In December 2013, Ruqaiya’s first semester of college studying chemical engineering was coming to an end. Finals were over, grades hadn’t come out yet, and tensions were high. In order to combat the stress, Ruqaiya decided to pop over to the nearby craft store, pick up some yarn and needles, and learn to knit. 5 years later, with a genuine belief in the health benefits of knitting, Ruqaiya founded mindfulknits to share a love of knitting, and the residual amazing benefits, with the world.