Knitting and crocheting are two popular yarn crafts. Although the techniques involved are quite different, the benefits achieved from each are quite similar. Whether you do, or want to do, one or both crafts, knitting and crocheting provide relaxation and a wonderful way to create hand-made gifts and decorations for every holiday.

Relaxation

Whether you’re clicking knitting needles together or silently hooking away, knitting and crocheting are meditative and relaxing. Something about the feel of the yarn and the repetitive nature of the motions involved helps the brain relax and achieve a nearly meditative state. External pressures and problems disappear as your brain and body hone in on the creation process.

In fact, studies show that creativity and positive emotions are deeply connected in the brain. Depending on emotions, different regions of the brain are activated during the creative process. Sad or angry emotions may impede the creative flow, but are also often more easily expressed through creativity than those of happiness and joy. Happy emotions, however, allow the creative process to flow more freely.

 The wonderful thing about knitting and crocheting, however, is that it activates a creative process, but since most yarn workers use patterns, it doesn’t require that same active creative flow that creation of original painting or music would. Knitting and crocheting enable the brain to process any negative emotions in a peaceful, disconnected manner.

Hand-Made Gifts

Everyone loves giving and getting gifts. When they’re hand-made with care and love the joy on both sides is even greater. A scarf or sweater for a birthday, a blanket for a new baby or a marriage, a set of placemats and napkins to celebrate the purchase of a home…the list could go on forever. Items like this are completely unique and special. They’ll be truly appreciated by the receiver and the giver will experience heightened joy as a result.

Halloween

For the upcoming Halloween fun, kids need warm costumes and your home, or your neighbors’ might enjoy a unique Halloween themed decoration or two. Check out our fun hand-dyed Witch’s Underpants self-striping yarn to make all sorts of amazing Halloween creations.

Halloween also means Candy Corn and other sugary treats. We’re so inspired by the vibrant colors of these tooth-shaped sugar bits that we made a yarn and a sock pattern to bring the fun to your feet! They’d be the perfect way to keep your feet warm under a witch or jack-o-lantern costume.

Christmas

Christmas is full of wonderful opportunities to create decorations with knitting and crocheting patterns. Stockings hung by the fire, tree skirts and ornaments, and cuddly toys are just a few ideas. Check our our Peppermint self-striping yarn to make a set of candy canes to hang on your tree.

Hand-Made Decorations

Some of the ideas above you may want to keep for yourself. Fortunately, they’re so much fun to do, you can make some for yourself and some for your friends and family. And with so many different yarns to choose from, you can make them all slightly different and unique.

What other ideas do you have?