When I'm about to write an article, or find a theme for these newsletter messages, I need to have an opportunity for my mind to wander. And I have discovered that inspiration often strikes when I'm driving. (These are easy-to-navigate journeys with relatively light traffic and when I'm not carrying any passengers, you understand.) It's regularly proved a very productive time - I solve all sorts of problems while I'm moving along. The trick is remembering them all when I get to the destination.
But I haven't had reason to get in the car in the past few days so have looked to other means of triggering my thought processes. And I've found that knitting can do the trick!
For the past couple of years I've been knitting socks. They're small projects which are very satisfying, easily transportable with no complicated instructions to follow so I've taken them with me when I know I'll be somewhere with a lot of downtime (or when I'm watching television which doesn't require full concentration).
I've found, though, that without other stimulus, the rhythm of the needles and the progress of the project helps me think. And it seems I'm not alone.
The Olympic diver Tom Daley has attracted a lot of attention for knitting on poolside as he waits for his turn in various competitions and an exhibition of the garments he's created has just opened in Japan.
However I'm finding that knitting is also quite a thing for authors. The crime writer Josephine Tey even called her writing her 'weekly knitting'.
I remember some time ago that a children's book was about a knitted character called Milo Armadillo and the author-illustrator Jan Fearnley had written a knitting pattern so that you could make your own Milo Armadillo - which I did!
I've recently been introduced to the author MJ Robotham with her fictional memoir 'The Scandalous Life of Ruby Deveraux' and found that on Instagram @robothammandy she has posted lots of images of knitted dolls she has created, often modelled on booksellers or her publishing team, and garments themed around the characters of her novels.
And Barbara Kingsolver, the author of 'The Poisonwood Bible' and more recently 'Demon Copperhead', has published a knitting pattern for mittens reflecting her book 'The Lacuna'.
But a friend recently sent me a link to an episode on BBC Radio Four series Shedunnit which was about crime writers who were also knitters (and many of their sleuths were knitters too!). The programme included an interview with a designer who has created a new book of knitting patterns inspired by the writing of Margery Allingham, but unfortunately it's sold out so I can't report back on it yet. I don't need any more projects though - still a few more socks to knit!
Thank you for reading.
As a journalist I contribute lifestyle features and profiles for regional and national newspapers and magazines. Earlier in my career, I was the launch editor of what became the leading business journal for the fitness industry in Europe, and I regularly contributed articles about the market for a US publication.
For more than 10 years I co-hosted an on-air book club on BBC Radio Suffolk with Lesley Dolphin. Listen to past discussions 
For my book reviews, event information and blog, please visit 
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