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Mia Hobbs: Hello, and welcome to
the Why I Knit podcast. My name

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is Dr. Mia Hobbs, and I'm a
clinical psychologist who's

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passionate about knitting and
its benefits for our mental

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health. Each episode I interview
a knitter and ask them why they

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knit and how it has benefited
their mental well being. This

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week on the podcast I'm talking
to Atia Azmi, Atia is a knitter

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and sewer and Instagrammer, and
she shares her colourful makes

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and beautiful interiors on
Instagram, @thebrightblooms.

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She's also one of the hosts of
the uncut podcast, a podcast for

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makers, there are links to
Atia's Instagram account, and

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the uncut podcast and one of the
patterns that she talks about in

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the show notes. Hi Atia welcome
to the podcast.

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Atia Azmi: Hi, thanks for having
me today.

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Mia Hobbs: Thanks so much for
talking to me. And I wonder if

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we could start just by you
telling me where your story of

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knitting began.

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Atia Azmi: So I was always quite
interested in learning, but

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there wasn't anybody who was
willing or able to teach me and

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my mum did knit at some point in
the 80s. I guess there used to

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be some half finished sort of
mohair fluffy jumpers around.

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But she was always quite busy.
And she wasn't doing it at the

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time. So I didn't get a chance
to learn. And then when I was at

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university, just before my final
exams, at university, I decided

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that would be a great time to
learn to knit and procrastinate.

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So that was like when YouTube
was first becoming available. So

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those were tutorials available
on them. There's a couple of

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other websites that I used to
learn as well. So it was

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essentially self taught using
videos and things online. And

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there wasn't that much of an
online social media community at

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that time, but there were blogs
available. So I think I just

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used to find people through that
and learn a bit, people like

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Ysolda. Were some of the like,
some of the knitting companies

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that were around or earlier on.
And then obviously ravelry came

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along after that, as well. And
that became quite a big sort of

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knitting community.

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Mia Hobbs: Okay, so you, I'm
really interested in the

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procrastination element. Because
I also learned in the well, I

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really learned I learned as a
kid and then relearnt when I was

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started my doctorate in clinical
psychology, and I found it quite

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helpful. Having something with
the end, like you could do a row

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of knitting, have a 10 minute
break for revision, I don't know

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how you found it. Whether it was
helped

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Atia Azmi: I think was in wasn't
necessarily helpful in that it

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spent a lot more time on the
knitting than I probably should.

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But, I mean, at that stage, it
was kind of, I think, I was

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always really interested in sort
of the colour colours and

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textures. I don't if you know,
you know, Noro yarn, because

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like all the different sort of
variegated colours, so I just

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really wanted to try new things
like that. So. So I think I just

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got really absorbed in doing
that. And I just remember that

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my tension was really tight. So
it was really, you know, like

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when the tension really
tightening hands just got really

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painful. So that's just my main
memory that I have at that time.

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But I don't really remember a
lot about, you know, how it

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affected my revision,
essentially. So I think it was

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just, it was just a case of
it's, you know, something to

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take your mind off other things.
And, you know, just a bit of an

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escape really, yeah.

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Mia Hobbs: Yeah. I felt like
that was really important for me

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when I was training to have that
something completely different,

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not related to psychology.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, I also say that
I find it really useful when I

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was doing the hospital shift
work as well, because at that

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stage, I don't know if it's the
same now for junior doctors, but

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there used to be a bit of
downtime, where nothing much was

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happening on a long shift. So it
was always really helpful to

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just have the knitting there.
And, you know, might not get to

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do very much of it. But it was
available, particularly on a

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long night shift, it sometimes
be quite good to know you've

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made some progress on some
things. Yeah. I think I also

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remember, some, someone once
said, when you're like a new

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mother as well. And you've got
something to show for your, for

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your day, which is, you know,
material that can be kind of

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quite helpful psychologically as
well. Because otherwise you're

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just doing chores or doing
chores or feeding, you're doing

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other things, but not really, at
the end of the day. It feels

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like you're not really achieved
anything. Whereas gonna do them

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all again tomorrow. Yeah,
exactly. And there's nothing

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material that's come out of your
day. So that also was a stage

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when I found it really helpful
as well.

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Mia Hobbs: That's a good point.
And I just wondered about what

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you were making at the
beginning.

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Atia Azmi: So at the beginning,
I remember making things like

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scarves What else did I make I
remember I used to use knitty

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which was the sort of free
online magazine quite a lot. So

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I made a few patterns from that
and Rowan magazine as well. So I

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made some like chunky mittens
what else did I make at that

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stage? Those are the I think
initially, I just start with

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those sort of small projects.
And then the first big thing I

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made was on a trip to South
Africa. And my husband always

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complains that I spent the whole
time on that trip when it was

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like a road trip, just like
looking at my knitting is like,

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Oh, look, there's something like
really interesting compounds,

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like where the wildlife, I
missed it. And it was a really

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long flight. So it was, you
know, is good to have that time.

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And at that time, I think now,
people are a bit more worried

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about taking knitting on
flights, because they take your

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needles off you, but at that
time, it was fine. And the other

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thing about that was that at
that time, all my purls were

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crossed. So when I actually came
back with my knitting, all of

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the bit that was not circular,
where I was knitting and then

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purling a row, all the stitches
were crossed on the purl rows.

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So it wasn't actually
particularly good knitting at

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the end of the day so it was a
bit of a waste. But I remember

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that I just really enjoyed also
discovering the South African

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knitting shops and things. So
because I have quite an

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interesting, they use a lot of
bamboo and different things as

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well. So that was quite

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Mia Hobbs: yarn, or needles?

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, bamboo yarn.
Well, I don't remember the

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needles, but I picked up some
bamboo yarn out there as well.

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Mia Hobbs: Cool. And I know that
you're obviously known for

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sewing as well, I wondered where
knitting and sewing like which

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started first, whether they're
related to each other or

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completely separate?

