Five Great Reasons to Learn to Knit this Autumn
The weather has turned decidedly chillier, the new academic year is gaining pace and the evenings are noticeably drawing in. It’s the perfect season to take a bit of time to yourself and pick up a new skill or hobby. Something that’s a little bit challenging, but also endlessly comforting, and which will help you to while away those long winter evenings while producing something beautiful (and practical) in the process. Sounds tempting, right? Here are our top five reasons that you should learn to knit this Autumn…
You can wear your first project right away
Accessories that are great for beginner knitters are also just right for the cooler weather. There’s something incredibly empowering about being able to make the things that we need to keep ourselves and our loved ones warm with our own two hands and this is especially noticeable in the cooler months of the year. It’s really lovely to be able to finish a project and get the instant gratification of being able to wear it the same day.
When you’re first learning to knit you’re probably going to want to focus on smaller projects, such as hats, headbands, hand warmers, cowls or scarfs - and you can never have to many of those! Or if you do, then gifting season is only just around the corner, and friends and family will be delighted to receive a handmade and practical gift.
Knitting really is good for you
Knitting has a whole range of health benefits. Right from when you first start, learning something new can help build neural pathways and reduce the risk of dementia. Then once you get into the rhythm a bit more, you’ll find that knitting is made up of calming and repetitive movements which can lower your blood pressure and keep you centred. Taking five minutes out with your knitting is an excellent way to step away from stressful situations or just find a bit of peace in a busy day.
So the act of knitting is brilliant for your mental health, but there’s even more! Side to side eye movements, like you make when you read a pattern or follow your knitting, have been shown to boost memory, and following complex instructions can improve your maths and problem solving skills. The actions that you make with your hands as you knit are good for you too - even leading to increased physical dexterity and helping to fight arthritis.
Jane E. Brody wrote this New York Times article in 2016, exploring the health benefits of knitting even further.
Mastering a skill will boost your confidence
Struggling with a tricky skill like knitting, and then overcoming that struggle through practice is an amazing confidence boost! Working through problems or setbacks to complete a project, or even accepting the inevitable: that you will have to rip back and start again sometimes, are both really valuable life lessons that will help you grow as a knitter (and a person!), and the well earned pride that you’ll feel stepping out in something that you’ve made yourself will make all the challenges worth it.
You’ll also gain confidence in your own knitting ability every time you fix a dropped stitch or successfully substitute a yarn or alter a pattern to make it even better, and the more confidence you have in something, the more enjoyable it becomes!
Queues simply won’t be a problem any more
Delayed public transport, being put on hold, doctor’s waiting rooms, car journeys, boring zoom meetings…they are all just an excuse to get your knitting out and add a few rows to whatever you’re working on (and it might just help you stay focused too!). It’s really surprising just how much progress you can make on a project in short stretches of time while you’re waiting for other stuff to happen.
Smaller, portable projects are the key here as they fit neatly into your bag and you won’t need lots of extra yarn or room to work. I love having a pair of on-the-go socks that I can whip out whenever I want to keep my hands busy.
Knitting is really sociable
Knitting is a great way to meet people. There are loads of in-person knitting and craft groups that you can join, where people are always happy to share their skills and give knitting help and advice over a cuppa. If you’re a complete beginner, consider joining a beginners class at a local yarn store or college - learning something new alongside others is a great way to find common ground.
There is also a really great online knitting community on Ravelry, Instagram, Youtube and Facebook. These are all great places to go to for advice and encouragement, to share your knitting progress and to be inspired by what everybody else is making too. Joining an online knit-along (KAL) is a really great way to get chatting with other knitters while you all work on the same project, and cheer each other on.
Finally, getting your knitting out in public is a sure fire way to spark up a conversation - somebody is bound to ask you what you’re making. We’ve both had some really lovely chance conversations when we’ve been knitting out and about, and you never know where they might lead!
I hope this list of our top reasons to start knitting has inspired you to pick up the needles and give it a go! There are loads of resources and tutorials in our Tutorials section and we’re always looking for ideas, so if there’s anything you would love to see there just let us know in the comments. If you’re local you could consider joining one of our Beginner Knitting Classes in St Leonards on Sea - we’d love to have you! We’d also love to hear what inspired you to start knitting and what your top benefits are - let us know below.