Status Update – Zen Knitting
My stash…or at least part of it
For some reason yesterday, I started feeling really anxious as late afternoon approached. I used to suffer from some pretty serious anxiety disorders when I was a kid, but I haven’t had problems with it for years. Well, until the last several months. Gee, guess what prompted all those anxieties to return? I’m pretty sure that the entire country is having far more issues with anxiety these days, if only because of the general mood of things. I’m a huge believer in the collective unconscious and people picking up on emotions in the air.
So anyhow, with all this anxiety, I turned to something that has not only gotten me by, but been a joy and a comfort for me for ages. Knitting!
There’s something so soothing about having a practical craft to do. I happen to be a big fan of knitting socks (although I’ve been trying to branch out again lately). Socks are simple, I have the pattern in my head now, so I don’t need to consult a pattern or book, they’re practical, and everyone always loves to get hand-knit socks as a gift. In fact, I’m working on these ones right now for my niece.
The thing about knitting, or any other craft that you can do, that I think is so special is that it’s outward-facing. Sure, I knit socks for myself, but you can only have so many before you need to give them away. Same with scarves or blankets or just about anything. And it’s not even so much a gift you expect something for in return. I’ve tried to explain to people who are surprised by the sudden gift of socks that it’s an added gift to me to be able to engage in the craft I enjoy for a purpose, then to give the results to someone who will appreciate them.
It’s not actually as complicated as it looks.
I know the same sort of thing goes for my friend Karen, who is a quilter. We go to craft shows together, and we laugh about how we already have so much fabric/yarn at home that we really don’t need more, but here, take my money!
I also think it says something about the world we live in that when I sat down and thought about it, I could think of at least 8 stores—Michael’s, A.C. Moore, Joann Fabrics, not to mention smaller, private stores—that cater to crafters within a 20 minute drive of my house. That number goes up to over a dozen if you drive in any direction for 40 minutes. That’s more than grocery stores or sporting good stores or just about anything else (um, except Starbucks). I like what that says about the world!
So are you a crafter? What is your craft?