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Unknown: Yeah, I would say I'd
kind of thought of it quite

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separately, there's, with the
knitting, I feel like it's more

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of a kind of relaxing hobby that
you can do. You could take it

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with you  places you can sit on
the sofa and do it. So I tend to

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do that when I'm like, in the
evenings or when I'm need to

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wind down a bit. Whereas the
sewing feels a lot more active,

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like, you've got to cut things
out, you've got to get down on

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the floor, and pin things and
all of that. So. And also, you

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can only really while you're
sewing, you can only really sew

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I mean, you might be able to
listen to a podcast or

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something, but you can't really
do much else. Or you have to be

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in a specific place. So I kind
of see them as slightly

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separate. But, you know, I kind
of try and use them in

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complementary ways. So that if
I'm making something, I think,

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what can I What have I knit that
will go with this thing? Or, you

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know, when I'm knitting again,
just looking at the colours in

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my wardrobe and seeing what will
match with with things? So they

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complement each other in that
way,

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Mia Hobbs: Sure. Thank you. And
why do you So you mentioned kind

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of knitting is more, calming?
Why do you think you've kind of

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carried on with it? Now you
don't need it for presumably for

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procrastination purposes? What
do you think makes you pick it

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up and keep doing?

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Atia Azmi: Well, I just really
enjoy using different textures,

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and working with colours. So I
feel like sometimes when

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knitting, if you're knitting
something very small, you can

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use colours in quite a bold way,
in a way that you wouldn't

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necessarily with a really big
project, like a dress or

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something like for example,
something like socks, no one's

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really going to necessarily see
them. But you can wear something

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like really bright or just clash
colours or that sort of thing.

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One of the projects that I made
last year during the lockdown

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was the Penguono jacked. Stephen
West. Yeah. And it's something

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that I'd actually cast it on
quite a long time before and

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just done like about, you know,
a few inches of the of the sort

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of the back, but that was just
such a great and great way to

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play with lots of colours from
my stash. Just use it lots of

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bits and bobs and just really
enjoy the putting different

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stripes together or do it having
different coloured welts next to

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each other and that sort of
thing. So now, I enjoy it more

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as a creative thing. Just like I
said, with with different

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textures and colours, and just,
you know, enjoying the process

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more.

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Mia Hobbs: Would you say you're
more of a process person than

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for the end than a project
knitter, like for the end

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result? Or is it a balance of
both,

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Atia Azmi: I would say is that
it's more a product thing. It's

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always been more of a product
thing for me in terms of I

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really want to make and wear the
finished product. But I was

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finding that I would get a bit
frustrated because I'm quite

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slow, just because I don't have
loads of time to knit so. So

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then I've tried to choose things
where I enjoy the process a bit

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more as well. I do enjoy the
process to some extent, but I'm

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not a fast knitter So just you
know, it takes me quite a long

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time to get anywhere with
things. So I've just got to

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enjoy the process a bit more.
Otherwise, I don't really get

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anywhere and then you get a bit
frustrated. I used to kind of

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make lots of I still do
sometimes, but make the list of

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the next one I want to make and
make lists of projects and

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things. But because it takes so
long as there's almost no point

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in just making a long list and
then never managing to get

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through it. It's better to just
enjoy the thing that you're

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making while you're doing it.
And I find that knitting in that

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way is much more of a slow craft
then sewing because with sewing

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at the most, it might take me a
week or two to finish something.

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Whereas knitting, it may be, you
know, several months, or I'll

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leave something while come back
to it. So it might be over a

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year, but before something's
actually finished, so it's just

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a, you know, I do have to slow
myself down at it to be able to

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enjoy it more.

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Mia Hobbs: And would you ever
look at something and see how

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it's made? Or what it looks
like? And think, no, I wouldn't

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make that because of the
process.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, I mean, there's
a lot of things nowadays, where

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I mean things with I suppose
garments with smaller than four

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millimetre needles, I will most
likely not, not decide to make

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because I know that I'll just
end up just, it'll just be so

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slow that I'll just feel like
I'll never get there. The last

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couple of things I made were on
10 millimetre needles, which was

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a Holiday Slipover by Petite
Knit, which is, which is a

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really quick project. And I've
really enjoyed making that. So

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I'd say my comfort zone is
probably five to eight

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millimetres. So you get
somewhere fairly quickly. But

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like other projects, like
obviously mittens and things

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like that, which you you don't
really want really thick, then

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those I'll use smaller needles
for.

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Mia Hobbs: Okay, that makes
sense. So you are much more

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about the project, the end
result and getting that kind of

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fix.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, I mean, yeah,
do you know the Poet's sweater?

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You seen that one it's by Sari,
I've forgotten the surname  but

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it's just really beautiful lace
sweater and in fingering weight

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yarn or 4ply yarn. And I really
want to make that one, even

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though I know it will take me
absolutely forever. Yeah,

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there's a couple of things where
I'll have to get through it to

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get the result that I want. And
you know if it's worth doing

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that, but yeah, there's a few
projects that have a choose

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which are about fine and wait
just

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Mia Hobbs: with the lace also
make you think twice about it.

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Because obviously lace would be
slower than stockinette for

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example.

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Unknown: Yeah, I actually quite
enjoy knitting lace. So I've

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made quite a few lace projects,
I made the dragonflies sweater,

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which is by Joji Locatelli. And
that one, it was it was quite

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slow. But the result is just so
nice. And the back is just plain

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stocking stitch as well. So it
was it went faster than I

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expected. And that was DK weight
yarn. So it wasn't too, too

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thin, either. And that's when I
actually really enjoyed wearing

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as well.

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Mia Hobbs: Okay, that's
interesting, because I find I

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like doing complicated patterns,
because I feel like it keeps my

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brain. I need that level of
brain engagement. I think in the

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process to feel relaxation. I
think if I'm knitting just

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stockinette, it's too easy,
almost. And my brain still can

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still think about what I'm
cooking for dinner or about

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work.

