Knitting: An Artistic Form of Therapy

There are few hobbies more relaxing than knitting. It is a craft that is easy to learn and requires little equipment to begin. Many knitters will start with a pair of needles, a skein of yarn and a book or DVD with instructions on how to knit. While knitting has been around since the fourth or fifth century, its popularity has hit highs and lows over the hundreds of years that it has been in existence.

Currently, knitting has reached another peak in the number of people who are avidly pursuing the craft. It is not a discriminating art either - folks from all income brackets, gender and origins have taken up knitting as a hobby or even profession.

What is it, and how is it Done?

Knitting is basically the process of taking a strand of yarn or other fiber and converting it into a cloth material through a series of stitches. Unlike crochet, which is worked one stitch at a time; knitting is done by rows of stitches. The stitches are all held on one needle, while the other needle is used to draw loops under and over to form new stitches.

The needles can be straight, forming row upon row of knitted fabric. The needle can also be circular in nature, to form one continuous piece of work without edges. The materials used in knitting can range from a wide variety of yarns, to plastics, wire, or any other long strand that can be manipulated around a needle.

The Possibilities

The best part of knitting is that you will never be able to make the tremendous variety of patterns that are available in a single lifetime! You can knit clothing, accessories, items for the home - the possibilities are absolutely endless. If you have a free afternoon, you can spend plenty of time browsing through the instructional books at your local bookstore or library.

If you prefer, the internet offers a plethora of choices for free knitting patterns with a simple click of the mouse. If you are just starting out in your knitting experience, try your hand at a very simple pattern for a scarf or throw. Once you have gotten the hang of the needles, you can move on to socks, mittens and sweaters. No matter how much time you spend with your needles and yarn, you will never run out of ideas for things to create. Grab some supplies and get to knitting!