Bright, Fierce & Fabulous: Julie Lagaüzère, Brooknit Bonneterie

Julie is another one of those inspiring women I met thanks to my entrepreneurial journey, and my presence on the LinkedIn platform. She was introduced to me by a mutual LinkedIn friend (coucou Claire !) who simply said: “You two should talk, you have a lot in common.” Julie is from the South West of France who now lives in New York City. We set up a call last summer while she was visiting her homeland, and I understood right away what Claire had meant.

Like me, Julie believes in the importance of slowing down to truly notice the beauty around us, and in our life. She is the founder of Brooknit Bonneterie, a craft company promoting the mental and physical health benefits of knitting. She offers virtual and in-person workshops and I am determined to take one of her classes soon and begin my knitting journey! Who wants to join me?? In the meantime, read on to learn more about her story and what led her to become a “knitting activist”…

You’ve described yourself as a knitting activist, and your slogan is to “Knit a Better World” (which I love!!). Tell me more how you got to do what you do, and what you mean by that.

I spend 17 years working in the corporate world of Pharma, in France, the UK, and in the US. I enjoyed it very much, until it was time to move on. I started knitting in 2021, as a hobby, and it grew into a calling. As I learned and practiced first for myself, I uncovered unexpected benefits: mental health, physical health, wellness in general. I decided to not keep it for myself, and make it a business to spread the greatness of knitting. 

The idea behind “Let’s knit a better world. Move the needles, one stitch at a time”, is really about unlocking the power of the small act, the little move, the first step, and what we can make better when we add it all up at the end: building with patience and purpose. 

Was there a specific person or place in France perhaps that first showed you the beauty of making something by hand? When did you fall in love with knitting?

I grew up in the South West countryside of France, surrounded by makers of all kinds: wine, clothes, food, and repairing things… 

They have all been role models in many ways, which I didn’t realize until a few years ago, and took a bit for granted. 

As a child, I was more into sewing, crafting small pieces for my barbie dolls, making friendship bracelets. In my early adulthood, my “crafty side” got pushed aside, and I reconnected to the “crafts” during covid. When I decided to give a try to knitting, I realized that this craft was really speaking to me, and I fell for it!

My grandmother was the one knitting the most. I still have pieces she made for me. I didn’t realize how talented she was at the time. 

How do your French roots influence the way you view 'slow living' in a fast-paced city like New York?

Definitely, when you grow up in the countryside, you experience patience, especially in the 80’s or 90’s. The analog world was not as equiped to access everything instantly. When you have younger sisters, and a fairly large family, you also accept to wait for your turn. It can be frustrating at times, but it’s also a gift. 

Wine takes months to shape, and years to reach its best. 

A knitted sweater or a new dress may take weeks to get done. 

Fruits or veggies from the garden demand care, kindness and don’t get ready to eat all at once. 

Time becomes an ally to pay attention to details, to the small things that matter more than we think. 

You mention that knitting supports mental and physical health. In a society that prizes 'hustle,' how does the slow rhythm of the needles help women reclaim their time and find a sense of calm?

There are different aspects at play here, and a lot of them have been and are still studied by universities all around the world. 

First, there is the act in itself: the hands are busy, the mind is focused. That’s a grounding activity, which is very important for our mental health.

Then, comes the effect of the results, when we get to learn something new, and master it, and we have a final result that we can touch, show, and keep. It is a boost of self-esteem, sense of accomplishment, and creativity. 

From a physical aspect, what is happening is actually in the brain. This is neuroscience applied: fine motor-skills, muscle memory. When we knit, we use both hands, pretty much equally, plus our eyes… We operate a new language, use math, 3D modeling, color and textures. Those are all neuropath ways in the brain. It’s actually established by research that knitting has an impact on reducing the effect of neurodegenerative diseases. 

If we simply look across a lifetime, our dexterity, right-left coordination, hand-eye coordination, balance, creativity, language, analysis, are all the skills that we want our children to develop to gain independence. In most of our adult-life, we take them for granted. When we age, those are the same skills that will determine our autonomy and independence. The more we practice, the more we nurture them, all life-long, the better we will age. 

For a woman who feels overwhelmed by the pace of modern life but has never tried knitting, what is one small way she can start embracing a slower, more intentional rhythm today?

Grab a pair of needles, a ball of yarn, watch the first steps video, to just practice the movements. 

Start with a small project with a good solid quality material, not too luxurious, not too fragile.. (Merino wool is the best). 

If you get stuck, call me!

Joke aside, many crafts offer similar benefits. Where I believe knitting offers added benefits is that it is super versatile, useful, and portable. You can knit literally anywhere, anytime, and for as long as you like. For many crafts, you need to make sure you have enough time and space before you start… 

It’s much harder to do ceramics on a plane, or paint in the subway, but maybe that’s just me. ;)

I’ve always associated knitting with the winter season. But I have a feeling you’d disagree… When is the best time to start learning to knit?

It is still a very common conception, and we all have this cliché of cozying-up by the fireplace, knitting warming items. 

However, there are at least two reasons why it can be done in any season: 

1) Anticipation: if you plan on knitting 10 scarves for the holiday season, I suggest you start before November! It’s not impossible, but the rush might kill the pleasure… 

2) Knit Summery items: Lots of Summer items can be knitted, just change the fiber: knit in cotton, linen or bamboo, and make tops with eyelets, tank tops, crop tops,… cotton headbands, or a little bandana to survive the hyperactive AC, and a chiller evening out. 

Lastly, I ask my guests this question every time: if we were sitting in a café in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence right now, what would you order?

A glass of rosé bien sûr.  

I assume here this is an “apéro” and we would be sitting outside enjoying the late afternoon warm rays of Sun! 

To complete the apéro, I would snack on olives, a couple of tartines de pâté on a fresh baguette, and a few small slices of salami. Let’s just go!