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Unknown: Yeah, yeah, it varies.
So like, if I'm watching

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something, then or like, say, I
don't know, I'm sitting with

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family or something, then I
quite liked something, which is

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just really straightforward.
They don't need to think think

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about at all and your fingers
are just kind of working almost

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on memory. Muscle memory. But
there Yeah, I do enjoy those

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projects, sometimes where it's,
you know, you're forming a

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pattern. And you're like having
to think about that. But yeah,

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so I kind of go with like a
couple of of those quicker

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projects, and then a slower
project that I can pick up now.

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And then. So at the moment, I'm
also doing a brioche knit scarf

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as well, like a shawl. Yeah. And
I do find that it's actually

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quite, I don't know, do you
know, brioche do you do brioche?

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Mia Hobbs: It's probably one of
my very few untouched untouched

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knitting techniques. So it's on
my list, you know, my radar, but

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I haven't ventured there yet,

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Atia Azmi: yes, I didn't start I
didn't try brioche at all until

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again, in lockdown. Where I was
like, this is one of something

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that I don't know, then let's
give it a try. So I made the

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Plumpy shawl by Andrea Mowry,
which was a two colour brioche

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because I saw the kit on
Instagram and I just really

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liked the colours in it. It was
a Hedgehog fibres kit. So I just

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went for that one. And I really,
really enjoyed the process is

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not as difficult as it seems.
When you when you first learn it

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at first, it's a bit of a
learning curve. But then once

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you've picked up the skill, then
it does get much more easy. So

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it's just one of those projects.
I find it with crochet as well

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where it takes me a little bit
of time to get back into it

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because I've slightly forgotten
the technique. But then once you

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once you start again, then it's
really quite straightforward.

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Mia Hobbs: Yeah, okay. Thank
you. And I wondered, I suppose

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part of this podcast is about
hearing from knitters about the

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impact of knitting on their kind
of mental well being and whether

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there's anything kind of in that
sense that you get from

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knitting.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, I think the
main thing I get from it is that

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there's never a time when you
just feel bored or like you have

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nothing to do and you don't
have, I don't know, I suppose

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like that kind of loneliness.
People get I mean, I always

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think back to when our children
were young, because that's kind

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of, I suppose the time in your
life when you're really on your

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own quite a lot. Or you don't
have time for sort of yourself

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as much. And I think because I
always had the knitting at that

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stage, I always felt like I had
something to do. And I had that

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kind of community, as well. So
you're still having that kind of

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interaction with people? And
also, you know, just something

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that you can pick up and put
down easily. It's kind of in a

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way, yeah, kind of like an
occupational therapy, I guess,

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in a way that you've always just
got something that you're on

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hand that you can do. Yeah, I
mean, I've done that. I haven't,

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I wouldn't say that has been the
time in my life where it's been

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really, really difficult
wherever needed. That kind of as

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a coping strategy. But on a sort
of lower level, it's, it's

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always been really helpful to
have in the background.

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Mia Hobbs: Sounds like you used
it a little bit in lockdown. I

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don't know whether you did that
deliberately. But like learning

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a new technique or something
like whether that was a

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deliberate thing to think, yeah,
this is what I'm doing in

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lockdown. I'm getting brioche
out of it.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I
didn't necessarily think of it

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Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I do the same.
I was knitting a Strange Brew by

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in that way. I mean, it was I
had more time. And you cannot

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you need that headspace to learn
something new. So it was really

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useful to have it at that time.
And it's nice to look back and

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see that, you know, particularly
that Penguono project that I

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mentioned, just have a like a
concrete like a souvenir of

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lockdown. Like because it was
just a whole winter when I just

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spent with that project. And
sometimes it's good to have I

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kind of deliberately choose a
project to take away with me

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somewhere sometimes because you
kind of like we were just away

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for a few days. And I spent all
the time on one project. And

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then it kind of reminds you of
that afterwards. So that's a

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nice way of of using knitting as
well.

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Tin Can knits. Do you know that?
Yeah, actually, no, I think it's

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called a Cartography. One Yeah,
no, my husband to a large

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sweater. And then I finished it
in lockdown, and then realised

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that some of the motifs looked a
little bit like the Coronavirus.

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This really is a covid sweater.
In a way, I hadn't quite meant

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for it to be. Yeah, but it is
quite I like having something

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that feels like oh, yeah, that
was the jumper I made on a

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certain holiday or something.
Yeah. And how about sewing, I'm

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interested in whether that is
different in terms of how it

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fits in your life or what the
craft gives you. Because I think

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like you said, it's not quite as
real, maybe a relaxing take

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everywhere type. Craft,

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Atia Azmi: yes. So I tend to sew
when, when I've got some time,

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like if I've got a weekend, like
a day free in the weekend or

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something. And that's the time
when I really enjoy it, when

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I've got a whole day, I would
just do a bit of the cooking and

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a bit of the washing and those
bits and bobs that you need to

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do. And then you know, going
back to the sewing in between.

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So I don't know I have I don't
know how to describe that,

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really. But it's it's just in a
way, you've got to have time to

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do it a different way to
knitting where you can just pick

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it up and put it down. And then
and then it's just I think

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because you make something much
more quickly with the sewing,

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then you can have a sort of very
quick end point in sight. So you

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can be like, today I'm going to
finish the skirt or something

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like that. Whereas with
knitting, it's would be rare for

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me to be able to have a very set
goal point.

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Mia Hobbs: Yeah. Okay, that's
interesting. So it's a bit more

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about like, I don't know, giving
yourself like that time to

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immerse yourself in the sewing.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, I mean, I tend
to say a bit on weekdays as

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well. Like, for example,
yesterday evening, I just cut

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out my pattern ready to sew, so
probably this evening, I'll be

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able to sew that. But I enjoy it
much more. And I've got that

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sort of good amount of time to
spend on it. And there's no kind

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of, like, if I'm sewing on a
weekday, I kind of have to make

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myself go and do the cutting,
even though I you know, I'll

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enjoy it. And once I'm doing it,
but a bit more like you've got

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to take that time out of your
day to do something. Yeah. Yeah.

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And whereas like if you've, you
know, you kind of fitting it in,

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in between lots of things on a
longer period of time, then it's

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just more relaxing.

