One Year of Firsts: Knit It

Day 34

By LU ANN CAHN

Updated 1:15 AM EDT, Thu, Feb 4, 2010

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Knitting is a boon for those of us who are easily bored. I take my knitting everywhere to take the edge off of moments that would otherwise drive me stark raving mad. ~Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

I always looked at Marsha Dickstein's beautiful knitted scarves with envy. I can't remember how many times I've said "Wow you made that? I want to learn to knit. Teach me." Tonight we began.

You know what's interesting. I was just knitting for maybe 45 minutes, but I swear I felt my whole body relax while we sat and talked in Marsha's kitchen.

My mother used to knit and I have some faint memory of knitting myself when I was about 10. I don't think I ever made anything. I don't think I had the patience. Tonight the needles clicking seemed soothing somehow after a long day.

I got about a dozen perfect rows done tonight.

I did a story once with a doctor who told me the part of the brain that lights up when you pray or meditate is the same part of the brain that is engaged when you knit. There really is something prayerful about it. Some wonder if that's where the soul lives.

Hmmm. I just know I may start taking my little knitting project around with me for awhile and see what happens. What am I knitting? Who knows. Maybe a new chapter in my life.