For me knitting is an extension of the type of things I’ve always liked to do. I like being creative, but want what I make to be useful. I used to have a milk cow and raised hogs, chickens, calves and sold milk and eggs. I loved making cheese and butter and ice cream. At one point in time with the animals and my garden all I had to buy was sugar,flour, salt and a few other items. We live off of my “hobby”. My cow died and I got into breeding horses and training them for others until my health wouldn’t allow me to ride much anymore. I then started a perennial nursery and did that for about a decade until my body wouldn’t tolerate the workload. Throughout knitting had been something I did when I couldn’t be outside. As I have aged and damaged more of my joints, knitting has become the primary way I still create. It has darn near become an obsession since I found KH. I still am making something useful and enjoying myself at the same time.
For me, knitting is partly an experience like Amber’s - I am not one to sit idly and watch television or just look at the scenery on a car ride. I used to read obsessively, but I concentrate on that so deeply that I usually don’t hear what’s going on around me, which drives the men in my life insane! 
So, now I knit…when I’m not working or blogging or on this forum or cooking or shopping or just “Being Mom”!
You see, I have two sons, ages 12 and 19, a hubby, a bunch of pets, a couple of friends and their pets borrowing my spare room for various reasons, and a very busy, very high-stress job. My DH and older son both have ADD, and my younger son is just, well, 12! So, I always wind up having to be the brain in the family, in addition to the stress of my job.
So - knitting is part relaxation, part keeping me from the inanity of watching TV, and part creative outlet. And a lot of pride in producing something to keep someone warm or make them feel pretty or something.
it’s brought me out of my shell… I’m normally the one hiding away in the corner because I hate crowds and don’t like talking to people (i have been dealing with an anxiety disorder).
I have some of the most interesting conversations in some of the oddest places and have even been caught on camera (Capital news 9… they showed me standing in line w/ my dh waiting for our Harry Potter book 7 knitting away on my son’s sweater LOL)…
I taught myself how to knit after a very painful breakup; I was living with my boyfriend, and after “irreconcilable differences” I moved out quite abruptly. As a poor college student (with a diet consisting of nothing but Ramen noodles and a beat-up car that always seems to be out of gas), I had to force myself to continue managing both school and work on top of moving mid-semester and handling my anguish over my failed relationship. As desperate as it sounds, I had to relearn the joys of life without having my partner there.
My new roommate (and dear friend) suggested that I find a hobby in order to regain contentment with my single life. I went to the bookstore, searched through a big book of hobby ideas and developed a “crush” on the prospect of knitting. Alas, instead of coming to terms with my singularity, I was driven into the arms of another.
My knitting and I have been together since late October, and I think we’re in it for the long haul! 
In fact, I’ve already had to give up half of my closet space. :teehee:
My story isn’t dramatic. Yarn/fiber therapy is truly helpful. It helps to always have a super easy project OTN at all times. Knitting is also my favorite art form.
I also have a super soft cat when I need a fur fix.
And then of course there is prayer.
I started both knitting and crocheting when I started college this year. I can’t get enough of it. Every day I always discover something new about knitting and can’t wait to learn it. Knitting is always my zen too for when I get stressed with work. Knitting is my stress reliever, and my life!
:knitting:
:woot:
~Jak
I’ve been knitting seriously now for almost 5 yrs. I really love it. It has a calming effect on me. I also enjoy buying knitting books and wonderful yarns.
I knit almost daily now. It makes me feel creative. I see a project and then I knit it to prove to myself that I can do it. Then I move on to the next thing.
Having two young grandchildren has been a big encouragement to keep on knitting.:knitting: :knitting:
i taught myself to knit 3 months ago!! yay me!!
I just learned to knit this month, I thought it would be something to do sometimes. HA I’m already obsessed. We moved here in June so that my DH (who by the way found this site for me) could go back to school to become a teacher. I have some fairly serious medical problems that keep me from working, and doing all the things that I used to enjoy. I have been extremely depressed since moving because of the lack of knowing anyone or having anything to do. MY MIL actually asked me if there were any classes I wanted to take, so I took a knitting class. It has given me something to do, that gives me something to show for all the time that I sit in this house, calms me when I am anxious, gives my mind something to do (there will be lots of learning, I would think for years to come), allowed me to meet another person in this state, and I hope allows me to make beautiful things and meet some more people. My DH family lives here but they… humm well lets say are usually less than understanding.
