Day: October 17, 2022

Complicated grief

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/health/complicated-grief-so-deep-it-wont-die.html

The death of someone beloved often brings deep sadness. Usually, however, the intense grief of early mourning begins to ebb as months pass, and people alternate between continuing sorrow and a growing ability to rediscover life’s pleasures.

What distinguished Ms. Schomaker’s suffering was its sheer duration. She had been mired in grief for nine years when she saw an announcement from Columbia University, where researchers who had developed a treatment for “complicated grief” were seeking participants in a study.

Maybe this new approach could help, Ms. Schomaker thought.

Complicated or prolonged grief can assail anyone, but it is a particular problem for older adults, because they suffer so many losses — spouses, parents, siblings, friends. “It comes with bereavement,” said Dr. Katherine Shear, the psychiatrist who led the Columbia University study. “And the prevalence of important losses is so much greater in people over 65.”

In a review in The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year, Dr. Shear listed several symptoms characteristic of complicated grief: intense longing or yearning, preoccupying thoughts and memories and an inability to accept the loss and to imagine a future without the person who died.

Often mourners with these symptoms are convinced that had they done something differently, they might have prevented the death. Severe and prolonged compared with typical reactions, complicated grief impairs the mourner’s ability to function.

“Adapting to loss is as much a part of us as grief itself,” said Dr. Shear, who directs the Center for Complicated Grief at the Columbia University School of Social Work. With complicated grief, “something gets in the way of that adaptation,” she said. “Something impedes the course of healing.”

Living through the loss of a loved one is a universal experience. But the ways in which we experience and deal with the pain can largely differ.

How common is this prolonged grief? An epidemiological study of more than 2,500 people, conducted in Germany in 2009, put the proportion at nearly 7 percent, and at 9 percent among those over age 61.

George A. Bonanno, director of the Loss, Trauma and Emotion Lab at Columbia University Teachers College, said the real figure might be closer to 10 to 15 percent.

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Dr. Bonanno, author of “The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss,” argues that resilience is the typical response to the death of loved ones. Yet, he notes, “we always see a group of people who don’t recover.”

The problem appears more likely when a death is sudden or violent; when the person who died was one’s spouse, romantic partner or child; and when the bereaved person has a history of depression, anxiety or substance abuse.

Defining this sort of grief has engendered some professional disagreement. What criteria distinguish complicated grief from depression or anxiety? When does normal grief become prolonged? Researchers disagree on even the condition’s name.

The American Psychiatric Association, in the latest version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, declined to classify complicated grief as a mental disorder and instead included “persistent complex bereavement-related disorder” in an appendix for further study.

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The fifth edition, published in 2013, sets 12 months as the point past which continued symptoms of intense grief may constitute a disorder, although Dr. Shear and other researchers had proposed a threshold of six months.

Some experts have argued that the available evidence doesn’t support a clear distinction between longer-than-average grieving and mental illness. “Does psychiatry need to continually label the range of normal human emotions as disorders?” Jerome C. Wakefield, a professor of social work and psychiatry at New York University, said in an interview.

By diagnosing complicated grief just six months after a death, he said, “you’ll get a lot of normal people receiving treatment they don’t need,” including drugs.

Dr. Shear also worries about “pathologizing” normal emotions. But when a woman remains unable to leave her home or answer the phone four years after the death of her adult son, as was true of one patient, something has clearly gone wrong.

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“If you’re worried about what you’re experiencing, if you’re not getting more engaged in life and people around you are saying, ‘Honey, stop wallowing in it,’ why not get some help?” Dr. Shear said.

Complicated grief therapy, developed by her center, showed greater effectiveness among older adults than interpersonal psychotherapy in a clinical trial.

Subjects, including Ms. Schomaker, were given a scale with statements measuring responses to loss like “I think about this person so much that it’s hard for me to do the things I normally do,” and “I feel that life is empty without the person who died.” Their high scores indicated complicated grief.

Close to half of the 151 subjects (average age: 66) had lost a spouse or partner, and more than a quarter had lost a parent. More than three years had elapsed, on average, since the death. Most subjects reported that they had thought of suicide.

