Tuesday, February 17, 2015

CNN: This is your brain on crafting

A few weeks ago, I came across this CNN story while reading the news. The reporters explore the potential therapeutic, meditative, and neurological benefits of knitting. As I have become more familiar with knitting techniques and the rhythm of the movements, I have started to find a comfort in the practice. I like to sit and knit as I am talking to others or listening to a podcast. In fact, every now and then, I start to feel a bit antsy if my hands are still. I am not sure if anyone has noticed, but sometimes I bring my yarn and needles to class, and knit while the professor lectures (the ball of yarn hides in my backpack, while a trail of working yarn leads to my desk). 

It seems, at least for me, that knitting can have a calming role in daily life.



2 comments:

  1. (This may be a duplicate - I can't tell if last comment posted). Kelley Lambert's book Lifting Depression lays out an interesting theory of "effort driven rewards" tied to hand work.

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  2. Thank you for pointing out the connections in Lambert's work! There seems to be an interesting intersection between handcraft and healing.

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