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Knitting for Colour and Challenge with Atia Azmi · Why I Knit

0:01
Mia Hobbs: Hello, and welcome to the Why I Knit podcast. My name
0:04
is Dr. Mia Hobbs, and I'm a clinical psychologist who's
0:07
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
0:36
the uncut podcast and one of the patterns that she talks about in
0:39
the show notes. Hi Atia welcome to the podcast.
0:45
Atia Azmi: Hi, thanks for having me today.
0:47
Mia Hobbs: Thanks so much for talking to me. And I wonder if
0:50
we could start just by you telling me where your story of
0:53
knitting began.
0:55
Atia Azmi: So I was always quite interested in learning, but
0:58
there wasn't anybody who was willing or able to teach me and
1:01
my mum did knit at some point in the 80s. I guess there used to
1:05
be some half finished sort of mohair fluffy jumpers around.
1:09
But she was always quite busy. And she wasn't doing it at the
1:11
time. So I didn't get a chance to learn. And then when I was at
1:13
university, just before my final exams, at university, I decided
1:18
that would be a great time to learn to knit and procrastinate.
1:22
So that was like when YouTube was first becoming available. So
1:27
those were tutorials available on them. There's a couple of
1:29
other websites that I used to learn as well. So it was
1:32
essentially self taught using videos and things online. And
1:37
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
1:50
Ysolda. Were some of the like, some of the knitting companies
1:54
that were around or earlier on. And then obviously ravelry came
1:57
along after that, as well. And that became quite a big sort of
2:01
knitting community.
2:02
Mia Hobbs: Okay, so you, I'm really interested in the
2:05
procrastination element. Because I also learned in the well, I
2:10
really learned I learned as a kid and then relearnt when I was
2:13
started my doctorate in clinical psychology, and I found it quite
2:16
helpful. Having something with the end, like you could do a row
2:21
of knitting, have a 10 minute break for revision, I don't know
2:24
how you found it. Whether it was helped
2:26
Atia Azmi: I think was in wasn't necessarily helpful in that it
2:31
spent a lot more time on the knitting than I probably should.
2:35
But, I mean, at that stage, it was kind of, I think, I was
2:39
always really interested in sort of the colour colours and
2:41
textures. I don't if you know, you know, Noro yarn, because
2:44
like all the different sort of variegated colours, so I just
2:47
really wanted to try new things like that. So. So I think I just
2:52
got really absorbed in doing that. And I just remember that
2:55
my tension was really tight. So it was really, you know, like
2:59
when the tension really tightening hands just got really
3:01
painful. So that's just my main memory that I have at that time.
3:05
But I don't really remember a lot about, you know, how it
3:09
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
3:15
take your mind off other things. And, you know, just a bit of an
3:20
escape really, yeah.
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Mia Hobbs: Yeah. I felt like that was really important for me
3:24
when I was training to have that something completely different,
3:27
not related to psychology.
3:30
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I also say that I find it really useful when I
3:33
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
3:40
there used to be a bit of downtime, where nothing much was
3:43
happening on a long shift. So it was always really helpful to
3:46
just have the knitting there. And, you know, might not get to
3:49
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
3:55
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
4:03
mother as well. And you've got something to show for your, for
4:07
your day, which is, you know, material that can be kind of
4:10
quite helpful psychologically as well. Because otherwise you're
4:13
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
4:19
like you're not really achieved anything. Whereas gonna do them
4:21
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
4:28
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
4:35
you were making at the beginning.
4:38
Atia Azmi: So at the beginning, I remember making things like
4:41
scarves What else did I make I remember I used to use knitty
4:47
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
4:53
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
5:01
those sort of small projects. And then the first big thing I
5:05
made was on a trip to South Africa. And my husband always
5:08
complains that I spent the whole time on that trip when it was
5:11
like a road trip, just like looking at my knitting is like,
5:16
Oh, look, there's something like really interesting compounds,
5:19
like where the wildlife, I missed it. And it was a really
5:23
long flight. So it was, you know, is good to have that time.
5:26
And at that time, I think now, people are a bit more worried
5:29
about taking knitting on flights, because they take your
5:32
needles off you, but at that time, it was fine. And the other
5:36
thing about that was that at that time, all my purls were
5:39
crossed. So when I actually came back with my knitting, all of
5:44
the bit that was not circular, where I was knitting and then
5:47
purling a row, all the stitches were crossed on the purl rows.
5:52
So it wasn't actually particularly good knitting at
5:55
the end of the day so it was a bit of a waste. But I remember
5:59
that I just really enjoyed also discovering the South African
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knitting shops and things. So because I have quite an
6:05
interesting, they use a lot of bamboo and different things as
6:08
well. So that was quite
6:09
Mia Hobbs: yarn, or needles?
