I’m a wife of a busy husband and a mom of older boys. I often find myself sitting down between this and that chore, and I have ALWAYS done better thinking when my hands are busy. Knitting is the perfect activity- I’m really drawn to the idea of doing something creative that can bless other people and be productive with all those little moments that might otherwise not get used for much.

So that’s where knitting has come in, I guess. It’s the perfect combination of creativity and productivity – I can take it anywhere, pick it up for moments or hours, while I’m alone, or while talking over coffee with a friend, or riding in a car on the way to visit our son at college. It has become a great companion for me to just have on-hand to pick up as needed. A few years ago, I started out making small things for my family. Scarves, hats, then I moved on to gloves and socks, then whole sweaters.

Then I found a few patterns for small stuffed animals, and my repertoire (and menagerie) grew from there. It didn’t take long before I started giving these creations away, and they even started becoming intentional gifts. It’s become a powerful way for me to bless others. I love the process of choosing an appropriate pattern and yarn colors for someone specific, and I often pray for the people while I’m making gifts I plan to bless them with. I don’t usually tell them up front, I like to surprise them with the creation at the end, it’s more fun that way! The key thing for me is that anyone can find ways to do something like this – use little scraps of time or material and a little planning and thought to make something that isn’t just a fun diversion but also a way to bring people closer together. I guess when you look at it that way, I’m really knitting PEOPLE together! In this world where we just seem to be unravelling more and more as a society, that’s something we all could put a little more thought into.