Knitting Can Stop You Smoking!

Would you be surprised if I told you that knitting is a fantastic method to help stop smoking?

When smokers finally make the decision to give up, many find that they need to do something, anything
to take their minds off the craving. This is why knitting is a fantastic replacement for smoking.

1. Replace the habit of the hand to mouth action by keeping hands busy with knitting a scarf or crocheting a blanket.
   Some people eat instead so unless you’re planning on exercising a lot, you will pile on weight and this is just as
   unhealthy as smoking. Other people use nicotine replacement therapy with fake cigarettes. However, some of these ‘cigarettes’ have been shown to give reformed smokers mouth cancers. Knitting is a complete replacement to keep your hands busy so you can’t smoke or fill your face!
    
2. "But smoking calms me down!" You don’t need to worry that you can’t relax without a cigarette, knitters find that they begin to breathe in time with their stitches, the rhythmical clicking of the needles almost musical and some knitters report that they enter a relaxed, trance-like state when they clear their minds. Knitting is an excellent relaxant, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna all sing the praises of how relaxing knitting is.
    
3. Once you have learned the basics, there is no limit to what you can do. It is easier to break the mental ties of smoking once you have a project to focus on. Want to learn a new crochet pattern or learn how to knit a funky pair of baby booties? This is the perfect time to learn! You might be short on patience from the physical withdrawal symptoms but stay with it. Don’t punch above your weight but once you start seeing results, it’s hugely encouraging.

Remember, it only takes a few days to get the nicotine out of your system. After the first terrible few days, your cravings are not physical; your cravings are entirely habit. You no longer NEED a fag. The habit takes longer to break than coping with the withdrawal symptoms as the evil chemicals leave your body. The most important thing to remember is that this won’t last forever, so please do persevere. If you need more support with your knitting or using knitting to give up smoking, try your local knitting circle or ‘Stitch and Bitch’.

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