“Oh, I’d love to learn someday.”
People say this to me all the time when they see me knitting. But you know what life is. Someday often never comes. The summer is actually the perfect time to learn to knit. Vacation travel offers great downtime that can be enlivened by a portable project. Knitting can alleviate the boredom and frustration of weekend traffic and long airport waits. Plus, the following 7 benefits.
Experience the joy of creation. The 21st century “knowledge worker” can spend weeks or months expending their energy and creativity on projects that never reach fruition or, even if they do, are highly intangible. Making stuff is a powerful antidote to the resulting feeling of emptiness.
Express yourself. Madonna said it. But really, why wear mass produced clothes in colors and styles dictated by the fashion industry. You do you.
Calm the f*ck down. The repetitive motion of knitting has been scientifically demonstrated to induce relaxation by slowing the breath and the heartbeat, thereby reducing blood pressure and the production of stress hormones.
Knitting lessons in June = gifts in December. Handmade gifts are meaningful and unique, provided, of course, that you actually master a skill before attempting to make gifts. No one wants that first uneven scarf or pot-holder, not even your mom, whatever she may say to you.
Keep your mind sharp by learning new things. As we age, most of us are drawn more and more to doing only things we are good at. It is mentally and spiritually healthy to be a beginner again. Further, you can actually form new pathways in your brain by learning something new. And learning knitting lets you wind up with new clothes – a win-win.
Be productive while you binge-watch Netflix. Admit it. We all do it. Alleviate the guilt by making stuff. Even a beginning knitter can do simple projects while glued to “Game of Thrones.” Plus, there’s knit inspiration to be had on TV.
Join the artisanal movement. All the cool kids are brewing kombucha and beer, growing their own pickles and fabricating their own computers. Don’t be left out.