6:11
Atia Azmi: Yeah, bamboo yarn. Well, I don't remember the
6:13
needles, but I picked up some bamboo yarn out there as well.
6:17
Mia Hobbs: Cool. And I know that you're obviously known for
6:20
sewing as well, I wondered where knitting and sewing like which
6:23
started first, whether they're related to each other or
6:27
completely separate?
6:29
Unknown: Yeah, I would say I'd kind of thought of it quite
6:31
separately, there's, with the knitting, I feel like it's more
6:35
of a kind of relaxing hobby that you can do. You could take it
6:39
with you places you can sit on the sofa and do it. So I tend to
6:43
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,
6:49
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
6:57
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
7:04
in a specific place. So I kind of see them as slightly
7:08
separate. But, you know, I kind of try and use them in
7:12
complementary ways. So that if I'm making something, I think,
7:15
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
7:21
my wardrobe and seeing what will match with with things? So they
7:24
complement each other in that way,
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Mia Hobbs: Sure. Thank you. And why do you So you mentioned kind
7:31
of knitting is more, calming? Why do you think you've kind of
7:34
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?
7:43
Atia Azmi: Well, I just really enjoy using different textures,
7:47
and working with colours. So I feel like sometimes when
7:51
knitting, if you're knitting something very small, you can
7:53
use colours in quite a bold way, in a way that you wouldn't
7:56
necessarily with a really big project, like a dress or
8:00
something like for example, something like socks, no one's
8:02
really going to necessarily see them. But you can wear something
8:07
like really bright or just clash colours or that sort of thing.
8:11
One of the projects that I made last year during the lockdown
8:14
was the Penguono jacked. Stephen West. Yeah. And it's something
8:20
that I'd actually cast it on quite a long time before and
8:24
just done like about, you know, a few inches of the of the sort
8:27
of the back, but that was just such a great and great way to
8:32
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
8:39
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.
8:55
Mia Hobbs: Would you say you're more of a process person than
8:57
for the end than a project knitter, like for the end
9:00
result? Or is it a balance of both,
9:03
Atia Azmi: I would say is that it's more a product thing. It's
9:06
always been more of a product thing for me in terms of I
9:09
really want to make and wear the finished product. But I was
9:14
finding that I would get a bit frustrated because I'm quite
9:15
slow, just because I don't have loads of time to knit so. So
9:20
then I've tried to choose things where I enjoy the process a bit
9:23
more as well. I do enjoy the process to some extent, but I'm
9:27
not a fast knitter So just you know, it takes me quite a long
9:31
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
9:37
anywhere and then you get a bit frustrated. I used to kind of
9:40
make lots of I still do sometimes, but make the list of
9:42
the next one I want to make and make lists of projects and
9:45
things. But because it takes so long as there's almost no point
9:49
in just making a long list and then never managing to get
9:52
through it. It's better to just enjoy the thing that you're
9:55
making while you're doing it. And I find that knitting in that
9:58
way is much more of a slow craft then sewing because with sewing
10:02
at the most, it might take me a week or two to finish something.
10:06
Whereas knitting, it may be, you know, several months, or I'll
10:10
leave something while come back to it. So it might be over a
10:12
year, but before something's actually finished, so it's just
10:16
a, you know, I do have to slow myself down at it to be able to
10:19
enjoy it more.
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Mia Hobbs: And would you ever look at something and see how
10:22
it's made? Or what it looks like? And think, no, I wouldn't
10:25
make that because of the process.
10:28
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of things nowadays, where
10:31
I mean things with I suppose garments with smaller than four
10:35
millimetre needles, I will most likely not, not decide to make
10:39
because I know that I'll just end up just, it'll just be so
10:42
slow that I'll just feel like I'll never get there. The last
10:47
couple of things I made were on 10 millimetre needles, which was
10:49
a Holiday Slipover by Petite Knit, which is, which is a
10:52
really quick project. And I've really enjoyed making that. So
10:57
I'd say my comfort zone is probably five to eight
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millimetres. So you get somewhere fairly quickly. But
11:06
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
11:18
about the project, the end result and getting that kind of
11:21
fix.
11:22
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I mean, yeah, do you know the Poet's sweater?
11:27
You seen that one it's by Sari, I've forgotten the surname but
11:32
it's just really beautiful lace sweater and in fingering weight
11:36
yarn or 4ply yarn. And I really want to make that one, even
11:41
though I know it will take me absolutely forever. Yeah,
11:43
there's a couple of things where I'll have to get through it to
11:46
get the result that I want. And you know if it's worth doing
11:49
that, but yeah, there's a few projects that have a choose
11:52
which are about fine and wait just
11:54
Mia Hobbs: with the lace also make you think twice about it.
