Knitting is Good for You

  Last weekend was Worldwide Knit in Public Day. According to the official website it was started so that knitters could get to know each other and that knitting can be a community activity. There are some who believe that it is also to show that knitting is that a hobby for everyone, not just elderly women.
  I first got into knitting because of a dishcloth given to me by a customer. Every once in awhile she would bring the pharmacy staff dishcloths that she had knitted. I loved them. They seemed to me to be much better that the terry cloth ones I was using. Eventually she became too sick to knit. She passed away a few months later.
  I wanted to learn how to make those dishcloths myself. I was looking for a new hobby. I love to do counted cross stitch, but the tremors in my hands were worsening to the point that it was hard to stitch properly. I was also having difficulty seeing the small squares on the aida cloth. I had tried needle point. I like to do it but it is expensive and not very practical. That's why I wanted to take up knitting.
  Fortunately my friend Dana was willing to teach me and also taught me how to crochet. I can make those dishcloths and many other different patterns of dishcloths for myself and others.
  One of the reasons why I wanted to learn to knit is because I have a benign tremor in my hands. I thought that maybe knitting would keep the tremor from worsening. I also noticed that knitting made me feel good except for when I was first learning and got frustrated easily.
  It turns out that there is actually science that back this up. According to the article 'Might crafts such as knitting offer long term health benefits' published April 21, 2014 in the Washington Post, there are some definite health benefits. It turns out that engaging in knitting,other crafts, reading and playing games can ward off cognitive impairment making various forms of dementia less likely. The reason for this is that several parts of the brain are engaged at once. The connections between these parts of the brain are kept working "quickly and efficiently" which seems to preserve the brain's function as we age. This makes sense. If we don't use our muscles they become weak and don't work as well. Even though the brain isn't a muscle it stands to reason that use will make it work better.
  A few studies have explored the mental health benefits of knitting. One study was done with those suffering from eating disorders. These women were taught to knit and then answered questions about how they felt after knitting. Almost 3/4 of them reported feeling less anxious and less preoccupied with their eating disorder. They also felt calmer and a sense of accomplishment and pride.
  Another example of knitting benefits comes from a hospital based knitting group that works with mothers of premature infants. The infants are unable to be held and cared for by their mothers, but the mothers can knit a hat for their baby which makes her feel like she is doing something to mother her child.
  I had heard of a pharmacist that read an article about how knitting can lower blood pressure. She started a small knitting group that met once a week in her store along with a knitting teacher to help those who were new to the hobby. I personally would love to be involved in something like that.
  Another article in the Washington Post published a bit later was about a knitting class in a prison. The group has strict rules that keep the members accountable. The goal of the class is to teach empathy, patience and work ethic. There is one important rule. Each member must tell someone he has hurt or disappointed about the class and knit that person a hat. Hats that are made by the members are given to their families and to local charities. The program has had enough success that other prisons have shown interest in starting similar classes.
  It's nice to know that knitting has more benefits than just practical items for use and for gifting. So many times people associate needles in health care with pain. As a joke I posted a picture of me knitting in public with the hashtag "these needles don't hurt".