Knitting Therapy

I've always known that hobbies like knitting, embroidery, cooking, sewing, etc can have therapeutic uses, but this fact was really driven home to me over the weekend. After having to tell two work friends (in my department) that their positions had been eliminated last week, it was incredibly difficult to get back on track. I felt that there needed to be some sort of personal closure, but wasn't quite sure how that could happen in a short period of time.

Friday night, I decided that a small knitted gift may do the trick. I would be able to focus on each of their personalities . . . selecting the right pattern and yarn from my overflowing stash . . . and be able to do something productive while sorting through the changes. I'd also be able to share one of my personal hobbies with people I regard as friends, but won't be able to see on a daily basis moving forward.

In the past, I reserved handcrafted gifts for family or as part of craft swaps because it is giving away a part of me. This seemed like the right time to break tradition and give to two people who had made a big difference in my life.

Three days later . . . after watching numerous movies and changing my mind on the pattern for one scarf several times . . . I had two scarves that I personally liked and felt would be appreciated by others. I'm about to go out to lunch with them and give them their gifts. I can't wait to see their reactions and hope that it's apparent that this gift is from the heart.