11:58
Because obviously lace would be slower than stockinette for
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example.
12:01
Unknown: Yeah, I actually quite enjoy knitting lace. So I've
12:04
made quite a few lace projects, I made the dragonflies sweater,
12:09
which is by Joji Locatelli. And that one, it was it was quite
12:14
slow. But the result is just so nice. And the back is just plain
12:19
stocking stitch as well. So it was it went faster than I
12:22
expected. And that was DK weight yarn. So it wasn't too, too
12:25
thin, either. And that's when I actually really enjoyed wearing
12:29
as well.
12:31
Mia Hobbs: Okay, that's interesting, because I find I
12:33
like doing complicated patterns, because I feel like it keeps my
12:36
brain. I need that level of brain engagement. I think in the
12:40
process to feel relaxation. I think if I'm knitting just
12:43
stockinette, it's too easy, almost. And my brain still can
12:46
still think about what I'm cooking for dinner or about
12:50
work.
12:52
Unknown: Yeah, yeah, it varies. So like, if I'm watching
12:54
something, then or like, say, I don't know, I'm sitting with
12:59
family or something, then I quite liked something, which is
13:01
just really straightforward. They don't need to think think
13:03
about at all and your fingers are just kind of working almost
13:07
on memory. Muscle memory. But there Yeah, I do enjoy those
13:11
projects, sometimes where it's, you know, you're forming a
13:14
pattern. And you're like having to think about that. But yeah,
13:18
so I kind of go with like a couple of of those quicker
13:21
projects, and then a slower project that I can pick up now.
13:24
And then. So at the moment, I'm also doing a brioche knit scarf
13:27
as well, like a shawl. Yeah. And I do find that it's actually
13:31
quite, I don't know, do you know, brioche do you do brioche?
13:34
Mia Hobbs: It's probably one of my very few untouched untouched
13:38
knitting techniques. So it's on my list, you know, my radar, but
13:41
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
13:51
that I don't know, then let's give it a try. So I made the
13:54
Plumpy shawl by Andrea Mowry, which was a two colour brioche
13:58
because I saw the kit on Instagram and I just really
14:00
liked the colours in it. It was a Hedgehog fibres kit. So I just
14:03
went for that one. And I really, really enjoyed the process is
14:07
not as difficult as it seems. When you when you first learn it
14:11
at first, it's a bit of a learning curve. But then once
14:13
you've picked up the skill, then it does get much more easy. So
14:18
it's just one of those projects. I find it with crochet as well
14:20
where it takes me a little bit of time to get back into it
14:24
because I've slightly forgotten the technique. But then once you
14:28
once you start again, then it's really quite straightforward.
14:31
Mia Hobbs: Yeah, okay. Thank you. And I wondered, I suppose
14:36
part of this podcast is about hearing from knitters about the
14:40
impact of knitting on their kind of mental well being and whether
14:43
there's anything kind of in that sense that you get from
14:46
knitting.
14:47
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I think the main thing I get from it is that
14:50
there's never a time when you just feel bored or like you have
14:53
nothing to do and you don't have, I don't know, I suppose
14:57
like that kind of loneliness. People get I mean, I always
15:01
think back to when our children were young, because that's kind
15:03
of, I suppose the time in your life when you're really on your
15:06
own quite a lot. Or you don't have time for sort of yourself
15:11
as much. And I think because I always had the knitting at that
15:14
stage, I always felt like I had something to do. And I had that
15:17
kind of community, as well. So you're still having that kind of
15:21
interaction with people? And also, you know, just something
15:26
that you can pick up and put down easily. It's kind of in a
15:29
way, yeah, kind of like an occupational therapy, I guess,
15:31
in a way that you've always just got something that you're on
15:34
hand that you can do. Yeah, I mean, I've done that. I haven't,
15:39
I wouldn't say that has been the time in my life where it's been
15:42
really, really difficult wherever needed. That kind of as
15:46
a coping strategy. But on a sort of lower level, it's, it's
15:49
always been really helpful to have in the background.
15:51
Mia Hobbs: Sounds like you used it a little bit in lockdown. I
15:53
don't know whether you did that deliberately. But like learning
15:55
a new technique or something like whether that was a
15:59
deliberate thing to think, yeah, this is what I'm doing in
16:02
lockdown. I'm getting brioche out of it.