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Mia Hobbs: I have to say that I
think that's why I knit much

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more than I sew because it's
just like, because of the

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portability. And you can do it
in five minutes, whereas sewing

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is just to get everything out.
Takes longer. Yeah,

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Atia Azmi: yeah, I'm lucky that
I actually have everything out

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already on a sort of set, sort
of dedicated table, so it's a

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bit easier in that way. I think
I'd find it much more difficult

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if I had to, you know, organise
myself every time to get

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everything out. So yeah, so
having that space set aside is

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it makes it much easier

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Mia Hobbs: For me the cutting, I
feel the slight kind of. I don't

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love that bit.

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Atia Azmi: No, I don't enjoy
cutting as a necessary evil. So,

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yeah, I don't have a dedicated
space for cutting. So that has

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to that just goes on the floor
at the moment. Yeah, maybe one

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day I'll get enough space for a
cutting table

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Mia Hobbs: I'm interested also
in like the end product, because

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it sounds like you are very
interested in getting to the

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project. And whether there's an
impact on your kind of, I don't

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know, mood or happiness about
wearing or giving or the

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finished articles, whether it's
knitted or sewn.

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Atia Azmi: Yeah, I always feel
really, you know, it's always

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the kind of the high point of
the project when you finally get

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to wear a project that you made.
With knitting, I tend I haven't

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really given people a lot of
knitting recently. I mean, I, I

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think I wasn't knitting that
much for a while. And then I was

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just doing these kind of like
longer term projects. For

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myself, I think I haven't really
made a bigger project for like a

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jumper for anyone else for a
long time since my children were

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quite small. But like, when I've
given people small gifts, like a

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bonnet for a baby or those sorts
of things, then they always get

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a lot of pleasure out of that as
well. So it's really nice to be

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able to do that occasionally. So
I do have that in mind for over

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the next few months as well just
to make a few gifts as well just

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I think that a small amount of
knitting is appreciated in my,

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my view is appreciated as much
as a big project. So I don't

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know if you find that. So if you
make someone a hat or like

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booties or something small, you
even if you spent the same

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00:21:49,150 --> 00:21:52,480
amount of time making really big
fancy blanket or something.

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probably appreciate a small gift
as much as the big one.

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Mia Hobbs: I think I never quite
know with knitted gifts. Like I

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00:21:59,380 --> 00:22:03,970
made a Scout Shawl. I don't know
if you know that by Florence

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Spurling. So it's, it's looks
like a patchwork,

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00:22:07,210 --> 00:22:08,710
Unknown: the new isn't it a new
one.

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Mia Hobbs: And it looks like
kind of patchwork as in sewn

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00:22:14,180 --> 00:22:17,420
patterns on different squares,
but it's in kind of a shawl, but

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00:22:17,420 --> 00:22:21,830
it involves doing colour work on
both sides. It's knitted flat.

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And so I'd never done colour
work on a purl row before

395
00:22:25,430 --> 00:22:30,530
personally. And I saw the
pattern, I thought, Wow, it's

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00:22:30,530 --> 00:22:33,890
amazing. I wanted to make that
because I quite I am attracted

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00:22:33,890 --> 00:22:37,460
to more and more complicated
things. Because I think my brain

398
00:22:37,460 --> 00:22:41,480
needs that in order to kind of
absorb in the process and switch

399
00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:46,340
off from other stresses. And I
knitted it for a friend's 40th

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00:22:46,370 --> 00:22:50,720
And I was she's not a knitter.
And I was then kind of think Is

401
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:56,750
it random gift. It was a July
birthday. And I'm feel like I'm

402
00:22:56,750 --> 00:22:59,660
knitting lots of love in it and
thinking about her when I'm

403
00:22:59,660 --> 00:23:04,130
knitting it. But I'm not quite
sure whether that feels the same

404
00:23:04,130 --> 00:23:06,050
as the recipient, or whether it
feels like

405
00:23:06,050 --> 00:23:10,220
Atia Azmi: Yeah, yeah, I think I
learned my lesson, giving

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00:23:10,220 --> 00:23:12,770
something very complicated
somebody because I made a lace

407
00:23:12,770 --> 00:23:17,240
Shawl in a cashmere silk yarn,
which has like a lace weight

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00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:21,050
yarn. And I gave it to my sister
and I never saw it again, never

409
00:23:21,050 --> 00:23:24,440
saw her wear it again. I think
it's highly likely that it's

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00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,960
just like stuffed in a cupboard
somewhere or gone to the charity

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00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,860
shop or something. And like, you
know, I would have liked to seen

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00:23:30,860 --> 00:23:36,050
that shawl again. Unless I
really think I'm not going to

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00:23:36,050 --> 00:23:39,170
use it or as it like, I don't
know, like, if I know someone's

414
00:23:39,170 --> 00:23:41,180
really going to appreciate
something then then I'll give it

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00:23:41,180 --> 00:23:44,150
to them. Like there's a few
friends I know that they would

416
00:23:44,150 --> 00:23:48,470
absolutely love knitted hat for
their babies or something. I had

417
00:23:48,470 --> 00:23:52,520
a friend who used one for I
think two years same one for her

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00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,450
daughter. I can't remember if I
made it a big size or not. But

419
00:23:56,450 --> 00:23:59,510
it was like, crammed on her head
till she was two or something.

420
00:23:59,510 --> 00:24:02,420
So like, those are the sorts of
people that you feel they will

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00:24:02,420 --> 00:24:06,890
really appreciate the gift.
Yeah, but yeah, so I guess it's

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00:24:06,890 --> 00:24:10,490
just a learning thing. And a lot
of sewists say this as well,

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that they they don't really make
things for other people as well.

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Mia Hobbs: I mean, I feel like I
got I wanted to make it for the

425
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process. If you see, my friend
really seemed to appreciate it,

426
00:24:21,620 --> 00:24:24,740
but you never quite she thinks
what am I going to do with it.

