Good afternoon everyone! Phew, Friday has finally made it to Darn Good Yarn!

Chriss who has brought us amazing crochet patterns and fabulous crafting ideas on Darn Good Yarn (read more about her here)

Let’s support Chriss and her 30 day experiment of her experience of trying a lacto ovo vegetarian diet for 30 days. She will be posting her experiences daily, sharing recipes, and giving her honest opinion about vegetarianism. Here’s a link to her new blog: http://thezenveggie.blogspot.com/

Oh how I love to cook! Offical chef of Darn Good Yarn

Ever since watching Julie and Julia, it’s made me fall in love with my kitchen. No, I’m not making everything Julia Child’s style because I don’t have a defibrillator in my dining room. But I do like putting an apron on and chopping stuff and experimenting.

Actually, I have a funny story for you! Last weekend, I made gluten free chocolate chip cookies. For me, they were light, sort of like thick crepes. It was perfect for me. I said to my husband Mike, “You must have one! These are the best cookies ever!”. So, he starts eating it. I tell you, he had the saddest “Cookie Eating Face” I have ever seen. He said, “You said these were the best cookies ever’. Ouch…. I guess I needed a couple of more sticks of butter, some lard, maybe deep fried them and it would have been good!

So, a girl needs an apron. In my case, aprons. Enter, Doris! I found her wonderful aprons on etsy!

Darn Good Yarn now sells a couple of wonderful items she makes just for us crafters too:

But this morning, Doris emailed me and a few sentences stuck out in her email that I wanted to share with you:

remember, all the work can wait for a day – one must take time to enjoy themselves. I didn’t learn that until I took early retirement and I almost learned it the hard way. Now – I believe that 1/3 of our time should be work, 1/3 of our time for family and 1/3 of our time to just simply enjoy life

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! ~Nicole

But we’re not here to talk about patterns today, I wanted to point you to this awesome blog post about the power of thrift stores, upcycling and sewing! Behold the power: HEY CLICK ME!

MMM hmm. Pretty cool eh?

Click here to visit Rambling Designs

Before we get started, here is a 5% off coupon to get you started! Write it down and use it during checkout: KHDGYSB

Need inspiration? Check out our free patterns and our featured artists with some of the cool stuff they’ve made!

So, take a few minutes and browse around. Go ahead, follow me on Twitter or Facebook too because I post up sales during the week.

Namaste,

Nicole (Mike and Squeakers.. the great husband and great mini-schanuzer in that order:) )

Darn Good Yarn’s Twitter Updates: Yarn, Life and Antics

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One of Darn Good Yarn’s Fans sent me this article about Stress Eating and Knitting…. hmm I wonder if I knit really really fast if I can burn the pounds off… Enjoy!

Did you know that knitting may be the perfect antidote to stress eating? So if you think knitting isn’t cool, you may just want to reconsider.

A 2009 study published in the journal of Eating and Weight Disorders put knitting to the test. The researchers wanted to see if knitting had any notable clinical benefits and whether it could be a useful tool in helping people lessen the amount of obsessing they do about food and their weight.

Avid knitters have been telling us for years about the therapeutic benefits of knitting. But how could it help prevent comfort eating? In part, the rhythmic movements and clicking of the needles can put you into a zone-like state. It is much like the trance comfort eaters experience while chewing on food. Thinking about nothing is boring and often a trigger for mindless eating. Doing something easy yet productive, like knitting, is a welcome mini break for an overloaded, stressed out mind.

The Study: The participants in this study were seeking treatment at an eating disorder treatment facility. In other words, these were people who chronically struggle with anxious thoughts about food and their weight. Their issues are generally much more intense than the typical emotional eater (so if it works for them, it is likely to work for you).

Intervention: The participants were taught how to knit and given supplies.
Results: The results? Overall, the participants reported that they were much less preoccupied with anxious thoughts of food and weight while knitting.

Almost three quarters of the participants indicated that knitting helped them in these ways:

Lessened the intensity of their fears and thoughts about food/weight/shape
Helped to clear their mind
Reportedly had a calming and therapeutic effect

Why it Works: It is difficult to worry about food and do a visual spatial task at the same time. Something has to give. Also, creating something such as a blanket or scarf feels productive. Not to mention that you get a sense of achievement when you’ve mastered a new skill.

What if I Hate Knitting & Crafts But Need Help With Comfort Eating? That’s okay. We aren’t all meant to spin yarn into something crafty. If you don’t like knitting, try another visual spatial task (video games, puzzles, cross-stitching, painting, computer games). Or, see 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food which has a variety of other ideas on calming yourself without food.

So, the moral of the story: Take a knitting lesson from your grandmother or a class online. If you are a comfort eater, find a visual spatial task like knitting to keep your hands busy and give your mind a place to rest without food.
Given how easy and inexpensive knitting is, it is worth a try.

By the author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food and Eating Mindfully.
Dr. Susan AlbersAuthor, “50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food” and “Eating Mindfully”
Posted: September 8, 2009

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-susan-albers/the-hippest-old-fashioned_b_278469.html