16:03
Atia Azmi: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I didn't necessarily think of it
16:04
Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I do the same. I was knitting a Strange Brew by
16:06
in that way. I mean, it was I had more time. And you cannot
16:11
you need that headspace to learn something new. So it was really
16:15
useful to have it at that time. And it's nice to look back and
16:19
see that, you know, particularly that Penguono project that I
16:22
mentioned, just have a like a concrete like a souvenir of
16:26
lockdown. Like because it was just a whole winter when I just
16:29
spent with that project. And sometimes it's good to have I
16:34
kind of deliberately choose a project to take away with me
16:37
somewhere sometimes because you kind of like we were just away
16:40
for a few days. And I spent all the time on one project. And
16:44
then it kind of reminds you of that afterwards. So that's a
16:48
nice way of of using knitting as well.
16:55
Tin Can knits. Do you know that? Yeah, actually, no, I think it's
16:58
called a Cartography. One Yeah, no, my husband to a large
17:04
sweater. And then I finished it in lockdown, and then realised
17:07
that some of the motifs looked a little bit like the Coronavirus.
17:12
This really is a covid sweater. In a way, I hadn't quite meant
17:17
for it to be. Yeah, but it is quite I like having something
17:21
that feels like oh, yeah, that was the jumper I made on a
17:25
certain holiday or something. Yeah. And how about sewing, I'm
17:29
interested in whether that is different in terms of how it
17:33
fits in your life or what the craft gives you. Because I think
17:36
like you said, it's not quite as real, maybe a relaxing take
17:41
everywhere type. Craft,
17:43
Atia Azmi: yes. So I tend to sew when, when I've got some time,
17:48
like if I've got a weekend, like a day free in the weekend or
17:51
something. And that's the time when I really enjoy it, when
17:54
I've got a whole day, I would just do a bit of the cooking and
17:57
a bit of the washing and those bits and bobs that you need to
18:00
do. And then you know, going back to the sewing in between.
18:03
So I don't know I have I don't know how to describe that,
18:07
really. But it's it's just in a way, you've got to have time to
18:11
do it a different way to knitting where you can just pick
18:15
it up and put it down. And then and then it's just I think
18:19
because you make something much more quickly with the sewing,
18:22
then you can have a sort of very quick end point in sight. So you
18:26
can be like, today I'm going to finish the skirt or something
18:29
like that. Whereas with knitting, it's would be rare for
18:33
me to be able to have a very set goal point.
18:37
Mia Hobbs: Yeah. Okay, that's interesting. So it's a bit more
18:40
about like, I don't know, giving yourself like that time to
18:43
immerse yourself in the sewing.
18:45
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I mean, I tend to say a bit on weekdays as
18:48
well. Like, for example, yesterday evening, I just cut
18:52
out my pattern ready to sew, so probably this evening, I'll be
18:56
able to sew that. But I enjoy it much more. And I've got that
19:01
sort of good amount of time to spend on it. And there's no kind
19:04
of, like, if I'm sewing on a weekday, I kind of have to make
19:08
myself go and do the cutting, even though I you know, I'll
19:12
enjoy it. And once I'm doing it, but a bit more like you've got
19:14
to take that time out of your day to do something. Yeah. Yeah.
19:19
And whereas like if you've, you know, you kind of fitting it in,
19:22
in between lots of things on a longer period of time, then it's
19:25
just more relaxing.
19:26
Mia Hobbs: I have to say that I think that's why I knit much
19:29
more than I sew because it's just like, because of the
19:33
portability. And you can do it in five minutes, whereas sewing
19:36
is just to get everything out. Takes longer. Yeah,
19:41
Atia Azmi: yeah, I'm lucky that I actually have everything out
19:43
already on a sort of set, sort of dedicated table, so it's a
19:48
bit easier in that way. I think I'd find it much more difficult
19:50
if I had to, you know, organise myself every time to get
19:53
everything out. So yeah, so having that space set aside is
19:57
it makes it much easier
20:00
Mia Hobbs: For me the cutting, I feel the slight kind of. I don't
20:04
love that bit.
20:06
Atia Azmi: No, I don't enjoy cutting as a necessary evil. So,
20:11
yeah, I don't have a dedicated space for cutting. So that has
20:14
to that just goes on the floor at the moment. Yeah, maybe one
20:19
day I'll get enough space for a cutting table
20:24
Mia Hobbs: I'm interested also in like the end product, because
20:28
it sounds like you are very interested in getting to the
20:30
project. And whether there's an impact on your kind of, I don't
20:35
know, mood or happiness about wearing or giving or the
20:40
finished articles, whether it's knitted or sewn.