427
00:24:25,190 --> 00:24:28,550
Atia Azmi: Yeah, there's always
that thing of like, Yeah, I

428
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mean, whether it's gonna be a
long term, you know, something

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00:24:31,850 --> 00:24:35,300
that they're going to appreciate
or enjoy as well. But it's

430
00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:38,150
difficult to know, isn't it? And
I think when people ask you for

431
00:24:38,150 --> 00:24:41,210
something and you make it for
them, then that's what is the

432
00:24:41,210 --> 00:24:43,580
best way that you know that they
definitely do want it.

433
00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:46,520
Mia Hobbs: Yeah. I had a friend
recently who wanted me to

434
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:51,800
recreate a knitted hat. So her
for her son who'd grown because

435
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,920
he was a baby and had a hat that
he loved. And then now he's two

436
00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,860
and didn't fit the hat anymore
and she had the yarn and it was

437
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:04,220
like a chunky weight yarn. So it
literally took an evening, maybe

438
00:25:04,220 --> 00:25:08,600
to do the pom pom as well. But
yeah, that was very appreciated.

439
00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,080
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I think it's
now getting to the point after

440
00:25:12,110 --> 00:25:16,730
sort of nearly 15 or 15 years
plus that I'm, you know, I don't

441
00:25:16,730 --> 00:25:19,970
need another shawl I don't need,
you know, whatever it is, and

442
00:25:19,970 --> 00:25:23,870
then, and then you think that
you can make it and give it to

443
00:25:23,870 --> 00:25:27,440
somebody who will appreciate it
or, I don't know, I think it's

444
00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:32,450
quite difficult to give away or,
or, you know, throw away things

445
00:25:32,450 --> 00:25:36,230
that you've made and put a lot
of time and effort. And so now,

446
00:25:36,350 --> 00:25:39,350
in that in a way that slows me
down as well, knowing that I

447
00:25:39,350 --> 00:25:42,980
actually don't need this, think
about what would I do this thing

448
00:25:43,010 --> 00:25:47,150
once I've made it, so, but I
don't think I'll stop knitting

449
00:25:47,180 --> 00:25:50,810
in a way for the process as well
as I think I do find that quite

450
00:25:50,810 --> 00:25:54,830
enjoyable. So even if even if I
slow down my sewing in my

451
00:25:54,830 --> 00:25:57,320
knitting and make something like
set a bit more complicated, or

452
00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,470
something that's going to take a
bit longer than that can be a

453
00:26:00,470 --> 00:26:03,830
good way of just not adding to
your, you know, knitted

454
00:26:03,830 --> 00:26:06,620
products, and enjoying the
process.

455
00:26:07,110 --> 00:26:10,200
Mia Hobbs: I made a lace dress
once it was actually a pattern

456
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:15,120
was for a top. And I just
carried on and felt like if I

457
00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:18,060
was on the tube and the tube got
stuck for an hour, I was never

458
00:26:18,060 --> 00:26:20,640
gonna run out of knitting, it
was easy to carry the yarn

459
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:24,510
because it was lace. So you had
so much yarn on one tiny ball.

460
00:26:25,050 --> 00:26:27,390
Yeah. And it was it did feel
quite comforting apart from when

461
00:26:27,390 --> 00:26:36,330
the needle broke off from the
cable. Yeah, isn't ideal. And I

462
00:26:36,330 --> 00:26:42,210
wondered about your thoughts as
a GP about whether you ever feel

463
00:26:42,210 --> 00:26:45,270
like I know that there's this
idea about social prescribing

464
00:26:45,270 --> 00:26:47,640
and the idea of being able to
prescribe, I don't know,

465
00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,370
knitting group to somebody
whether that ever you see people

466
00:26:50,370 --> 00:26:53,340
and you think I wish that was an
option? I don't know if it is an

467
00:26:53,340 --> 00:26:57,540
option. But whether you ever
feel like people could benefit

468
00:26:57,540 --> 00:27:00,090
from some kind of making? Maybe
not knitting? Maybe something

469
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,570
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I definitely
think it can be really helpful

470
00:27:00,090 --> 00:27:00,360
else?

471
00:27:03,570 --> 00:27:07,620
for people's mental health, I
can't say that we've ever, I

472
00:27:07,620 --> 00:27:10,380
mean, I've not come across a
knitting therapeutic group

473
00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:13,800
locally. But I would definitely
recommend, you know, to some

474
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,880
people, if that was something
that was available, I know that

475
00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,300
there used to be this, there are
obviously knitting groups

476
00:27:21,300 --> 00:27:25,620
running, I used to run one
myself, about 10 years ago, I

477
00:27:25,620 --> 00:27:30,480
think now. And it was really
just that regular interaction

478
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,930
with people is I think the most
helpful thing, just tell them

479
00:27:33,930 --> 00:27:37,500
that even if you're not
necessarily the best knitter, or

480
00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:40,980
like, it's just more about that
interaction with people and just

481
00:27:41,010 --> 00:27:44,250
slowly making progress on
something. And that's mostly if

482
00:27:44,250 --> 00:27:48,780
I see somebody who's suffering
from anxiety or depression, I

483
00:27:48,780 --> 00:27:51,960
think the main thing that that
you kind of want them to do is

484
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:56,220
just make really small steps to
improve their mental health. And

485
00:27:56,250 --> 00:27:59,040
because everything, like a
really big thing can be just so

486
00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,670
overwhelming, that you just want
them to just make it do

487
00:28:02,670 --> 00:28:05,370
something small for themselves
to say that they can feel they

488
00:28:05,370 --> 00:28:08,490
make progress. And knitting can
be really good in that way.

489
00:28:08,490 --> 00:28:11,310
Because you can physically see
your progress once you've done

490
00:28:11,310 --> 00:28:14,910
something. So yeah, I'd
definitely recommend that if it

491
00:28:14,910 --> 00:28:15,570
was available.

492
00:28:16,290 --> 00:28:18,900
Mia Hobbs: I have found that
quite helpful just to, you know,

493
00:28:18,900 --> 00:28:21,780
for some of the people I work
with the idea of being able to

494
00:28:21,780 --> 00:28:26,010
see progress on something, even
if it was just a few stitches or

495
00:28:26,010 --> 00:28:32,520
one row in a day. And also being
quite a good for a distraction.

