Today is March 20, 2019 and the first day of Spring! Well, technically, Spring officially starts at 5:58 p.m. Eastern Time (4:58 p.m. Central Time where Yarns by HPF lives). And with that, today is a great day to be back from a short hiatus (we thought if our favorite TV shows can do it...). To catch up, we have been knitting and crocheting during our hiatus, keeping those needles, hooks, and yarn close at hand. In December we knitted and crocheted our favorite gnomes. There’s something about those cute little guys that brings out all the happiness of the holiday season. My favorite December projects were the chunky hats and cowls. It is infinitely satisfying knitting with chunky yarn and finishing a hat or cowl (or both!) in a very short amount of time. Our Yarns by HPF Yarn Club featured Madeline Tosh A.S.A.P., a perfect yarn for chunky projects. I knitted several hats and cowls and used every one of them my cold New England Winter. I became a big fan of pom poms because chunky yarn makes the best pom poms. Perhaps one of the most special things I did during our blog’s hiatus was to spend several days in the store with Linda and the wonderful Yarns Family. There is a fun-loving vibe to knitting with the amazing people that are in our Yarns Family. What I enjoyed the most was actually knitting in person in the store. There’s a peaceful, generous, creative, joyful atmosphere that so many LYS dwellers understand. In January we knitted the Tuck Hat featuring a brioche derivative stitch - the Tuck stitch, and the wondrous Briochealicious Shawl (Andrea Mowry!!). This was my first crescent shawl and it wraps perfectly to give that trendy look while trying to stay warm. We knitted projects for the home in February with our Odd Ball Blanket KAL and Dr. Owl Hot Water Bottle Cover. We are striving to be natural and two ways to stay warm and toasty are blankets and hot water bottles! We also knitted Andrea Mowry’s Tinsel Mitts, a terrific convertible mitten pattern. I knitted these mitts for my Husband (Linda’s Dad). The pattern allowed me to adjust easily to his strong, wide hands, and he really liked the result. And here we are in March. We knitted up our February Yarn Club yarn featuring Knitted Wit during our one day KAL. Knitted Wit put together a full size skein with six mini skeins especially for our club. She also recommended several different patterns to showcase the yarn’s colorplay. I am knitting (trying to knit?!) the Scheherazade Hat and Scarf because of the challenge, and it is very challenging to say the least. I know the intricate stitches will result in a beautiful hat and scarf while teaching me patience (a trait of which I do not have an abundance). I am currently knitting Andrea Mowry’s Plumpy shawl as part of our second month long KAL. Brioche and garter stitches are angled to provide a lot of knitting pleasure. Hopefully, this recap has us all caught up as we welcome Spring!
In reading the above, if you detect fun, community, creativity, and for me as a solo knitter – peace- among our projects, especially with our KAL’s, then you are right! It got me to thinking about knitting and crocheting and their endless benefits to our wellbeing. There are a number of articles about how craftwork reduces stress, coping with crisis, promotes calm, and enhances social skills. Knitting and crocheting also promote feelings of happiness. For me, knitting was the perfect balance to an extremely stressful career. Even a half hour of knitting a day gave me a sense of calm and peace that were rarely present at work. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my career with the Air Force and Department of Defense. It was personally meaningful and allowed me to thrive professionally. But stress was also the price of being successful, not uncommon by any means. While working out helped, and meditation was hit or miss, knitting brought a calm and sense of accomplishment of a finished project. Knitting makes me happy. And now that I am retired and filled my days with a host of other activities, I still knit everyday. I can knit for longer periods of time now and the grounding it provides is essential to my serenity. I enjoy the creativity, the cognitive benefits of “hidden math” in the pattern, and the sensory joy of working with needles and yarn. This is especially important in my transition in retirement from a heavy duty career to an active retirement. One of the best books on the benefits of knitting is by Betsan Corkhill, a wellness coach in Bath, England, and the author of “Knit for Health & Wellness”. Her book and website, www.stitchlinks.com, explore the therapeutic benefits of knitting. Aside from reducing stress and its host of health issues, knitting (crocheting too) enhances cognitive abilities and has been found to help in pain management. Even the esteemed Mayo Clinic conducted a study among older knitters and crocheters found cognitive activities, like knitting and crocheting, diminished mild cognitive impairment and memory loss. Another benefit is social. Knitting and crocheting together, a staple at Yarns by HPF and many LYS’s, is essential to good mental health. Social engagement has been found to be vital at all ages. And togetherness is not relegated to one age group. We have knitters and crocheters from different age groups, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millenials and the interaction among our Yarn Family is a gift that I was fortunate to be a part of when Linda’s Dad and I visited in December. We have several knitting/crochet groups where I live in NH, meeting at our high school, library, and local restaurants and they have become quite popular. I even found a handwork group at my Mom’s library in RI! Although I tend to solo knit, I do virtually social knit. Although, I may check out one of my local groups in the future. One thing I found in my research on the health benefits of knitting and crocheting is to keep a project nearby and handy. Being able to work on a project, even for a short time, provides happiness and energy. I know that to be true and as evidenced by my “several projects” at once and my accommodating supply of convertible needles!
So, when someone asks why you knit or crochet, you can say it’s for the health benefits! And stitching is such a great way to celebrate Spring!
Knit, Crochet, Stitch On!
Lisa
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