I learned how to knit shortly after turning 50. That was a time of confusion for me, as it is for many people, because I knew that life after 50 can be filled with all kinds of change”good and bad, planned and completely out of the blue. Instead of pulling the proverbial blanket over my head, though, I took action and embarked on my Journey to Joy. I made a conscious decision to embrace my new life as a woman over 50 and gathered the best advice from top experts, wanting to get and stay as fit as possible so I could live a life of joy. Being someone who always likes to share good information with others, I spent a year researching and writing my first book “ The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More “ specifically to help other women be fearless, fit and fabulous for life. I had the great fortune to introduce my book and positive aging philosophy to a wide audience on the Today Show when my book launched, and since then I'm a frequent guest. This was a huge leap into my journey of joy, because simply sharing brings me great happiness. But, just as important, I made a commitment to focus more on me and do all those things that bring me joy... writing, running, spending more time with my best girlfriends, and exploring my creative side, which took 50 years to unleash. Many years ago, my grandmother tried her hardest to teach me how to knit or crochet. But I always put it off, thinking it was something that little old ladies did, not cool young women like me. In retrospect, I think I was also a bit intimidated, especially when I saw the exquisite and delicate pieces my grandmother crocheted (like her beloved doilies). How would I ever be able to do that? I often wondered. But, eventually I did learn, and now I'm hooked. And guess what? I'm pretty good at it! Better still: I've taught both my daughters to knit, too. One of my greatest joys is making something . . . and giving it away to someone I care about, hoping they know that my love is in every stitch. Sure, my grandmother would be proud to know that I finally picked up the knitting needles. But, she would be just as thrilled to know that I finally learned how to crochet, too! My cousin who is the granddaughter of my grandmother's twin sister--lives in the small town in Germany where my grandmother was raised, and often comes to visit us in New York City. During her last trip, I asked her to show me how to crochet. It's time, I told her. Here's a photo of my cousin (also named Barbara) and me, as she's teaching me to crochet a scarf using Red Heart Yarns' Boutique Infinity in Enchanted (I used a Susan Bates 9.00mm M crochet hook). And here's a photo of my youngest daughter wearing it! She loves it! My next project is a scarf for my oldest daughter, this time using Red Heart Yarn's Boutique Twilight in Romantic, with the same crochet hook. Now that my cousin has returned to Germany, I'm hoping I can handle this one my own. But if I run into trouble there's always Skype! I'm proud to be the spokesperson for Red Heart Yarns, the most recommended yarn brand in America. Together, we are helping to spread around a little more joy... one stitch at a time... and we'd love you to help! Please take a look at this short video to find out how you can help share the joy. I hope it will inspire you to make knitting and crocheting a regular part of your life, too.
