basic resources, developed more resilience against depression; even those who suffered great hardships had much lower rates of this mood disorder. But with today’s overly-mechanized lifestyle, we have forgotten that our brains crave the well-being that comes from meaningful effort.”

With the sustainable stretching out of the fashion movement, there’s been a serious harking back to the glory of heritage and craft and designers with good ears are listening. And well they should with generations strong of everything from indigenous artisans to Depression Era stitchers coming out of the woodwork to teach, inspire and pass on before the knowledge is lost. Designers are listening and incorporating these aged techniques and making them fresh, new and revolutionary.

A designer with those aforementioned “good ears,” is the last member of our series. Titania Inglis designs a line of minimalist-inspired clothing made of experimental constructions and functional details. Her third collection “References vintage glamor via geometric forms created through bias cuts, origami pleating, and ingenious seaming. A sleeveless dress reverses from a prim suit dress to a low-backed mod frock, while diagonal-seamed dresses approach the ideal of zero waste.”

Titania Inglis in her studio

Inglis lives and designs and rides her vintage bicycle everywhere in Brooklyn, and chronicles her adventures and misadventures in the fashion world on her blog, Fade to Green.

Regarding the importance of using her own hands to design, to communicate and ultimately, to achieve sharp mental clarity, she has much to say.

“A lot of people outside the fashion industry don’t seem to realize that all clothes are made by hand, to varying degrees. Yet from the initial sketches, to selecting fabrics, to draping and cutting and sewing and fitting a garment, every step requires the human touch. Sewing machines don’t run themselves, as anyone who’s ever tried to use one can attest!

It was the hands-on nature of clothing design that drew me to it, for reasons I couldn’t fully articulate as a young woman. I set out to become a graphic designer, but within weeks of starting design school, I realized that I found infinitely more satisfaction in creating a physical object with my hands. Fabric, with its drape and heft and texture, and clothing, so intimately interacting with the human body, were perfectly tactile, and perfect for hands-on work.”

Swatches from dye tests for the Titania Inglis collection

The designer continues: “For me, design begins with the materials. I drape most of my pieces by hand as a way to explore what the fabric wants to do, what directions it wants to go and what shapes it can make. In my designs, every seam needs to justify its existence, every cut in the fabric serves a specific purpose, and I find my way there by hand, by draping and pinning and snipping and marking each pattern piece, one at a time until I have a complete garment.”

Inglis says there is rich satisfaction in every step of the process: “When I’ve successfully draped a piece so it sits just so, when a pattern is beautiful in and of itself, and finally in seeing the finished piece and how it moves on the body. I often go through three or four muslins per piece, pinning and re-fitting and sometimes re-draping an entire garment until I’m satisfied that everything is right with it: the fit, the proportion, the details.”

Titania Inglis’ Studio

One showroom rep commented recently told Inglis her line was “so simple and yet so complex.” Reflecting upon this, Inglis observes, “I think that’s a reflection of the work I put into refining each piece. My work process is almost meditative; I come into my studio, prepare myself a steaming mug of green tea, cut off a length of fresh muslin, and I’m ready to go, completely cut off from the world outside. When I really get going, I can work for hours on a piece, late into the night, snipping through the fabric and feeding lengths of fabric into the eager sewing machine to create a muslin, then fitting and pinning and re-working it until it’s perfect.

I love clothing design for its communicative and aesthetic possibilities, but also very much for the craft of it. Many designers prefer to simply hand off sketches to a pattern maker, but for me, the process is the design. It feels a bit pompous to talk about the integrity of the piece and purity of form, but those are qualities I strive for, and I really can only get there with my own two hands.”

Image: supersonicphotos

The post Using Your Hands to Soothe the Brain: Part 3 appeared first on EcoSalon.

Women have innately basked their brains in feel good juices since time immemorial to get through tight economic and emotional times. Though dovetailed as woman’s work and not really discussed, for centuries women have enjoyed the calming properties of knitting, sewing, embroidering or even just rhythmically folding or ironing clothes.

When I came across this blog entry from sustainable designer and writer Natalie Chanin, it not only piqued my perception of the positive effects of “women’s work,” but it brought to light a real aspect of how using our hands to do meaningful tasks can benefit our overall health and well being.

