Last week, my roommate and I came up with the ridiculous idea to start knitting. We went out and bought some random supplies, and then watched a Youtube video for “absolute beginners” which was total crap, so while my roommate learned from that, I learned from my roommate. Since I started knitting my blanket (a.k.a. washcloth), I’ve realized that this is a really cool hobby that everyone should start doing.
For one, it’s super relaxing. Once you get past the frustration at yourself and the yarn, it’s just a repetitive motion of your fingers. It’s a good way to get your mind off of anything that might be bothering you because it’s really easy to just get lost in the knitting. Your brain doesn’t have to work very hard (unless you mess up a lot like I do), but it holds your attention enough that it’ll be pretty difficult to worry about other stuff.
Another reason to start knitting is that it’s something to do. I know that I get bored very easily, and sometimes even the apps on my phone don’t seem to keep me occupied. Knitting, and more specifically seeing the progress I’m making on my little blanket, keeps the boredom away because I can listen to music or watch Netflix while I’m knitting. It might even be a better alternative than being on your phone and watching Netflix, as I know many people do.
Finally, I think the best reason to start knitting is that it’s fun and you get to make stuff! My roommate is making a really cute fall-colored scarf (seen above), and my… blanket (also seen above)… is hopefully going to be my brother’s Christmas present since he used to have a blanket with the same colors. It feels really nice to be making something with my own hands that I can give to someone as a really cool gift. Plus, I promise I’m not lying, knitting is really fun. My thumbs are for some reason getting little callouses (probably because I don’t knit correctly), and my hands hurt if I do it for a while, but that’s more my problem than anything. I have a weird amount of fun when I knit, and I think other people should experience it too.