There comes a time in one’s life when the most unexpected of activities can help calm down the chaotic vibrations of the mind, cope with uncertainty and soothe the rhythm of our beating hearts. Here I am, in the midst of a knitting club; the air reverberates with laughter and glee.
Knitting needles move in synchronized patterns, colourful balls of yarn at once brighten up the surroundings and the mood is buoyant -- laced with creative exuberance. It’s wonderful to see a motley group of knitters -- the elderly, the millennials, men and women; all engrossed in a meaningful activity that helps untangle the complex mental knots brought about by uncertainty, loss and stress.
Well, I’ve never knitted before. Memories of my mother and aunts creating sweaters, scarves, mittens flash in front of me as I see my mother-in-law knit beautiful pullovers for the grandchildren and her sisters. It has helped her cope with the loss of my father-in-law and even before that, it helped in distracting her from diurnal anxiety and grief, when he was diagnosed with cancer.
When you’re weaving together something for someone you love, with every stitch you create a bond of affection and somehow that feels less lonely even though you might be knitting it all alone.
Bringing a community together
Now knitting has brought together a community of people around her, who discuss about yarns, designs, patterns and needles. I have just been initiated to the group and have begun my foray with a basic scarf. I immerse myself in rows of knits and purls, the scarf is growing longer and I try my best not to drop stitches under the tutelage of my mother-in-law, who patiently looks on.
When I am not writing, reading or doing domestic chores and need to detach my mind from all things squirm-worthy; I find my cosy corner with a cup of tea and my needles and yarn to keep me company. I handle each stitch as delicately as a gem, as I shift them to the other needle.
It’s almost like meditation. One of the studies conducted by Harvard Medical School’s Mind and Body Institute in 2007, found that knitting can actually lower our heart rate by an average of 11 beats per minute, and creates an “enhanced sense of calm” that replicates the feelings induced by yoga.
An elderly lady who’s an avid knitter, light-heartedly quips, “Knitting is way better than nit-picking, it irons out my knitted brows and hopefully my wrinkles will appear in postponed intervals.” It’s also a therapeutic activity that has helped a friend of mine give up smoking.
When she craved to smoke, she reached out for her needles, she began with a huge pullover that had complicated patterns. As she knitted a few rows, the impulse to reach out for a smoke would fizzle off.
A common passion
Knitting is not only the solace of the elderly but also of the younger people. A few months back I saw an Instagram post of the British Olympic diver, Tom Daley, who shared the fact how knitting and crocheting helped calm down his nerves in the lead up to the Olympics. To commemorate his gold medal, he even knitted a Union Jack patterned case to store his Olympic gold medal in and I found it utterly delectable!
I read somewhere that the rhythmic motion of knitting also induces the release of serotonin, the hormone that stabilises our moods, feelings of well-being, and happiness. So smitten by this craft that I have even found books that belong to the ‘knitting genre’ and I didn’t even know about them and now I have begun reading ‘The Shop on Blossom Street’ by Debbie Macomber.
Well, there are two kinds of knitters. Ones who focus on the end-product: a beanie for a friend or a hair band to be sold at an exorbitant price. I belong to the second lot, the ‘process knitters’-to me knitting is a metaphor for life.
The soothing repetitive motions and the feel of the yarn running through the fingers, the colors, the act of creation is all that matters. After all, happiness is not a destination, it’s the journey that counts.
Navanita Varadpande is a writer based in Gurgaon, India. Twitter: @VpNavanita