Chanin cites neuroscientist Kelly Lambert, author of Lifting Depression:

“Lambert shows how when you knit a sweater or plant a garden, when you prepare a meal or simply repair a lamp, you are bathing your brain in feel-good chemicals and creating a kind of mental vitamin. Our grandparents and great grandparents, who had to work hard for basic resources, developed more resilience against depression; even those who suffered great hardships had much lower rates of this mood disorder. But with today’s overly-mechanized lifestyle we have forgotten that our brains crave the well-being that comes from meaningful effort.”

I asked Chanin myself, with all the women working for her, has she ever heard a remark about how working with their hands helped get them through hardships or that their disposition changed the moment they picked up needle and thread?

“We have had several stitchers remark that they just don’t ‘feel good’ when they don’t have a project to work on. I remarked in Alabama Stitch Book that I sometimes use sewing when I have a difficult decision to make or when I need to brainstorm and find ideas,” says Chanin.

So does the physical act of using your hands to “make,” increase some sort of chemical reaction that basks your brain in feel good, all-natural cocktails that can enhance your sense of well being?

I caught up with a few reliable sources to see what they thought about it.

Abigail Doan, Ecco Eco Founder and Textile Artist

I have always linked crafting with one’s hands to agricultural activities. Having grown up on a small family farm, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the soil, build fences, spin wool, and learn a variety of fiber-crafting skills. My mother was a self-taught hand spinner, and there is no doubt that the activities that we performed as a hands-on household curbed depression and day-to-day boredom.

I believe that people are currently drawn to these activities as they allow one to feel environmentally grounded and connected to a place, despite all of the uncertainty that presently surrounds us. Understanding the start-to-finish process of any craft-based activity mirrors life cycles and the rhythms of nature. For urban dwellers specifically, this is a great way to stave off the depression that comes from prolonged anxiety and a lack of centeredness. Keeping one’s hands moving also mimics activities like plowing, raking, weeding, or milking. We can lose ourselves in the patterns and textures created, and this for me is extremely therapeutic and restorative. It creates a one-to-one relationship that makes everything else simply fade away. It’s a healthy sort of addiction that replaces other forms of disease.

Jill Danyelle, Occupational Therapist and Founder of FiftyRX3

We are typically more motivated to engage in an activity that has some meaning, enjoyment, or purpose.

As a therapist, I work with children and tend to accomplish a lot under the guise of play, but I am also responsible for handwriting, which is often a dreaded task for my clients. I find the kids are most motivated to write if they can also draw and color pictures and tell a story. This year, I have had two boys collaborate on writing a story, which has motivated them to practice writing for the last two months, as they were excited to add a new phase to the story every session. We just ended it – although they keep trying to add more and more details – and now they are finishing all of the illustrations. They have a real sense of pride about the work, which I am going to publish in book form so they can share it with friends and family.

On the other end of the age spectrum, years ago I worked in a geriatric rehab facility every other Saturday. The clients were not motivated to do rote exercise, so I had to disguise it in activities. I would take all the neatly folded towels that were delivered from laundry and dump them in a pile on the table. Then I’d get two or three clients around the table and ask them to stand up and help me fold the towels. In the process they would start making small talk, so they were socializing, working on standing balance, bilateral coordination, upper extremity strengthening, etc.

In one of my internships with an Adult Mental Health Day Treatment program, I ran several groups including a kind of “talk therapy” group and a crafts group. Interestingly, nobody said too much in the “talk” group, but when they were busy crafting I think they felt less pressured and all sorts of things would come out.

Image: Mr T in DC

The post Using Your Hands to Soothe the Brain: Part 1 appeared first on EcoSalon.

I don’t know how to knit, but if I did, these would both be born (by way of knitting needles) in my living room. Until the unlikely event that I take up knitting and knotting, I will capitalize on the good fortune that I can purchase these gorgeous confections of yarn. On the left, the Six Cord Knitted Necklace by A Alicia is a “messy plait” of yarn braided into the perfect winter statement necklace. On the right, the Knitted Pouf by CB2 is hand knit and versatile – think ottoman, coffee table, casual seating, winter snuggle, etc.

Craving more cable knit? If you simply cannot get enough cable knit delights, cozy up with this throw from VivaTerra.  And if you already have too much cable knit in your closet, use this simple tutorial to upcycle a sweater and whip up a scarf.

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