BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting Does knitting reduce or increase your stress?

Still altering here, thinking Zen thoughts!

Knitting is relaxing until I make a mistake!!

I found knitting on par with meditation and yoga. But much more convenient:) I knit socks all the time, I can take the little ball with my number one needles, tuck them into my purse and pull them out any time. When I am waiting for a meeting, or even in meeting like our city councils' meetings:) While I knit I am calm and hardly anything gets me upset.

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I've been back to knitting a while now and have decided that I'm going to be Zen about my mistakes and not get stressed. I knit because I like to knit so if I have to take something all apart and start over, I just do it. I'm not on a time table for finishing my projects so I refuse to get stressed anymore.

Thanks for the video on socks! I've often wanted to try those and just never did because I thought it would be too difficult.

I've enjoyed the conversation about knitting and stress and I just added a blog post to my blog about it. I'd love for anyone who wants to to come over and read it and add a comment.

Does Knitting Relieve Stress? Or Cause it?

Joanj, in Native American beadwork there is always a misplaced bead or set of them. Sometime they will "jump" out at you and other times it might take an afternoon to find the one. They are called by some the "Spirit Beads" and I was taught this is to remind us that nothing is perfect.

I borrowed the term for my knitting. Sometimes I'll have a "Spirit Stitch" and other times I might have a "Spirit" Row or two. The first complicated pattern I tried had a "Spirit Section!"

I haven't advanced to projects like sweaters and socks. When I do my "Spirit Stitches" may become more problematic

That's a wonderful sentiment, Jane! I've read that the Amish often put an intentional mistake (if that's what you could call it) because only God is perfect.

For years, Beadwork was my hobby of choice and I loved freeform peyote stitch especially. Sometimes making a mistake would lead me in an entirely new direction with the piece I was working on. Then again, I picked out many a project to get back to a mistake too-lol

I cannot even imaging the level of stress I would carry with me had not taken up knitting again. I used to knit as a kid and picked up up again several years ago. I just love knitting socks, goes fast, you see a finished product in now time. Just have to make the move to sweaters now. I take my sock knitting with me to meetings, discussion groups, etc. I found knitting extremely relaxing.

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I am a firm bleiver in it reducing stress, although it can be painful when you first learn

I found that this holiday season, once I decided the holiday gift sweater I was knitting would NOT be done in time for Christmas morning, my stress reduced drastically!