I’ve just arrived home after a minor car accident. As always I’ve got a lot on my mind, and I’m feeling quite rattled too. I sit down with some yummy yarn and chain 15. A few rows of half-double crochet later my mind starts to clear up. Then I think again about the accident; my stitches get tight and cranky looking. I sit up straighter, breathe deeply, and soon my stitches loosen. Soon I’m feeling as peaceful as my stitches look. The various concerns in my mind float around and I actually work out a few solutions while my fingers work with the yarn. My car still has a dented hood, but I have a little potholderish thing to hold cups of hot tea with and I feel much better.

We live in a great, big fabulous world full of so many possibilities. Even a good day can fill our heads with so many ideas it’s hard to settle down and focus. And then there are the days when it feels like this big fabulous world is just small and crowded and chaotic enough to seep into our thoughts and overwhelm us.

Here’s a test. Take a deep breath, the kind that forces you to sit up straighter. Now take another. Does that feel different? Even though I’m the sort to remind others to take a deep breath when they need it, I’m always amazed after a good deep breath by just how shallow I’ve been breathing all day.

How about crochet? How does sitting down with your yarn and hook affect your state of mind?

What is it about crochet that helps me relax and tackle the concerns in my mind at the same time? Perhaps it’s the repetition of creating stitches. Or is it because I now expect to relax when I crochet? Maybe it’s because I simply love to crochet.

It’s all of these things and something more. I’ve made something! Regardless of my mood and thoughts or the crush of the world around me, I have created fabric. I can choose to rip out the stitches and start again, or turn it into something useful and hardworking, or something decorative and elegant. The power is mine. Compared to paying bills and following politics it’s a relaxing responsibility.

That just might be the most healing part of crochet. It was made by your own two hands, the loops of yarn combine in stitches to compose fabric under your fingertips. In your hands it feels just right. It feels like peace.

Talk to Me

What’s your story? How do you use crochet to ease your mind? Is there a particular project that brought you some peace? Tell us all about it…

Suggestions for relaxing crochet

Sit in your favorite comfy place with your favorite beverage of course!

Choose a lovely ball of yarn that makes you feel calm when you hold it. Give yourself permission to use this yarn for this purpose.

Make something comforting for yourself.

Worried about someone specific? Make her something while you wish her well.

News of the world has you down? Crochet while you watch the news.

Whenever your stitches get tense, take a moment to breathe deeply.

Don’t judge what you're making!

Ripping as therapy: Sometimes we really do need to just go back in time and change things. So rip it out and let it go.

Projects

Potholderish Thing

This is the instant satisfaction, “I don’t care what a failure I feel like, I can make something useful -- so there!” project. Any yarn you have sitting around will do, but it helps to use the yarn you really feel like holding at the moment. I chose Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton because it’s soft as can be and washable to boot.

• Chain the length you desire. (About the size of your hand works well for hot soup bowl/tea cup holders)
• Use a stitch that makes you happy; work rows until you have the size you need.
• Trim it with something more luxurious. I used Crystal Palace cotton chenille. Tie off, make a cup of hot tea (or cocoa, or coffee) and use your newest creation to cuddle up to it.

Give Peace A Chance

I started this scarf the day the Iraq war started. I propped myself up on a pile of pillows and worked with my favorite yarn as I watched the news. I also worked on it as I fell asleep. After a few weeks of this routine my boyfriend would remind me to crochet when I looked stressed. It worked! I stopped having nightmares about wars. My lovely scarf couldn’t bring the war to an end, but it helped me come to some peace.

When dealing with a stressful situation (watching the news, talking to relatives on the phone, etc):

Pick up your favorite yarn. Pick up an appropriate hook.

Consider what your piece might be once finished. Chain; start a row with a stitch that fits your mood. When you tire of that stitch, switch to another. When something you hear/see/think makes you feel horrible, just take a deep breath and concentrate on that exact stitch you are working at the moment. Exhale and move on to the next stitch. Feel free to try simple variations of stitches, such as working in front or back loops only and working around the post of a stitch. Remember your intent: to be at peace, but also how the piece you’re making will be used. This piece doesn’t have to be perfect, so allow yourself to delight in any irregularities or interesting things that pop up in your work.

I used K1C2 Douceur et Soie, hooks 4.00 mm – 6.50mm, and many variations of single, double and triple crochet.

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