496
00:28:32,550 --> 00:28:36,870
Like if you're trying to, I
don't know, stop ruminating

497
00:28:36,870 --> 00:28:41,940
about something to be able to
then do you know, knit for 10

498
00:28:41,940 --> 00:28:49,110
minutes or crochet for 10
minutes? Yeah. Could you tell me

499
00:28:49,110 --> 00:28:53,220
about a significant knitting
project for you?

500
00:28:54,020 --> 00:28:58,940
Atia Azmi: Let me think if we go
back a long way, a project I

501
00:28:58,940 --> 00:29:01,460
don't actually have this
anymore, but I made the Knitty

502
00:29:01,460 --> 00:29:06,110
Forecast cardigan. I don't know
if you you know that one is it

503
00:29:06,110 --> 00:29:08,570
was a quite an ambitious project
for me at the time. It's like

504
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:13,580
bobbles and I think there's like
bobbles, ribbing and lots of

505
00:29:13,580 --> 00:29:16,460
kind of joining here and then
it's got a collar and all sorts

506
00:29:16,460 --> 00:29:20,750
of things going on. So yeah, I
think I should have kept that

507
00:29:20,750 --> 00:29:23,690
jumper right. I think I gave it
to my sister different sister.

508
00:29:24,020 --> 00:29:28,640
Okay, I have 3 sisters. My other
sister is also a knitter. And

509
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,040
she really appreciated it and I
think she wore it quite a lot.

510
00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,370
So yeah, that was one where I
just learned lots of different

511
00:29:34,370 --> 00:29:38,540
skills were there and it was. I
think I just really enjoyed that

512
00:29:38,540 --> 00:29:41,750
satisfaction of just learning
lots of new things and having

513
00:29:41,750 --> 00:29:45,500
something to show for at the
end. Yeah, so that's probably

514
00:29:45,500 --> 00:29:48,740
one I would consider to be quite
significant one. Yeah,

515
00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:50,840
Mia Hobbs: I think that might be
one of the reasons I haven't

516
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,270
tackled brioche yet because I
feel like I need to feel like

517
00:29:53,270 --> 00:29:56,960
there is uncharted territory in
the knitting world. I can still

518
00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,750
learn new. Remember the first
time I turned a heel and a pair

519
00:29:59,750 --> 00:30:02,060
of socks? So I think I stayed up
until one o'clock in the

520
00:30:02,060 --> 00:30:04,430
morning. So I was literally
following the pattern and didn't

521
00:30:04,430 --> 00:30:06,740
know what was gonna happen next,
which was quite exciting.

522
00:30:06,780 --> 00:30:09,930
Atia Azmi: Yeah, yeah, it's
quite a magical process. I just

523
00:30:09,930 --> 00:30:12,120
recently finished a pair of
socks that I started, I think

524
00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:16,980
five years before. I like
finished one completely. And the

525
00:30:16,980 --> 00:30:20,190
second one, it was a really
quite complicated cable pattern

526
00:30:20,190 --> 00:30:24,600
on 2.5, whatever millimetre
needles, and it's just like, I

527
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,720
couldn't face going back there
again, especially, I didn't know

528
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:32,280
which row of the cable I was on.
So but then I just I think

529
00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,950
someone was someone was running
us kind of like a finish it

530
00:30:34,980 --> 00:30:38,940
finish it off October kind of
challenge. Okay, I just need to

531
00:30:38,940 --> 00:30:41,460
do this. And then I've just
picked them up again. And I

532
00:30:41,460 --> 00:30:43,830
think it only took me a week and
a half or something to finish

533
00:30:43,830 --> 00:30:47,010
it. But yeah, that's because I
don't know if you find this, but

534
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,100
when I'm not finished something,
I don't want to start the same

535
00:30:50,250 --> 00:30:55,230
type of project again, until I
finished that one. So like, for

536
00:30:55,230 --> 00:30:58,380
example, like, right, the socks,
I just didn't start another pair

537
00:30:58,380 --> 00:31:02,250
of socks. Yeah, until I wanted
those ones done. And then lace

538
00:31:02,250 --> 00:31:05,280
projects and things like that.
tend to just want to finish that

539
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,640
one off before I start another
one. So and with quilts as well,

540
00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,070
I've had a quilt that was not
finished for about three, four

541
00:31:11,070 --> 00:31:13,890
years as well just needed
binding, there's nothing else

542
00:31:13,890 --> 00:31:18,840
that needed doing. So, so I just
like have that bit of a mental

543
00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:20,370
block because I know that
otherwise I'll end up with like

544
00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:24,810
20 piled up things that are not
finished. And I just think that

545
00:31:24,810 --> 00:31:27,600
will just never be it'll just
become too overwhelming. So

546
00:31:27,990 --> 00:31:31,050
yeah, so it's good to get those
socks done and I think now can

547
00:31:31,050 --> 00:31:34,230
move on to I plan to make my
husband a pair of socks that the

548
00:31:34,980 --> 00:31:37,890
company the name of the yarn
company, but she does a TfL

549
00:31:37,890 --> 00:31:44,010
London Overground stripes. So I
had that I had that for years

550
00:31:44,010 --> 00:31:45,930
and years and years. And I was
like maybe this will be the

551
00:31:45,930 --> 00:31:48,510
time. I actually finally get to
make those.

552
00:31:48,750 --> 00:31:50,970
Mia Hobbs: Yeah, and are they
sock weight. They're not?

553
00:31:51,060 --> 00:31:53,550
Atia Azmi: Yeah, yeah, they're
not. But it's just a stocking

554
00:31:53,550 --> 00:31:56,850
stitch. So yeah, we'll be a bit
quicker than a cable pattern,

555
00:31:56,850 --> 00:31:57,420
hopefully.

