Armenian Missionary Association of America 
Stitched With Love
AMAA Stitched With Love Program
Shows Benefits of Knitting and Crocheting
When Stitched with Love began a few years ago in 2013, we could not have imagined the outpouring of love and support that would come so quickly and generously from across the United States. To date, nearly 3,000 knit and crocheted items have been distributed to children throughout Armenia.
The joy and gratitude shown on the faces of the recipients in photos we receive and the expressions of thanks in letters to us are evidence of the impact from your love and support.
We all know the joy and satisfaction of giving and sharing our abundance with others. But for those of you who knit and crochet Stitched with Love items, you may not be aware of the added benefits you may enjoy from creating the items for our cause.
An article that appeared in the New York Times Personal Health Section on January 25, 2016 by Jane E Brody entitled “The Health Benefits of Knitting” covers this in detail. Here is a portion of the article which I would like to share with you.
“Last April, the Yarn Craft Council created a “Stitched Away Stress” campaign in honor of National Stress Awareness Month. Dr. Herbert Benson, a pioneer in mind/body medicine and author of “The Relaxation Response,” says that the repetitive action of needlework can induce a relaxed state like that associated with meditation and yoga. Once you get beyond the initial learning curve, knitting and crocheting can lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol. But unlike meditation, craft activities result in tangible and often useful products that can enhance self-esteem…
Since the 1990s, the Council has surveyed hundreds of thousands of knitters and crocheters, who routinely list stress relief and creative fulfillment as the activities’ main benefits…
Some people find that craftwork helps them control their weight. Just as it is challenging to smoke while knitting, when hands are holding needles and hooks, there’s less snacking and mindless eating out of boredom.
I’ve found that my handiwork with yarn had helped my arthritic fingers remain more dexterous as I age. A woman encouraged to try knitting and crocheting after developing an autoimmune disease that caused a lot of hand pain reported on the Craft Yarn Council site that her hands are now less stiff and painful…
Perhaps most exciting is research that suggests that crafts like knitting and crocheting may help to stave off a decline in brain function with age… The study, published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, found that those who engaged in crafts like knitting and crocheting had a diminished chance of developing mild cognitive impairment and memory loss…The researchers speculate that crafts promote the development of neural pathways in the brain that help to maintain cognitive health.”
So if you knitters and crocheters are wondering why you are so happy, stress-free, and still have great memories… wonder no more! Just keep knitting and crocheting for us.
If you wish to read the whole article please google the New York Times http://wellblogs.njtimes.com/2016/01/25/the-health-benefits-of-knitting/
Thank you again for your continuing support of Stitched with Love. We love receiving your gifts. If you have any questions, please email mviducich@amaa.org. Please mail all knitted and crocheted items to: Stitched with Love c/o AMAA, 31 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652.
If you wish to participate, you may download the Participant Form, Donation Form, Knit Pattern and Crochet Pattern by clicking on the links.
For more information on how to participate, you may also contact the AMAA office at 201.265.2607.
