ART-icle: Knot Just a Granny Hobby

It has certainly been a while since my last ART-icle, but oh how it’s good to be back. I often write upon the symbiotic relationship between the artistic and the spiritual – and today will be no different – however I wanted to explore something a little more personal…

My artistic practice, mirroring my spiritual proclivities, takes on many forms. However, for the past year and a half, my central focus has been crochet. My love affair with yarn began from a young age, with my granny teaching me to knit at age 4, before I abandoned such endeavours for the best part of two decades, and ultimately fell back into hook-mania in the September of 2024. I find there to be such peace within the repetitive meditative stitch patterns, such joy within both process and finished product, and such satisfaction in wearing or using what I have made daily. And there has always been some other element – some other tingling and tension between my crochet and my spirituality which has intrigued me, but I have only recently begun to ponder this seriously. 

Bear with me, as there is a link hidden somewhere within what I am trying to say – but I cannot help but draw connections between the ancient art of knot magic, and the more modern craft of crochet. Not only crochet, but fibre arts in general require the continuous creation of loops and interlocking knots. For millennia, knots have been used to bind, release, and manifest. I’ve even written a previous ART-icle on my own handfasting; the ancient tradition of couples having their hands tied together to mark their union, and the origin of the phrase “to tie the knot”. Within all these magic knots, intention is what defines their spiritual properties. So much of the crux of witchcraft and spell craft lies within intention. In fact, I’d go further to say that intention is the only true necessity within such work. Certainly, within my own pagan practice intention is 9/10^th’s of the law, used daily, and most common within my spells and rituals. Specifically, creating with intention is a powerful tool which cannot be understated. Needless to say, witchcraft and knot-tying are rather aptly tangled together. 

And so, I have been pondering the connection between spell work, intention, and knot-tying, and have been using such things within my crochet. Implementing the power of creating with intention, I have been crocheting my recent projects with intention behind every single stitch – each loop and knot, until I have my finished object. I find this takes a little more time, but truly grounds me in both my artistic and spiritual practice, and forces me to prioritise the creation of the object, rather than simply the rush to the finished piece. And my word has it been working up a storm! I truly feel the power within the pieces I am creating, especially when I use them alongside my daily practice. My tarot deck cover, my daily crystal pouch, and my altar cloth are objects that I take such pride in knowing I have created, as well as feel their power each day. 

I am now looking to see how far I can take my new found favourite spell magic. I am beyond excited to weave protection spells within jumpers, and gratitude into scarves. I haven’t even begun to explore colour magic, and the effect that that could have within my crochet projects. I have begun however, to use certain motifs and symbolism within my work, favouring patterns that connect to my pagan practice, and this has resulted in the creation of my favourite pieces by far. I also make my own jewellery, but transitioned this into making stitch markers when I took up my hook. Now, I only create stitch markers using crystal beads, and match their properties with my projects. My carnelian stitch markers are always a great help when I am stuck on a project and need motivation to finish, or my peridot stitch markers often guide my focus. 

I am forever finding new ways to connect my spiritual and artistic practices, and it all feels rather magical when such connections feel so strong, so raw, and so right that it is as though those connections have been standing for millennia. I suppose they have, really, and I am simply slowly opening my eyes to this beautifully tangled and knotted mess of art and spirit. Oh what a joy it is to finally stumble across a knot that shall never need untangling, but instead requires us to add to its perfect chaos.

By Ivy Bradshaw-Easton

Picture below: handmade by me (@celestialearth.crochet) using granny square pattern by @creggyscrochet