Knitting and Retirement

Retirement does not have to be boring or monotonous. There are many things that retirees can find to do that are rewarding and exciting. Some seniors find the hobby of knitting therapeutic, relaxing, and rewarding. Form a knitting group, and meet once a week to show off the beautiful things you are knitting, and share news with your friends.

A knitting party can be like the quilting parties in the early 1800's. Meeting once a week gives senior ladies a reason to get out of the house, and help each other learn to make new things or learn a new stitch. The group can start out by knitting blocks, and putting them together to make a throw, or baby blanket. Veterans hospitals encourage donations of slippers, throws, scarves, and sweaters.

Knitting helps keep the hands nimble and helps sharpen the memory. The Mayo clinic did a study on seniors and found that seniors who keep busy and involved in activities had 40% reduced risk of memory impairment in middle age, and the same activities reduced the risk in later life between 30% to 50%. The activities involved in this study were reading, knitting, patchwork, games, and crafts.

For beginners an easy starting stitch is the cast on stitch. This is a stretchy stitch and easy to learn. The purl stitch is a good one for seniors and those who can't see very well. The purl stitch requires the needle to be in a certain spot in order to make the purl stitch. The English Methods or American Methods have instructions with basic steps that are easy to learn.