1 00:00:04,230 --> 00:00:06,930 Mia Hobbs: Hello, and welcome to the Why I Knit podcast. My name 2 00:00:06,930 --> 00:00:09,330 is Dr. Mia Hobbs and I'm a clinical psychologist who's 3 00:00:09,330 --> 00:00:12,060 passionate about knitting and its benefits for our mental well 4 00:00:12,060 --> 00:00:15,840 being. Each week I interview a different knitter about why they 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,860 knit and how it benefits their mental health. This week on the 6 00:00:19,860 --> 00:00:24,270 podcast I'm talking to LJ who is a yarn Dyer who owns rusty 7 00:00:24,270 --> 00:00:30,720 ferret yard. Hi, LJ, welcome to the podcast. 8 00:00:31,170 --> 00:00:32,550 LJ: Hi, Mia. How are you doing? 9 00:00:32,570 --> 00:00:36,140 Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I'm good. Thank you. I always start by asking 10 00:00:36,140 --> 00:00:38,480 where your story with knitting began. So I'd be really 11 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:40,370 interested to hear where yours started. 12 00:00:42,070 --> 00:00:47,140 LJ: I suppose really, my grandma was a beginner. And she tried to 13 00:00:47,140 --> 00:00:53,830 teach me. But she always got really annoyed with me. So she 14 00:00:53,830 --> 00:00:57,520 never really properly taught me. But she was always knitting, 15 00:00:57,580 --> 00:01:03,430 around me. It wasn't until I went to university. And I don't 16 00:01:03,430 --> 00:01:06,310 know if I like blocked out these memories or whatever. But I just 17 00:01:06,310 --> 00:01:08,740 remember picking up the knitting. And when I was really 18 00:01:08,740 --> 00:01:12,100 struggling mentally, it was mentally. And I needed something 19 00:01:12,100 --> 00:01:17,170 to do with my hands. I thought oh knitting looks cool. And at 20 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,880 the time, Pinterest wasn't really a thing, but like Tumblr, 21 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,630 and that and there was a lot of really cool little, little 22 00:01:25,660 --> 00:01:32,350 things. I could do that. So kind of picked up then and ever 23 00:01:32,350 --> 00:01:36,340 since. It's kind of been my, I suppose coping mechanism for 24 00:01:36,340 --> 00:01:42,400 just being in the world. Like a security blanket. So yeah, that 25 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,610 was kind of what it started. And it's just escalated from there. 26 00:01:45,610 --> 00:01:46,660 Really? Yeah. 27 00:01:46,690 --> 00:01:48,220 Mia Hobbs: So you think it was Do you think maybe your 28 00:01:48,220 --> 00:01:50,740 grandma's seeing her knitting had kind of planted the seed 29 00:01:50,740 --> 00:01:53,650 that you had a concept of That could be something you did when 30 00:01:53,650 --> 00:01:56,500 you felt like you needed to do something with your hands? 31 00:01:56,890 --> 00:02:01,750 LJ: Yeah, I just my family is all quite creative with the 32 00:02:01,750 --> 00:02:06,940 hands. My mum's my mum's was a chef and my dad's an 33 00:02:06,940 --> 00:02:11,050 electrician, but he tinkered with everything. So we were 34 00:02:11,050 --> 00:02:15,730 always kind of promoted that we are encouraged to use our hands. 35 00:02:15,730 --> 00:02:18,700 And yeah, so we were always encouraged to do stuff like 36 00:02:18,700 --> 00:02:25,660 that. And I, I don't know why none. I honestly don't know. I 37 00:02:25,660 --> 00:02:30,490 don't know if it was the sway of the internet. Or if it was, like 38 00:02:30,490 --> 00:02:33,430 some deeper memory of like, oh, yeah, I kinda know how to do 39 00:02:33,430 --> 00:02:36,190 that. Because my gran kinda showed me I honestly don't know. 40 00:02:36,990 --> 00:02:39,600 Mia Hobbs: It's interesting that you had this idea that you felt 41 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,370 like you were struggling mentally, and you felt doing 42 00:02:41,370 --> 00:02:45,180 something with your hands might help. I think sometimes people 43 00:02:45,210 --> 00:02:48,270 fall into it by accident. And then they realised doing 44 00:02:48,270 --> 00:02:50,730 something with my hands helps. And I think yeah, totally. That 45 00:02:50,730 --> 00:02:53,490 was true for me. I don't think I ever did it at the beginning 46 00:02:53,490 --> 00:02:56,250 intentionally, but I really noticed it did help. 47 00:02:56,850 --> 00:02:58,710 LJ: Yeah, that's weird. Isn't that I've never thought about it 48 00:02:58,710 --> 00:03:02,640 like that. Um, I think I was struggling to focus in lectures 49 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:07,020 as well. So I found that phones weren't what phones are now. 50 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,340 Mia Hobbs: Do you think it helped a bit to focus in 51 00:03:09,340 --> 00:03:13,060 lectures knitting? Yeah. You were struggling to focus in 52 00:03:13,060 --> 00:03:13,570 lectures? 53 00:03:13,780 --> 00:03:15,730 Unknown: Yeah, I was struggling to focus in lectures, I was also 54 00:03:15,730 --> 00:03:20,380 struggling to like, like, now, what I know is anxiety to 55 00:03:20,380 --> 00:03:27,820 actually go to uni. So it kind of gives me something to focus 56 00:03:27,820 --> 00:03:33,340 on. And kind of looking back, I feel that I've got this thing 57 00:03:33,340 --> 00:03:37,390 with people looking at me and judging me. And I thought, well, 58 00:03:38,050 --> 00:03:40,660 if I'm doing something my hands or like, if I'm knitting in 59 00:03:40,660 --> 00:03:45,820 that. Well, they will be looking at me, but not because of bad 60 00:03:45,820 --> 00:03:48,880 reasons. Because I'm knitting. Yeah. So 61 00:03:48,970 --> 00:03:51,790 Mia Hobbs: yeah, so it was a different focus, maybe a focus 62 00:03:51,790 --> 00:03:53,800 for you, and also a focus for other people. 63 00:03:54,070 --> 00:03:55,150 LJ: Yeah, I think so. 64 00:03:55,540 --> 00:03:58,810 Mia Hobbs: Yeah, that's really interesting. And I think it in a 65 00:03:58,810 --> 00:04:02,050 way it also, I find it, it's a kind of focal point. So you 66 00:04:02,050 --> 00:04:05,530 don't have to give eye contact necessarily to people. You can 67 00:04:05,530 --> 00:04:09,280 be busy doing a thing, but also still listening. So if you're 68 00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:10,810 getting in lectures, 69 00:04:11,650 --> 00:04:13,990 LJ: yeah, I was. Yeah. I mean, for a while I was playing my 70 00:04:13,990 --> 00:04:21,760 Nintendo DS time. But yeah, I was knitting in lectures. And I 71 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,550 don't know when you did your degree, but the psychology 72 00:04:24,550 --> 00:04:28,300 degree that I did, there was like, 400 people. I mean, there 73 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:32,080 was smaller. As time went on, there was smaller, like 74 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,630 tutorials and stuff, but like were main lectures, there was a 75 00:04:34,630 --> 00:04:39,430 lot of people there nobody, like the lecturers didn't see you, or 76 00:04:40,540 --> 00:04:43,480 I don't think at that time, I would have been comfortable in 77 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,940 myself to be like, Yeah, but it's keeping me focused. I don't 78 00:04:45,940 --> 00:04:47,410 think I would have stood up for myself. 79 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:47,930 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. 80 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,400 LJ: At that point, I would now. And when I went on, when I went 81 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:57,080 on to do my second degree, it was a creative degree. So that 82 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,960 was fine. Nobody really cared as long as I was there. 83 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,490 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. Okay, so you knitted and people saw and that 84 00:05:02,490 --> 00:05:06,030 was fine. Yeah. Yeah. And was there more other people doing 85 00:05:06,060 --> 00:05:08,490 similar things in a creative degree or not necessarily? 86 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:14,660 LJ: I'm not really. So I went and did. So I finished my uni, 87 00:05:15,260 --> 00:05:19,310 and was kind of a bit lost. So I ended up at this point, I was 88 00:05:19,310 --> 00:05:22,610 doing loads of kind of crafts, like sewing and things. And one 89 00:05:22,610 --> 00:05:26,150 of my friends was like, why don't you apply to do your NQ, 90 00:05:26,570 --> 00:05:31,940 in textiles at the college local college, and you get paid for 91 00:05:31,940 --> 00:05:35,540 your year and, whatever? And say, oh, that sounds? Yeah, 92 00:05:35,540 --> 00:05:40,580 let's find out. Let's try that. So did that I really loved it. I 93 00:05:40,580 --> 00:05:44,690 really, really loved it. But I was like, 22, in a class full of 94 00:05:44,690 --> 00:05:51,230 16 year olds. Okay. So I was the kind of weird one. Once I did 95 00:05:51,230 --> 00:05:56,870 the NQ, I did my HSC HND in textile art. A lot of people 96 00:05:56,870 --> 00:06:01,430 like enjoyed different creative hobbies, like, like photography, 97 00:06:01,460 --> 00:06:06,470 or sewing or drawing and things. I think I was the only one that 98 00:06:06,470 --> 00:06:11,210 really did, like, traditional handicraft, like in the crochet 99 00:06:11,210 --> 00:06:17,330 in that. But we were all I don't know. It was such a nice space 100 00:06:17,330 --> 00:06:20,660 to be in you were kind of accepted for who you are. So 101 00:06:20,660 --> 00:06:24,860 nobody, nobody judged. You see, I'm always concerned about being 102 00:06:24,860 --> 00:06:25,790 judged as really bad. 103 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,860 Mia Hobbs: I think we all are probably at some level. So it 104 00:06:29,860 --> 00:06:33,160 sounds like it felt more accepting there. 