I'm With Virginia Woolf

I'm with Virginia Woolf when she said,

"Knitting is the saving of life".

 

 

(Hot off the knitting needles, I love this new hat.

If you look close you'll see the skulls!)

Although Virginia committed suicide at the age of 59, she spent more than 30 years knitting and (I hope) letting the practice of knitting soothe her soul. I learned to knit during a winter storm. The storm was unexpected and my husband was caught in the middle of it on his motorcycle. The anxiety and helplessness I felt were overwhelming. I felt compelled to grab an ancient ball of yarn and two bent knitting needles (both inherited from my grandmother), and a child's knitting book. By the end of the evening I knew what Virgina knew. I was soothed and artistically satiated. Knitting soon became one of the loves of my life; it's meditative quality making knitting downright therapeutic. Knit wear warms the body, knit gifts warm the heart and knit blankets encourage huddling and cuddling. But for me and Virgina, the very act of knitting can stave off depression.

 

(This painting of Virginia Woolf knitting was painted by her sister Vanessa Bell.)