WHY DO YOU KNIT?

The answer is simple, because it makes me feel better. And after 40 years of knitting almost every day, I now know why it has that effect on me. Slowly I have gathered a wealth of information on the benefits of knitting. The research from institutions like Harvard's Medical School and the Mayo Clinic have proven the many mental and physical benefit claims. I once told my physician that diet and exercise help, but I credit knitting for my good health—he has encouraged me to continue.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF KNITTING?

They are amazing. The stories I have heard from people range from traumatic to blissful. Some have used knitting to help them address serious issues like depression, surviving cancer therapy and the loss of loved ones. For others it has improved their daily life providing relief from stress, lowering their blood pressure, improving their self-esteem, helping arthritic fingers remain more dexterous. There was even a truck driver who used knitting to beat his 22-year smoking addiction.

ARE YOU COMMITTED TO ANY PRACTICES IN YOUR BUSINESS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET?

As I have learned about the wonders of knitting I have also been exposed to the reality of the clothing industry and its negative impact on our planet. It is the second biggest contributor to air and water pollution. Consequently, as I started James Cox Knits I began to search for yarn from sustainable resources.

Gratefully, I am finding what I call eco-yarns. How they express their eco friendliness varies widely. There is organic cotton. Recycled wool, cotton, linen and cashmere. Even plastic bags and bottles are being turned into yarn. Then there are those created from highly sustainable crops like hemp and bamboo and from fiber provided by animals that are not abused.

DO ALL YOUR YARNS QUALIFY AS ECO-YARNS?

No, there are a limited number of products available to designers and knitters. But, thankfully, in the hand-knit industry more companies are joining this growing movement, so more options are becoming available each year. I found a visionary manufacturer that developed proprietary technology, which allows them to recycle 90% of the water they use in the dying process. And a yarn factory so sensitive to environmental and sustainable issues that all their yarns meet the highest human-ecological requirements worldwide.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED KNITTING?

Forty years ago, a sister wove me some fabric. And when she sent me the beautiful yardage the box also contained the leftover yarn. I called my mother and asked her if she'd knit me a sweater. But she replied, "You can figure it out, knit it yourself." Soon after, while shopping at an old Woolworths store, I encountered a tiny booklet title How to Knit. After flipping through the pages, I went to the notions department, purchased a cardigan pattern and a pair of needles. But the remnants my sister sent were a mixture of several different yarns. So, I took a handmade Fair Isle sweater from my closet, turned it inside out, sat down with graph paper and created my own Fair Isle design. It took me two years to knit it. I still wear it today.