Yes, I am basically an 85 year old woman- I knit and I have cats. I am relatively new to the knitting world - I like to think I'm pretty good at it, and then I see the videos of people who go at lightning speed and make the most intricate designs and I realize how little I actually know. I learned from a lady named Cindy who was briefly mentoring me back in May of 2017. I picked it up pretty quickly and really enjoyed it. Believe it or not, there are a decent amount of articles out there that talk about the many benefits that knitting can have on our mental health. With my anxiety and OCD tendencies coupled with my accountant personality, knitting has been so good for me. One of the articles I found here says that knitting can slow our hearts and put us in a state of calm. It also states that " the repetitive movements required to create a pattern release calming serotonin, which can lift moods and dull pain."
One thing I find that I really like is the structure of following the patterns and the fact that it keeps my hands and mind engaged. As a little kid, I used to love doing puzzles with my dad and I think the reason I enjoy jigsaw puzzles so much is the same as why knitting has been good for me. With puzzles, I always have to get all of the border pieces out first and put them together. After that, I get the rest of the pieces out, make sure they're all turned right side up and depending on the puzzle, I start to put it together by color or pattern. It's very absolute and it engages my mind. With knitting, I tend do do best when I have a specific project or pattern that I'm following, but I'm sure people with a more artistic mind would be great at knitting as well. They might be better at coming up with patterns and designs off the top of their head or making creative changes to already existing patterns.
I should mention that many people have told me that crocheting is actually easier than knitting, so if you have tried knitting and don't like it, maybe try to crochet. My friend, Kelley, is a crochet master and she's one of those people I mentioned above that doesn't need a pattern- she just comes up with things on the fly as she's working on them. There are also lots of different sized knitting looms that are out there that I find to be really easy to use and they can be quick things to pick up. If none of these things appeal to you, maybe go to a local craft store like Michaels or Hobby Lobby and walk around for inspiration. You can learn to sew, make your own jewelry, paint, scrapbook,etc. Also, places like this sometimes have classes that you can take to learn something new.
The reason I chose to write about knitting today is because I just finished probably my biggest knitting project that I have done. And it's one of the first projects that is for ME. Most of the things I make, I give to friends or donate, but this blanket is for me. Actually, my cat Martin has claimed it- he came and sat on it any time I was working on it. I started on 12/16/18 and finished 1/17/19, so roughly 1 month to do.
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