Shows / Why I Knit
Why I Knit
Welcome to the Why I Knit podcast! My name is Dr Mia Hobbs and I am a Clinical Psychologist who is passionate about the mental health benefits of knitting. Each episode of the podcast I interview a different knitter about why they knit and the (k)nitty gritty of how it impacts their mental well-being. I have an inspiring and diverse range of knitters lined up who have generously shared their stories with me. Find out more about the therapeutic benefits of knitting at my website and find our…
Episodes
- Why I Knit
Self-care One Stitch at a Time: LIVE!
We wanted to let you know that we will be running our first ever live cohort of our course Self-Care One Stitch at a Time in January 2027. Join the priority…
Why I KnitKnitting to recharge your energy with Ailsa Stephen
Game of Wool finalist and knitwear designer Ailsa Stephen joins me for the final episode of Series 10. Ailsa speaks about learning to knit as a young child and…
Why I KnitKnitting for burnout recovery with Dr Hannah Barham-Brown
Dr Hannah Barham-Brown is a GP and lecturer living in rural Scotland. Hannah speaks about learning to knit during lockdown around the same time she was…
Why I KnitKnitting for safety and stillness with Nessa Hubbard
Knitting coach Nessa Hubbard joins me to discuss her own journey with knitting and crochet, going from being taught to knit as a very young child to help her…
Why I KnitKnitting to manage overwhelm with Thomas of Tommy Gurumi
Tommy gurumi on instagram This week on the podcast I am delighted to be joined by Thomas, who is known online as Tommygurumi. Thomas talks about learning to…
Why I KnitThe human stories of knitting with Salina Jane
Salina Jane is an artist and knitter who brilliantly captures the feelings many of us have about our knitting in her art work. It was a pleasure to speak to…
Why I KnitKnitting as creative collaboration with Kitey The Yarn Whisperer
This week I am delighted to be joined by yarn dyer and yarn shop owner Kitey, who is also known as The Yarn Whisperer. Kitey speaks about his journey from…
Why I KnitKnitting for the ups and the downs with Lydia of Weku Yarn
Series 10 returns for a series of interviews exploring why we knit and how knitting benefits our mental health. This week I am joined by Lydia who is the…
Why I KnitAn exciting announcement...
Series 10 is on the way, and with it a new and exciting development! We have created a Patreon Community and we'd love you to join us there - the perks for…
Why I KnitKnitting for addiction recovery - Journal club
In this Journal Club episode Dr Paula Redmond joins me to discuss a journal article about using knitting in a center for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. This…
Why I KnitKnitting for depression and low mood - a bonus relisten
This week Dr Paula Redmond joins me to discuss how knitting can help with depression and low mood. We've chosen three episodes of the podcast in which my…
Why I KnitJournal Club - Knitting and Eating Disorders
This week Paula and I discuss the journal article investigating whether knitting can reduce anxious thoughts in people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Find…
Why I KnitBook Club - Art Cure and Your Brain on Art
In this bonus book club episode Paula joins me to discuss two great books about art, health and well-being. Both books take a deep dive into the research into…
- Why I Knit
Journal Club - Can knitting reduce blood pressure?
For this journal club episode we discuss the commonly made claim that knitting can reduce blood pressure. We discuss the origins of this claim in the research…
Why I KnitBonus Episode - Knitting and ADHD
This is our first bonus relisten episode where Paula and I choose 3 episodes on a theme and relisten to them and give our reflections. This month we are…
Why I KnitJournal Club - Can knitting improve attention?
