What could murders, vacations and knitting possibly have to do with one another? Kim Davis, one of the hosts of the podcast Slaycation, connects the dots in this episode. The name “Slaycation” says it all: these are true-crime tales of murders that take place on vacation—more reason, as if we needed it, to stay home and, well, eat, drink and knit. It’s just safer. But in addition to her popular podcast, Kim is a crafter extraordinaire, and we dive deep into her story here. She learned to crochet as a child growing up in Brooklyn—even then she was fascinated by how a piece of yarn could become a fabric with a little deft maneuvering of a hooked piece of wood. Taking classes at a local yarn store introduced her to knitting and brought her skills to a whole new level. Now she teaches those classes and runs workshops.

But the real connection between her twin obsessions with knitting and true crime is in the details. Knitting taught her to see, to pay attention to all the little things because the truth—what really happened on that beach or on that hike in Colorado—always lies in the little stitches that make up the tale. And like true crime, knitting is a bit like a puzzle, particularly when it comes to fixing your mistakes. First you have to see the mistake, and often it's lying there in plain sight, just waiting for you like that little clue, that critical piece of evidence that unravels the whole mystery of who done it. That’s why she calls one of her classes, “Forensic Knitting.”

But beyond the surprising parallels between true crime and crafting, knitting brings her peace of mind, something we could all use right now:

“Knitting is the perfect combination of meditating and peace. It sounds crazy, but when I don’t have knitting, I can feel myself shorting out a little bit, being a little crankier and just missing it . . . it’s just such a great way to disconnect from the chaos of the world . . . to just center yourself and take your mind out of the orbit of insanity but on to what it is that is right in front of you. And I think that’s really important. When I say to people that you need a hobby, it’s not an insult. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”

Kim Davis

If only more people understood that the cure to our collective crankiness is more time alone with nice yarn and pointed sticks.

So tune in for a great conversation with Kim Davis and explore the surprising parallels between the world of true crime and knitting because everything really is connected!