105 00:06:33,610 --> 00:06:34,540 LJ: definitely 106 00:06:34,900 --> 00:06:38,170 Mia Hobbs: It was fine to be the only one who did it. Yeah, do it 107 00:06:38,170 --> 00:06:41,770 in lectures to help you focus. Without anyone thinking that was 108 00:06:41,770 --> 00:06:42,520 unusual. 109 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,640 LJ: No. I mean, it was kind of encouraged when I was at 110 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,750 college, because, you know, it was you were trying things and 111 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,690 it was always encouraged to be trying to creative things, but 112 00:06:53,470 --> 00:06:56,860 uni, I mean, again, you'll understand, it's all about 113 00:06:56,860 --> 00:06:58,720 you've got loads of reading to do so there's not really the 114 00:06:58,720 --> 00:06:59,260 time. 115 00:07:00,290 --> 00:07:02,840 Mia Hobbs: I wonder whether it's different now whether, you know, 116 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:05,150 knitting or the idea of doing something with your hands to 117 00:07:05,150 --> 00:07:08,630 help you focus is more feels more normalised or kind of 118 00:07:08,630 --> 00:07:11,390 acceptable now that we all kind of realised actually humans are 119 00:07:11,390 --> 00:07:14,330 not meant to sit for hours on end, and just listen without 120 00:07:14,330 --> 00:07:17,090 doing anything. I know, that I struggle with that 121 00:07:18,770 --> 00:07:24,170 LJ: It's it's hard to sit and focus and just sit and focus, I 122 00:07:24,170 --> 00:07:28,880 think. I suppose that's why a lot of people doodle and yeah, 123 00:07:28,970 --> 00:07:34,370 Tinker about and things. I know, like, now being in the knitting 124 00:07:34,370 --> 00:07:38,720 industry. Yeah, in the UK, I know a lot of other knitters in 125 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:43,340 that, that knit in meetings and things. And it's mostly seen as 126 00:07:43,340 --> 00:07:46,010 very acceptable. So that's a good thing. 127 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,160 Mia Hobbs: I wonder whether zoom has like the pandemic has 128 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,220 inadvertently helped that a bit. I certainly have felt more 129 00:07:51,250 --> 00:07:55,540 comfortable. Being in a training day and just openly knitting 130 00:07:55,540 --> 00:07:58,810 while I'm doing that on Zoom, then maybe I would have done to 131 00:07:58,810 --> 00:08:03,070 do it in person, where it was quite unknown what reaction I 132 00:08:03,070 --> 00:08:07,600 might get, even though 100% Feel it would help me focus to do a 133 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,350 simple knitting thing in the background at the same time as 134 00:08:11,350 --> 00:08:14,560 listening to something. Yeah, I think you're right, it takes a 135 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,530 certain amount of confidence in yourself to be able to say this 136 00:08:17,530 --> 00:08:18,760 does help me focus. 137 00:08:18,810 --> 00:08:21,630 LJ: Yeah, exactly. It's fine. I am paying attention to you, I 138 00:08:21,630 --> 00:08:23,640 don't need to pay attention to the knitting. It's good. 139 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,940 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. And in terms of why you still knit now, I don't 140 00:08:26,940 --> 00:08:29,010 know how much you tried the other hobbies and how much you 141 00:08:29,010 --> 00:08:32,280 still do the other crafts or whether they knitting has kind 142 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,320 of dominated for you. 143 00:08:34,510 --> 00:08:38,140 LJ: Knitting has definitely dominated my craft, but I still 144 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:46,960 sew and spin and work in sketchbooks and and and I'll do 145 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,320 anything, I'll try any craft and I can sit with my knitting at 146 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:55,450 nighttime, or I take it places like that's my kind of calm. But 147 00:08:55,450 --> 00:08:58,900 like sometimes I'll get the urge to go into something or I want 148 00:08:58,900 --> 00:09:02,020 to make something specific. And I'm like, Well, I'm going to 149 00:09:02,020 --> 00:09:03,970 felt that or I'm going to Yeah, 150 00:09:04,170 --> 00:09:05,760 Mia Hobbs: did you think knitting is the main one you 151 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,510 associate with being helpful from a kind of mental health 152 00:09:09,510 --> 00:09:12,000 mental well being kind of perspective. You said you 153 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,350 associate that with calm. 154 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:20,110 LJ: Yeah, I, I honestly don't know why knitting. I do crochet 155 00:09:20,110 --> 00:09:22,810 as well. But it's always the knitting that I come back to 156 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,330 always always, I mean, going back to kind of the comfort 157 00:09:25,330 --> 00:09:29,170 blanket type thing, people out somewhere in public in that it's 158 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,860 so easy to take a wee project, like a wee sock or a glove or. I 159 00:09:32,860 --> 00:09:35,050 mean, I've taken big projects with me too. I'm not gonna lie. 160 00:09:36,220 --> 00:09:40,870 I will be that awkward one with like three bags going about. You 161 00:09:40,870 --> 00:09:44,800 can just take out and just sit you can focus without really 162 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,980 focusing. So if you're uncomfortable, you can kind of 163 00:09:47,980 --> 00:09:50,590 retreat back into it. But if you're not you can engage with 164 00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:54,610 what's going on. Um, but yeah, I don't know why knitting. I 165 00:09:54,610 --> 00:09:55,630 really don't know why. 166 00:09:56,590 --> 00:09:58,870 Mia Hobbs: So it sounds like something is really important 167 00:09:58,870 --> 00:10:01,480 for you that it's portable. so that you could take it out as 168 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:07,090 their like safety blanket with you out into the world that 169 00:10:07,090 --> 00:10:10,120 sounds like that's important. And then obviously, presumably 170 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:14,020 spinning and sewing maybe it's a bit more difficult to bring it 171 00:10:14,050 --> 00:10:17,710 with you, I guess depends on what kind of sewing it is. Yeah. 172 00:10:18,250 --> 00:10:21,670 I mean, there is an idea about in terms of thinking about 173 00:10:21,670 --> 00:10:24,310 knitting versus crochet that there's something particularly 174 00:10:24,310 --> 00:10:27,550 about the repetitive bilateral movements so that you're 175 00:10:27,550 --> 00:10:29,890 crossing the midline. I don't know, it depends how you knit 176 00:10:29,890 --> 00:10:34,690 actually, but because only some types of knitters cross the 177 00:10:34,690 --> 00:10:38,050 middle of their body, but there is an idea that, like some 178 00:10:38,830 --> 00:10:41,740 trauma therapy, like EMDR, I don't know whether you've heard 179 00:10:41,740 --> 00:10:45,460 of that. No, but it's a type of trauma therapy, where you read 180 00:10:45,460 --> 00:10:49,720 process trauma as you talk about a traumatic memory. And you do 181 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,290 repetitive movements that cross the midline of the body. So that 182 00:10:53,290 --> 00:10:56,320 might be your eye movements, or it could be tapping like this, 183 00:10:56,620 --> 00:10:59,290 like with your arms crossed on your chest, and that that helps 184 00:10:59,290 --> 00:11:04,870 you to reprocess trauma. So there is a theory. So Betsan 185 00:11:04,870 --> 00:11:07,990 Corkhill has done quite a lot of research into the therapeutic 186 00:11:07,990 --> 00:11:10,990 benefits of knitting, that it's because it's a bilateral 187 00:11:10,990 --> 00:11:14,500 movement, it's a movement that kind of crosses centre of your 188 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:17,290 body. So I mean, that's one theory, I suppose. But I guess 189 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,930 everybody's different. It might not be specifically that for 190 00:11:19,930 --> 00:11:20,320 you. 191 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:25,020 LJ: Yeah, I mean, it's, it's hard as a me, I suppose I have a 192 00:11:25,020 --> 00:11:28,950 bit of a psychology background, but not nothing massive. But I 193 00:11:28,950 --> 00:11:32,310 always find like to go into counselling and not that. It's 194 00:11:32,310 --> 00:11:35,820 not until you start speaking to somebody that you're like, oh, 195 00:11:35,820 --> 00:11:39,210 yeah, that. That makes sense. That's, that's why I do that, or 196 00:11:39,210 --> 00:11:44,130 that's why that conference me a bit. So yeah. It would be 197 00:11:44,130 --> 00:11:48,750 difficult without actually like looking into it and going 198 00:11:48,750 --> 00:11:49,380 through it. But 199 00:11:49,410 --> 00:11:51,240 Mia Hobbs: part of why I'm having these conversations is to 200 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,330 hear from knitters like what is therapeutic about knitting for 201 00:11:54,330 --> 00:11:56,940 lots of people, because I think lots of us think it keeps us 202 00:11:56,940 --> 00:12:01,110 sane, or it really helps us or, you know, in different ways, and 203 00:12:01,110 --> 00:12:03,420 it won't be the same for all of us. But I guess that's one of 204 00:12:03,420 --> 00:12:05,880 the theories is about the repetitive movements in the 205 00:12:06,450 --> 00:12:08,130 particular action of them. 206 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,610 LJ: I mean, I would agree with you, I I'm definitely a process. 