This week Paula and I discuss a research paper about knitting and attention in children. Sonnier F, Lussiana E and Gueraud S (2023) Boosting inhibition control…
Why I KnitKnitting to focus on the present moment with Simon of Veteran Knitter
For the final episode of series 9 I am joined by Simon, also known as Veteran Knitter and one of the contestants from Game of Wool, the knitting and crochet…
Why I KnitKnitting to feel like myself again with Annah of Needle and Feather
This week I am delighted to be joined by Annah of Needle and Feather. Annah is a designer of colourwork knitting designs often inspired by nature and if you…
Why I KnitKnitting for Self-Reflection with Nicole Nehrig
Clinical Psychologist and author Nicole Nehrig joins me this week to discuss her own relationship with knitting and how this lead to writing the book 'With Her…
Why I KnitADHD, dopamine and flow with Theodora Burrow
Joining me this week on the podcast is designer Theodora Burrow. Theodora is a knit and crochet designer who taught herself to knit and crochet from books, way…
Why I KnitKnitting to find pause with Maya from Knit With Attitude
Maya is the owner of Knit With Attitude, one of the longest running yarn shops in London. She speaks about using knitting as a strategy to manage her own…
Why I KnitKnitting to channel anxiety with Lauren Aston
Series 9 kicks of with a conversation with Lauren Aston, the founder of Lauren Aston Designs. I first came across Lauren when looking up some of Claudia…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode - Knitting and Creative Restoration in 2025
For our last episode of 2025, Paula and Mia reflect on their own knitting and craft projects over the past year, and the ways in which they have used knitting…
- Why I Knit
Book Club Episode - Wintering by Katherine May
For this bonus book club episode we have read the brilliant bestselling book 'Wintering' by Katherine May and speak about how it links to burnout. Wintering…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode - Knitting for burnout prevention with Dr Paula Redmond
For this bonus episode I am joined by Dr Paula Redmond who specialises in working with health professionals experiencing burnout. Paula speaks about her own…
- Why I Knit
Journal Club - Knitting for anxiety and compassion fatigue in nurses
Join Clinical Psychologists Dr Mia Hobbs and Dr Paula Redmond as we discuss two research papers about knitting and mental health. These papers both relate to…
Why I KnitHealing and soothing through knitting with Dr Katya Miles
For the final episode of series 8 I am delighted to be joined by Dr Katya Miles of The Working Well Doctor. Katya works as a Coach and Trainer for health…
Why I KnitNeurodivergence and knitting with Una
I was delighted to be joined by Una, also known as @TheNeurodivergentCraftClub on Instagram. Una speaks about how knitting has been helpful in recovering from…
Why I KnitTeaching children to knit with Okeyele-Olatunji Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a knitting teacher based in Nigeria, and she has made it her personal mission to teach 20,000 children to knit and 'think with their hands'. It…
Why I KnitCreating Community with Allison Thistlewood
Allison Thistlewood is a creator of community in the knitting world. She has had various roles in and around the yarn industry, and the common thread in all of…
Why I KnitHooked on knitting with Adam Cleevely
Adam is behind the successful Instagram account @CleevelyKnits where he shares his funny and creative adventures in yarn. Most recently these have included…
Why I KnitKnitting and the menopause with Dr Zoe
In the second of two episodes, this week I speak to Dr Zoe, a GP specialising in menopause. Zoe's colleagues joined me last week to speak about knitting a…
Why I KnitKnitting a blanket of support with the menopause specialists
This week I am joined by Sharon Hartmann, Dr Sarah Ball and Dr Carys Sonnenberg who are all health professionals working in the field of menopause. They have…
Why I KnitThe accidental knitter with Martyn of Knit365
This week I am delighted to be joined by Martyn, host of the Knit365 YouTube channel. I loved speaking to Martyn about his journey from beginning as an…
Why I KnitAdaptive knitting with Beth Gorishek
To kick off series 8 I am deligted to be joined by Beth Gorishek who is also known the Adaptive Knitter. Beth was born with a limb difference and through…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode Journal Club 4 - Does crochet improve attention?
This month we are discussing a paper published in Scientific Reports (part of the prestigious Nature group of peer-reviewed scientific journals) about the…
- Why I Knit
Series 8 is coming soon!