20:45
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I always feel really, you know, it's always
20:48
the kind of the high point of the project when you finally get
20:50
to wear a project that you made. With knitting, I tend I haven't
20:55
really given people a lot of knitting recently. I mean, I, I
20:59
think I wasn't knitting that much for a while. And then I was
21:02
just doing these kind of like longer term projects. For
21:04
myself, I think I haven't really made a bigger project for like a
21:08
jumper for anyone else for a long time since my children were
21:12
quite small. But like, when I've given people small gifts, like a
21:17
bonnet for a baby or those sorts of things, then they always get
21:22
a lot of pleasure out of that as well. So it's really nice to be
21:25
able to do that occasionally. So I do have that in mind for over
21:29
the next few months as well just to make a few gifts as well just
21:33
I think that a small amount of knitting is appreciated in my,
21:37
my view is appreciated as much as a big project. So I don't
21:41
know if you find that. So if you make someone a hat or like
21:44
booties or something small, you even if you spent the same
21:49
amount of time making really big fancy blanket or something.
21:53
probably appreciate a small gift as much as the big one.
21:56
Mia Hobbs: I think I never quite know with knitted gifts. Like I
21:59
made a Scout Shawl. I don't know if you know that by Florence
22:03
Spurling. So it's, it's looks like a patchwork,
22:07
Unknown: the new isn't it a new one.
22:11
Mia Hobbs: And it looks like kind of patchwork as in sewn
22:14
patterns on different squares, but it's in kind of a shawl, but
22:17
it involves doing colour work on both sides. It's knitted flat.
22:21
And so I'd never done colour work on a purl row before
22:25
personally. And I saw the pattern, I thought, Wow, it's
22:30
amazing. I wanted to make that because I quite I am attracted
22:33
to more and more complicated things. Because I think my brain
22:37
needs that in order to kind of absorb in the process and switch
22:41
off from other stresses. And I knitted it for a friend's 40th
22:46
And I was she's not a knitter. And I was then kind of think Is
22:50
it random gift. It was a July birthday. And I'm feel like I'm
22:56
knitting lots of love in it and thinking about her when I'm
22:59
knitting it. But I'm not quite sure whether that feels the same
23:04
as the recipient, or whether it feels like
23:06
Atia Azmi: Yeah, yeah, I think I learned my lesson, giving
23:10
something very complicated somebody because I made a lace
23:12
Shawl in a cashmere silk yarn, which has like a lace weight
23:17
yarn. And I gave it to my sister and I never saw it again, never
23:21
saw her wear it again. I think it's highly likely that it's
23:24
just like stuffed in a cupboard somewhere or gone to the charity
23:26
shop or something. And like, you know, I would have liked to seen
23:30
that shawl again. Unless I really think I'm not going to
23:36
use it or as it like, I don't know, like, if I know someone's
23:39
really going to appreciate something then then I'll give it
23:41
to them. Like there's a few friends I know that they would
23:44
absolutely love knitted hat for their babies or something. I had
23:48
a friend who used one for I think two years same one for her
23:52
daughter. I can't remember if I made it a big size or not. But
23:56
it was like, crammed on her head till she was two or something.
23:59
So like, those are the sorts of people that you feel they will
24:02
really appreciate the gift. Yeah, but yeah, so I guess it's
24:06
just a learning thing. And a lot of sewists say this as well,
24:10
that they they don't really make things for other people as well.
24:14
Mia Hobbs: I mean, I feel like I got I wanted to make it for the
24:17
process. If you see, my friend really seemed to appreciate it,
24:21
but you never quite she thinks what am I going to do with it.
24:25
Atia Azmi: Yeah, there's always that thing of like, Yeah, I
24:28
mean, whether it's gonna be a long term, you know, something
24:31
that they're going to appreciate or enjoy as well. But it's
24:35
difficult to know, isn't it? And I think when people ask you for
24:38
something and you make it for them, then that's what is the
24:41
best way that you know that they definitely do want it.
24:44
Mia Hobbs: Yeah. I had a friend recently who wanted me to
24:46
recreate a knitted hat. So her for her son who'd grown because
24:51
he was a baby and had a hat that he loved. And then now he's two
24:54
and didn't fit the hat anymore and she had the yarn and it was
24:58
like a chunky weight yarn. So it literally took an evening, maybe
25:04
to do the pom pom as well. But yeah, that was very appreciated.
25:09
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I think it's now getting to the point after
25:12
sort of nearly 15 or 15 years plus that I'm, you know, I don't
25:16
need another shawl I don't need, you know, whatever it is, and
25:19
then, and then you think that you can make it and give it to
25:23
somebody who will appreciate it or, I don't know, I think it's
25:27
quite difficult to give away or, or, you know, throw away things
25:32
that you've made and put a lot of time and effort. And so now,
25:36
in that in a way that slows me down as well, knowing that I
25:39
actually don't need this, think about what would I do this thing
25:43
once I've made it, so, but I don't think I'll stop knitting
25:47
in a way for the process as well as I think I do find that quite
25:50
enjoyable. So even if even if I slow down my sewing in my
25:54
knitting and make something like set a bit more complicated, or
25:57
something that's going to take a bit longer than that can be a
26:00
good way of just not adding to your, you know, knitted
26:03
products, and enjoying the process.
