Take Up Knitting ..... it may help protect your brain against aging

" Not only does knitting allow us to make cute beanies and chunky jumpers, the pastime can have a beneficial affect on our health and help to tackle stress and depression according to some studies.

As part of its 'This Is Your Brain series' CNN took a look at the effect knitting and other craft making can have on a person's health. Findings suggest that making woolen creations can help to ease anxiety.

"There's promising evidence coming out to support what a lot of crafters have known anecdotally for quite some time," says Catherine Carey Levisay, a clinical neuropsychologist and wife of Craftsy.com CEO John Levisay. "And that's that creating - whether it be through art, music, cooking, quilting, sewing, drawing, photography, cake decorating - is beneficial to us in a number of important ways."

Knitting has been named a "natural anti-depressant" in CNN's report, as crafters receive a surge of dopamine while their hands work.

CNN discuss one study of more than 3,500 knitters, published in The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, where 81% of respondents with depression reported feeling happy after knitting. More than half reported feeling "very happy."

The benefits of knitting isn't a new topic among psychologists. At a TED talk in 2004, psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi noted then when a person is completely absorbed by an activity, nothing else seems to matter.

"When we are involved in (creativity), we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life," Csikszentmihalyi said. "You know that what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult, and sense of time disappears. You forget yourself. You feel part of something larger."

Studies have found intellectually stimulating activities can help prevent cerebral atrophy and significantly delay dementia.

Knitting stimulates many different areas of the brain including memory and attention span while involving your visuospatial processing, creative side and problem-solving abilities - therefore the pastime could also help protect your brain against aging.

"Studies have found intellectually stimulating activities can help prevent cerebral atrophy and significantly delay dementia.

Knitting stimulates many different areas of the brain including memory and attention span while involving your visuospatial processing, creative side and problem-solving abilities - therefore the pastime could also help protect your brain against aging."

The above article taken from here http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/26/knitting-health-benefits-depression-dementia_n_5034952.html

...........  I think anything we can do to help protect our brain against aging is helpful. Of course we do have to get old .. that is nature ..but perhaps we could do more to help ourselves, and our brain, stay as active as possible. Whether it be going out for a refreshing walk, or when indoors taking up, or doing some knitting, or perhaps crocheting....it is good to keep the mind active. Of course some may prefer doing a crossword puzzle ... the choice is yours!

All the best Jan

I used to spend hours as a kid making extremely long, very thin scarves using this ! It scarred me for life and I must never knit again !

mo1905 wrote:I used to spend hours as a kid making extremely long, very thin scarves using this ! It scarred me for life and I must never knit again !

Ah ah we used to call this 'French Knitting' and enjoyed it !

It's also called spool knitting and it is still a useful form of knitting. You can buy commercial French knitting dolls (like this one,), or make your own. If you're lucky enough to find wooden cotton reels, just hammer in four nails. But the larger plastic ones will, take nails too, but just take care.



My niece still likes it and it's great for children too ..... just take care with them

All the best Jan

mo1905 wrote:I used to spend hours as a kid making extremely long, very thin scarves using this ! It scarred me for life and I must never knit again !

lol I remember doing that as a kid too,it was known as 'Bobbin' or something (I think)

My dear mum and my Gran were avid knitters ... alas I wasn't too good at knitting, more holes than stitches LOL!

There are many that enjoy it and I certainly think it keeps hands, fingers and brains working well - following the pattern etc.

I thought this was a lovely story to share:
Villagers knit jumpers for Indian elephants to protect the large mammals from near-freezing temperatures

Local women make colourful jumpers for formerly abused animals after staff at conservation centre warn of temperatures dipping close to freezing point

Elephants in India are sporting colourful woollen jumpers after villagers knitted the super-size garments to protect the animals from near-freezing temperatures.
Women in a village near the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in the northern city of Mathura reportedly began producing the colourful, pyjama-like garments after staff at the centre warned temperatures were approaching sub-zero at night.

The conservation centre takes in rescued elephants who have previously suffered chronic neglect and beatings from cruel handlers.

Read and see more here
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-elephant-jumpers-villagers-knit-protect-near-freezing-temperatures-weather-mathura-a7535101.html

Did you go and have a look?
The garments are so colourful aren't they ...

All the best Jan

Take up knitting   that's a dangerous pastime you could poke your eyes out with those pointy sticks 

Oh wow!

Yes my mum and gran used to knit, and also sew and makes clothes for themselves and other people.

Mother, bless her, knitted me an oiled wool jumper. So I knew which way round it was, she knitted a yellow thread into the back of the collar.

I liked it so much she knitted me another one. So I could tell which way round it was, she knitted a yellow thread into the front of the collar. Er . . .

. . .I'm still wearing them and realised they are now well over 30 years old.

If you like knitting, sewing etc you can make such lovely things.

I can remember the bootees and knitted baby jackets my mum and Aunts made.
They also made wonderful knitted toys, which were more like an ornament than a plaything. We still have them in the family ... almost family heirlooms from a different era!

I also remember the Singer sewing machine was always being put to good use.

Our local church has a wonderful group of ladies who knit blankets etc for those in need. I know there are men who knit but it does seem as if the ladies have a majority share in this market ...

All the best Jan

OMG yes that takes me back! Gran used to knit stuff for the church jumble sales, and also make little soft toys out of felt. She had a Singer with a treadle. Mother had one with a handle and later added an electric motor.

Do you remember knitting machines too? Oh and knitting patterns? And rewinding wool from skeins into balls?

We never had knitting machines in the house, although a neighbour loved hers, and I can remember her popping in quite often to show my mum what she'd made (funny what you still recall from youth!).

I used to sit with both my Gran and mum with hands apart holding the wool skeins while they happily rewound the wool and chatted ... happy family times.

All the best Jan

Mother had a knitting machine, Gran never did. Of course a neighbour had to have a better one, I think it was electric but could be misremembering.

I found some knitting patterns dating back to the fifties among my late mother's possessions, unfortunately too well used and crumpled to be worth much. I think the sewing machine is still in the garage, along with the Ransomes push lawnmower which turned out to be worth less than I hoped.

Do you remember dropped stitches? That would almost produce cursing.