She works with her hands

“I think you should take up something where you use your hands,” said my dad matter-of-factly.

“Why do you say that?” I inquired with a quizzical look upon my face.

“I read an article that using your hands could help with your depression and anxiety,” he replied, not looking up from assembling his sandwich for lunch.

Crochet popped into my head, but I only knew the basics; chain stitches and single crochet. The more complicated stitches and techniques still eluded me, and I couldn’t make sense of the patterns, which seemed to be written in coded shorthand.

I don’t remember who taught me the basics of crochet, as it seems that I’ve always known them. My maternal grandmother was a a whiz at different fiber arts, one being crochet. I’ve figured that she taught me at some point.

When I decided I wanted to crochet a blanket for my youngest niece, I looked to the internet to see what I could find. That’s when I stumbled upon a video for a waffle stitch blanket. The video was excellent and and the author explained things in detail, which was very helpful for I am a visual learner.

That was my “aha” moment. If I was unsure of a stitch or technique in a pattern, the internet had a plethora of tutorial videos and step-by-step instructions that I could reference and learn whatever stitch or technique was troubling me.

I finally learned to read patterns with the help of stitch charts downloaded from the internet, and with lots of practice, have mastered the most-used stitches. My yarn and hook “collection” have grown also, as I always like to try new yarns, and different styles of hooks. I am currently learning Tunisian crochet, which is like knitting with a long crochet hook.

My pile of WIPs (works in progress) grows as my passion for crochet grows also. I follow many crochet influencers on social media, many of them are full-time designers with their own business. They have truly inspired me with their endless creativity; one designer creates two patterns every month.

I have read several articles that state that crochet and knitting are forms of therapy, so to speak. I believe this whole-heartedly. Whenever I sit and crochet, it has a calming effect on me; the rhythmic movement of my hook and the feeling of the yarn in my hands speak of familiarity of comfort. Therefore, I try to crochet daily, even if it is only for a few minutes. For this reason, I always have several small, quick projects handy that provide near instant gratification that is lacking with larger projects.

Working with my hands and creating something that I am passionate about brings me a calm peace. It relaxes me when I’m feeling tense or stressed, and it’s a type of mediation for me. My mind isn’t totally empty like with true mediation, but it’s concentrating on a single thing: the yarn on my hook and in my hands.

I work as a nurse in an assisted living facility, and I work with my hands there as well; the therapeutic nature of touch does wonders for my residents. However, it is also a very stressful job, and on my days off, I enjoy spending time working with my yarn while I watch my toddler son play or while he watches his television shows.

I always think of Proverbs 31:13, which reads, “she seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands.” I like to think that this represents all yarn makers, in that they seek out yarn and then work out a design willingly with their hands.