Learning how to crochet

My initial inspiration for my playtime idea was my flatmate Grace. Grace is an avid crocheter and has been for the past 3 years. Anytime, any day she will be crocheting and now has a record time of 60 mins to crochet a single bag.

Grace learned to crochet in the first level 4 lockdown in 2020 from her nana and has been hooked ever since. She started with crocheting projects for herself like bags, jumpers, and skirts.

Once she got faster and higher skilled in her technique she began to create crochet items for her friends and family and now has gone into selling her items.

Crocheting is now her side hustle which she works on after work and the weekends on top of her day job as a Graphic Designer.

When I was struggling to decide on what to do for my playtime Grace mentioned that she would teach me how to crochet, and it aligned with the one thing I wanted to do and that was to get away from my screen so it seemed fitting and a great challenge.

Slow, and steady

I began my process of how all projects should start, with research and brainstorming. I used Instagram as my main source of research as that is the most common platform a lot of crocheters used to advertise and sell their crochet products. I found colours and styles I liked and collated them to show Grace to get her opinion on what direction I should go in for a first-time crocheter. I decided to with the style of the top right picture, however, the stitch on the top middle picture as this was an easy stitch to first learn.

I then sketched out my vision, bought my wool online from Spotlight, and began. Grace sat down with me for 2 hours to teach me the stitch and then I was away. Because the stitch is repetitive throughout the whole square it was an easy skill to pick up fast. The only tricky encounters I came across were starting the square, and finishing the square. The process in between was a repetitive motion of the hands which I needed to get used to. I definitely got a lot of hand cramps in the process.

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Once I had crocheted all 12 squares needed for the top design. My motivation for finishing it diminished. I loved creating the squares but the thought of sewing it all together seemed difficult. This was when I changed my project and decided to make a baby blanket for my older friend who is about to have her first girl. I then bought baby wool and carried on making MORE squares. For this project, I needed to make 16 squares then a much easier process of sewing them all together at the end as there was no pattern needed.

I have currently finished 11 squares for the 16 square blanket. When I focus on the square for a good hour I can complete a whole square. So I estimate that the rest of the squares will take me 5 more hours than another couple to sew it together — which is just on time as my friend's baby is due on the 29th of January.

If you make a mistake, you can’t command Z

Once I had crocheted all 12 squares needed for the top design. My motivation for finishing it diminished. I loved creating the squares but the thought of sewing it all together seemed difficult. This was when I changed my project and decided to make a baby blanket for my older friend who is about to have her first girl. I then bought baby wool and carried on making MORE squares. For this project, I needed to make 16 squares then a much easier process of sewing them all together at the end as there was no pattern needed.

I have currently finished 11 squares for the 16 square blanket. When I focus on the square for a good hour I can complete a whole square. So I estimate that the rest of the squares will take me 5 more hours than another couple to sew it together — which is just on time as my friend's baby is due on the 29th of January.

It’s a stress buster

Throughout the process of learning how to crochet and perfecting my technique - I grew to realise that the steady use of my hands alongside the concentration of the repetitive pattern would bring my stress levels down and to a point of pure relaxation. After being on my screen all day, I found that if I picked up my crochet around 5.30 I would de-stress quickly and helped tremendously with clocking off my work brain for the day.

Crochet has other positive benefits than feeling happier. It can help you feel calmer and reduce anxiety by just focusing on the project in your hands. This way I found it also helps you fall asleep at night as you can use it as a cool-down method. I feel like this is such an important mind shift needed in remote companies as with having my desk in my room sometimes it can be difficult to fully turn work mode off at the end of the day. Pre lockdown, I would use dancing or the gym to help this shift, so it was perfect timing for me to get into a new hobby to help this shift.

With Auckland in a level 4 lockdown for months, I wanted to take the opportunity to take the time to reset. I discovered through crocheting that crochet is a relaxing, repetitive craft that can be done as a means to mindfulness.

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