Book Review: Knitting for Radical Self-Care

If you consider knitting part of your self care ritual — not self-care in a cutesy way like people on the Internet usually describe it, but as a vital part of your means of survival — you definitely should take the time to read and knit from Knitting for Radical Self-Care by Brandi Cheyenne Harper.

The book includes essays and reflections on how knitting serves us as an act of self-care and a way to show up in the world and how to find joy, self-expression, armor and resilience within our stitches and ourselves.

Each of the 10 patterns offers a reflection on and is inspired by a word and the words of women who are meaningful to the author.

The patterns mostly use bulky and super bulky yarn and place a lot of emphasis on shaping details and the structure of the pieces that make them more than just a shawl or a sweater. For example the Ode Cardigan, one of my favorites, uses chunky yarn and begins with an I-cord cast on. Pockets and the shawl collar (which doubles as a hood) are integrated into the design and the raglan shaping adds even more movement to the piece.

There are cowls, mittens, sweaters, a hat and a shawl in this collection (you can see some of them on her website or at the Amazon link below) and all the knitting instructions you need, even if you’re totally new to knitting (I would say these are good for knitters who have a couple of projects under their belts, but everything is well explained).

The author models her designs and the joy she feels in sharing her creations is apparent and serves as a reminder to all of us that this is what we should be striving for in life: pure self-expression and acceptance. It’s not an easy thing but it’s what we’re here to create.

The health benefits of knitting are well-established, and entering the new year consciously choosing projects and materials that speak to us, as well as embracing knitting as a practice, is a great way to begin. Knitting for Radical Self-Care calls on all of us to remember why we knit and how it helps us to build connections to ourselves, our community and our ancestors.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 10 patterns. Published January 2022 by Abrams. Grab the book from Amazon.

Next Pattern:

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

Next Pattern:

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