I took on knitting!

I've had depression since my teenage years, but I wasn't officially diagnosed until my early twenties. I tried to help it with medication and therapy, only to leave these two a few months latter. It wasn't until mom passed away (a couple of years ago) when the depression really kicked my butt and the loss took a toll on me and my health. I visited my family doctor to take care of my anemia, I started therapy, and began taking antidepressants once again. A year later, life challenged me once more when my marriage fell apart. The antidepressants couldn't keep up... I didn't want to depend on the medication, so I approached new ways -- breaking patterns and changing habits, a bit at a time...

I've realized that there are many things in life that bring me happiness and pleasure, but for some reason I lost sense of them. I've focussed my energy on the problems that I cannot fix and the people I cannot change. Getting my mind off of life challenges has been a try-and-error thing, so for the past year I've been managing stress, loss, and depression with a combination of sleeping aid, meditation attempt, mantras, reading, and now knitting.

Starting knitting turned out to be one of the most relaxing things I've done. The stitch repetition combined with mantras have allowed my mind to relax, to stop over thinking, and to chill. It turns out that knitting (or crocheting) can lower heart rate and blood pressure. It can also reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also has given me this 'tangible' sense of accomplishment during this time that I've felt a huge lack of creativity and motivation.

My sister had taught me how to knit when I was a teenager. Around the same age, I was learning crocheting (with the help of mom) and cross stitching at school. Decades passed before I touched a knitting needle again and when I did (a couple of years ago) the blanket I was planning turned out to be an unfinished scarf, so when I look at this finished baby blanket I feel quite pleased. I hope my niece and her baby (Matias, who was born on April 5) will find it cozy. I am now looking forward to send it along with my snuggles, warmth, and a few tears too.

Whether you are going through a rough time, life is challenging you, or you're simply trying to change patterns, I encourage you to try something new or revisit an old hobby. My next stop: cross stitching or crochet perhaps ;)

Did you know there are two styles of knitting? English and continental style. I learned continental, so the first time I grabbed a knitting book from the library the patterns made no sense!

+ Four Point Blanket pattern from purlsoho.com

+ Check this article by The New York Times about the many health benefits of knitting.