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They were randomly assigned to undergo 16 weekly sessions of complicated grief therapy — which focuses specifically on bereavement symptoms, and incorporates memories, photographs and recordings — or interpersonal psychotherapy.

Both treatments helped, but in the group receiving complicated grief therapy, more than 70 percent were found “much improved” or “very much improved” in the severity of their symptoms and impairment, compared with 32 percent in the standard psychotherapy group. A larger, four-site study, completed but not yet published, showed similar effectiveness, Dr. Shear said.

To make its method more widely available, the Center for Complicated Grief has published a manual and offers training workshops for therapists; staff members consult with and answer questions from patients and therapists around the country.

Darlyn Reardon of Ross Township, Pa., for instance, sought complicated grief therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2011. After her husband of 40 years died of cancer, “it was like I lost my life, too,” she said.

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Seven years passed, and “I didn’t take care of myself,” she said. “I didn’t go to the doctor. I stopped going to church. We had a circle of friends, and I stopped seeing them. I stopped everything.”

Ms. Reardon, 72, will always miss her husband, John, who was a firefighter. But she can take pleasure now in a regular movie and lunch with her cousin, in an affectionate pug named Lovey, in her teenage grandchildren.

Ms. Schomaker, too, feels substantially recovered. A volunteer and museumgoer with an active social life, she is grateful for the complicated grief therapy she received.

“It gets you thinking about your loss in a different way,” she said. “It encourages you to move on, because there’s happiness ahead of you.”

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Knitting can save your life

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/at-home/knitting-mood-booster.html

X

But the craft can also trigger mental health benefits. Many studies have been published that show knitting helps to manage chronic pain, improve cognitive function and even increase happiness. Perhaps most relevant to these uncertain times, a survey of knitters taken last year by the Abo Akademi University in Finland indicated that they felt knitting “can be a counterbalance to a stressful job, hectic lifestyle or other demanding situations in life.”

Amy Reddinger, a dean at Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Mich., came back to knitting after a long hiatus in March, when the campus closed and she needed a way to get away from screens. Her first project was an ambitious one — a complicated shawl using some fairly advanced techniques.

ADVERTISEMENThttps://4d484827728e7aeac0abbd75435d9723.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html?n=0

“I almost quit a lot of times,” Ms. Reddinger, 45, said. “But I kept at it, and I was both miserable and joyful at times — it was a good emotional process for me.”

She valued the level of challenge as a “great distraction from the chaos and stress of the unknown.”

It’s well known in knitting circles that there are two types of knitters: those who focus on the results — a comfortable sweater, mittens to match a new winter coat, a gift for an upcoming baby shower — and those who focus on the process. Process knitters knit for knitting’s sake. They value the soothing repetitive motions and the feel of the yarn running through their fingers, relish the colors, the act of creation. They enjoy the good things that come with it, without having to fuss about their work being perfect, or their scarf being stylish.

If you are considering picking up knitting, think of it as meditation with a little bit of equipment. Approach it for the joy of the process and to take some pressure off. (Also, it’s a good way to keep your hands out of the candy bowl if you want to change your eating habits.)

ADVERTISEMENT

And if the result is something that can keep you (or a friend or family member) warm, it’s a fantastic bonus. Just think: scarves! Hats! Mittens! Sweaters! Stylish statements, gifts for loved ones, blankets to welcome new babies. Once you become more accomplished, you’ll be a mitten machine.

Ruhee Dewji, a Canadian software developer who lives on her own, took up knitting in early spring at the encouragement of some friends. Before the pandemic, Ms. Dewji, 31, filled her spare time playing music in bands; she found playing on her own during lockdown just emphasized her loneliness.

She finds knitting an uncomplicated joy with many benefits, but one stands out.

“I’ve mostly made things for other people, and I realized that when you are making something for someone you love, you are thinking about them with every single stitch, and somehow that feels less lonely even though I am doing it all alone,” she said.

