December 24--And All is Quiet!

In our household on this day, we gather as a family for the evening dinner.  Some had to work most of the day, but we come together to share this peaceful end to a busy day.

We will snuggle up in our beds and began a restful night 

anticipating the arrival of Santa

Here's to you and your family

a blessed Christmas Eve

16 To Read in 2016 Winter

Okay, I'm thinking about the holidays--but, I get to thinking about what I want to read

this winter after the hectic holiday has gone.

I don't want to get those winter time blues!

Here is a listing of delicious books to devour this winter!

I have placed a couple on my list as gifts from family--

Sugar and Soul has the listing!  I'm already eyeing my first read--"Letters of Skye". 

I've read "11-23-63"--Interesting as all of Stephen King books are.

What will you read this winter?

New Craze--Homemade Laundry Butter!

I know we are all more conscious about our soaps for body and laundry; so, in that vein here is the new craze for you to investigate.  I don't have the time or energy to dive into making my own laundry butter now--but, it's on the list of things to do in 2016!
I Believe I Can Fry  has a recipe for this Butter

Custer Cottage  another blog about whipping up the good stuff

Budget 101 and frequent asked questions.

and a video to get you in the spirit of whipping up some butter for your use!

It's Not Just For Old Ladies!

A recent article from Health Cure Corner made my day!  The title was "Science Says Knitting Makes Humans Warmer And Happier, Mentally

“Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.” – Elizabeth Zimmermann

My mother was a great knitter and produced some wonderful garments such as Aran sweaters which were extremely fashionable when I was young. She also knitted while my father drove, which caused great amusement. I often wondered why she did that but I think I know the answer now.

Knitting is good for your mental health, according to some research studies. The Washington Post mentions a 2013 survey of about 3,500 knitters who were asked how they felt after a knitting session. Over 80% of them said they definitely felt happier. It is not a totally female occupation as more and more men take it up to get the same benefits. Harry Styles (One Direction) enjoys knitting. So does Russell Crowe although he does it to help him with anger management!

The Neural Knitwork Project

In Australia, Neural Knitworks was started to encourage people to knit and also become aware of neuroscience and mental health issues. Knit-ins were organized but garments were not the only things created. The knitters produced handmade neurons (1,665 of them!) to make a giant brain. The 2015 project will make more neural knitted networks (neural knitworks) and they will be visible online. You can see some more examples of woolly neurons on the Neural Knitworks Facebook page.

While people knitted, crocheted and crafted yarn, they listened to experts talking about mental health issues such as addiction, dementia, depression, and how neurons work.

The knitting and neural connection

The human brain has about 80 billion neurons. Learning new skills, social interaction, and physical activity all help to forge neural connections which keep the brain healthy and active. They are creating networks to control movement and make memories. The knitters learn that as they create the woollen neurons, their own neurons are forming new pathways in their brains. Their creations are mimicking the processes in their brains to a certain extent. At the same time, their brains are registering new and interesting information as they learn interesting facts about the brain and how it works. I love the knitworks and networks pun. What a brilliant idea!

More mental health benefits from knitting

Betsan Corkhill is a physiotherapist and has published some results of completed studies on her website, appropriately named Stitchlinks. She conducted some experiments herself and found that knitting was really helpful in reducing panic and anxiety attacks.

Knitters feel happier and in a better mood

Ann Futterman-Collier, Well Being Lab at Northern Arizona University, is very interested in how textile therapy (sewing, knitting, weaving and lace-making) can play an important role in mood repair and in lifting depressive states.

She researched 60 women and divided them into three different groups to do some writing, meditating and work with textiles. She monitored their heartbeat, blood pressure and saliva production. The women in the textiles group had the best results when their mood was assessed afterwards. They were in a better mood and had managed to reduce their negative thoughts better than those in the writing and meditation groups.

“People who were given the task to make something actually had less of an inflammatory response in the face of a ‘stressor’.” – Dr. Futterman Collier

The dopamine effect on our happiness

Our brains produce a chemical called dopamine. This helps us to feel happy, more motivated, and assists also with focus and concentration. We get a boost of dopamine after sex, food, exercise, sleep, and creative activities.

There are medications to increase dopamine but there are lots of ways we can do it naturally. Textile therapy and crafting are the easiest and cheapest. We can create something and then admire it. In addition, this allows for a little bit of praise and congratulations. Although this is likely not your goal, all these can boost our dopamine and we just feel happier and more fulfilled. These are essential in facing new challenges and coping with disappointment in life.

“Sometimes, people come up to me when I am knitting and they say things like, “Oh, I wish I could knit, but I’m just not the kind of person who can sit and waste time like that.” How can knitting be wasting time? First, I never just knit; I knit and think, knit and listen, knit and watch. Second, you aren’t wasting time if you get a useful or beautiful object at the end of it.” – Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much.

Day 8 of 24...........................................

My advent knitting.

I'm so far behind!  

I know this will not be completed by Christmas, but

I'm chugging along and loving every stitch I make

I searched through my fibers and found this handspun cotton-- !

It's so soft and easy to knit--two ply.  The pattern is designed by Tricia Weatherston, on Ravelry.

It is cables and lace stitches--I'm learning  new techniques too!

Someday I will show off my Advent scarf!

Seeing Stars! And Snowflakes!

Oh how I like to use Origami to make small items!

I think these are the greatest decorations around....

Stars--Stars--Stars.

Homemade Gifts Made Easy has the perfect video

and photo display to show you how easy it is to fold these stars.

And then I found this super duper video on how to make fabric

snowflakes!  I know--fabric! snowflakes!  I have made paper snowflakes

many times, and there are plenty of examples on Pinterest

But, fabric snowflakes are just as easy to make!

and there is still time left to decorate the house with

these magical snowflakes!  plus I can use up my

fabric stash!

Add to January List............................

                                                                     

Just Crafty Enough has an interesting Knit Along coming in January--Skills needed to make this mitten are knitting in the round, stranded color work, picking up stitches, increasing and decreasing and kitchener stitch.  Sounds like a winner--small project with several techniques.

And if you are a quilter--join in on this Row by Row Block of the Month--each month's pattern

is free till the next month comes out.  if you do each month, you'll be ready for 2016

Christmas! 

2016 is already beginning to look like a good year!