Review: Soothing Stitches – Knits for a Quiet Mind
Soothing Stitches – Knits for a Quiet Mind by Pauliina Kuunsola (published with Laine Publishing) contains “12 knitting patterns that encourage you to slow down”.
Do you know that feeling when you read a text and instantly feel connected to the author? It is as if they were able to put your beliefs, your feelings, your ideas into words, while you scrambled to articulate them for a long time.
This is how I felt when I read Pauliina Kuunsola’s preface in her new book Soothing Stitches – Knits for a Quiet Mind. Published by Laine Publishing, the book contains “12 knitting patterns that encourage you to slow down”. And don’t we all need more of that?
Soothing Stitches connects the benefits of meditation, crystals and knitting in a book, which feels like both a warm embrace and an invitation to take a deep breath.
“In today’s hectic world, slowing down is a gift you can’t give yourself enough.”
Knitting patterns that encourage you to slow down
In her designs, Pauliina wants to highlight the “endless possibilities of simple stitches and stitch patterns” and Soothing Stitches is no exception aiming to “keep your hands busy while your mind finds stillness”. Inspired by nature, the night sky and the mystic realms, the book connects each pattern to a specific crystal.
The Sodalite top stood out to me with its broken rib texture.
Pauliina believes that objects, like crystals and knits, can hold energies, and writes: “I believe all these things – my intentions, my feelings, my hopes and dreams – get infused in the stitches I am creating and are still present in the finished knit.”
I love how each pattern and crystal pairing is linked to certain characteristics in the book. For example, one of the patterns that spoke to me most, is the Sodalite top, which is connected to ‘communication, expressing yourself and understanding’. It is a simple top, but made special with all over broken rib texture and contrasting colours on the hem and shoulder seams.
The Amethyst cardigan is a slightly cropped cardigan with understated details on the shoulders. I wonder if I am drawn to it because it is purple (given my latest obsession with this colour) or because its characteristics are described as ‘inner peace, relaxation, and stress relief’? Either way, it’s lovely!
I am also intrigued by the stitch patterns of the Citrine hat (happiness, joy, warmth of the sun), Rosequartz poncho (love, compassion, tenderness) and Celestite slippersocks (sleep well, calming, comfort).
Moody images invoke nature
Moody and nature-inspired photography with pages of poetic lines make Soothing Stitches a calming, yet creative book.
On her own website, Pauliina writes: “Lately, what inspires me, on and off the needles, is nature – the seasons, the colours, the textures, smells and sounds, the way nature makes me feel.” This is what Soothing Stitches invokes as well. The photography in the book is almost moody and really underlines the calming effect of nature. There is not a single image of a sunny sky, but instead lots of natural tones, earthy greens, browns, and greys.
The industrialisation and growth of fast fashion have adverse effects on workers’ health as well as on our planet. Kristine Holm-Jensen does not shy away from showing the negative impact Western overconsumption has, such as the used clothes mountains on Ghana’s beaches.
Poetic lines to pause
Something that truly stands out to me and makes this book special is the fact that it is interspersed with pages of poetic reflection. These lines offer a sense of respite. While patterns can be quite technical with their abbreviations, charts and numbers, these pages invite the reader to pause, reflect, and take a breath. A moment of stillness – reminding us to just be.
It’s about connection
As I started reading Soothing Stitches I wondered if I would end up ‘into crystals’ by the end of it. After all, I am an astrology girlie already, so crystals are just the next step, right? But honestly, reading a knitting book which is infused with some of my other interests feels like magic.
This sense of magic is also due to how much I relate to Pauliina just through reading her words: “I have most consistently knit because it comforts me and calms my over-active mind” and “Eventually I let go of the original plan and let my intuition take me to where it wanted me to go. I am glad I did” are words from the book that I have definitely uttered before.
Okay, I am off to buy my first crystal now.