Knitting

One of the activities I wanted to try in retirement was knitting. Why? My mother tried to teach me, when I was young, but knitting with only one functional hand was too hard. A friend of the family tried to teach me how to knit the “Dutch” way, but that didn’t work either. I still could not cast on and off. It was too hard, so I let knitting go. Instead I got interested in weaving, spinning and sewing when our children were young. My sister, Jeanne, is an expert knitter and makes beautiful things. It always bothered me that I couldn’t do it with her.

Now at 60, I thought I would try again. I didn’t expect that much had changed. I watched some YouTube videos and, with some practice and encouragement, I finally learnt how to cast on and off! You couldn’t believe my surprise and joy. Even Joe was amazed and so pleased.

OK, you may think that knitting is simple or boring, but to me it was a great achievement to learn how to do it. If you are having similar troubles, I am proof that it is never too late to give it a go. You might surprise yourself as I did.

The benefits of knitting are:

It reduces stress
It is relaxing
It keeps my brain happy - Apparently, the rhythmic motions trigger a release of serotonin that promotes calmness and well-being.
It makes me smile

I LOVE KNITTING!