Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knitting in the News: Help for Dementia Patients and Knitting is Good for You

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knit twiddelmuffs for dementia patientsI love stories about how people use knitting to help others, and thankfully there are lots of ways that we can use our needles for good. The staff and patients of Southmead Hospital in the UK (as well as other volunteers)  have been busy making “twiddlemuffs,” knit muffs that feature a variety of textures, buttons, knit flowers and little toys, which are used by dementia patients to keep their hands warm and busy.

It’s frustrating for patients who have been active (and maybe even crafters themselves) to not be able to see or concentrate long enough to do activities they used to enjoy, and these knit objects give them something to focus on, as well as tactile and mental stimulation.

The hospital had been the site of a knitting program, and joined forces with a local knitting group to provide after-work knitting times for staff and yarn for the project.

You can find a pattern on Ravelry if you want to get a closer look.

There have been untold numbers of stories about the health benefits of knitting, and the latest one making the rounds on the Internet comes from Yahoo! Makers and covers a study at Northern Arizona University looking at Textile Therapy, or how working with needles and yarn — or a needle and thread, for that matter — provides mental health benefits.

Clinical psychologist Ann Futterman-Collier studied 60 women with varying levels of stress and had them either write, craft or meditate and keep track of their mood during the activity. People who made something with their hands showed the greatest “mood repair” including decreased negative feelings and less inflammatory response in the face of stressors. Yet another reason to keep your needles close at all times!

[Photo from the Yate and Sodbury News.]

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.