Having a Boring Day? Learn to Knit or Knot a Neuron with Neural Knitworks

Are you currently on a vacation with nothing to do or perhaps caught by a mixture of boredom and stress that are threatening your mental sanity?

Save your brain by opting for a project combining craft, science and brain health - Neural Knitworks. This collaborative venture is a celebration of the intricate connections between our minds, our brains, and the art of crocheting or knitting.

Everything started 10 years ago when textile artist Pat Pillai had the idea to knit and weave textile representations of brain cells at the Ultimo Science Festival Art & Science Soiree in Sydney.

In 2014, passionate crafters made 1665 neurons and donated them to construct a walk-in brain installation at the Hazelhurst Gallery in Gymea, Australia. Since then, Neural Knitworks has spread to communities in Australia and around the world.

In 2017 the event debuted at the Cambridge Science Festival in the UK and a year later, the Neural Knitworks team returned to work with the festival to create a giant brain installation.

At the moment National Science Week is taking place in Australia (until August 20th), so local residents may join in local Neural Knitworks events, such as a No-Knit Neurons installation at the National Gallery in Canberra, but you don't need to be there to unleash your brain power.

You can indeed start by learning how to make a crocheted, knitted or knotted large or small neuron by downloading the scientifically-based neuron crafting pattern book at this link, you can follow the events on the Neural Knitworks community on Facebook or discover how you can organize a Neural Knitworks event. 

Neurons, the electrically excitable cells that form the foundation of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, are extremely fascinating for their functions and also have amazing shapes. Billions of neurons collaborate in intricate networks, receiving signals from our senses, orchestrating movement, storing memories, and underpinning our thoughts. The collaborative project is therefore very symbolical as it joins crafters (knitting experience is optional and all ages are welcome to join in) and scientists together in a neural-like network of people.

You can obviously prepare to crochet, knit or knot your neuron by reading more about neurons, or, as the Neural Knitworks community suggests, by looking at neuron microscopy images online or listening to dedicated podcasts such as Brain Science, Naked Neuroscience  or This Week in Neuroscience, that may offer you information about spatial memory, the peripheral nervous system, neuroplasticity, immunological response and psychology, providing you with some great inspirations to craft cute neurons from yarns while keeping your brain healthy.