207 00:12:11,610 --> 00:12:15,000 No, I mean, I enjoy the end object. But it's definitely more 208 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:20,370 about the doing than than the end thing. Yeah, I mean, the 209 00:12:20,370 --> 00:12:22,710 movie you something about, like the kind of rhythm of it. And 210 00:12:22,710 --> 00:12:27,030 it's just like, I suppose, I suppose it holds my attention as 211 00:12:27,030 --> 00:12:32,100 well enough to stop, or this is going to sound wild, but it 212 00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:36,690 stops that kind of brain noise. Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you've 213 00:12:36,690 --> 00:12:40,260 got like a complicated pattern, you can, like there's enough 214 00:12:40,260 --> 00:12:46,410 focus there to not let the intrusive thoughts come in. And 215 00:12:46,410 --> 00:12:49,860 you can kind of get into the rhythm and, and it kind of leads 216 00:12:49,860 --> 00:12:54,030 on to you feeling a lot better in that moment. So yeah, I mean, 217 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:54,870 so it's actually 218 00:12:55,890 --> 00:12:58,740 Mia Hobbs: a bit of like, the knitting pattern has to be 219 00:12:58,740 --> 00:13:02,310 complicated enough to use enough of your brain power ought to 220 00:13:02,310 --> 00:13:06,330 focus it on that in the hearing now and not to let it freelance 221 00:13:06,330 --> 00:13:09,990 over, you know, and look for things to be worried about, or 222 00:13:10,020 --> 00:13:12,840 Yeah, yeah. ruminative loops to get trapped in. 223 00:13:14,370 --> 00:13:19,170 LJ: I tend to go for I'm not, I don't like pain socks. Okay. 224 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:27,570 Yeah. They're not my favourite. I, they're too plain. Okay. 225 00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:33,690 Yeah. I mean, I will knit a sock. But I find them to plain. 226 00:13:33,690 --> 00:13:36,750 And I will do like a lacy kind of sock or something 227 00:13:36,750 --> 00:13:39,210 interesting. And that's funny how you say about having a 228 00:13:39,210 --> 00:13:42,210 pattern that's just complicated. I've never thought about that 229 00:13:42,210 --> 00:13:45,060 before. But you're right. I do tend to go for patterns, I've 230 00:13:45,060 --> 00:13:49,680 got something I have to focus on, but not too much that I 231 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:54,120 can't take out and about with me or watch the TV or do other 232 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:54,840 things with 233 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,300 Mia Hobbs: I would have multiple on the go at once. I'd have a 234 00:13:57,300 --> 00:14:00,990 take everywhere, easy sock or a hat or something and then a more 235 00:14:00,990 --> 00:14:04,590 complicated one that when I need to deliberately turn off the 236 00:14:04,590 --> 00:14:07,560 noise in my brain and focus on the knitting. 237 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,500 LJ: I mean, we've all got several projects on the go. 238 00:14:11,070 --> 00:14:12,450 nothing to be ashamed about. 239 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,090 Mia Hobbs: No, but I think I deliberately strategize in terms 240 00:14:15,090 --> 00:14:20,460 of process a bit like you like that it's about the product what 241 00:14:20,460 --> 00:14:22,950 I'm going to be doing when I'm doing it rather than the end 242 00:14:22,950 --> 00:14:25,530 result necessarily. Yeah, totally. 243 00:14:25,740 --> 00:14:28,350 LJ: And also, I mean, I don't know about you, but that actual 244 00:14:28,350 --> 00:14:31,200 process leading up to the knitting like picking your yarn, 245 00:14:31,290 --> 00:14:34,320 picking your pattern winding your yarn, picking your needles 246 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,980 that. Yeah, I enjoy that part of the process as well. 247 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:41,140 Mia Hobbs: And is there anything about that that's therapeutic. I 248 00:14:41,140 --> 00:14:44,350 suppose I'm interested in like, are there certain I don't know 249 00:14:44,350 --> 00:14:46,810 stitch patterns you gravitate towards are there times when you 250 00:14:46,810 --> 00:14:49,900 feel like you want to be I don't know spending time with certain 251 00:14:49,900 --> 00:14:52,630 colours. Obviously you're a yarn Dyer as well. So I'm sure colour 252 00:14:52,630 --> 00:14:57,340 is a big thing for you. I don't know. Well, is there anything 253 00:14:57,340 --> 00:14:58,990 therapeutic about all that stuff. 254 00:15:00,700 --> 00:15:04,900 LJ: I'm more about the feel of things. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I do 255 00:15:04,900 --> 00:15:09,220 enjoy colour. But I more gravitate towards the feel of 256 00:15:09,220 --> 00:15:12,580 the yarn. Am I like really kind of? I am one of those snowflakes 257 00:15:12,580 --> 00:15:16,660 that likes the soft yarn something with a bit of interest 258 00:15:16,660 --> 00:15:19,000 and texture to it, I like the feeling when it goes through my 259 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,990 hands. I'm so glad I'm speaking to a psychologist right now and 260 00:15:23,590 --> 00:15:24,910 not some random person. 261 00:15:25,630 --> 00:15:28,360 Mia Hobbs: This is exactly what I'm interested in, because all 262 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:30,910 the things that I've been thinking about in my own head 263 00:15:30,910 --> 00:15:33,730 and wondering like, is it you know, are there certain times 264 00:15:33,730 --> 00:15:36,760 you need to be sitting there with some mohair in your hands 265 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,390 or you need to be sitting there with, you know, that part of 266 00:15:40,390 --> 00:15:44,230 that is the tactile experience of Yeah, like it is literally 267 00:15:44,260 --> 00:15:46,600 like a physical comfort blanket, but in your hands, and you're 268 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:47,440 doing something with it. 269 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,080 LJ: Yeah, no, definitely. I completely agree with that. And 270 00:15:52,650 --> 00:15:55,050 Mia Hobbs: so anything is soft and have some interesting 271 00:15:55,050 --> 00:15:55,680 texture. 272 00:15:56,069 --> 00:16:01,889 LJ: Yeah, yeah. And I also, when I'm knitting, I enjoy like, a 273 00:16:01,889 --> 00:16:05,309 nice stitch pattern. Yeah. I can work 274 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,800 Mia Hobbs: what for you is a nice stitch pattern. 275 00:16:07,430 --> 00:16:12,620 LJ: Do you know I enjoy a cable? Yeah, I enjoy something that I 276 00:16:12,620 --> 00:16:15,920 don't know what the word for it is. I do enjoy some lace, but 277 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:17,570 not like a traditional like Shetland lace. 278 00:16:17,790 --> 00:16:21,540 Mia Hobbs: Interesting. So is it I quite like a stitch pattern 279 00:16:21,540 --> 00:16:26,580 that I can remember for round. So it might have like six or 280 00:16:26,610 --> 00:16:30,060 eight processes, but I can either read them in the 281 00:16:30,060 --> 00:16:32,520 knitting. So I don't have to look back at the pattern all the 282 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:37,470 time. Or I can remember it for that row or round and then learn 283 00:16:37,470 --> 00:16:40,050 a new one for the next one. I don't know whether you're 284 00:16:40,050 --> 00:16:42,780 similar or so I don't know that I would love a lace pattern. I 285 00:16:42,780 --> 00:16:46,260 had to look at the pattern constantly that every stitch, 286 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,340 for example. No, 287 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,210 LJ: no, I completely agree with that's kind of where my head was 288 00:16:51,210 --> 00:16:51,570 going. 289 00:16:52,590 --> 00:16:54,300 Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I don't know enough about Shetland lace to 290 00:16:54,300 --> 00:16:58,290 know what that means. Exactly. Is it complicated? 