556
00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,150
Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I quite like
having sort of a hat on the go

557
00:32:00,270 --> 00:32:02,850
without as long as it's not
complicated because that is

558
00:32:02,850 --> 00:32:07,440
quite good for in a zoom
training or on a bus. Yeah. That

559
00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:11,940
kind of in the background
project. Okay. I always ask

560
00:32:11,940 --> 00:32:15,420
about knitting high and knitting
low. I don't know if you could

561
00:32:15,420 --> 00:32:19,230
think of any particular highs or
lows. Oh,

562
00:32:19,260 --> 00:32:23,550
Atia Azmi: let me think.
Knitting high. Yeah, I mean, I

563
00:32:23,550 --> 00:32:27,870
think probably finishing a
laceweight project is always a

564
00:32:27,870 --> 00:32:31,140
bit of a knitting high. Let me
think I haven't made laceweight

565
00:32:31,380 --> 00:32:34,680
project in quite a long time. So
probably that same shawl that I

566
00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:38,430
mentioned earlier. I shared that
on my Instagram recently,

567
00:32:38,430 --> 00:32:42,720
because I took some photos of at
the time it was it was yeah, it

568
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:44,700
was such a beautiful pattern. So
I was really

569
00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:46,440
Mia Hobbs: what was that remind
me which pattern that was?

570
00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,880
Atia Azmi: It was I forgotten
everything now. I think it was

571
00:32:50,940 --> 00:32:57,480
it's on ravelry so I can have a
track and let you know. But

572
00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:01,830
yeah, so that was probably one
knitting lows generally when you

573
00:33:01,830 --> 00:33:05,640
just have to unravel a whole
project that hasn't gone well

574
00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:08,460
Mia Hobbs: does that get any
easier, do you think?

575
00:33:09,300 --> 00:33:11,970
Atia Azmi: No, not really, I
mean, the with the 10 millimetre

576
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,030
needle project that just in the
holiday slipover? I did have to,

577
00:33:15,870 --> 00:33:19,380
I think I was on holiday and I
hadn't got a I just had my

578
00:33:19,380 --> 00:33:22,530
little knitting guage ruler. I
hadn't got a proper measuring

579
00:33:22,530 --> 00:33:26,340
tape or anything. So I'd knit it
a few centimetres shorter than I

580
00:33:26,340 --> 00:33:29,940
wanted it. So I had to unravel
all of my ribbing, about five,

581
00:33:29,940 --> 00:33:34,230
five inches of ribbing about
three or something on the front.

582
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:38,970
So that was a bit annoying to
unravel it all. But because it

583
00:33:38,970 --> 00:33:44,160
was 10 minutes. It was fine. It
wasn't too bad. Yeah. Yeah, so

584
00:33:44,340 --> 00:33:47,730
yeah, that's probably I haven't
had any terrible disasters I can

585
00:33:47,730 --> 00:33:54,000
think of. I've had my children
cutting up balls of yarn now. I

586
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,310
don't remember them doing it
with anything very precious.

587
00:33:56,330 --> 00:33:59,660
Mia Hobbs: Okay. Wait. So you've
got rules about the knitting

588
00:33:59,660 --> 00:34:01,220
stash? And children,

589
00:34:01,580 --> 00:34:05,180
Atia Azmi: so we, we have a cat
now. So she does, like, she's

590
00:34:05,180 --> 00:34:09,350
not too bad with the yarn. But
when I was knitting with

591
00:34:09,350 --> 00:34:13,790
Shelter, the Brooklyn Tweed yarn
recently, and it's quite Soft it

592
00:34:13,790 --> 00:34:16,940
will, just, you can easily just
break it with your fingers

593
00:34:17,300 --> 00:34:21,920
easily. Okay, so there were a
lot of ends to weave in and that

594
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,640
jumper because she just kept
like finding the end and just,

595
00:34:26,150 --> 00:34:29,330
you know, clawing at it or
biting it. So, yeah.

596
00:34:32,340 --> 00:34:35,370
Mia Hobbs: My last question was
about the greatest gift knitting

597
00:34:35,370 --> 00:34:38,010
has given you for the rest of
your life. So anything you've

598
00:34:38,010 --> 00:34:40,590
kind of feel like you've any way
that you feel that you've

599
00:34:40,590 --> 00:34:44,460
benefited from knitting that
spills over into life in

600
00:34:44,460 --> 00:34:44,940
general.

601
00:34:46,970 --> 00:34:50,510
Atia Azmi: Um, well, the first
thing that came to mind was just

602
00:34:50,540 --> 00:34:54,920
having my stash which is quite
extensive. And that will

603
00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:57,320
definitely be a gift that keeps
giving for many years

604
00:34:59,540 --> 00:35:00,770
Are you still adding to it?

605
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:05,190
I am trying not to I did just
get the yarn for the second

606
00:35:05,190 --> 00:35:09,450
holiday slipover, because I
really like the Camarose Snefnug

607
00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:14,730
yarn. And it's just, it's, I
mean, I mostly buy hand dyed

608
00:35:14,730 --> 00:35:17,760
yarn or used to when I was
adding to my stash quite a lot

609
00:35:18,060 --> 00:35:20,790
in the past. But this one is
just one of my favourites or

610
00:35:20,790 --> 00:35:23,730
more commercially dyed yarns.
Yeah, it's just really soft and

611
00:35:23,730 --> 00:35:28,320
it doesn't pill or get ruined,
you know, even two years later

612
00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,500
after knitting my first jumper,
and that is still looks perfect.

613
00:35:31,500 --> 00:35:35,730
So that's probably, you know,
one of the best ones I've used.

614
00:35:35,910 --> 00:35:38,640
But apart from that, I'm gonna
try not to really add to my

615
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,300
stash too much anymore.
Particularly as I feel the cost

616
00:35:42,300 --> 00:35:45,870
of yarn is a lot more than it
used to be. It's not cheap.