26:07
Mia Hobbs: I made a lace dress once it was actually a pattern
26:10
was for a top. And I just carried on and felt like if I
26:15
was on the tube and the tube got stuck for an hour, I was never
26:18
gonna run out of knitting, it was easy to carry the yarn
26:20
because it was lace. So you had so much yarn on one tiny ball.
26:25
Yeah. And it was it did feel quite comforting apart from when
26:27
the needle broke off from the cable. Yeah, isn't ideal. And I
26:36
wondered about your thoughts as a GP about whether you ever feel
26:42
like I know that there's this idea about social prescribing
26:45
and the idea of being able to prescribe, I don't know,
26:47
knitting group to somebody whether that ever you see people
26:50
and you think I wish that was an option? I don't know if it is an
26:53
option. But whether you ever feel like people could benefit
26:57
from some kind of making? Maybe not knitting? Maybe something
27:00
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I definitely think it can be really helpful
27:00
else?
27:03
for people's mental health, I can't say that we've ever, I
27:07
mean, I've not come across a knitting therapeutic group
27:10
locally. But I would definitely recommend, you know, to some
27:13
people, if that was something that was available, I know that
27:17
there used to be this, there are obviously knitting groups
27:21
running, I used to run one myself, about 10 years ago, I
27:25
think now. And it was really just that regular interaction
27:30
with people is I think the most helpful thing, just tell them
27:33
that even if you're not necessarily the best knitter, or
27:37
like, it's just more about that interaction with people and just
27:41
slowly making progress on something. And that's mostly if
27:44
I see somebody who's suffering from anxiety or depression, I
27:48
think the main thing that that you kind of want them to do is
27:51
just make really small steps to improve their mental health. And
27:56
because everything, like a really big thing can be just so
27:59
overwhelming, that you just want them to just make it do
28:02
something small for themselves to say that they can feel they
28:05
make progress. And knitting can be really good in that way.
28:08
Because you can physically see your progress once you've done
28:11
something. So yeah, I'd definitely recommend that if it
28:14
was available.
28:16
Mia Hobbs: I have found that quite helpful just to, you know,
28:18
for some of the people I work with the idea of being able to
28:21
see progress on something, even if it was just a few stitches or
28:26
one row in a day. And also being quite a good for a distraction.
28:32
Like if you're trying to, I don't know, stop ruminating
28:36
about something to be able to then do you know, knit for 10
28:41
minutes or crochet for 10 minutes? Yeah. Could you tell me
28:49
about a significant knitting project for you?
28:54
Atia Azmi: Let me think if we go back a long way, a project I
28:58
don't actually have this anymore, but I made the Knitty
29:01
Forecast cardigan. I don't know if you you know that one is it
29:06
was a quite an ambitious project for me at the time. It's like
29:08
bobbles and I think there's like bobbles, ribbing and lots of
29:13
kind of joining here and then it's got a collar and all sorts
29:16
of things going on. So yeah, I think I should have kept that
29:20
jumper right. I think I gave it to my sister different sister.
29:24
Okay, I have 3 sisters. My other sister is also a knitter. And
29:28
she really appreciated it and I think she wore it quite a lot.
29:31
So yeah, that was one where I just learned lots of different
29:34
skills were there and it was. I think I just really enjoyed that
29:38
satisfaction of just learning lots of new things and having
29:41
something to show for at the end. Yeah, so that's probably
29:45
one I would consider to be quite significant one. Yeah,
29:49
Mia Hobbs: I think that might be one of the reasons I haven't
29:50
tackled brioche yet because I feel like I need to feel like
29:53
there is uncharted territory in the knitting world. I can still
29:56
learn new. Remember the first time I turned a heel and a pair
29:59
of socks? So I think I stayed up until one o'clock in the
30:02
morning. So I was literally following the pattern and didn't
30:04
know what was gonna happen next, which was quite exciting.