291 00:16:58,990 --> 00:17:01,870 LJ: July it's probably not I haven't done any Shetland lace 292 00:17:01,870 --> 00:17:05,290 knitting. But I was kind of meaning the, you know, the big 293 00:17:05,350 --> 00:17:11,350 white baby blanket. Shetlandy Lace, I think I think it's more 294 00:17:11,350 --> 00:17:15,490 about the thickness of the yarn than the pattern I could be 295 00:17:15,490 --> 00:17:23,500 wrong and I will have complaints. But yeah, just I'd 296 00:17:23,500 --> 00:17:28,300 like something that looks good. And as you say something that's 297 00:17:28,300 --> 00:17:34,930 easy to kind of memorise but not too easy. Just enough to, like 298 00:17:34,930 --> 00:17:38,320 when you're sitting knitting every round, or like garter 299 00:17:38,740 --> 00:17:44,650 stitch. It's, I find that very, it's maybe too. It's maybe too 300 00:17:44,650 --> 00:17:48,100 easy. Yeah. Whereas if you kind of throw in like a lace chart or 301 00:17:48,100 --> 00:17:51,370 something, I find that quite nice colourwork's also really 302 00:17:51,370 --> 00:17:55,630 good for kind of keeping you going, I suppose. Yeah. 303 00:17:55,690 --> 00:17:59,110 Mia Hobbs: So it sounds like this zone, where knitting could 304 00:17:59,110 --> 00:18:01,840 be too easy. And then it's not doing enough of the work of 305 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:05,380 helping your brain switch off from stressful thing. Yeah, it 306 00:18:05,380 --> 00:18:08,620 could be too hard that it feels I don't know, a bit tedious and 307 00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:12,130 annoying. And there's a zone in the middle, where it's the right 308 00:18:12,130 --> 00:18:15,700 level of challenge that it can occupy your brain enough to give 309 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:19,450 you a bit of a rest from rumination, let's say and not 310 00:18:19,450 --> 00:18:21,670 challenge you too much that it puts you off. 311 00:18:22,140 --> 00:18:25,740 LJ: Yeah. I mean, I do like a really challenging pattern. I 312 00:18:25,740 --> 00:18:30,660 do. But that is once in a while. And I complain the whole time. 313 00:18:33,810 --> 00:18:38,820 Just like why did why did I choose this one? Oh, I just did 314 00:18:38,820 --> 00:18:43,320 a big brioche shawl it's the blooming brioche by Xandy 315 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:48,570 Peters. And oh, my goodness, or just, I don't know why I did 316 00:18:48,570 --> 00:18:52,050 that to myself. It's beautiful. And I'm really pleased with how 317 00:18:52,050 --> 00:18:56,430 it turned out. But I was looking at that chart every single roll. 318 00:18:57,420 --> 00:18:57,870 Yeah. 319 00:18:58,410 --> 00:19:01,110 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. So challenge. I haven't ventured into brioche, 320 00:19:01,110 --> 00:19:04,860 actually, that's on my list of something I want to do, but I 321 00:19:04,860 --> 00:19:05,700 haven't yet. 322 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,810 LJ: You should give it a go. It's definitely something that 323 00:19:09,110 --> 00:19:12,800 you need to stick at. Because it does. It's not. It's not 324 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,910 intuitive to start with. I didn't find but once you get it, 325 00:19:16,910 --> 00:19:18,500 you're like, ah, that makes sense. 326 00:19:19,110 --> 00:19:22,560 Mia Hobbs: Okay, and this sense of achievement of doing Yeah, 327 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,410 LJ: totally. Oh, I can't do that. That. That's I'm good. I 328 00:19:25,410 --> 00:19:26,310 can do things. 329 00:19:26,610 --> 00:19:28,140 Mia Hobbs: Do you think that's something knitting gives you 330 00:19:28,140 --> 00:19:31,080 like the sense of achievement because Oh, definitely helpful 331 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,990 with you know, all of our kind of mental well being is getting 332 00:19:33,990 --> 00:19:36,330 that boost of Oh, I did this thing? And I guess Yeah, and 333 00:19:36,330 --> 00:19:38,760 also you can see and hold and show people. 334 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:46,100 LJ: Yeah, I also like him. I don't want to say this as like, 335 00:19:46,430 --> 00:19:48,860 narcissistic or anything, but I quite like when you finish 336 00:19:48,860 --> 00:19:52,010 something and people are like, that's really cool. I feel like, 337 00:19:52,070 --> 00:19:53,630 oh thank you. Just 338 00:19:53,630 --> 00:19:54,770 Mia Hobbs: I don't think that's narcissistic at all 339 00:19:54,770 --> 00:19:57,140 LJ: to it. It's like the insecurities of myself. I'm just 340 00:19:57,140 --> 00:20:02,420 like, Why did something good oh So yeah, it kind of feeds into 341 00:20:02,420 --> 00:20:04,250 that really? And is that 342 00:20:04,310 --> 00:20:07,640 Mia Hobbs: something you mainly knitting garments or things you 343 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:09,980 would wear? are you knitting things you would keep yourself 344 00:20:09,980 --> 00:20:10,880 or give away? 345 00:20:10,290 --> 00:20:14,354 LJ: I knit everything and anything. Mostly, like back was 346 00:20:14,431 --> 00:20:18,802 a couple years ago, I had a shop. So a lot of my knitting 347 00:20:18,879 --> 00:20:23,020 was for the shop. But I closed that two years ago. And 348 00:20:23,097 --> 00:20:27,928 Hindsight is a great thing when the pandemic and I kind of felt 349 00:20:28,005 --> 00:20:32,530 a bit lost because I was doing all this kind of showing off 350 00:20:32,606 --> 00:20:36,901 yarn knitting and then I was like, Oh, what, so now it's 351 00:20:36,978 --> 00:20:41,656 like, back to knitting things for me. Yeah. And I'm like, but 352 00:20:39,910 --> 00:21:07,150 That's an added boost that knitting gives you when you give 353 00:20:41,733 --> 00:20:46,334 I don't need six shawls. Do I? I don't know. So I've kind of 354 00:20:46,411 --> 00:20:51,242 started knitting for for family and friends and things. Yeah. I 355 00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:56,151 crochet Cinderella doll for my, like, one year old niece, and I 356 00:20:56,227 --> 00:21:00,675 got a message from her mum going. it's her favourite thing 357 00:21:00,752 --> 00:21:03,590 ever. Oh, my God. I'm so happy. Yeah. 358 00:21:07,150 --> 00:21:07,210 it 359 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,340 Yeah, when people like it. Yeah. Yeah. 360 00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:13,550 Mia Hobbs: I guess that was one of my questions. Really, that 361 00:21:13,550 --> 00:21:16,430 was on my list about whether it affects your mental health when 362 00:21:16,430 --> 00:21:19,400 it's the finished article, as well as just the process. It 363 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,220 sounds like you're a lot about the process. But you Yeah, 364 00:21:22,220 --> 00:21:25,160 something from the end result to either because people compliment 365 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,300 you when you're wearing your lovely jumper or your shawl or 366 00:21:29,330 --> 00:21:32,090 you give it away and then people say nice things 367 00:21:32,090 --> 00:21:35,510 LJ: yeah, people enjoy it. Yeah. It's nice when people enjoy it. 368 00:21:35,870 --> 00:21:40,580 And I've I mean, as most crafters know, you find out who 369 00:21:40,580 --> 00:21:45,320 likes it and who doesn't like it. And you end up only making 370 00:21:45,350 --> 00:21:48,470 for them like my mum, I make notes for my mom. She's like, my 371 00:21:48,470 --> 00:21:52,400 number one fan. And she always gets so excited no matter how 372 00:21:52,430 --> 00:21:58,130 ghastly it turns out. But yeah, it's a really nice feeling when 373 00:21:58,130 --> 00:22:02,600 you can make something for somebody. And I feel like as 374 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:07,340 well. So I have depression winner. And sometimes when 375 00:22:07,340 --> 00:22:11,630 you're in that, that dark space, and I knit all the time when I'm 376 00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:16,580 not doing other things. So like when, like, my friends have 377 00:22:16,610 --> 00:22:21,200 recently moved house. And like I've made them housewarming 378 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,800 gifts. And that was something that I could do, instead of 379 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,000 having to sit on the internet and overthink. Like, oh, what 380 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,010 would be the perfect thing for their new house? Well, maybe 381 00:22:31,010 --> 00:22:34,160 they've got too much stuff, but everybody could use a pair of 382 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:38,990 slippers, right? So it kind of it kind of helps with that 383 00:22:38,990 --> 00:22:43,010 uselessness as well, that feeling of uselessness that you 384 00:22:43,010 --> 00:22:45,680 are doing something productive? And then you can 385 00:22:46,140 --> 00:22:49,140 Mia Hobbs: other times? So even when you're feeling low? Are you 386 00:22:49,140 --> 00:22:50,280 able to knit? 387 00:22:50,730 --> 00:22:51,540 LJ: Always? 