Although knitting is a single-person activity, many knitters enjoy gathering, both online and in person, to share the successes, laugh about the mistakes and learn from one another. The portability of knitting is crucial, and as knitting doesn’t require one’s full focus or attention, you are able to engage with the people around you. In the Before Times, yarn shops would hold knit-nights and libraries had crafting groups. There are also formal knitting guilds, and most major cities seem to have at least one group of self-identified “drunken knitters” who meet in bars.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most knit-nights and classes went virtual early this year, making them accessible to faraway members and those nearby with physical or other limitations that may not let them appear in person.

Before the pandemic, Seattle Yarn hosted three regular in-person gatherings every week. Destiny Itano, a co-owner, said that when travel and gathering restrictions were put in place, both staff members and customers were “devastated” at the thought that these groups might not continue. Within a couple of weeks of the city’s lockdown, they set up online sessions and have been hosting two events a week ever since. Ms. Itano said that she was “surprised how well they work — not only as social gatherings, but as a way for knitters to offer and get help with their stitching.”

And the local knitting community has expanded: Ms. Itano’s mother joins from her home in Alaska, and a regular attendee to their Saturday morning group lives in Germany. They plan to keep these groups going even after the shop is fully operational again.

Before you begin, know that focusing on the end result means that many beginners are often too impatient with the inevitably imperfect results of their first projects. The first of anything you make will not be great. (Admit it, there was some disastrously inedible sourdough this past spring.) And it doesn’t matter one bit. You still get all the benefits (virtuous or not) whether or not you come away with a wearable scarf. You’re still going to be relaxed and mindful whether or not the beanie fits.

ADVERTISEMENT

But to make that hat, you’ll need balls of yarn and knitting needles. Look to specialized local yarn shops (L.Y.S.’s), big-box craft stores and online retailers like knitpicks.com and yarn.com, the website of the knitting retailer WEBS. Yarn and craft stores also offer instruction and specific learn-to-knit kits for beginners.

Know that yarn comes in different thicknesses, and needles are sized to suit. Always choose your yarn first — beginners might want something on the thicker side, and in a lighter color so you can see what you’re doing and make fast progress. The yarn label indicates the size of needle to use.

If you prefer learning with books, introductory manuals are easy to find in thrift and used-book stores, and the instructions themselves don’t change. But it might be worth investing in a newer one: The projects are more modern, and they use the readily available materials. “Vogue Knitting: The Learn To Knit Book” or “Knit How” are two good choices.

There are plenty of free online and video resources, too. The video lessons at knittinghelp.com are well presented, accurate and clear, while ModernDailyKnitting.com has articles, lessons, patterns and other goodies for knitters of all levels.

ADVERTISEMENT

To meet other knitters, check out the online classes, virtual knit-nights and other social gatherings hosted by a yarn shop in your area. Even if you can’t visit in person, their websites and social media will give you a sense of who they are and what they do.

In New York City, Knitty City and String Thing Studio are two shops that are striving to maintain and bolster knitting communities, even under this year’s necessary restrictions.

Felicia Eve, owner of String Thing Studio in Brooklyn, sells a standard kit for novices, and offers one-on-one appointments, both in-person and online, to teach the basics. She urges beginners to be soothed by knitting’s colors and textures, and to value its meditative nature, but also to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process.

“Cherish the wonkiness,” she said.

Want to pick up those needles and yarn?

More stories about knitting during lockdown

Knitting for the ApocalypseMay 8, 2020

In a Stressful Time, Knitting for Calm and ConnectionNov. 2, 2020

Managing Anxiety and Stress

Stay balanced in the face of stress and anxiety with our collection of tools and advice.

