This really interesting. As it happens I just got into knitting and I’m working on my first beanie. I find it really relaxing and at the you get something you can use yourself or give as a gift.
For me my head is giant so it was the only way for me to get hats that covered my ears... It's also interesting how fast you can rip one out. My record is a hat on 7's for my head which I think is about 160 stitches around and 28 rows, was 4 hours. My spouse who knits a ton slammed one out for my friend who forgot one before a ski trip in 2.5 hours while we were at the pub the night before the flight.