You know that I love to knit and crochet. I say it all the time. I wanted to confirm my belief that they also contribute to a healthier life style so I did some investigating.   CBS did a  report  in 2009 on how crafts such as knitting and crocheting are good for the brain! The Mayo Clinic said  that there is evidence that activities such as knitting and crocheting help prevent memory loss in older people. The figure that they threw out was 30-50% less memory loss! The same segment showed a group of people at a LYS Modern Yarn (could be the one in Montclair, NJ) and talked about how eclectic the group was.  There were several men, one younger, one older and women of various ages. They were knitting and crocheting and talking about how they were able to unwind and take their minds off of their jobs and get lost in the craft. The sense of community also benefits people who are in knitting/crochet groups.

Another article says that people have been able to get relief from pain when they are concentrating on knitting or crocheting, children with disruptive behavior benefited from the repetitive action of knitting and crocheting, people fighting addictions such as smoking find that knit and crochet can take the place of the cigarettes and there is a small bit of evidence that the immune system can be enhanced by these activities. So keep those needles and hooks going you just might be getting a benefit you didn’t think about.