388 00:22:51,570 --> 00:22:52,650 Mia Hobbs: You are okay. 389 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:59,200 LJ: Yeah. Um, I don't know if it is because over, it's been so 390 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:04,090 long now that I just understand that, that kind of keeps me 391 00:23:04,090 --> 00:23:10,210 grounded and kind of not in my head. Yeah, that I'm just like, 392 00:23:10,210 --> 00:23:12,700 well, that's a no brainer, really just go and get your 393 00:23:12,700 --> 00:23:17,320 knitting and sit for a bit. So like, if I wake up, and I'm 394 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:21,580 like, oh, today is not a good day, I will tend to sit with my 395 00:23:21,580 --> 00:23:24,430 knitting and a cup of tea for like an hour or so just to kind 396 00:23:24,430 --> 00:23:28,540 of instead of writing the whole day off, and it's something new 397 00:23:28,540 --> 00:23:31,360 that I've learned that it's okay to just I mean, the joys of 398 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:34,540 being self employed, right? I am lucky that I can do that. But to 399 00:23:34,540 --> 00:23:38,800 be able to sit where your net and just bring yourself like 400 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:43,210 wake yourself up and shake off, whatever you've woken up with, 401 00:23:43,810 --> 00:23:46,060 you can focus on doing something. So you are like 402 00:23:46,090 --> 00:23:48,340 you're being you know, the whole you have to be productive all 403 00:23:48,340 --> 00:23:51,820 the time. So you're being productive. But you're also kind 404 00:23:51,820 --> 00:23:56,020 of soothing your brain a little bit. And then I'll go and have a 405 00:23:56,020 --> 00:24:00,130 shower and get my day going and things like that. So 406 00:24:00,150 --> 00:24:03,750 Mia Hobbs: yeah. So it sounds like it helps you to feel you're 407 00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:07,170 being productive when it feels really overwhelming to do 408 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:07,980 anything. 409 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,260 LJ: Yeah, yeah, it really does. And it's not something I've 410 00:24:11,290 --> 00:24:15,250 realised until recently that when you spend a lot of time on 411 00:24:15,250 --> 00:24:18,850 the internet, I don't know if there's like cycles of things 412 00:24:18,850 --> 00:24:22,330 that are shared. And a lot of it now is like you do and I assume 413 00:24:22,330 --> 00:24:24,700 it's because of the pandemic that people feel guilty that 414 00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:28,810 they're not as productive as they maybe would like to be or 415 00:24:28,810 --> 00:24:32,800 have been in previous years. Well, there's a lot of stuff 416 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,200 about like, you don't have to be productive all the time or 417 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,200 society tells you you should be productive and you're you're not 418 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,690 less of a human if you're not productive. And I suppose the 419 00:24:40,690 --> 00:24:44,530 kind of the right like you are always told that you should be 420 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,460 busy or working and and you always get praised for being 421 00:24:48,460 --> 00:24:52,750 busy all the time. But when you struggle, mentally, I mean, and 422 00:24:52,750 --> 00:24:58,840 physically but like in my cards mentally. be productive when you 423 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,920 just literally don't Have the spoons to clean the house or 424 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,130 whatever you have to do. So in doing a couple rows of knitting, 425 00:25:06,370 --> 00:25:08,350 yeah, use that quite a lot 426 00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:12,690 Mia Hobbs: so that you can kind of see it and feel it like you 427 00:25:12,690 --> 00:25:17,130 can see the progress you made. Yeah. Other than I, you know, I 428 00:25:17,130 --> 00:25:19,950 don't know whether to clean the house, it always ends up getting 429 00:25:19,980 --> 00:25:20,580 dirty. I 430 00:25:20,510 --> 00:25:26,330 mean, you have a dog. Yeah. I don't mean, poodles don't tend 431 00:25:26,330 --> 00:25:29,720 to shed well, they don't shedSHe doesn't shed, that's one 432 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:30,140 blessing 433 00:25:30,140 --> 00:25:32,420 LJ: Spaniels there's hair everywhere. 434 00:25:32,450 --> 00:25:34,250 Mia Hobbs: He does go to the park and get very muddy and 435 00:25:34,250 --> 00:25:35,240 bring it all back in the house. 436 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:41,240 LJ: Thats what you get having a white dog. But yeah, like the 437 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,460 cleanings never ending. But you're right, being able to see 438 00:25:43,460 --> 00:25:46,280 the progress on the knitting. And sometimes you add wee 439 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:48,140 stitch marker and to see how far you've got 440 00:25:48,140 --> 00:25:49,070 Mia Hobbs: Yeah, that's a good idea. 441 00:25:49,100 --> 00:25:51,950 LJ: And it's just an extra seratonin boost really. 442 00:25:52,260 --> 00:25:54,630 Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I think I'm, that's a good idea. Actually, I 443 00:25:54,630 --> 00:25:57,510 need to do. I've just done a colour work yoke. And now I've 444 00:25:57,510 --> 00:26:01,500 got, I'm looking down the barrel of nine inches of stockinette, 445 00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:05,550 which is not my favourite part of that sweater. But maybe I 446 00:26:05,550 --> 00:26:08,250 should put in some stitch markers so I can see my progress 447 00:26:08,250 --> 00:26:11,160 because it does feel like you knit and knit and it's not going 448 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:11,670 anywhere 449 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,780 LJ: Precisely Yeah, you can and you'll be able to see like, if 450 00:26:15,780 --> 00:26:18,120 you're sitting in the evening, you're just like, Oh, I've done 451 00:26:18,120 --> 00:26:20,310 an inch instead of feeling like you've only done like three 452 00:26:20,310 --> 00:26:20,820 rows. 453 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,360 Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I love going to you know, when you have to go 454 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:25,670 to, you know, doctor appointment or something and you sit there 455 00:26:25,670 --> 00:26:28,430 and you feel like, well, this is, you know, I like to be able 456 00:26:28,430 --> 00:26:32,600 to see, I got everyone else has just got some time on Instagram 457 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,020 or something on their phones, whereas I got into an of a 458 00:26:36,020 --> 00:26:37,880 boring cuff of a sock or something. 459 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,130 LJ: Definitely. doing that. Yeah. It's good to not be on 460 00:26:43,130 --> 00:26:45,650 your phone all the time. Although I'm on my phone all the 461 00:26:45,650 --> 00:26:47,450 time. I'm trying not to be 462 00:26:47,870 --> 00:26:50,210 Mia Hobbs: I think everyone's on their phone all the time really, 463 00:26:50,690 --> 00:26:54,560 just I was gonna ask about a significant project. 464 00:26:54,980 --> 00:27:01,250 LJ: I yeah, I found that really difficult. Because because I do 465 00:27:01,250 --> 00:27:04,790 just enjoy the process of doing it. Yeah. Nothing that kind of 466 00:27:04,790 --> 00:27:05,570 really. 467 00:27:06,230 --> 00:27:08,420 Mia Hobbs: I suppose I wondered was there a particular time when 468 00:27:08,420 --> 00:27:11,750 you think oh, yeah, that I did whatever I knitted at that point 469 00:27:11,780 --> 00:27:15,950 was really was really memorable, or this I gave to my mum and she 470 00:27:15,950 --> 00:27:19,010 loved it or I don't know, something that got you through a 471 00:27:19,010 --> 00:27:21,830 difficult time or could be any reason for being significant. 472 00:27:21,830 --> 00:27:23,150 Really? Yeah, well, 473 00:27:23,690 --> 00:27:27,650 LJ: recently well, last year. I'm just thinking how much not? 474 00:27:27,890 --> 00:27:30,410 Not how much to say I haven't said this in public, but I'm 475 00:27:30,410 --> 00:27:36,380 happy to say it, last year we lost marks grandad Mark being my 476 00:27:36,380 --> 00:27:41,690 husband, and I was very close to his granddad and he had cancer 477 00:27:41,690 --> 00:27:45,170 so he ended up in like palliative care. And it just 478 00:27:45,170 --> 00:27:48,440 wasn't a good time and there was a whole issue with family and 479 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,450 but back when I had the shop I had started Karina Westerman or 480 00:27:53,450 --> 00:27:59,240 Karie Westerman And Summerisle shawl as a shop sample. And I 481 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:02,300 had two skeins of my own yarn. And I had started knitting it, 482 00:28:02,660 --> 00:28:05,930 but for some reason it got put to the side and kind of 483 00:28:05,930 --> 00:28:09,470 forgotten about. But it's such a beautiful pattern that I was 484 00:28:09,470 --> 00:28:16,190 like, No, I want to work on that. So we Mark's Gran is 485 00:28:17,690 --> 00:28:22,340 practically blind and she's in a wheelchair. So we moved in to 486 00:28:22,340 --> 00:28:28,820 her house for a fortnight to help her out. And I was on her 487 00:28:28,850 --> 00:28:32,660 it was height of the pandemic so there was only one visitor into 488 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:35,210 the hospital but because she was in a wheelchair I got in it's 489 00:28:35,210 --> 00:28:40,700 like a carer. So we would spend like two hours in the hospital. 