Mindful Knitters: Crafting Calm, Connection, and Community
- Written byWinifred Ahupa
- Published date 16 May 2025
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Written by Winifred Ahupa, MA Global Collaborative Design Practice course at Camberwell College of Arts and Post-Grad Community Ambassador.
When we started the Post-Grad Interest Group - Mindful Knitters over six months ago, I had no idea how deeply this small gathering of yarn and conversation would come to mean so much - not just to me, but to so many in the UAL community.
Mindful Knitters is exactly what it sounds like: a space for slowing down, stitching with intention, and creating with care. It’s a group for UAL students and alumni to explore knitting and crocheting as practices of mindfulness and wellbeing. We welcome everyone - from those who’ve never held a crochet hook in their life to expert knitters who’ve been stitching for years. No judgement, no pressure, no perfectionism - just a warm, welcoming space to breathe, loop, and unwind.
Our sessions take place every first Sunday of the month, from 4pm to 6pm in the Learning Zone at Camberwell College of Arts. And while the yarns and needles might suggest we’re a craft group, we’re really a community. A community that values slowness, gentleness, and presence - a chance to pause the intensity of our academic lives and simply… be.
Over time, our members have created more than just scarves and socks. They’ve created moments of calm, self-trust, friendship, and pride. Some joined having never picked up a needle before - now they’ve completed pieces they’re proud to gift to friends and family.
Others came with knitting tied into their course projects, looking for technical help and emotional support. We’ve seen participants knit their way through research stress, essay deadlines, and difficult seasons. In that sense, Mindful Knitters feels like a gentle lifeline - one stitch at a time.
There’s something beautifully grounding about the rhythm of knitting or crocheting. As Michelle Obama shares in her book The Light We Carry, it was a mindful and therapeutic practice that helped her get through the uncertainty and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. And she’s not alone - studies show that the repetitive motions involved in knitting can help reduce anxiety, lower heart rate, and even lift mood. Many therapists incorporate knitting into treatment plans to promote relaxation and emotional regulation.
We’ve seen this firsthand. For many in our group, Mindful Knitters has become part of their self-care toolkit - a quiet, consistent moment in the month to switch off the noise and be present in the loop of yarn and breath.
There’s a special kind of joy in making something with your hands - especially something slow, soft, and full of care. Whether it’s a gift for someone else or a gesture of care for yourself, hand-making carries with it intention and connection.
Our members have made thoughtful, handmade gifts for loved ones - hats, scarves, wrist warmers, and mug cosies - small items that say, “I spent time thinking of you.” Some students have found ways to tie their knitting into their creative practice, using the medium to explore memory, family traditions, or material culture. We’ve even helped peers preparing for assessments involving knit and crochet techniques - often pairing practical instruction with moral support.
This spirit of sharing extends beyond our regular meetings. We’ve been lucky to take part in UAL events like the Post-Grad Community’s Heirloom Gift-Giving Festival, where members came together to make lovely and thoughtful handmade Christmas gifts for friends and family. There’s something incredibly moving about a handmade gift — it carries with it not only craft but also care, story, and time.
In a university setting where deadlines, expectations, and imposter syndrome often loom large, Mindful Knitters offers a counter-space - one where slowing down is the goal, not the obstacle.
We don’t aim for productivity. We don’t mind if you only knit three rows in two hours or if you unravel half your project and start again. You don’t even need to knit at all - you can just come to sit, sip tea, and listen to the gentle click of needles around you. What we offer is presence, not pressure.
In a world that moves so quickly, choosing to slow down can be a radical act. And for many of us in the creative fields - where our brains are always thinking, making, and designing - it’s powerful to be in a space where our hands take the lead, where our value isn’t tied to output, and where the only thing we’re “producing” is peace.
The most beautiful thing about our Post-Grad Interest Group Mindful Knitters isn’t just the craft - it’s the community. We check in with one another. We share stories. We celebrate progress (even if it’s just casting on for the first time). We offer each other yarn, tips, and lots of encouragement.
Some people come every month. Others pop in when they can. Some bring friends; others come alone and leave with new ones. Regardless of who’s around the table, the energy is always warm and accepting. It doesn’t matter if your stitches are even, if you’re still learning to purl, or if your project turns into something entirely unexpected. You’re welcome here.
And that’s what Mindful Knitters is really about: showing up, creating with care, and finding joy in the slow, shared process of making.
Whether you’re a total beginner or a lifelong yarn-lover, we’d love to welcome you. Bring your curiosity, your stress, your tangled skeins, or just your lovely self. We’ve got needles, yarn, and plenty of tea - all that’s missing is you.
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Winifred Ahupa, Post-Grad Interest Group: Mindful Knitters
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Winifred Ahupa, Post-Grad Interest Group: Mindful Knitters
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Winifred Ahupa, Post-Grad Interest Group: Mindful Knitters
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Winifred Ahupa, Post-Grad Interest Group: Mindful Knitters
UAL Post-Grad Community
Established in 2013, Post-Grad Community is an inclusive platform for all UAL postgraduate students to share work, find opportunities and connect with other creatives within the UAL and beyond. Find out more.
Post-Grad Interest Groups at UAL
UAL’s Post-Grad Community Programme supports a growing number of issue-specific, cross-disciplinary interest groups led by postgraduate students and academics.
These groups connect creatives with shared research/practice interests across different specialisms and subject areas.
Students have launched interest groups in the past to coincide with exhibitions and symposiums that they have organised under the same theme, or have used Interest Groups as a working group towards research or a standalone event or series.
Interest Groups are a great way to build new networks at UAL for MA and PhD students with shared interests, a useful tool for finding cross-disciplinary students to work with on planned projects/activities, creating new audiences and ways to formally promote your practice.
Find out more and visit the Interest Group Directory
UAL Post-Grad Community
Established in 2013, Post-Grad Community is an inclusive platform for all UAL postgraduate students to share work, find opportunities and connect with other creatives within the UAL and beyond. Find out more.