Yarn

Anyone who knows me knows I love yarn. It is my favorite medium. I have found very few yarns that I do not like, for one reason or another. But, for the most part, I love yarn.

I also love free yarn. One of the attorneys I work for stops by my desk the other day and hands me a big bag of odd and ends yarn. I don't know what brand she gave me, but thank you!!!! I might have to make her a market bag or something.

Before I moved, I had yarn in just about every room in the apartment. Except my son's room and the bathroom. Yes, I had yarn in the kitchen area. I just didn't have room for it anywhere else. And now, I have my craft room, with wonderful shelves to help me organize my yarn. I still have yarn in the dining room and living room (my workstation). Go figure, huh?

When you love something, it is bound to take over your life.

Studies have shown that, as I put it, playing with yarn improves your general health, physically and mentally. The repetitive motion of each stitch helps with anxiety issues and OCD tendencies. Feeling depressed and overwhelmed? Crocheting and knitting can help with these, by emptying your mind as you calmly work through a pattern. Only concentrate on the pattern. The softness of the yarn can be very comforting, lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Crocheting and knitting can also decrease memory loss. Who knew?

Sure it can be frustrating in the beginning as you are just learning stitches, and even infuriating when you find a mistake you made several rows back. But, I tell you, I feel all the stress of the day melt away when I frog (tear out) a pattern to my mistake, then spend the next few minutes (okay, a lot of minutes) winding that yarn back on the skein and unraveling all the tangles.

There are a lot of health benefits to having a hobby like mine. And, if you just want to knit or crochet and not sell your items, you can always donate them to a local shelter. Hats, mittens, blankets and toys are always welcome.