490 00:28:41,150 --> 00:28:45,290 So this was kind of my hospital go to Project okay. Yeah. And 491 00:28:47,270 --> 00:28:53,150 Mark's granddad was all like he was so so he was just the best, 492 00:28:53,150 --> 00:28:56,480 like legitimately the best and we're trying not to cry. Yes. 493 00:28:57,380 --> 00:29:02,060 Um, and he was always like, I like I used to knit him socks 494 00:29:02,060 --> 00:29:06,200 because he his mum, I never met his mum. But his mum apparently 495 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:09,920 was the most fantastic knitter and would hand them socks. As 496 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,860 soon as I learned how to knit socks, I was like, the old man's 497 00:29:12,860 --> 00:29:16,040 getting socks. And I would give him socks. And when I shop for 498 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:20,180 the shop, he got all the socks. And he was just like, he 499 00:29:20,180 --> 00:29:23,870 genuinely just was the best. And so I was sitting there on this 500 00:29:23,870 --> 00:29:26,210 project and every night because we were there every single 501 00:29:26,210 --> 00:29:30,260 night. You like, How far have you gone? What is it finished 502 00:29:30,260 --> 00:29:32,810 yet? Is it finished yet? And it would just be a bit of banter. 503 00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:39,890 Yeah. And then he died. And the project well, the project took a 504 00:29:39,890 --> 00:29:44,480 lot more yarn it should have as there's a story behind that. 505 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:49,250 It's my fault. It's not the pattern. And so again, it kind 506 00:29:49,250 --> 00:29:52,910 of got put to one side and I kind of couldn't look at it 507 00:29:52,910 --> 00:29:57,680 because of the memories attached to it. But I finished it at the 508 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:00,920 start of this year. I was like what kind of over Christmas 509 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:04,100 start of this year, and I was like, finishing this business 510 00:30:04,100 --> 00:30:06,950 for the old man. And when I finished it, I was like, old, 511 00:30:06,950 --> 00:30:11,300 man, you'd be so proud of me. I finished it. Oh, God no cyring 512 00:30:11,300 --> 00:30:13,130 Mia Hobbs: It's ok to cry! 513 00:30:13,490 --> 00:30:16,250 LJ: So yeah, having that. He's there. 514 00:30:16,370 --> 00:30:19,640 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. And you've presumably you're keeping that 515 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,800 to remind you of that time. Oh, that's amazing LJ. It's 516 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:25,850 beautiful. 517 00:30:26,540 --> 00:30:30,230 LJ: It's the most beautiful. It's huge. Hence why it needed 518 00:30:30,230 --> 00:30:33,290 more yarn. But it's like a matter. It is a massive blanket. 519 00:30:33,290 --> 00:30:34,430 And I can just lovely 520 00:30:34,430 --> 00:30:36,770 Mia Hobbs: and that will remind you, yeah, 521 00:30:36,750 --> 00:30:41,370 LJ: just, this is really terrible. So when he was in the 522 00:30:41,370 --> 00:30:46,890 kind of a palliative care hospital, but he was still very, 523 00:30:47,370 --> 00:30:51,330 he wasn't bed bound, which was like he was still very, he was 524 00:30:51,330 --> 00:30:55,200 in a wheelchair like an electric wheelchair. So he would always 525 00:30:55,200 --> 00:31:00,240 kind of walk us out of the kind of area he was allowed to go to. 526 00:31:01,620 --> 00:31:04,440 And Mark's Gran would say like bye like lovely dovey kisses and 527 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:06,600 everything. And I would just give him the finger and he would 528 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,270 give me the finger back. And that's the last thing I did to 529 00:31:09,270 --> 00:31:13,350 him was give him the finger Oh, God. 530 00:31:13,350 --> 00:31:15,810 Mia Hobbs: It sounds like there was a lot of affection in that. 531 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:21,420 Swearing at each other. It was your banter with each other. 532 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,110 LJ: It was yeah, he was just the best. And 533 00:31:25,770 --> 00:31:28,110 Mia Hobbs: yeah, and I'm sure that's what how he would have 534 00:31:28,110 --> 00:31:30,420 wanted it. He wouldn't have want you to suddenly would have 535 00:31:30,420 --> 00:31:33,540 freaked him out if you'd suddenly kissed him. 536 00:31:34,530 --> 00:31:38,460 LJ: Yeah, no, that would have been. I did once. 537 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,290 Mia Hobbs: Thank you for sharing that. 538 00:31:41,070 --> 00:31:44,190 LJ: I'm sorry that about crying. I'm like, I'm really so 539 00:31:44,190 --> 00:31:48,120 sentimental. No. It's one of those things. He was in a lot of 540 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:49,290 pain. So 541 00:31:49,660 --> 00:31:52,690 Mia Hobbs: yeah, I'm really special for that. You have that 542 00:31:52,690 --> 00:31:56,830 shawl to remind you. Yeah, of him, And, I'm sure he 543 00:31:56,830 --> 00:31:58,450 appreciated all those socks. 544 00:31:58,930 --> 00:32:02,620 LJ: He did. And when we emptied his house I don't know where all 545 00:32:02,620 --> 00:32:07,510 the socks went Yeah, Mark was like, but you gifted it to him. 546 00:32:07,510 --> 00:32:10,840 So they're not yours anymore? And I was like, yep, but I made 547 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:13,870 them it Feels weird. But if they've gone to the charity shop 548 00:32:13,870 --> 00:32:17,770 and somebody else is using them, then that's fine. Yeah. Yeah, 549 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:18,160 because if 550 00:32:20,590 --> 00:32:22,720 Mia Hobbs: I also wanted to ask about a knitting high and a 551 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:29,140 knitting low. They don't have to be deep and meaningful. They 552 00:32:29,140 --> 00:32:33,310 could just be I don't know, I had the. My cable needle broke 553 00:32:33,340 --> 00:32:36,640 on the line. My circular needle broke when I was sitting on the 554 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:38,650 tube and all of my stitches came off. 555 00:32:40,330 --> 00:32:41,230 LJ: That sucks. 556 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,430 Mia Hobbs: But I think we've all been there similar stories. When 557 00:32:45,430 --> 00:32:45,520 you're 558 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:50,500 LJ: Yeah, yeah, we've all done this. And then a knitting high, 559 00:32:50,500 --> 00:32:51,940 let's start with a high after that sad story 560 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:58,800 story. Um, that's really difficult. I feel like knitting 561 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:03,210 is such a, a background activity for me that I don't. That's 562 00:33:03,210 --> 00:33:05,400 crazy, isn't it? It's like a background activity. But I do it 563 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,100 all the time. But it's just more 564 00:33:09,170 --> 00:33:11,150 Mia Hobbs: of any like project. When you thought when you got to 565 00:33:11,150 --> 00:33:13,370 the end of it, it felt like a real triumph for when you first 566 00:33:13,370 --> 00:33:16,130 learned to, I don't know, I remember what the first time I 567 00:33:16,130 --> 00:33:19,430 turned a heel. I ended up standing, staying up late like 568 00:33:19,430 --> 00:33:21,530 to what I am because I thought I didn't know how this is gonna 569 00:33:21,530 --> 00:33:25,130 turn out. I'm just gonna follow the instructions. But it's 3D. 570 00:33:25,260 --> 00:33:29,310 LJ: Yeah. Yeah. How does that work? That's, can I say 571 00:33:29,310 --> 00:33:32,070 something more? Not about knitting itself, but more about 572 00:33:32,070 --> 00:33:34,260 like, the friends I've made along the way. 573 00:33:34,810 --> 00:33:36,310 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. of course, 574 00:33:35,790 --> 00:33:40,419 LJ: as, as a child who was very badly bullied, um, I've never 575 00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:44,886 felt accepted. And getting into the knitting industry, 576 00:33:44,968 --> 00:33:49,760 especially in Scotland. I'm saying Scotland, because that's 577 00:33:49,841 --> 00:33:54,796 where I'm from. But I have met so many people that accept you 578 00:33:54,877 --> 00:33:59,506 for who you are, and are absolutely your cheerleaders the 579 00:33:59,588 --> 00:34:04,136 whole time. And we're all a little bit broken. So we all 580 00:34:04,217 --> 00:34:09,009 understand when we say no, my brains a bit mush, or various 581 00:34:09,091 --> 00:34:13,883 other things. So I would say my knitting high is definitely 582 00:34:13,964 --> 00:34:18,756 being able to call these people friends and being part of a 583 00:34:18,837 --> 00:34:24,036 community that we are all in on a very supportive. Yeah, I think 584 00:34:24,117 --> 00:34:26,960 that's definitely my knitting high. 585 00:34:27,150 --> 00:34:29,160 Mia Hobbs: That's a huge thing. Yeah, 586 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:33,020 LJ: yeah. Even people I've only met a couple times. It's just, 587 00:34:33,380 --> 00:34:36,620 and I'm saying this from a place of privilege, for sure. But 588 00:34:36,620 --> 00:34:40,220 everybody's so nice. I know that our issues in the knitting 589 00:34:40,220 --> 00:34:45,320 community you've probably read and seen and, and it sucks, and 590 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,910 it's like, that's not the community. I know. But I know 591 00:34:49,910 --> 00:34:54,650 that it exists for sure. I don't want to be that naive. But yeah, 592 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,220 for me, I'm very grateful that I have people that are so 593 00:34:58,220 --> 00:35:00,230 supportive and you know, we'll send a message in be like 'are 594 00:35:00,260 --> 00:35:05,660 you ok chick and I'm like, no but hi! Or will send you a 595 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:09,680 stupid video on Tik Tok just to me, like, I saw this and that 596 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:14,300 made me laugh and make you laugh and stuff like that. So that's 597 00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:19,790 definitely my knitting high, for sure. Great. Um, my knitting low 598 00:35:19,790 --> 00:35:24,200 would be. The one thing that springs to mind because I'm 599 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:28,310 working on it just now was I went to the very first Edinburgh 600 00:35:28,310 --> 00:35:31,400 yarn festival. Have you been to Edinburgh? 601 00:35:31,750 --> 00:35:34,480 Mia Hobbs: No, but I would love to go to the Edinburgh Festival. 602 00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:39,370 I don't know when the first one was? how long ago. 603 00:35:39,660 --> 00:35:45,870 LJ: Oh, good question. Ah, had I opened the shop by them. I'm not 604 00:35:45,870 --> 00:35:52,260 sure if the shop was open. So maybe 2013 2014 ish. And then I 605 00:35:52,260 --> 00:35:56,160 went, I dragged Mark along with me. And we went in and it was in 606 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,770 the afternoon and it was so busy. I was still so busy. And 607 00:35:58,770 --> 00:36:02,130 this was this was when it was in I think the Drill Hall so it 608 00:36:02,130 --> 00:36:06,330 wasn't in the Corn Exchange. It was a much smaller venue. So we 609 00:36:06,330 --> 00:36:08,670 went in, we kind of wondered about really quickly because I 610 00:36:08,670 --> 00:36:11,370 was just so overwhelmed. There were just too many people too 611 00:36:11,370 --> 00:36:15,330 much nice yarn. I was like, oh, I need to leave went and saw 612 00:36:15,780 --> 00:36:21,390 Lileth of the of Old Maiden Aunt. And there was like she had 613 00:36:21,390 --> 00:36:24,210 her trunks and things and there was a beautiful colour. It was a 614 00:36:24,330 --> 00:36:28,200 buttermint colorway which is this beautiful yellow. It's 615 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:33,120 gorgeous. So I grabbed it. Bought it. I was like saying to 616 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,600 Lileth. I didn't know Lileth, at the time. Yeah. I was like it's 617 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,360 so busy. How are you coping? And she's like, I'm not I'm and you 618 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,960 want to hide under the table? And just like Absolutely. Bought 619 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:50,190 my yarn, left. Great. We were home. I took the yarn. Cobweb 620 00:36:50,190 --> 00:36:50,640 lace. 621 00:36:51,780 --> 00:36:52,260 Mia Hobbs: Oh, 622 00:36:53,890 --> 00:37:00,310 LJ: I was not a new knitter. But not a what's the word? Not 623 00:37:00,310 --> 00:37:03,580 confident knitter. I was like, what? I don't know what to do 624 00:37:03,580 --> 00:37:07,660 with this. So it sat in my stash for ages. And then I brought it 625 00:37:07,660 --> 00:37:10,690 out and was like, I took the yarn out. And I was like, I'm 626 00:37:10,690 --> 00:37:15,160 gonna do something with this. Yeah. And I looked at Shetland 627 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:18,640 lace thought that's a good challenge. I'm gonna try doing 628 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,010 like one of the ring, you know, that shawls that go through a 629 00:37:21,010 --> 00:37:25,150 wedding ring and things. But the yardage wasn't enough on it. But 630 00:37:25,150 --> 00:37:28,870 I think there's like over 1000 metres on it, which is crazy. So 631 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:32,710 it just so happened that Lileth had a studio fire. Not a big 632 00:37:32,710 --> 00:37:36,160 one. But there was smoke damage to yarn. So she kind of sold it 633 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:40,660 off cheap. And there was another skein of this colorway. Okay, I 634 00:37:40,660 --> 00:37:42,970 bought it I was like yes because she doesn't often have 635 00:37:42,970 --> 00:37:46,780 that base in stock. I was like, Yes, get that. And it arrived. 636 00:37:46,780 --> 00:37:49,840 And because it was like five years apart. They weren't the 637 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,990 same dye lot. They were different colours. And I was 638 00:37:52,990 --> 00:37:57,760 like, Oh, I don't know what to do with this. So again, it went 639 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:01,150 back in my stash. And it's just as a bit of a low. It's almost 640 00:38:01,150 --> 00:38:05,140 kind of plagued me just this in my stash because I want to use 641 00:38:05,140 --> 00:38:08,920 it. But I really I suppose I kind of flipped it on. I 642 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,470 recently figured out that I could knit a lace top with it. 643 00:38:11,830 --> 00:38:15,550 Okay, I'm currently knitting a lace top, holding both strands 644 00:38:15,550 --> 00:38:19,240 together. And I only need one well two skeins, but I only need 645 00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:20,140 one skein. 646 00:38:20,260 --> 00:38:22,600 Mia Hobbs: What's the top? , 647 00:38:22,630 --> 00:38:29,410 LJ: so it's Diafania. DIA. S. E. Nia, by Camilla Larsen. Diafania 648 00:38:30,100 --> 00:38:32,470 Mia Hobbs: So yeah, it's just in progress right now. 649 00:38:33,100 --> 00:38:35,470 LJ: Yes, I could show you if you want that. 650 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,590 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. That's an amazing colour. 651 00:38:39,010 --> 00:38:42,790 LJ: Isn't it beautiful? So yeah, it's got like you. I'm just on 652 00:38:42,790 --> 00:38:46,600 the yoke. I'm not looking forward to the rows and rows of 653 00:38:46,660 --> 00:38:50,770 stokinette afterwards. But yeah, I am enjoying it. And it's got a 654 00:38:50,770 --> 00:38:56,200 lace yoke. Yeah. So it's easy enough to memorise, yeah. Yeah, 655 00:38:56,230 --> 00:38:58,690 Mia Hobbs: so hey, so is it feeling good to use that yarn? 656 00:38:59,020 --> 00:39:03,070 LJ: No, it does. So I suppose it takes away from the knitting 657 00:39:03,070 --> 00:39:03,760 law, doesn't it? 658 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:05,560 Mia Hobbs: Not at all, I'm really pleased at seeing the 659 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:06,370 light of day. 660 00:39:06,450 --> 00:39:09,570 LJ: I know me too. That's the thing about like, everybody. 661 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:12,570 Well, not everybody has a big stash. But I know we all have at 662 00:39:12,570 --> 00:39:16,200 least some yarn kicking about and it's just so nice to be able 663 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:19,260 to use it because you've bought it because you love it. It's 664 00:39:19,260 --> 00:39:23,430 just a shame that it's any more hands basically. Yeah 665 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:29,510 Mia Hobbs: I actually ended up going stash free because of the 666 00:39:29,540 --> 00:39:34,250 not liking the the kind of guilt factor of when I wanted to knit 667 00:39:34,250 --> 00:39:37,010 a new thing if I didn't happen to have because you've got to 668 00:39:37,010 --> 00:39:40,670 have the right yarn and the right like thickness of yarn, 669 00:39:40,670 --> 00:39:44,180 the right quantity of it for the project. I just found that that 670 00:39:44,180 --> 00:39:48,410 was a matchmaking process that never quite resulted in a 671 00:39:48,410 --> 00:39:55,760 harmonious match. and so I ended up just so the only stash 672 00:39:55,760 --> 00:40:00,440 I have is you know, nice remnants basically or Things, 673 00:40:00,590 --> 00:40:03,170 I've used things. Also, I don't buy unless I have a specific 674 00:40:03,170 --> 00:40:05,480 project and I'm about to start 675 00:40:05,510 --> 00:40:08,240 LJ: started doing that. Well, I started doing that quite a few 676 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:12,290 years ago. Actually, I went I, before the show, I would like 677 00:40:13,670 --> 00:40:16,550 write up a spreadsheet of projects and yardage and things. 