So thank you to MIL, all of the nice knitters on the net, and to the yarn gods :happydance: and absolutely who ever runs this site (I really love those videos!):yay:
Knitting is definitely changing my life in some wonderful ways…
I tend to be left-brained as a rule and so anything creative that I can do tends to balance me out nicely and it’s a great calming outlet for a stressful day (being step-mom to two teenagers can give you just a wee bit of stress now and then!).
I think what attracts me most to knitting (and I don’t in any way mean to not include men in this but it’s focused more toward women) is that when I knit, I feel connected to not only thousands of you women now that are doing the same craft but to countless women from past generations who were knitting too. It’s like a connectedness thing, I guess.
I am 68 and “retired” from a hectic career 1.5 years ago. I left everything and moved in with my DD to take care of my then 9-year-old granddaughter.
Trying to adjust to not being in charge was difficult. Rather than end up as live-in help, I escaped to my hobbies.
I have knit for years and years, but not very well. I saw a picture of one of Alan Dart’s Gnomes and just had to do one. That got me started it.
I wanted to knit all the time. It doesn’t get that cold here in San Antonio and, if it does, it doesn’t last long. Needing an outlet for my efforts, I found a wonderful group called BlueBonnet Babies. Most of the members crochet (it hurts my hands too much for me to do it all the time) and we make blankets, hats, booties, etc for the local hospitals and for Fort Sam Houston.
In order to meet the self-imposed requirements I bought a low-end knitting machine. I can crank out the stockingette stitch items then finish them up with handknitting or crocheting.
This Christmas I was able to knit something for everybody in the family and they actually liked them!
My DGD loves to give her friends things I have made. She isn’t quite ready to start knitting yet, but I do see it coming.
I learned to cross-stitch when I was a kid, and I always wanted to knit and crochet. My mom crochets, but she never taught me.
Well, cross-stitching and kids don’t mix very well. So I found this place, and figured out knitting. At first though, the kids still wanted to help me too much with knitting, so I didn’t make anything at first other than a really lopsided washcloth since I didn’t, at that time, quite get how to keep from accidentally increasing or decreasing. So for about a year after the washcloth I didn’t knit.
I just picked it back up after last Thanksgiving, and the kids are old enough now that they leave my WIP alone.
But I haven’t answered your question…what has it done for me? It gives me something productive to do, and is a good outlet for the desire to create something.
I’m much the same as many of the knitters on here - I’m dealing with an anxiety disorder. Knitting keeps me centered and calm and lets me experiment with new stuff without feeling like ‘everyone’ will know if I fail. It gives me something to be ‘good at’ - with one sister who paints and dances and sings, and one who dances and acts and sings, it helps to feel I stand out within the family. It’s also a connection to my grandmother, who taught me on boxing day 2005. She’s passed away now, but I always think of her when I pick up the needles.
I am 57 and learned to knit as a child but never kept up with it. I would always get frustrated because I was taught on aluminum needles and would drop stitches and become so discouraged that I wouldn’t pick them up again. I’ve always been creative bound between tole painting, cross stitch, crocheting and cake decorating but have always felt bad because I just could never get the hang of completing a knitting project. I’m an avid reader and about two years ago I started a series of books by Debbie Macomber the first one was the Shop on Blossom Street I believe and it was such a good book and they made knitting sound like such a relaxing and enjoyable hobby that I decided I was going to give it a shot again. So for the last couple years I have tried and tried again and was the hardest critic to myself and then I found this site. Watched video’s over and over and managed to teach myself the continental method as I only knew the English method before and was never pleased with the tension I was getting. Since learning continental I have finally felt good about how my knitting looks and have actually looked forward to sitting and working on a project when I come home from work. Now I’m juggling 5 great hobbies lol but love each and every one of them. In the last three weeks I have made three scarfs for my daughters three kids and they all love them and won’t go out without them on. Someday I hope to be able to master making them a sweater while they are still young.:knitting:
lol
I also find knitting a great stress reliever; especially after a long day at work, where you can finish something, but there’s always more waiting to be done. Then, you come home and do a little housework, but there’s always more waiting to be done.