30:06
Atia Azmi: Yeah, yeah, it's quite a magical process. I just
30:09
recently finished a pair of socks that I started, I think
30:12
five years before. I like finished one completely. And the
30:16
second one, it was a really quite complicated cable pattern
30:20
on 2.5, whatever millimetre needles, and it's just like, I
30:24
couldn't face going back there again, especially, I didn't know
30:27
which row of the cable I was on. So but then I just I think
30:32
someone was someone was running us kind of like a finish it
30:34
finish it off October kind of challenge. Okay, I just need to
30:38
do this. And then I've just picked them up again. And I
30:41
think it only took me a week and a half or something to finish
30:43
it. But yeah, that's because I don't know if you find this, but
30:47
when I'm not finished something, I don't want to start the same
30:50
type of project again, until I finished that one. So like, for
30:55
example, like, right, the socks, I just didn't start another pair
30:58
of socks. Yeah, until I wanted those ones done. And then lace
31:02
projects and things like that. tend to just want to finish that
31:05
one off before I start another one. So and with quilts as well,
31:08
I've had a quilt that was not finished for about three, four
31:11
years as well just needed binding, there's nothing else
31:13
that needed doing. So, so I just like have that bit of a mental
31:18
block because I know that otherwise I'll end up with like
31:20
20 piled up things that are not finished. And I just think that
31:24
will just never be it'll just become too overwhelming. So
31:27
yeah, so it's good to get those socks done and I think now can
31:31
move on to I plan to make my husband a pair of socks that the
31:34
company the name of the yarn company, but she does a TfL
31:37
London Overground stripes. So I had that I had that for years
31:44
and years and years. And I was like maybe this will be the
31:45
time. I actually finally get to make those.
31:48
Mia Hobbs: Yeah, and are they sock weight. They're not?
31:51
Atia Azmi: Yeah, yeah, they're not. But it's just a stocking
31:53
stitch. So yeah, we'll be a bit quicker than a cable pattern,
31:56
hopefully.
31:57
Mia Hobbs: Yeah, I quite like having sort of a hat on the go
32:00
without as long as it's not complicated because that is
32:02
quite good for in a zoom training or on a bus. Yeah. That
32:07
kind of in the background project. Okay. I always ask
32:11
about knitting high and knitting low. I don't know if you could
32:15
think of any particular highs or lows. Oh,
32:19
Atia Azmi: let me think. Knitting high. Yeah, I mean, I
32:23
think probably finishing a laceweight project is always a
32:27
bit of a knitting high. Let me think I haven't made laceweight
32:31
project in quite a long time. So probably that same shawl that I
32:34
mentioned earlier. I shared that on my Instagram recently,
32:38
because I took some photos of at the time it was it was yeah, it
32:42
was such a beautiful pattern. So I was really
32:44
Mia Hobbs: what was that remind me which pattern that was?
32:47
Atia Azmi: It was I forgotten everything now. I think it was
32:50
it's on ravelry so I can have a track and let you know. But
32:57
yeah, so that was probably one knitting lows generally when you
33:01
just have to unravel a whole project that hasn't gone well
33:06
Mia Hobbs: does that get any easier, do you think?
33:09
Atia Azmi: No, not really, I mean, the with the 10 millimetre
33:12
needle project that just in the holiday slipover? I did have to,
33:15
I think I was on holiday and I hadn't got a I just had my
33:19
little knitting guage ruler. I hadn't got a proper measuring
33:22
tape or anything. So I'd knit it a few centimetres shorter than I
33:26
wanted it. So I had to unravel all of my ribbing, about five,
33:29
five inches of ribbing about three or something on the front.
33:34
So that was a bit annoying to unravel it all. But because it
33:38
was 10 minutes. It was fine. It wasn't too bad. Yeah. Yeah, so
33:44
yeah, that's probably I haven't had any terrible disasters I can
33:47
think of. I've had my children cutting up balls of yarn now. I
33:54
don't remember them doing it with anything very precious.
33:56
Mia Hobbs: Okay. Wait. So you've got rules about the knitting
33:59
stash? And children,
34:01
Atia Azmi: so we, we have a cat now. So she does, like, she's
34:05
not too bad with the yarn. But when I was knitting with
34:09
Shelter, the Brooklyn Tweed yarn recently, and it's quite Soft it
34:13
will, just, you can easily just break it with your fingers
34:17
easily. Okay, so there were a lot of ends to weave in and that
34:21
jumper because she just kept like finding the end and just,
34:26
you know, clawing at it or biting it. So, yeah.
34:32
Mia Hobbs: My last question was about the greatest gift knitting
34:35
has given you for the rest of your life. So anything you've
34:38
kind of feel like you've any way that you feel that you've
34:40
benefited from knitting that spills over into life in
34:44
general.
34:46
Atia Azmi: Um, well, the first thing that came to mind was just
34:50
having my stash which is quite extensive. And that will
34:54
definitely be a gift that keeps giving for many years
34:59
Are you still adding to it?
