Lydia has been knitting like a fiend, aiming to finish some pieces before Christmas. Her knitting goes to school with her; she works on it during free time in the afterschool program. She reports that her friends, non-knitters, have asked her, “Is it fun?” Lydia says, “No, it’s not fun.”

So, as I sit on her bed one night and speedily cast on 45 stitches for her next item, I ask her why, then, does she knit?

She answers, “Because it’s calming, and…” (she hesitates, searching for the word) “productive.”

And, you know? That is what knitting is.