678 00:40:16,550 --> 00:40:19,700 I'd have a selection of things I wanted to make that I could then 679 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,930 be like, Okay, well, I love this. What can I make with this? 680 00:40:24,110 --> 00:40:26,210 Okay, that and then at least I knew I would have enough for at 681 00:40:26,210 --> 00:40:30,620 least a project. But yeah, it's it's quite satisfying to I 682 00:40:30,620 --> 00:40:33,380 haven't got no stash. I definitely don't have no stash. 683 00:40:33,830 --> 00:40:38,660 Yeah, I still have a lot of like sample yarn and things that I 684 00:40:38,660 --> 00:40:44,090 try and give to people. And one of my friends works for a 685 00:40:44,090 --> 00:40:48,770 Women's Refuge charity here and they're doing something with pom 686 00:40:48,770 --> 00:40:51,560 poms to they're making pom poms. And they're going to put them up 687 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:54,860 around Dundee in spaces where women don't feel safe to kind of 688 00:40:54,860 --> 00:41:01,610 make it a bit more of a nicer environment to be be in. And 689 00:41:01,610 --> 00:41:03,950 she's like, Do you have any purple, orange or green? And I'm 690 00:41:03,950 --> 00:41:07,790 like, Oh, you bet I do. Went over with like bags and I was. 691 00:41:07,790 --> 00:41:09,140 Like, please take this bye 692 00:41:09,350 --> 00:41:11,420 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. So it's going to a good cause? 693 00:41:12,020 --> 00:41:15,320 LJ: Absolutely. So yeah, if you find a pom pom in Dundee, it's 694 00:41:15,350 --> 00:41:17,180 probably from my stash. 695 00:41:18,050 --> 00:41:21,380 Mia Hobbs: That's amazing. The last question I normally ask is, 696 00:41:21,380 --> 00:41:23,570 what's the greatest gift that knitting has given you for the 697 00:41:23,570 --> 00:41:24,950 kind of rest of your life? 698 00:41:25,490 --> 00:41:26,540 LJ: Patience? 699 00:41:26,660 --> 00:41:27,740 Mia Hobbs: Okay, yeah. 700 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:29,570 LJ: I'm definitely 701 00:41:29,570 --> 00:41:32,390 Mia Hobbs: do you think that's spilled over into other realms 702 00:41:32,390 --> 00:41:34,250 of your life outside of knitting. 703 00:41:35,180 --> 00:41:37,160 LJ: I want to say yes, my husband would say no, 704 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:39,650 Mia Hobbs: that's okay. He's not on the podcast. 705 00:41:40,530 --> 00:41:43,170 LJ: That's true. I think he's out with the dog. Can't even 706 00:41:43,170 --> 00:41:47,160 hear me say that. Um, no, I think it's definitely given me a 707 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:51,540 sense of like kind of being in the moment to stop 708 00:41:51,630 --> 00:41:55,200 catastrophizing, things and getting all up in your head. 709 00:41:55,350 --> 00:42:01,500 Yeah. Patience to just sit and be. And definitely a coping 710 00:42:01,500 --> 00:42:07,830 mechanism for situations where I, I like to pre plan everything 711 00:42:07,830 --> 00:42:12,000 and know, like, where am I going to park? What, how long is it 712 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:17,040 going to take? And I run through these things in my head. So it's 713 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:20,610 given me something to be able to kind of, as you say, that 714 00:42:20,610 --> 00:42:25,470 comfort blanket type things so that at least that's one piece 715 00:42:25,470 --> 00:42:29,550 of the plan? Yeah. I don't need to worry about that. I could sit 716 00:42:29,550 --> 00:42:33,180 in the waiting room, like at the hospital, the doctors. Yeah. And 717 00:42:33,180 --> 00:42:36,300 I don't have to worry about how long I'm sitting there. Are 718 00:42:36,570 --> 00:42:39,210 people looking at me? Or are people judging what I'm doing? 719 00:42:39,210 --> 00:42:42,660 Blah, blah, blah? Yeah. So it kind of takes away that kind of 720 00:42:42,900 --> 00:42:48,480 nonsense. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, so once I get there, I can sit in 721 00:42:48,540 --> 00:42:52,410 and be calm and just focus on going in, and then we'll deal 722 00:42:52,410 --> 00:42:53,190 with what's next 723 00:42:53,460 --> 00:42:58,140 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. Okay, that's amazing. And I loved I have to 724 00:42:58,140 --> 00:43:04,470 say, your collection, your new collection of yarn. And I love 725 00:43:04,500 --> 00:43:07,770 some of the yarn names. They are amazing. And I think you're 726 00:43:07,770 --> 00:43:11,400 right, they talk, they speak to the kind of the messier side of 727 00:43:11,700 --> 00:43:14,310 Yeah, mental health when you think, you know, I think was the 728 00:43:14,310 --> 00:43:18,630 one about not having washed in a week. And theapy tears. 729 00:43:19,740 --> 00:43:25,320 LJ: Therapy tears is My friends Yeah, I think I was just at that 730 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:28,230 place where I'm sure a lot of people were in the pandemic, 731 00:43:28,230 --> 00:43:32,940 where everybody was trying to lift everybody up, which I 732 00:43:33,210 --> 00:43:36,240 totally appreciate. And everybody was looking at, like, 733 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:40,320 the beautiful things around them, like, the flowers in their 734 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:45,150 garden or, you know, be like the beautiful things and really look 735 00:43:45,150 --> 00:43:49,080 at and it was so good. I did really love it. But at the same 736 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:52,530 time I was sat there like not having washed in a week, having 737 00:43:52,530 --> 00:43:57,990 not brushed my teeth in, however long crawling out of this cave. 738 00:43:57,990 --> 00:44:01,710 And I'm just like, do you know what. I love you all for this. 739 00:44:01,740 --> 00:44:06,660 But actually, I feel like rubbish. Yeah. And we can we 740 00:44:06,660 --> 00:44:09,570 talk about that for a minute, please. Can we focus this to me? 741 00:44:11,130 --> 00:44:15,450 And yeah, it was nice to when I kind of shared the idea. People 742 00:44:15,450 --> 00:44:19,890 were really open for it. And it made me feel less on my own. 743 00:44:20,110 --> 00:44:22,690 Mia Hobbs: Yeah. And I'm sure that other people feel less on 744 00:44:22,690 --> 00:44:24,940 their own as well, because they thought, Well, I'm not the only 745 00:44:24,940 --> 00:44:30,400 person here. Well, I hope so a week or, you know, has cried 746 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:33,220 their way through another therapy session or you know, cuz 747 00:44:33,220 --> 00:44:35,650 that will speak to lots of us won't it. 748 00:44:36,190 --> 00:44:39,610 LJ: Yeah, definitely. So yeah, it was quite cathartic for me 749 00:44:39,610 --> 00:44:45,340 for sure. Sure. Yeah. So kind of proud of that one. Yeah. 750 00:44:46,630 --> 00:44:49,000 Mia Hobbs: So I'm sure there'd be lots of people who would like 751 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:54,790 to follow you on Instagram. You've got a video podcast, is 752 00:44:54,790 --> 00:44:58,720 that right? Oh, yeah, I do. I do that thing. and your yarn and 753 00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:04,060 the Oh yeah so how can they find out more? Okay, 754 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:08,710 LJ: so my website is www dot rusty ferret yarn dot co.uk. 755 00:45:08,890 --> 00:45:12,910 Yeah. If you want to follow me on Instagram, I'm at rusty 756 00:45:12,910 --> 00:45:16,900 ferret yarn. I'm not so active on there just now and find it 757 00:45:16,900 --> 00:45:21,550 Instagram a lot just now. Okay. I am quite active over on 758 00:45:21,550 --> 00:45:26,500 Twitter. Okay. Which you can yeah is the same so at rusty 759 00:45:26,500 --> 00:45:30,580 ferret yarn on Twitter as well. And the podcast is on YouTube. 760 00:45:30,610 --> 00:45:35,320 It's not a podcast, it's video podcast video on YouTube, and I 761 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:38,860 believe that's rusty ferret yarn, too. Okay. But you'll get 762 00:45:38,860 --> 00:45:40,780 that from my website. Everything's linked on my 763 00:45:40,780 --> 00:45:41,260 website. 764 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:45,050 Mia Hobbs: Super and LJ thank you so much. I'm really honoured 765 00:45:45,080 --> 00:45:48,800 that you shared your beautiful stories about Mark's granddad 766 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:51,740 and the shawl. And yeah, so that was a real pleasure. 767 00:45:58,460 --> 00:46:01,130 Thank you for listening to the why I knit podcast if you'd like 768 00:46:01,130 --> 00:46:03,260 to find out more about therapeutic knitting you can 769 00:46:03,260 --> 00:46:06,860 follow me on Instagram at knitting is therapeutic. Or 770 00:46:06,860 --> 00:46:10,760 check out my website therapeutic knitting.org. To be notified 771 00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:14,360 when a new podcast is released. Please subscribe on your podcast 772 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:14,420 app