Lately, I've been thinking about how much my other creative pursuits influence my writing -- and even help me get through tough problems when I'm working. There's something about knitting, for me, that allows me to keep my hands busy and focus juuuuust a little, but frees the rest of my mind to work out a plot tangle or a question about character arcs. I've found the same thing in spinning (yarn, not exercise -- ugh), and even calligraphy.