Z is for Zeitgeber

Ah - like X, I decided to find a good Z word for crochet and boy have I found it!

Zeitgeber

First, an exercise - in the comment box, before you read the actual definition - you tell me what you THOUGHT the word meant. Maybe you already knew the word - maybe not. But it would be fun to see what you thought it meant.

Zeitgeber is a German word meaning Zeit = time and geber = giver. Basically, zeitgeber is any rhythmic cue that allows an organism to synchronize their internal "clock" with the environment. The most common zeitgeber is light. When we see the sun rise and set, our internal selves know when we should be sleeping and when we should be up doing things.

Zeitgeber's do not have to be biological or environmentally driven. They can be non-photic. Other zeitgeber's would be things like exercise and social interactions.

I think crochet could be a zeitgeber if you do it enough. It is definitely a rhythmic motion and if you do it at a set time each day, your body would begin to pick up on the activity and link it to the general time. During the week, I tend to crochet at night - so when the evening starts to drag on, I find myself with a hook in my hand right about the same time each day. During the weekends though, I through that off because I tend to pick up the hook multiple times a day and even when I'm in the car.

Of course, I also think crochet can be an anti-zeitgeber because I can definitely lose track of time when the hook is in hand.

What are your thoughts - is crochet a zeitgeber or an anti-zeitgeber in your life?