Hello and welcome to Mindful Stitch!

My name is Emma Swinnerton and I am a mindfulness craft practitioner. Crafting is my passion, my companion and way of living.

I studied Textile Crafts at the University of Huddersfield, UK, and graduated with a 1st in 2014. In 2013, I began researching into mindfulness arts and crafts practices to hightlight the relationships between crafts and a positive mental wellbeing; 'Mindful Stitch: Generating dialogue in and around the threads of wellbeing'. Using the platform of community workshops I developed a portfolio of findings, and in 2013 presented this workshop at the conference 'The Subversive Stitch: Revisited' the V&A, London. In 2015 my research paper, 'Mindful Stitch: Generating dialogue in around the threads of wellbeing', was published in an arts research journal, 'Fields Research Journal'. (Please visit the Mindful Stitch website for further info; www.mindfulstitch.com )

In the summer of 2014 I moved to Lorraine, France. Language barrier, being in a new place, not knowing anyone lead me to develop a very close relationship with crochet. Although I feel much more integrated, understand more of French culture and the language, I spent the time previously mastering the craft of crochet, and have come to a point now where I feel confident enough to create my own crochet patterns to share with others. Out of all types of projects, amigurumi and characters are my favourite. They bring the most happiness (gifted or to keep), the most achievable before they turn in to another phd (project half done!), and are not restricted in yarn choices, sizing etc...

I will continue developing character ideas and patterns to go with them. I hope that you enjoy what's available in store, please let me know if you have any paticular requests for characters/animals...

Happy crocheting!