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Make sense of the day’s news and ideas. David Leonhardt and Times journalists guide you through what’s happening — and why it matters.Get this newsletter

AS NEEDED

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Coronavirus Briefing

An informed guide to the global outbreak, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment.Get this newsletter

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ImageCredit…Watcharapong HongjamrassilpWhen Sarcastic Fringeheads Open Their Mouths, Watch Out

Why Some Penguins Give Up on Half of Their Unhatched Eggs

Secrets Preserved in the Skin of Dakota the ‘Dino Mummy’

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Site Information Navigation

Something went wrong. Please

But the craft can also trigger mental health benefits. Many studies have been published that show knitting helps to manage chronic pain, improve cognitive function and even increase happiness. Perhaps most relevant to these uncertain times, a survey of knitters taken last year by the Abo Akademi University in Finland indicated that they felt knitting “can be a counterbalance to a stressful job, hectic lifestyle or other demanding situations in life.”

Amy Reddinger, a dean at Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Mich., came back to knitting after a long hiatus in March, when the campus closed and she needed a way to get away from screens. Her first project was an ambitious one — a complicated shawl using some fairly advanced techniques.

ADVERTISEMENThttps://4d484827728e7aeac0abbd75435d9723.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html?n=0

“I almost quit a lot of times,” Ms. Reddinger, 45, said. “But I kept at it, and I was both miserable and joyful at times — it was a good emotional process for me.”

She valued the level of challenge as a “great distraction from the chaos and stress of the unknown.”

It’s well known in knitting circles that there are two types of knitters: those who focus on the results — a comfortable sweater, mittens to match a new winter coat, a gift for an upcoming baby shower — and those who focus on the process. Process knitters knit for knitting’s sake. They value the soothing repetitive motions and the feel of the yarn running through their fingers, relish the colors, the act of creation. They enjoy the good things that come with it, without having to fuss about their work being perfect, or their scarf being stylish.

If you are considering picking up knitting, think of it as meditation with a little bit of equipment. Approach it for the joy of the process and to take some pressure off. (Also, it’s a good way to keep your hands out of the candy bowl if you want to change your eating habits.)

ADVERTISEMENT

And if the result is something that can keep you (or a friend or family member) warm, it’s a fantastic bonus. Just think: scarves! Hats! Mittens! Sweaters! Stylish statements, gifts for loved ones, blankets to welcome new babies. Once you become more accomplished, you’ll be a mitten machine.

Ruhee Dewji, a Canadian software developer who lives on her own, took up knitting in early spring at the encouragement of some friends. Before the pandemic, Ms. Dewji, 31, filled her spare time playing music in bands; she found playing on her own during lockdown just emphasized her loneliness.

She finds knitting an uncomplicated joy with many benefits, but one stands out.

“I’ve mostly made things for other people, and I realized that when you are making something for someone you love, you are thinking about them with every single stitch, and somehow that feels less lonely even though I am doing it all alone,” she said.

Although knitting is a single-person activity, many knitters enjoy gathering, both online and in person, to share the successes, laugh about the mistakes and learn from one another. The portability of knitting is crucial, and as knitting doesn’t require one’s full focus or attention, you are able to engage with the people around you. In the Before Times, yarn shops would hold knit-nights and libraries had crafting groups. There are also formal knitting guilds, and most major cities seem to have at least one group of self-identified “drunken knitters” who meet in bars.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most knit-nights and classes went virtual early this year, making them accessible to faraway members and those nearby with physical or other limitations that may not let them appear in person.

Before the pandemic, Seattle Yarn hosted three regular in-person gatherings every week. Destiny Itano, a co-owner, said that when travel and gathering restrictions were put in place, both staff members and customers were “devastated” at the thought that these groups might not continue. Within a couple of weeks of the city’s lockdown, they set up online sessions and have been hosting two events a week ever since. Ms. Itano said that she was “surprised how well they work — not only as social gatherings, but as a way for knitters to offer and get help with their stitching.”

And the local knitting community has expanded: Ms. Itano’s mother joins from her home in Alaska, and a regular attendee to their Saturday morning group lives in Germany. They plan to keep these groups going even after the shop is fully operational again.

Before you begin, know that focusing on the end result means that many beginners are often too impatient with the inevitably imperfect results of their first projects. The first of anything you make will not be great. (Admit it, there was some disastrously inedible sourdough this past spring.) And it doesn’t matter one bit. You still get all the benefits (virtuous or not) whether or not you come away with a wearable scarf. You’re still going to be relaxed and mindful whether or not the beanie fits.

