YarnTalk

I have always used crochet as a way to cope with my emotions. It is something I have done for as long as I can remember, and it remains my anchor today. When I was eleven, my Great Grandma was in the hospital. My mom used to bring my siblings and me to visit her as much as she could. At the time, I was still learning how to crochet from my grandmother, constantly struggling to understand how the craft actually worked. One afternoon, my mom handed me some forest green and white acrylic yarn. The room was heavy with sadness, and I felt a desperate need to do something...anything to cheer my Great Grandma up. I became fiercely determined to crochet her something she could keep with her for comfort in her hospital room. A pillow felt like the right choice, pillows are cozy. So, I went to work in that waiting room, my grandma and mom patiently guiding my hands through the process. It felt like it took weeks to put together this tiny 4x6 rectangle, but when it was finally done, I felt an imm...

Slowing down isn't something a lot of people do every day. Instead, we tend to fill our lives with unnoticed chaos: work, school, kids, and then "doom-scrolling" for hours when we finally sit down for some free time. But what if, instead of living unaware in our own personal chaos, we sat down to create something? I see a lot of people reach out to me eager to learn a new craft and start a project. However, a small percentage expect to finish a massive project super quickly. Sadly, I rarely see that group again simply because they forgot to slow down. Some people get so wrapped up in a perfect finished project, they forget to enjoy and pay attention to the actual process. When you work with any art form, you are creating something beautiful out of thin air. Art requires you to pay attention to the little things.  Crafting and art requires patience because everything made by hand is a slow process. You have to craft each individual stitch or knot by hand, all while perfect...

You never know how stressed someone is until they try to learn crochet. Over a year of teaching has taught me so many things about people and how they move through life. Crochet isn’t just a craft, it’s a way we regulate ourselves, create, and connect with the present moment. Once people get past the mindset of I have to be the first one to finish or I have to get this right , that’s when I notice they really begin to understand crochet. Their shoulders drop from their ears. Their hands and arms become less tense. They stop gripping the hook so tightly and start allowing themselves to enjoy the process. I even notice it in myself when I’m creating a new project. You have to pause and remind yourself to slow down. In today’s world, full of technology and busy daily lives, it’s easy to get stuck in the cycle of trying to get everything done. Crochet teaches us something different. There is no rush. If you are looking for instant gratification, crochet will probably frustrate you and lea...