35:00
I am trying not to I did just get the yarn for the second
35:05
holiday slipover, because I really like the Camarose Snefnug
35:09
yarn. And it's just, it's, I mean, I mostly buy hand dyed
35:14
yarn or used to when I was adding to my stash quite a lot
35:18
in the past. But this one is just one of my favourites or
35:20
more commercially dyed yarns. Yeah, it's just really soft and
35:23
it doesn't pill or get ruined, you know, even two years later
35:28
after knitting my first jumper, and that is still looks perfect.
35:31
So that's probably, you know, one of the best ones I've used.
35:35
But apart from that, I'm gonna try not to really add to my
35:38
stash too much anymore. Particularly as I feel the cost
35:42
of yarn is a lot more than it used to be. It's not cheap.
35:46
Yeah, yeah. So I think beyond that I already have will stand
35:49
me in good stead for quite a long time. Yeah. But in general,
35:53
just being part of the wider sort of knitting and crafting
35:57
community has probably been the best thing that has come out of
36:00
it for me. So I mean, I would say mostly, yeah, I would say
36:05
knitting has been big a big part of that for me as well,
36:08
particularly a few years ago, and there was lots of
36:10
conversations happening about diversity. And I think there's a
36:14
bit of an awakening in the sewing community as knitting
36:16
community initially, is where it started. So that I found really
36:20
valuable and it's created lots of opportunities and friendships
36:25
for me, which I wouldn't have had otherwise. So. Yeah, I think
36:29
that's been the most valuable thing for me and just having a
36:32
hobby that's for life, really, that you know, that you'll be
36:36
doing, as long as you can. Somebody was telling me recently
36:40
that she can't knit anymore for arthritis. And I was like, Oh,
36:42
my gosh, that's like, my worst nightmare. prevent that, as far
36:48
as possible.
36:49
Mia Hobbs: Yeah. I just want didn't want to let you go
36:52
without asking about specifically about colour. And
36:56
because I associate you in your Instagram with all these
36:58
beautiful, bright colours, and wondered how much of a part of
37:04
that is about the appeal. And whether that feels like, I don't
37:08
know, part of your drive for knitting is to get to play with
37:11
the colours or to have like, almost like wearable art? I
37:15
don't know.
37:17
Atia Azmi: Yeah, I tend not to go for complicated patterns.
37:21
Yeah, as much as something in the colour that I want, or like
37:25
a colour combination. So like stripes, or whatever it is. So I
37:29
think colour is a big drive in, in my knitting at the moment.
37:34
Like, for example, I, like, you know, I might be like, I just
37:37
really want a yellow jumper or something. So it's not
37:40
necessarily that it matters what the pattern is, or like, it
37:44
might be just really basic, but it's the colour and introducing
37:47
that and having that in my wardrobe. And with knitting, I
37:49
feel like when you're when you've got your knitting, you're
37:51
with it for a long time. So if you've got lots of colour in
37:54
there, particularly over the winter months, it can be really
37:57
therapeutic. And that way, you've got a kind of colour
37:59
therapy just right there in front of you. So that's one of
38:03
the main things that I enjoy about my knitting at the moment.
38:07
So is a lot about colour for me, and just, and also sometimes a
38:13
bit of a challenge. So like, for example, I've got a yarn and a
38:17
kind of dark maroon red, and it's not necessarily coloured
38:20
normally use, but then I can think about how would I pair
38:24
that with other things and make that work with my wardrobe? So I
38:27
really enjoy just being creative with the colour combinations for
38:30
that as well.
38:31
Mia Hobbs: Okay. Yeah, that's really interesting. Well, thank
38:35
you so much for talking to me. And I'm sure there'll be people
38:38
who want to follow you on Instagram to hear your podcast.
38:42
Can you just remind me how they can connect with you?
38:47
Atia Azmi: Yeah, of course, it's. So my Instagram is the
38:51
bright blooms. And I also have a website, which will be more
38:54
frequently updated which is the bright blooms.com and our
39:00
podcast, which is kind of more general making and sewing
39:02
podcast is called uncut. And you can find that at uncut podcast
39:07
underscore on Instagram.
39:08
Mia Hobbs: Okay, Super, thank you so much for talking to me.
39:11
Atia Azmi: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
39:16
Mia Hobbs: Thank you for listening to the Why I Knit
39:17
podcast. If you'd like to find out more about therapeutic
39:20
knitting you can follow me on Instagram at knitting is
39:23
therapeutic. Or check out my website therapeutic
39:26
knitting.org. To be notified when a new podcast is released.
39:30
Please subscribe on your podcast app. If you or anyone you know
39:34
would make a great guest for the podcast then please get in touch