As I sit with my knitting needles in hand, working on my cable sweater design, I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Not only am I creating something beautiful, but I’m also keeping my brain active and engaged.
Knitting and crochet have long been known for their mental health benefits, but they also have numerous cognitive benefits that are often overlooked. By engaging in these crafts, you can improve your cognitive function and keep your brain healthy and active.
One of the ways that knitting and crochet can boost cognitive function is through their demand for fine motor skills. When you’re knitting or crocheting, you’re using your hands and fingers in a precise and coordinated way, which can improve dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Plus, it’s just satisfying to see your stitches coming together into something beautiful.
But it’s not just about fine motor skills – knitting and crochet also require mental agility. When you’re following a pattern, you have to pay close attention to the instructions and make calculations in your head. You have to be able to switch between different stitches and techniques, and keep track of your progress. All of this requires mental focus and flexibility, which can help improve cognitive function.
It’s also a lot of fun learning and mastering new skills. As you become more experienced, you can take on more complex patterns and techniques, which can be both challenging and rewarding. This keeps your brain engaged and interested, problem solving and excited by colours, textures and possibilities.
For me, knitting and crochet are a powerful tool for improving my cognitive function. As someone who’s always been interested in puzzles and brain teasers (I am the kid who enjoyed equations in school!), I find that these activities provide a similar kind of mental stimulation. I love the challenge of learning new patterns and techniques, of designing, and the satisfaction of seeing my skills improve over time and the beautiful things that I make taking shape.
If you’re looking for a way to boost your cognitive function and keep your brain healthy, I highly recommend giving knitting or crochet a try. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced crafter, there’s always something new to learn and a new challenge to take on. So, why not pick up your needles or your hook and have a go at something new today?
We’ve just launched this month’s Knit and Crochet-a-longs, so why not give socks a go for your next project?
Our knitted socks are Simple Stay-Put Socks by Nikki Small (me) and our crochet socks are Gladioli Socks by Vicki Brown Designs. You can get 25% off the price of each of these patterns by using the code EFTKAL or EFTCAL respectively.