ADVERTISEMENT

But to make that hat, you’ll need balls of yarn and knitting needles. Look to specialized local yarn shops (L.Y.S.’s), big-box craft stores and online retailers like knitpicks.com and yarn.com, the website of the knitting retailer WEBS. Yarn and craft stores also offer instruction and specific learn-to-knit kits for beginners.

Know that yarn comes in different thicknesses, and needles are sized to suit. Always choose your yarn first — beginners might want something on the thicker side, and in a lighter color so you can see what you’re doing and make fast progress. The yarn label indicates the size of needle to use.

If you prefer learning with books, introductory manuals are easy to find in thrift and used-book stores, and the instructions themselves don’t change. But it might be worth investing in a newer one: The projects are more modern, and they use the readily available materials. “Vogue Knitting: The Learn To Knit Book” or “Knit How” are two good choices.

There are plenty of free online and video resources, too. The video lessons at knittinghelp.com are well presented, accurate and clear, while ModernDailyKnitting.com has articles, lessons, patterns and other goodies for knitters of all levels.

ADVERTISEMENT

To meet other knitters, check out the online classes, virtual knit-nights and other social gatherings hosted by a yarn shop in your area. Even if you can’t visit in person, their websites and social media will give you a sense of who they are and what they do.

In New York City, Knitty City and String Thing Studio are two shops that are striving to maintain and bolster knitting communities, even under this year’s necessary restrictions.

Felicia Eve, owner of String Thing Studio in Brooklyn, sells a standard kit for novices, and offers one-on-one appointments, both in-person and online, to teach the basics. She urges beginners to be soothed by knitting’s colors and textures, and to value its meditative nature, but also to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process.

“Cherish the wonkiness,” she said.

Want to pick up those needles and yarn?

More stories about knitting during lockdown

Knitting for the ApocalypseMay 8, 2020

In a Stressful Time, Knitting for Calm and ConnectionNov. 2, 2020

Managing Anxiety and Stress

Stay balanced in the face of stress and anxiety with our collection of tools and advice.

Newsletters you might like

DAILY

The Morning

Make sense of the day’s news and ideas. David Leonhardt and Times journalists guide you through what’s happening — and why it matters.Get this newsletter

AS NEEDED

Breaking News

Get informed as important news breaks around the world.Get this newsletter

WEEKDAYS

Coronavirus Briefing

An informed guide to the global outbreak, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment.Get this newsletter

More in Science

ImageCredit…Watcharapong HongjamrassilpWhen Sarcastic Fringeheads Open Their Mouths, Watch Out

Why Some Penguins Give Up on Half of Their Unhatched Eggs

Secrets Preserved in the Skin of Dakota the ‘Dino Mummy’

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Site Information Navigation

Something went wrong. Please

But the craft can also trigger mental health benefits. Many studies have been published that show knitting helps to manage chronic pain, improve cognitive function and even increase happiness. Perhaps most relevant to these uncertain times, a survey of knitters taken last year by the Abo Akademi University in Finland indicated that they felt knitting “can be a counterbalance to a stressful job, hectic lifestyle or other demanding situations in life.”

Amy Reddinger, a dean at Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Mich., came back to knitting after a long hiatus in March, when the campus closed and she needed a way to get away from screens. Her first project was an ambitious one — a complicated shawl using some fairly advanced techniques.

ADVERTISEMENThttps://4d484827728e7aeac0abbd75435d9723.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html?n=0

“I almost quit a lot of times,” Ms. Reddinger, 45, said. “But I kept at it, and I was both miserable and joyful at times — it was a good emotional process for me.”

She valued the level of challenge as a “great distraction from the chaos and stress of the unknown.”

It’s well known in knitting circles that there are two types of knitters: those who focus on the results — a comfortable sweater, mittens to match a new winter coat, a gift for an upcoming baby shower — and those who focus on the process. Process knitters knit for knitting’s sake. They value the soothing repetitive motions and the feel of the yarn running through their fingers, relish the colors, the act of creation. They enjoy the good things that come with it, without having to fuss about their work being perfect, or their scarf being stylish.

