For many of us, childhood hobbies often fade into distant memories, only to be rediscovered later in life. Sarah Pond’s journey with the School of Stitched Textiles (SST) is a shining example of how revisiting a beloved craft can lead to remarkable achievements and a renewed sense of creativity.
After decades away from her knitting needles, Sarah reignited her passion for textile crafts, starting with small projects and gifts for loved ones. However, her thirst for knowledge and a desire to develop her skills in a structured and meaningful way led her to enrol onto our Hand-knitting Skill Stage 3 course. This decision not only transformed her technical abilities but also unlocked her confidence to design original pieces that reflect her unique style.
Through our distance learning course, Sarah gained the freedom to balance her learning with the demands of daily life while benefiting from expert tutor feedback, in-depth research opportunities, and a focus on sustainability. By the end of her course, Sarah had not only discovered her creative voice but also laid the foundation for turning her passion into a potential business venture.
Sarah Pond
“By the end of the course I felt that I had found my “style” and my designs were beginning to reflect this. I plan to continue onto the Knitting Skill Stage 4 course.”
Like a lot of people I was taught to knit when I was a child. For about 30 years after that I barely picked up my knitting needles and really thought I would only be able to knit squares if I did.
However, I continued to enjoy exploring other crafts, particularly textile crafts, and began to use a different one each year to make Christmas decorations for family and friends – one year felt embroidered owls, the next amigurumi berries. Following instructions for these it occurred to me that I could probably – with the help of library books and the internet – follow a knitting pattern. That year, with a bit of forward planning, everyone got gloves, or scarves, or beanies for Christmas, whether they wanted them or not! I found that doing something creative was useful in helping me relax and focus on different ideas outside of work (something to do with creativity and alpha waves in the brain, or so I’ve been told).
Motivation for studying
The knitted Christmas was about 10 years ago. As my interest in knitting continued to grow I became frustrated with trying to piece together the information I needed if I got stuck, and decided I wanted to learn in a more structured way. My hope was to gain the experience and confidence to create my own designs – something I had never done. When I began investigating courses I came across the School of Stitched Textiles.
I enrolled on the Hand Knitting Skill Stage 3 course as I thought this would best help me in developing my abilities from where I had got to on my own. I was pleased that it was accredited by City & Guilds partly as I think this recognises the amount of skill and history there is in crafts that have perhaps been traditionally viewed as female, and regarded as less worthy of note as a result! At this level I knew the course would included some business elements. I was thinking it might be nice to have a creative “side-hustle” at some point, as a counterpoint to my usual work.
Course benefits
Because the SST courses are entirely online I was able to work at my own pace, doing more when I had the time, and less if other parts of life were too busy. I liked that although the courses can be done in a year they can also be finished beyond this, so I never felt I had to rush to complete a module that was taking me longer than I had expected. The course was well structured, building up skills and confidence, and the feedback and support from my tutor was a pivotal part of this. I really enjoyed the research element, particularly researching artists whose work I enjoyed and being able to translate this into a different medium. I loved being able to revisit and expand on ideas as the course continued, and that there are opportunities to use other crafts and skills alongside “just” knitting. It helped me that I had another yarn enthusiast in the house, to cast an eye over my work (see photo)!
I’m interested in sustainability and using natural, recycled/upcycled/vintage materials. The course allowed me to research and explore this more fully. By the end of the course I felt that I had found my “style” and my designs were beginning to reflect this. I plan to continue onto the Knitting Skill Stage 4 course. I also want to look more seriously at how I might develop a small business, making my own designs.
Advice to new students
I would definitely recommend studying a course with SST. Especially if, like me, you want the support to develop their textile skills in a more structured way, and who also might enjoy being able to delve more deeply into artistic ideas and practical topics. My advice to new students would be that it really helps to read through each module prior to starting. Make a plan around what you are going to need and when and how you are going to do it. Then enjoy it!