617
00:35:46,020 --> 00:35:49,950
Yeah, yeah. So I think beyond
that I already have will stand

618
00:35:49,950 --> 00:35:53,550
me in good stead for quite a
long time. Yeah. But in general,

619
00:35:53,550 --> 00:35:57,330
just being part of the wider
sort of knitting and crafting

620
00:35:57,330 --> 00:36:00,810
community has probably been the
best thing that has come out of

621
00:36:00,810 --> 00:36:05,490
it for me. So I mean, I would
say mostly, yeah, I would say

622
00:36:05,490 --> 00:36:08,370
knitting has been big a big part
of that for me as well,

623
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:10,560
particularly a few years ago,
and there was lots of

624
00:36:10,770 --> 00:36:14,790
conversations happening about
diversity. And I think there's a

625
00:36:14,790 --> 00:36:16,890
bit of an awakening in the
sewing community as knitting

626
00:36:16,890 --> 00:36:20,730
community initially, is where it
started. So that I found really

627
00:36:20,730 --> 00:36:25,740
valuable and it's created lots
of opportunities and friendships

628
00:36:25,740 --> 00:36:29,520
for me, which I wouldn't have
had otherwise. So. Yeah, I think

629
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,850
that's been the most valuable
thing for me and just having a

630
00:36:32,850 --> 00:36:36,210
hobby that's for life, really,
that you know, that you'll be

631
00:36:36,210 --> 00:36:40,050
doing, as long as you can.
Somebody was telling me recently

632
00:36:40,050 --> 00:36:42,600
that she can't knit anymore for
arthritis. And I was like, Oh,

633
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:48,540
my gosh, that's like, my worst
nightmare. prevent that, as far

634
00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:49,140
as possible.

635
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,800
Mia Hobbs: Yeah. I just want
didn't want to let you go

636
00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:56,430
without asking about
specifically about colour. And

637
00:36:56,430 --> 00:36:58,890
because I associate you in your
Instagram with all these

638
00:36:58,890 --> 00:37:03,930
beautiful, bright colours, and
wondered how much of a part of

639
00:37:04,170 --> 00:37:08,850
that is about the appeal. And
whether that feels like, I don't

640
00:37:08,850 --> 00:37:11,340
know, part of your drive for
knitting is to get to play with

641
00:37:11,340 --> 00:37:15,570
the colours or to have like,
almost like wearable art? I

642
00:37:15,570 --> 00:37:16,050
don't know.

643
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:21,120
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I tend not to
go for complicated patterns.

644
00:37:21,210 --> 00:37:25,530
Yeah, as much as something in
the colour that I want, or like

645
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:29,760
a colour combination. So like
stripes, or whatever it is. So I

646
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:33,540
think colour is a big drive in,
in my knitting at the moment.

647
00:37:34,260 --> 00:37:37,800
Like, for example, I, like, you
know, I might be like, I just

648
00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,530
really want a yellow jumper or
something. So it's not

649
00:37:40,530 --> 00:37:44,220
necessarily that it matters what
the pattern is, or like, it

650
00:37:44,220 --> 00:37:47,730
might be just really basic, but
it's the colour and introducing

651
00:37:47,730 --> 00:37:49,890
that and having that in my
wardrobe. And with knitting, I

652
00:37:49,890 --> 00:37:51,810
feel like when you're when
you've got your knitting, you're

653
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,810
with it for a long time. So if
you've got lots of colour in

654
00:37:54,810 --> 00:37:57,600
there, particularly over the
winter months, it can be really

655
00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:59,850
therapeutic. And that way,
you've got a kind of colour

656
00:37:59,850 --> 00:38:03,210
therapy just right there in
front of you. So that's one of

657
00:38:03,210 --> 00:38:06,420
the main things that I enjoy
about my knitting at the moment.

658
00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:13,260
So is a lot about colour for me,
and just, and also sometimes a

659
00:38:13,260 --> 00:38:17,160
bit of a challenge. So like, for
example, I've got a yarn and a

660
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,130
kind of dark maroon red, and
it's not necessarily coloured

661
00:38:20,130 --> 00:38:24,210
normally use, but then I can
think about how would I pair

662
00:38:24,210 --> 00:38:27,180
that with other things and make
that work with my wardrobe? So I

663
00:38:27,180 --> 00:38:30,270
really enjoy just being creative
with the colour combinations for

664
00:38:30,270 --> 00:38:30,870
that as well.

665
00:38:31,260 --> 00:38:35,010
Mia Hobbs: Okay. Yeah, that's
really interesting. Well, thank

666
00:38:35,010 --> 00:38:38,700
you so much for talking to me.
And I'm sure there'll be people

667
00:38:38,700 --> 00:38:42,750
who want to follow you on
Instagram to hear your podcast.

668
00:38:42,750 --> 00:38:47,280
Can you just remind me how they
can connect with you?

669
00:38:47,990 --> 00:38:51,080
Atia Azmi: Yeah, of course,
it's. So my Instagram is the

670
00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:54,980
bright blooms. And I also have a
website, which will be more

671
00:38:54,980 --> 00:39:00,020
frequently updated which is the
bright blooms.com and our

672
00:39:00,020 --> 00:39:02,660
podcast, which is kind of more
general making and sewing

673
00:39:02,660 --> 00:39:07,370
podcast is called uncut. And you
can find that at uncut podcast

674
00:39:07,370 --> 00:39:07,970
underscore on Instagram.

675
00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,310
Mia Hobbs: Okay, Super, thank
you so much for talking to me.

676
00:39:11,940 --> 00:39:13,140
Atia Azmi: Thank you. Thanks for
having me.

677
00:39:16,180 --> 00:39:17,770
Mia Hobbs: Thank you for
listening to the Why I Knit

678
00:39:17,770 --> 00:39:20,350
podcast. If you'd like to find
out more about therapeutic

679
00:39:20,350 --> 00:39:23,020
knitting you can follow me on
Instagram at knitting is

680
00:39:23,020 --> 00:39:26,140
therapeutic. Or check out my
website therapeutic

681
00:39:26,170 --> 00:39:30,160
knitting.org. To be notified
when a new podcast is released.

682
00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:34,300
Please subscribe on your podcast
app. If you or anyone you know

683
00:39:34,300 --> 00:39:37,030
would make a great guest for the
podcast then please get in touch