If you are considering picking up knitting, think of it as meditation with a little bit of equipment. Approach it for the joy of the process and to take some pressure off. (Also, it’s a good way to keep your hands out of the candy bowl if you want to change your eating habits.)

ADVERTISEMENT

And if the result is something that can keep you (or a friend or family member) warm, it’s a fantastic bonus. Just think: scarves! Hats! Mittens! Sweaters! Stylish statements, gifts for loved ones, blankets to welcome new babies. Once you become more accomplished, you’ll be a mitten machine.

Ruhee Dewji, a Canadian software developer who lives on her own, took up knitting in early spring at the encouragement of some friends. Before the pandemic, Ms. Dewji, 31, filled her spare time playing music in bands; she found playing on her own during lockdown just emphasized her loneliness.

She finds knitting an uncomplicated joy with many benefits, but one stands out.

“I’ve mostly made things for other people, and I realized that when you are making something for someone you love, you are thinking about them with every single stitch, and somehow that feels less lonely even though I am doing it all alone,” she said.

Although knitting is a single-person activity, many knitters enjoy gathering, both online and in person, to share the successes, laugh about the mistakes and learn from one another. The portability of knitting is crucial, and as knitting doesn’t require one’s full focus or attention, you are able to engage with the people around you. In the Before Times, yarn shops would hold knit-nights and libraries had crafting groups. There are also formal knitting guilds, and most major cities seem to have at least one group of self-identified “drunken knitters” who meet in bars.

ADVERTISEMENT

Most knit-nights and classes went virtual early this year, making them accessible to faraway members and those nearby with physical or other limitations that may not let them appear in person.

Before the pandemic, Seattle Yarn hosted three regular in-person gatherings every week. Destiny Itano, a co-owner, said that when travel and gathering restrictions were put in place, both staff members and customers were “devastated” at the thought that these groups might not continue. Within a couple of weeks of the city’s lockdown, they set up online sessions and have been hosting two events a week ever since. Ms. Itano said that she was “surprised how well they work — not only as social gatherings, but as a way for knitters to offer and get help with their stitching.”

And the local knitting community has expanded: Ms. Itano’s mother joins from her home in Alaska, and a regular attendee to their Saturday morning group lives in Germany. They plan to keep these groups going even after the shop is fully operational again.

Before you begin, know that focusing on the end result means that many beginners are often too impatient with the inevitably imperfect results of their first projects. The first of anything you make will not be great. (Admit it, there was some disastrously inedible sourdough this past spring.) And it doesn’t matter one bit. You still get all the benefits (virtuous or not) whether or not you come away with a wearable scarf. You’re still going to be relaxed and mindful whether or not the beanie fits.

ADVERTISEMENT

But to make that hat, you’ll need balls of yarn and knitting needles. Look to specialized local yarn shops (L.Y.S.’s), big-box craft stores and online retailers like knitpicks.com and yarn.com, the website of the knitting retailer WEBS. Yarn and craft stores also offer instruction and specific learn-to-knit kits for beginners.

Know that yarn comes in different thicknesses, and needles are sized to suit. Always choose your yarn first — beginners might want something on the thicker side, and in a lighter color so you can see what you’re doing and make fast progress. The yarn label indicates the size of needle to use.

If you prefer learning with books, introductory manuals are easy to find in thrift and used-book stores, and the instructions themselves don’t change. But it might be worth investing in a newer one: The projects are more modern, and they use the readily available materials. “Vogue Knitting: The Learn To Knit Book” or “Knit How” are two good choices.

There are plenty of free online and video resources, too. The video lessons at knittinghelp.com are well presented, accurate and clear, while ModernDailyKnitting.com has articles, lessons, patterns and other goodies for knitters of all levels.

