Knitting (and crochet) for Your Health

I know that for me, knitting and crochet are really helpful in reducing stress and anxiety, and going through the motion is often more important to me than the finished product. I guess that is why I have never really branched out too much and learned special techniques and stitches - I just like repetition of a simple stitch. Starting this blog, and my desire to share this fun skill with others, has increased my desire to learn new stitches and techniques, and so I am really trying for more than my typical knit & purl routine.

As I have been branching out, I have realized that sometimes I am in the mood to do something a little complicated or new, and other times I just need some yarn, needles, and a garter stitch. Regardless of the mood that I am in when I start, I always feel better when I am done, and I can see that my time was not wasted because I have something physical to show for it. And I am not the only one who feels this way.

I decided to do a quick Google search on "knitting for health" and I found a lot of articles and videos. It turns out that knitting and crochet are not just great for reducing stress, but they are also great for prevention of depression, pain, and memory loss. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that when you knit or crochet you are very focused on what is happening with the yarn and the tool(s) you are working with, your brain is telling your fingers how to create a series of loops, the motions are repetitive, and there is a product that comes from the work that you are doing.

For me, I become lost in the stitches; they take over my brain and I am not thinking of anything else but what my fingers will do next, what is happening with the fabric I am producing, and how I will move forward - will I switch stitches or keep going with what I have? - all of this, plus the chance to be creative, to decide what I want to make and what I want it to look like, and also the ability to keep expanding and growing in the skill. It is all very rewarding, materially, mentally, and creatively.

So, I encourage you to pick up your needles and hooks, whether for the first time or the thousandth time, and make something. Big or small, simple or complex, the doing is all that matters.

Happy Stitching!