It took me so long to think how to write this article. It’s been 14 years since I picked up my first crochet hook and yarn. It’s one piece of article that I wrote emotionally. It is not easy to tell the 14 years story in a single blog post.
I fell in love with crochet since my first time trying it. Now, I love it deeper. I once abandoned this hobby for 2 years and found out my life was empty. I have no place to express the love. Realizing the emptiness, I ‘re-marry’ this hobby and keep a promise to myself not to give up my creative hobby.
Here are 8 reasons why I love to crochet, so much.
The satisfying feeling of creating things by your own hands
The satisfying feeling of creating things by your own hand is undeniable, regardless of any kind of creative activity you do; cooking, baking, painting, gardening, home decorating, shelf organizing – you name it.
It is more satisfying when your beautiful creation beats the little voice in your head saying that, “you can’t do this. You are not creative. Don’t pretend to be creative” etc. etc.
I always singing and dancing in my room alone when I finished a dream crochet project. Celebrating myself is what I always do.
High mobility
Crochet has the highest mobility hobby compared to other such as sewing and gardening. We can literally crochet anywhere; inside a train, in a classroom or in a car.
When I was a teen, I was sent to a boarding school, where there were a lot of things can’t be brought to school such as electronic item, phones and certain novels. We would stay in school like a month before we went to our home visiting our family for a weekend, depending on how long the holiday was. Restriction about yarn and crochet hook was not spelled out in school rules. Hence, I had an advantage where I can bring yarn and hook to school so that I can practice my crochet skills. I even brought some yarns during boring classes.
Let’s say if a kid would like to try gardening as a hobby. He definitely needs a space to garden and require frequent attention to his plants. He can’t do that when he’s in boarding school. I’m lucky I can practice crochet in school.
Stress reliever
Yes, it is! Especially in the world of distractions that we are living in, which may hurt our emotion and eventually our mental health.
I remember a moment in final year in high school, where I was just finishing the additional mathematics paper in final examination (SPM). Sitting for the add math paper made my adrenaline rush like running a 100 metre track. I grabbed my crochet to slow it down, to let go my thoughts over a paper that was already over.
I once felt anxiety for personal reasons. I always keep myself some yarn and a hook by my side when I started to feel agitated. Anxiety feelings about life that we can’t control is real and horrible. I always think of my yarns as ‘drug’ that can cure my anxiety. The relax feeling.
Nurture characters
I picked up crocheting as a part of identity search when I was a teenager. As a teenager, I tend to follow what friends are doing so that I would not be left alone. Being a school girl in a boarding school, it has an unwritten rule that you are not allowed to eat alone, or else you will be labelled. So, yeah I have to do things that others do so that I can fit and I can survive my school years. Not to mention, as a teenager, I feel obliged to follow parents’ and society’s expectations.
Being the only crocheter in the school withdraw their attention to me and sparked conversation and some of them, long lasting relationship. I thought I was not creative, because back then, I was just copying other crocheters’ work in Youtube. However, my friends validated my works are creative genius! Validation after validation by them nurture the confidence in myself. My negative little voices about myself vanished upon time;
“I never thought I’m that creative genius”
“I don’t expect people will like my work”
“I thought I’m a boring girl who love to crochet”
Crochet buys me confidence, creativity and an identity to myself. I was and I am pretty much sure about myself whenever I introduce myself to new people.
Nurture new relationship
I was awkward and shy to befriend to others. I don’t even have topic to converse with friends as I don’t have anything similar to them (except academic). I don’t pickup the latest kpop music, or the latest viral videos in the internet. Though I joined netball team for 5 years, I still don’t know what to talk to them! So when I brought my crochet hook and yarns around school, it sparked conversation between me and peers, juniors and seniors.
“How cool is your thing!”, they exclaimed.
Some of them bought my crochet items from me. Back then in school, juniors don’t dare to initiate close conversation with seniors in high school, but my crochet things close the gap between me and them.
Teachers get to know me closely when they found out my little activity. They bought my crochet products too. I hope they still keep them as one of my memories with them.
I also get to know the local crocheters around Malaysia. I visited crochet events, and sometimes, I visited their home to meet in person. I still in contact with some of my crochet friends until now. One of my crochet friends encouraged me to open a TikTok account! I love this community so much.
Feeling special
Whenever people want to know me – regardless of any occasions such as job interviews, formal network, or meeting new friends at a party, the crochet element must be tagged together in my conversation, although I have put much effort to drop the crochet element from my word. I can’t help it. It makes me feel special and unique.
Moreover, I’m unable to answer common questions that people always ask like,
“What is the latest Netflix show you are watching?”
“Have you tried the latest food trend?”
“Are you going out this weekend?”
I’m unable to answer those. My energy and time is already invested to my hobby. Usually, I would divert the above conversation with something like,
“I don’t watch Netflix, and I don’t plan to going out this weekend”
That statement from my own mouth trigger them to question more,
“Then what would you do?”
“I spend my time crocheting”. Last time I answered, I was awkward. I don’t know how to present myself. I was afraid to be seen as weird or a girl who is not enjoying her youth.
But most of my friends were like, “That was amazing! I would love to do things like that, but I won’t”
Realizing I always received that kind of feedback, I knew I am that special. I knew my crocheter friends are special too in their own way. We never go out of style.
The happiest feeling when receiver loves your creations
One of my way to cure boredom and sadness is to crochet something for someone. Be it is a custom order or a gift. I don’t really bother about to whom will I give, but as long as it is a gift to a human.
The happy hormones is at peak when we give something that we love to others. It peaks even higher when the gift is something that made by own hands. And it peaks even further when the receiver genuinely loves your creation.
I always feel over the moon when these 3 elements come together in a crochet project.
Escape from the reality
World is a mess, right? At the age of almost 30, it feels so difficult to balance things; things that I love and things that my society expecting me to do.
Crocheting allows me to give that break. Forget about the world and focusing on yourself. I’m able to focus on my inner voice screaming to express herself in an art.
I am allowed to make mess in my art space. I am allowed to break rules. I am allowed to make projects that I always dreamed for. I am allowed to be weird, to look weird. I am allowed to speak my mind out loud. I am allowed to make mistakes. I am allowed to build dream life, even it is temporary.
Closure
These are the big 8 things why I love so much about crochet. It gives me new path. You shouldn’t doubt yourself to try crochet as your new hobby. You will love it as much as we do.