ADVERTISEMENT

To meet other knitters, check out the online classes, virtual knit-nights and other social gatherings hosted by a yarn shop in your area. Even if you can’t visit in person, their websites and social media will give you a sense of who they are and what they do.

In New York City, Knitty City and String Thing Studio are two shops that are striving to maintain and bolster knitting communities, even under this year’s necessary restrictions.

Felicia Eve, owner of String Thing Studio in Brooklyn, sells a standard kit for novices, and offers one-on-one appointments, both in-person and online, to teach the basics. She urges beginners to be soothed by knitting’s colors and textures, and to value its meditative nature, but also to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process.

“Cherish the wonkiness,” she said.

Want to pick up those needles and yarn?

More stories about knitting during lockdown

Knitting for the ApocalypseMay 8, 2020

In a Stressful Time, Knitting for Calm and ConnectionNov. 2, 2020

Managing Anxiety and Stress

Stay balanced in the face of stress and anxiety with our collection of tools and advice.

Newsletters you might like

DAILY

The Morning

Make sense of the day’s news and ideas. David Leonhardt and Times journalists guide you through what’s happening — and why it matters.Get this newsletter

AS NEEDED

Breaking News

Get informed as important news breaks around the world.Get this newsletter

WEEKDAYS

Coronavirus Briefing

An informed guide to the global outbreak, with the latest developments and expert advice about prevention and treatment.Get this newsletter

More in Science

ImageCredit…Watcharapong HongjamrassilpWhen Sarcastic Fringeheads Open Their Mouths, Watch Out

Why Some Penguins Give Up on Half of Their Unhatched Eggs

Secrets Preserved in the Skin of Dakota the ‘Dino Mummy’

ADVERTISEMENT

Site Information Navigation

Something went wrong. Please

But the craft can also trigger mental health benefits. Many studies have been published that show knitting helps to manage chronic pain, improve cognitive function and even increase happiness. Perhaps most relevant to these uncertain times, a survey of knitters taken last year by the Abo Akademi University in Finland indicated that they felt knitting “can be a counterbalance to a stressful job, hectic lifestyle or other demanding situations in life.”

Amy Reddinger, a dean at Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Mich., came back to knitting after a long hiatus in March, when the campus closed and she needed a way to get away from screens. Her first project was an ambitious one — a complicated shawl using some fairly advanced techniques.

ADVERTISEMENThttps://4d484827728e7aeac0abbd75435d9723.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html?n=0

“I almost quit a lot of times,” Ms. Reddinger, 45, said. “But I kept at it, and I was both miserable and joyful at times — it was a good emotional process for me.”

She valued the level of challenge as a “great distraction from the chaos and stress of the unknown.”

It’s well known in knitting circles that there are two types of knitters: those who focus on the results — a comfortable sweater, mittens to match a new winter coat, a gift for an upcoming baby shower — and those who focus on the process. Process knitters knit for knitting’s sake. They value the soothing repetitive motions and the feel of the yarn running through their fingers, relish the colors, the act of creation. They enjoy the good things that come with it, without having to fuss about their work being perfect, or their scarf being stylish.

If you are considering picking up knitting, think of it as meditation with a little bit of equipment. Approach it for the joy of the process and to take some pressure off. (Also, it’s a good way to keep your hands out of the candy bowl if you want to change your eating habits.)

ADVERTISEMENT

And if the result is something that can keep you (or a friend or family member) warm, it’s a fantastic bonus. Just think: scarves! Hats! Mittens! Sweaters! Stylish statements, gifts for loved ones, blankets to welcome new babies. Once you become more accomplished, you’ll be a mitten machine.

Ruhee Dewji, a Canadian software developer who lives on her own, took up knitting in early spring at the encouragement of some friends. Before the pandemic, Ms. Dewji, 31, filled her spare time playing music in bands; she found playing on her own during lockdown just emphasized her loneliness.

She finds knitting an uncomplicated joy with many benefits, but one stands out.

“I’ve mostly made things for other people, and I realized that when you are making something for someone you love, you are thinking about them with every single stitch, and somehow that feels less lonely even though I am doing it all alone,” she said.

