Page 68 - Let's Get Crafting Knitting & Crochet - Issue 118 (January 2020)

TEA AND A CHAT WITH…

James

McIntosh

We chat to the award-winning food writer
about his journey as a mindful kniter

Two years ago you might have him to the Dead Sea. “There is a very famous
found a rather engrossed James photograph of someone reading the newspaper
McIntosh buried in endless yellow in the Dead Sea,” says James. “So I wanted to see if I, with
sticky notes and stray ends of my pasty, milk-botle white skin, could replicate the picture
yarn, sat on the loor next to an with kniting. I loated, completed three rows, and then the
overlowing pile of jumpers. Oh, stinging got too much!”
and surrounded by the
crumbling remains of a black THE BOOK AND BEYOND
forest brownie. “I’d be lying if I But where did the idea for his latest book come from?
said it was easy,” says James. “I had “I learned in life that when we eat together, we are all the
to learn to write same. Religion and politics are
kniting paterns, open “My head was the removed from the table and food
my own publishing company, crowd engages conversations about life. So I
fund the printing and ind deepest black; fear, wrote this book, explaining how hand
distribution.” But despite what might anxiety and panic kniting was a mindfulness practice
appear to some as an avalanche of and combined it with food,” he says.
stress, this was actually James’ consumed me. James’ lifetime partner Dr Thomas is
favourite part. Whilst experiencing Kniting saved a senior consultant physician in a
some of his darkest times, discovering large London hospital, teaching
the crat of kniting gave James a my life” mindfulness to manage chronic pain.
purpose. And now combined with Together they have been able to blend
some of the tastiest of treats, James has birthed the idea their knowledge and present knititation: a form of mindful
of knititation®, a fusion of kniting and mindfulness. recovery. But it’s safe to say the kniting is let to James. “The
Of course this can all be found in his latest book, joke is ‘What’s on your needles Dr Thomas?’, ‘Patients’ is
Knit and Nibble. always his reply!” You can expect lots of well-ited snuggly
jumpers as well as salted caramel shortbread in this book,
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL but that’s not the only excitement to look forward to. “We
“Kniting saved my life,” admits James. “My head was in have a lot planned for 2020 – mainly continuing the launch of
the deepest black; fear, anxiety and panic consumed me.” McIntosh Yarn. It’s diferent from what’s out there already.”
Raised on a farm in Northern Ireland, James shares how Whilst we’re busy adding made-to-order McIntosh skeins to
the common misconception that ‘men don’t knit, it’s our baskets, we can indulge in everything Knit and Nibble has
women’s work’ branded the crat for him. However one to teach us about the mindful act of crating. “It’s a personal
aternoon he picked up two chopsticks, a piece of string testimony of how I recovered from a moderately severe
and watched a YouTube video, and learned to cast on. depressive episode, regained my life and it’s all backed up by
“I created something I was proud of,” he shared. Litle did a senior doctor,” says James. We’ll have a copy each please!
James know this was just the beginning. “I started a
kniting group every other Tuesday in Peckham. In two Get your copy of Knit and Nibble, £24.99, at
years I’ve had over 280 people atend, most coming every knitnibble.com and pre-order James’ 100% Bluefaced
few weeks.” James’ hook and needles have even followed Leicester yarn, £22.50 per 100g, at knitmcintosh.com

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