I love that there is an actual feeling of accomplishment at the end of a project. It’s esteem-boosting, and it makes me want to do more projects. Thus we have the Circle of Life:Knitting Style!
Like Knit4Fun was saying, I also find that there is a feeling of connectedness. Meeting a fellow knitter is like running into an old friend you haven’t seen in ages.
Gee, I have little to add as all the posts above as they all pretty much sum up how I feel about starting up knitting again, after more years than I care to remember. My only regret: I ever gave it up! Of course, the house is a lot dustier, messier, dinners more simple (thank goodness for frozen foods), but sitting quietly in MY knitting corner, in the sunlit kitchen (glass roof over part of it), I find peace and enjoyment of creating something from scratch. I have sewn, quite well if I do say so myself, for many years but knitting is just different. More calming to me anyway. Thankfully, this came back into my life and I intend, as long as I can see, move the old hands, to continue clicking away.
I tell you…Knitting brings PEACE into my life…About a week after 9-11 happened , I really started to knit. It helped me with the pain, anger, fear, stress…It let me escape from reality and TV and goes to a nice place for awhile…Now I am in love with it and its my special time for just ME!
I am a relatively new knitter. I took up knitting 3 months ago, and for about a month and a half, I just toyed with the yarn and needles. I found this site while playing with purposely-dropped-stitches through a Google search. I just wanted to Google, “knit”, because I was obsessed. Addicted. Whatever you want to call it.
My schoolmate taught me. she taught me “wrong” and instead of the right needle in back, she puts it in front. I bought books and went online to find resources. I taught myself to purl, cable, make bobbles, and do everything. Except the knit stitch. Thank you, Bee!
After a month and a half, I got bored out my mind making ipod covers. Bleh! I never want to make short, teeny-weeny scarves and fold them over any more! I decided to look in the “Whatcha Knittin’?” section of this site. I found some interesting patterns. i got Cat Bordhi’s book, “Socks Soar On Two Circular Needles” for Christmas. I was so addicted that I took it really far. I bought yarn almost once a week and never went any where without a projects. I admit it. I am a lazy, caffine-OBSESSED, addicted knitter.
This January, I realzed all the good things I could be knitting. I got DPN’s and worsted weight yarn. I went to Silver’s site and taught myself to knit socks. Now I am sock obsessed. I recently just decided to CO for my first sweater.
Thank you for listening to my ramble. LOL
I am a mother of 2 teenage children and from 1995 to 2004 was a single mother. I am not technically out of single motherdom yet, but my DBF is so wonderful and so involved with the kids lives - going to parent teacher conferences, plays, taking them back to school shopping, etc - that it feels like I’m a little less “single” 
Anyway, I suffer terribly from anxiety and have been known to be way over protective. If my children didn’t call me when they got home from school and I couldn’t get a hold of them I would immediately assume the worse. I literally have cried myself silly believing that one of the other one was seriously injured or worse just because I couldn’t get a hold of them for a few hours. What ifs were driving me nuts!!!
I think some of it came from guilt because I couldn’t be a stay at home mom for them and I didn’t provide them with a good dad. I began to realize lately that my constant worry was making me sick. I had gastrointestinal problems, chest pains, fatigue and many other issues. I also realized that being out with my DBF and freaking out about the kids was going to put a kabosh on a good thing real quick! Thank God he’s a patient saint of a man . … lol
I did 2 things to help me calm down. I bought a watch with 3 alarms. When those alarms go off I re-evaluate my emotional thermometer at that moment, stop whatever I’m doing unless its dangerous to do so and just breathe a few times. I also started knitting. Its unbelievable how much different I feel in just a short amount of time. I’ve been knitting since November and I’m addicted. I’m calmer, I’m healthier and I’m happier - and so are my kids and DBF. My 17 yo DD even got to go out on a date without my hovering over her beforehand and when she was 10 minutes late . . . . I didn’t call her cell phone