Although knitting is a single-person activity, many knitters enjoy gathering, both online and in person, to share the successes, laugh about the mistakes and learn from one another. The portability of knitting is crucial, and as knitting doesn’t require one’s full focus or attention, you are able to engage with the people around you. In the Before Times, yarn shops would hold knit-nights and libraries had crafting groups. There are also formal knitting guilds, and most major cities seem to have at least one group of self-identified “drunken knitters” who meet in bars.

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Most knit-nights and classes went virtual early this year, making them accessible to faraway members and those nearby with physical or other limitations that may not let them appear in person.

Before the pandemic, Seattle Yarn hosted three regular in-person gatherings every week. Destiny Itano, a co-owner, said that when travel and gathering restrictions were put in place, both staff members and customers were “devastated” at the thought that these groups might not continue. Within a couple of weeks of the city’s lockdown, they set up online sessions and have been hosting two events a week ever since. Ms. Itano said that she was “surprised how well they work — not only as social gatherings, but as a way for knitters to offer and get help with their stitching.”

And the local knitting community has expanded: Ms. Itano’s mother joins from her home in Alaska, and a regular attendee to their Saturday morning group lives in Germany. They plan to keep these groups going even after the shop is fully operational again.

Before you begin, know that focusing on the end result means that many beginners are often too impatient with the inevitably imperfect results of their first projects. The first of anything you make will not be great. (Admit it, there was some disastrously inedible sourdough this past spring.) And it doesn’t matter one bit. You still get all the benefits (virtuous or not) whether or not you come away with a wearable scarf. You’re still going to be relaxed and mindful whether or not the beanie fits.

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But to make that hat, you’ll need balls of yarn and knitting needles. Look to specialized local yarn shops (L.Y.S.’s), big-box craft stores and online retailers like knitpicks.com and yarn.com, the website of the knitting retailer WEBS. Yarn and craft stores also offer instruction and specific learn-to-knit kits for beginners.

Know that yarn comes in different thicknesses, and needles are sized to suit. Always choose your yarn first — beginners might want something on the thicker side, and in a lighter color so you can see what you’re doing and make fast progress. The yarn label indicates the size of needle to use.

If you prefer learning with books, introductory manuals are easy to find in thrift and used-book stores, and the instructions themselves don’t change. But it might be worth investing in a newer one: The projects are more modern, and they use the readily available materials. “Vogue Knitting: The Learn To Knit Book” or “Knit How” are two good choices.

There are plenty of free online and video resources, too. The video lessons at knittinghelp.com are well presented, accurate and clear, while ModernDailyKnitting.com has articles, lessons, patterns and other goodies for knitters of all levels.

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To meet other knitters, check out the online classes, virtual knit-nights and other social gatherings hosted by a yarn shop in your area. Even if you can’t visit in person, their websites and social media will give you a sense of who they are and what they do.

In New York City, Knitty City and String Thing Studio are two shops that are striving to maintain and bolster knitting communities, even under this year’s necessary restrictions.

Felicia Eve, owner of String Thing Studio in Brooklyn, sells a standard kit for novices, and offers one-on-one appointments, both in-person and online, to teach the basics. She urges beginners to be soothed by knitting’s colors and textures, and to value its meditative nature, but also to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process.

“Cherish the wonkiness,” she said.

Want to pick up those needles and yarn?

More stories about knitting during lockdown

Knitting for the ApocalypseMay 8, 2020

In a Stressful Time, Knitting for Calm and ConnectionNov. 2, 2020

Managing Anxiety and Stress

Stay balanced in the face of stress and anxiety with our collection of tools and advice.

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Mindful worrying

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/02/smarter-living/how-to-worry-mindfully.html

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But getting lost in worries is emotionally depleting, and it interferes with moving forward. That’s why it’s worth improving how you handle this pesky mental habit.

Many of us worry because we feel that it helps us plan. It’s tempting to keep unsettling issues top of mind — the same way we review our to-dos — to prepare.

“Our minds will try to solve a problem, even if it’s a problem that