As I’ve mentioned before, the main reason I knit is not to have lots of rabbits sitting around the place, nor even to make a bit of dosh (although that is a welcome side-effect). The main reason I knit is therapeutic.Living with small children is challenging enough (as many of you know) but throw a hefty dollop of severe autism into the mix and the world turns over leaving you hanging on by your fingernails. I’m not sure that it is anything that you ever fully come to terms with as it’s ever-present and ever-changing. Just when you think you’re doing ok with it, it shifts like smoke on the wind and you have to adapt all over again. But knitting has really helped me avoid the depression pit! It gives me something of mine that can be fitted into my small spare moments (unlike a yoga class) and creating anything is an energising and fulfilling process – even when the recipients aren’t as appreciative as you’d hoped for…

Anyway, a few months ago I wrote a little bit about how knitting has helped me to deal with Toby’s autism and submitted it to the UK hand knitting page on knitting as therapy. Through this a wonderful lady named Betsan Corkhill contacted me. She’s on a mission to collate evidence about the therapeutic benefits of knitting and stitching with the aim of having it recognised as a valid form of therapy

"Just imagine Doctors prescribing a dose of stitching twice a day!  "Impossible"
we can hear you say, but I think, through our research, knitting and
stitching could form the basis of significant therapies in the not too
distant future."

She already has many interesting personal accounts of how knitting has
helped to overcome illness, depression and many other similar challenges. Her website is called Stitchlinks and she’s asked me to ask you to get in touch if you, or anyone you know can contribute, so please drop by and add your story.

PS: as you can see Toby has thoroughly tested the chewiness of little cotton rabbits products – they passed with flying colours!

Remember that Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora yarn I snagged in a sale last week? Well I couldn’t resist it any longer – it’s so beautifully soft that it was just begging to be made into (yes, you’ve guessed it) a rabbit! The nice thing about it though is that it’s more of an aran weight yarn and so with a few tweaks to the pattern I now have a supersize bunny (pictured here with a regular sized one).

The larger bunny is a shade under 12 inches tall (30cm) and I’ve got some gorgeous Rowan Summer Tweed (80% cotton, 20% silk) lined up for more big bunnies.

Couldn’t finish up today without showing you the wonderful mother’s day cards I got – I suspect that Toby had just a little help (ok, a lot of help!) but Amy’s was all her own work – they’ll be going in my ‘special things’ drawer which is already pretty full of her lovely artwork! I also got a lovely pressie – kitty craft fabrics!!!