How a Bit of Knitting Helps Me Find Joy Again

How a Bit of Knitting Helps Me Find Joy Again

Autumn always feels like a season of change — a bit of letting go, a bit of beginning again. This year, I’ve been finding joy in the small things: a finished project (albeit a commission and not a wip!), a cup of tea cooling beside me, the satisfaction of weaving in the last thread on a project I thought I’d never finish.

When life has been heavy, those little finishes have meant more than I can say. Picking up my needles and completing something — anything — reminds me that progress is possible, even when it’s just a few stitches at a time.

Knitting teaches patience. It slows me down just enough to notice that joy hasn’t disappeared — it’s just quieter now. It hides in the soft yarn between my fingers, in the moment I get lost counting rows, in the beauty of something handmade taking shape again.

Lately, I’ve also rediscovered the pleasure of adding beads to my knitting — I’ve made a shawl and two hats this way, and it’s been surprisingly joyful to practise that technique again. There’s something so satisfying about watching each tiny glint of light appear stitch by stitch.

It reminded me how much there is still to explore — how every time we return to our craft, we can find something new to enjoy.

So if you’ve been feeling a bit weary, maybe it’s time to pick up your needles again. Start small. Try something that sparkles a little. Let the rhythm of the stitches bring you back to yourself — and to the quiet joy that’s always been waiting there.

Nessa