I am delighted to announce that Series 8 will be live next month! I have had some really interesting conversations with my guests this series and I can't wait…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode- Book club 1 - The psychology of craft
In our first book club episode, Paula and Mia each discuss a book they have read on the subject of the psychology of craft. Paula has read 'Craftfulness' by…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode - question and answer
Join Paula and I as we answer your questions about the field of knitting and mental health. Apologies that the audio quality isn't as good as usual for this…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode Journal Club 3- Experiences of knitting while living with mental distress
This month Dr Paula Redmond and I discuss another research paper into knitting and mental health. The paper we discuss is: Joanna Nordstrand, A. Birgitta…
- Why I Knit
Bonus Episode – Journal Club 2 - the benefits of knitting for personal and social wellbeing
This is our second bonus episode for anyone wanting to know or read more about the research into how knitting can benefit our mental well-being. Fellow…
- Why I Knit
Bonus episode - Journal Club Episode 1 - The impact of needlecraft on mental health
This is a bonus episode for anyone wanting to know or read more about the research into how knitting can benefit our mental well-being. Fellow clinical…
Why I KnitKnitting for connection and community with Kristina LaVenia
Have you ever stressed yourself our by overcommitting to gift knitting? Do you end up being exhausted by the festive season? Then we have a bonus episode for…
Why I KnitKnitting a legacy with Carole Wyatt
Carole Wyatt is a cancer doctor who has been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. She speaks about using knitting to cope with the difficult days, and also…
Why I KnitWe don't go to therapy just to be soothed with Tamanna Rahman
Tamanna is a nurse practioner and multi-crafter who works in the field of mental health. Tamanna joins me to speak about her own journey to knitting, sewing…
Why I KnitKnitting to love the body I have with Whitney Swinimer
Whitney is a plus size knitter and YouTuber who is passionate about taking back the power to create clothes she loves in colours she enjoys. She speaks about…
Why I KnitCrafting social change with Elena Lo Presti of Craft Forward
Elena Lo Presti is the founder and director of Craft Forward, which is a not-for-profit organisation that provides accessible, creative, experiences suitable…
Why I KnitDiscovering a grounded joy with Christina Socorro Yovovich
Christina Socorro Yovovich is a writer, knitter and multi-crafter. Christina speaks about how since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she had struggled to…
Why I KnitEveryone deserves an affirming wardrobe with Victoria Marchant
Victoria Marchant is an inclusive knitwear designer who puts size inclusivity at the heart of all her designs. Her latest design, the Padstow Cardigan will be…
Why I KnitMistakes are vital with Bafta nominated filmmaker Samantha Moore
Samantha Moore is a filmmaker and animator who directed the BAFTA nominated animated film 'Visible Mending' which is about the ways we repair ourselves through…
Why I KnitBonus episode -Understanding the therapeutic hand movements of knitting with Dr Claire Plumbly
In this bonus episode Dr Claire Plumbly, Clinical Psychologist and EMDR specialist joins me to discuss what the theory behind EMDR can tell us about why we…
Why I KnitThe Q&A Episode
Thanks so much for your questions for the Q&A episode, it has been so interesting to be asked such great questions. ------------- 🧶 Come and join our new…
Why I KnitMaking something beautiful from the darkest places in life with Elizabeth Hammond
For the final episode of series 6 I am joined by Elizabeth Hammond, also known as The Knitchen on Instagram. Elizabeth describes herself as a knitter, test…
Why I KnitFeeding a part of my brain that needs to be fed with Ellen Coy
Ellen describes herself a tech editor and occasional designer who identifies as queer and neurodivergent. She speaks about how knitting feeds her inner…
Why I KnitKnitting to connect mind and body with Madison Siegel
Madison Siegel joins me this week to speak about using knitting as a mindful practice to help her to step back from and notice her thoughts rather than be…
Why I KnitReconstructing yourself through craft with Susie Bass
Susie Bass is a researcher studying a PHD in the relationship between power, identity and mental health through craft. Susie is a knitter and multi-crafter and…
Why I KnitPutting slowness at the heart of life with Fran of Woollen Hearted
Fran is a bear maker and multi-crafter who is originally from the UK but now lives in the Pyrenees mountains of France. Fran speaks about how craft has helped…
Why I KnitLoose Ends with Masey Kaplan and Jen Simonic
The Loose Ends Project aims to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left…
- Why I Knit
Series 6 coming soon!
The Why I Knit Podcast is back with series 6 starting on 4th January 2024! Thanks to everyone who has been in touch to ask when the new episodes are coming out…
Why I KnitCrochet is a reason to live with Kathryn Vercillo
Kathryn Vercillo is a writer and crafter who specialises in the intersection between art and mental health. I particularly loved Kathryn's focus on her…