Knitty-gritty

One of Cris’s fondest childhood memories is him helping his grandma roll yarn into balls for knitting purposes. One of Irina’s fondest childhood memories is doing the same for her mum. Both of them were taught to knit. One found it too hard. The other just discovered the other week that knitting is like riding a bicycle and took it up after a pause of over 30 years to discoverone more thing: that it was still as gratifying as it was back then. Also, it’s magic.

What some people would seen in this picture is a bunch of skeins of different colours. What the Slavs see in this picture is a host of possibilities, not because we can all knit but because one of us can knit and the other two have a heightened sensitivity to colours and colour combinations. This is how Irina’s reconnection with a happy childhood turned into a family experience.

It started simply enough. All it took was an itch to see whether knitting is indeed like riding a bicycle, a handy shop offering a substantial variety of yarn and needles, and, admittedly, a few visits to knitting blogs. The first four colours were picked and the Cs were off to the races arranging them in a combination that lived up to their high standards. The project: a winter scarf for Cat, not that she asked for it but she is having it and no arguments.

Now, knitting may be like riding a bicycle but just like with a bicycle, you can’t start with high-level acrobatics after a 30-year pause. This first product of the Slav knitting Renaissance was done using the simplest, most basic stitch of all, whose name in English we have all just now learned: the garter stitch, also known apparently as the purl stitch when combined with the knit stitch and, seriously, there is so much fascinating stuff to learn about knitting. Incidentally, it’s also good brain exercise.

“On a personal level, knitting can help reduce stress and anxiety by focusing on the present. It enhances cognitive function by stimulating various areas of the brain, including the motor cortex, frontal lobe, and occipital lobe,” one website tells us. “It’s also a great way to stay active and improve hand-eye coordination, especially for older individuals. It can also slow down cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.” Say no more and pass us the yarn.

“Once you get beyond the initial learning curve, knitting and crocheting can lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol,” NYT columnist Jane Brody reports. More yarn!

But there’s more: “Therapeutic knitting has been connected to combatting depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, eating disorders, and chronic pain, proving that a wide variety of people could benefit from it,” A UCLA blog entry tells us. Yes, while you knit your hands are occupied and you can’t indulge in the addictions that require at least one free hand, and isn’t that wonderful?

Okay, this is not really so much a scarf as a scarf-like monstrosity but do note the palette and the sequence because that was the fruit of intense cognitive work that took about 15 minutes. Also, it needs to be long so Cat, who insisted on being in the frame, can wrap it around her neck comfortably. We do sometimes get harsh winters around here. Next on the knitting schedule: have a field day exploring more stitches and colour combinations. But first, it’s time to master the bind-off. Send thoughts and prayers.