Cross Stitching is like Computer Programming
Computer programming or coding requires analytical skills. These skills allow us to think of a solution to a problem, design a plan comprising of multiple steps and accomplish them by writing multiple lines of code. Each of these lines have been intentionally written to play a vital role in a software package or analytical pipeline.
Cross stitching is quite like programming where the input is the combination of colours, the algorithm is the pattern chart, and the output is a beautiful design you have created.
As you stitch, you have to decode the pattern symbols into thread colours and the pattern is often built up across rows. If there’s a bug or mis-stitching in a row, you have to fix that to create your pattern as you intended it to look like.
Keeping that in mind, we invite you to explore cross-stitching as a hobby for programmers. This lesson is designed to train a beginner to learn how to cross stitch and use it as a hobby to mindfully enjoy their breaks from work.
Why cross stitch?
On a daily basis, we use smartphones and computers for everything we do. Starting from getting instant access to news and the latest information in the morning, to learning a new programming language or other skills for getting our job done at work, to online shopping that makes our day-to-day life possible. Needless to say, such excessive use of technology leads to information overload and often results in burnout and other mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression [1].
Spending time on an activity beside work can create opportunities for you to be more creative while doing something you enjoy, which can also significantly improve your mental health and well-being. We introduce cross stitching as such an activity.
Cross stitching can help you relax by bringing mindfulness into your daily life, while still engaging your analytical mind and rewarding it by creating something amazing with your time and skills. Sarah Gibson, a Research Engineer, an expert cross stitcher, and the primary author of this lesson, shares her personal motivations with you below.
Sarah’s Impact Story
I was taught to cross stitch in my early teens by my aunt. It was also the same time she got me into heavy metal music and took to me to my first rock music gigs. She is still by far the coolest member of my family!
I stuck with cross stitching as a hobby for a number of reasons, but most of all I do it because it keeps my hands busy. In an evening, I would often find myself mindlessly scrolling through social media when I was supposed to be paying attention to a film or a conversation with my friend. Cross stitching keeps me off my phone when I don’t need to be, but still leaves me with enough “brain space” to carry on a conversation or watch something. (My new favourite thing to stitch along to is audio books!)
Another reason I have continued to cross stitch is that it forces me to slow down. If I rush stitching, I’m bound to make a mistake. So instead I take my time to make sure I have the right coloured thread and I’ve counted the correct number of spaces. Count twice, stitch once!
Mindful Hobbies in Digital Age
Mindfulness and technology is a movement in research and design, that encourages the user to become aware of the present moment, rather than losing oneself in a technological device. This field encompasses multidisciplinary participation between design, psychology, computer science, and religion. Source: Wikipedia
Mindfulness has been theoretically and empirically associated with psychological well-being [2]. Practicing mindfulness through a hobby is an easy way to intentionally separate our ‘down-time’ from ‘work-time’ and boost our well-being. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends mindfulness as a way to boost attention and concentration and to prevent recurrent depression [3].
If you need more reasons
Taken from the Huffpost “Why Knitting Is the Must-Have Life Skill”[4]
- Take it With You: You can cross-stitch anywhere — traveling, waiting for your codes to compile…
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| Image from xkcd comics |
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Multi-Task to Your Heart’s Content - watching YouTube or netflix shows, listening in a community call (check this video where Kistie Whitaker is cross stitching during a community call while listening in)!
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Boost Your Memory: Studies show that side to side eye movements can significantly help boost memory [5].
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Reduce Risk of Dementia: Regular participation in social or leisure activities such as traveling, odd jobs, knitting, or gardening were associated with a lower risk of subsequent dementia [6].
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Slow Down, we Move Too Fast: In this fast-moving world in which we live, taking the time to do something that requires slowing down to focus on what you’re doing has substantial mental benefits.
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Cross stitching as Art: Display Cross stitch art in your home or give it to your friends as a personalised gift.
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| A compilation of some of Sarah’s cross stitch displayed in her flat. |
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Cross stitching and technology: If you are interested in hardware and software design, you can find ways to combine them with your new found hobby of cross stitching.
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Take it Easy: It’s an idea to help you wind down - so take it easy!
Reference
[1] Extreme mediation: Observing mental and physical health in everyday life, UbiComp’14Adjunct, September 13-17, 2014, Seattle, WA, USAACM 978-1-4503-3047-3/14/09.http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2638728.2638741
[2] Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies, Clin Psychol Rev. 2011 Aug; 31(6): 1041–1056. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006.
[3] Look after your mental health using mindfulness.
[4] Why Knitting Is the Must-Have Life Skill, Barbara Hannah Grufferman, featured on Huffpost on 05 February 2014
[5] Re-evaluating whether bilateral eye movements influence memory retrieval, Roberts BRT, Fernandes MA, MacLeod CM (2020) Re-evaluating whether bilateral eye movements influence memory retrieval. PLOS ONE 15(1): e0227790. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227790
[6] Social and leisure activities and risk of dementia: a prospective longitudinal study. PMID: 7730528, DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1995.tb06093.