My Crochet Love

Last year I fell in love.

It wasn’t love at first sight; however, it didn’t take long to realise that this love of mine was here to stay and would make a significant impact on my life.

I would go through my day in anticipation of our next meeting, my heart fluttering with joy at the thought of sitting down and spending quality time together.

Our time together at the beginning had been limited, and yes, a little frustrating, as sometimes new relationships can be. But we persevered, and now almost one year on, it has strengthened and grown, as all good relationships do.

Last year, I fell in love ….. with crochet.

Oh, the feel of the yarn as it slips through my fingers, the endless possibilities of projects big and small that can be created. The absolute peace and tranquillity that takes over when I sit down with my hook and yarn.

August 2020 was the turning point in my life. Not only was a new love born, but it was also when I realised that there was so much more to the craft of crochet. I had always thought of crochet as being colourful granny square blankets that my nan had made, or frilly pink coat hangers that distant relatives gave as gifts. My eyes were opened to the endless possibilities of cute amigurumi toys, spectacularly detailed blankets, colourful scarves, warming beanies, and funky clothing … the list goes on. I mean who knew? Certainly not me.

I recalled that somewhere in the recesses of my wardrobe, lurked a crocket kit. I had bought this kit a couple of years prior, thinking of giving crochet a crack, but it, like many other things I thought I’d try (like the sander to resurface my bedside table), got stowed in the wardrobe, tucked away for a rainy day.

I rummaged around in the wardrobe and found the kit, shoved at the back of a shelf looking mournful. A Koala stared at me, its cuteness the thing that had originally driven me to buy the kit, and I ripped the package open and unpacked the contents.

A hook, some yarn, some thread, and some instructions that were written in another language, now lay spread across my dining table.

I looked again. No, wait … this was in English. What did sc, dc, hdc, and ch mean? What was a ss? Oh, look a magic circle, would that mean my hook doubles as a wand? That would be cool. After a few flicks muttering incantations, I realised this was not the case, and realised I was in over my head.

I had taught myself to knit a basic scarf a few years back, an extremely long and vibrant pink accessory that also has its own special spot at the back of the shelf in my wardrobe. Not knowing exactly what I was doing, I’d kept on with this scarf not realising that the weight of it would drag the length out each time it was worn. I’m pretty sure after a few uses it could reach my knees. There was also a lot of swearing produced in the making of that pink garment. F bombs were dropped left, right and centre as I'd dropped stitches and miscounted. Maybe crochet would be different?

So, instead of shoving that kit back onto the shelf, I grabbed the yarn and the hook and headed for trusty internet land. I knew I needed help, and my good friends at YouTube were the ones I turned to.

I started my crochet journey tentatively, leaning the simple single crochet stitch, and created a fabulous sloping rectangle. A few more swatches were created until I decided it was time to move on to the next step.

Never one to back down from a challenge, I thought that I could now move on to making something cute, as that was really my objective. Granny squares and crochet covers were not my thing, and cute was what I wanted to accomplish.

Following a step-by-step clip on how to make an amigurumi whale, I struggled through, swearing occasionally, and finally producing a wonky, unevenly stitched whale. To me, he was gorgeous.

Another whale followed, then another larger one, gaining confidence each time. More instructional videos were watched, and I learned different stitches, how to do stripes, and tricks on how to improve my work. Each day after work I would disappear into my zone, grumbling when I had to put my project down to cook dinner, as it was interrupting my focused time.

Crochet quickly became my meditation. It’s a time when my brain just focuses on what is in my hands, and I can calm my anxiety, which had increased during lockdown.

Calmly counting stitches, working out methods that worked for me, stitching body parts together. I feel like a toymaker when I’m putting together bits and pieces, and I can see my creation developing its character, and taking on a life.

I proudly post my creations onto Facebook, with exclamations of joy from friends, some of them wanting me to make things for them. I offer to help teach them crochet so they too can discover the joy of this craft, as to me it is not about selling my work, it is the happiness and peace that it brings me.

The wonder of how a simple hook and some yarn can create something so full of magic is beyond me. Minor changes in how to wrap yarn and how many times you pull up a loop can create limitless designs.

The excitement that bubbles through my veins when I visit a craft store with wall-to-wall yarn, or peruse the online contents of a store, makes me vibrate. The yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, purples, blues, greens, speckled, variegated, thin, thick, and chunky yarn. The colours, the textures, the infinite possibilities.

I’ve always loved craft. From tapestry as a child, to long stitch as a teenager and cross stitch and knitting as an adult. None of these however has stuck with me and become part of who I am.

Not like my new love. Not like crochet has.

To find something that helps me escape the traumas of the world, has become invaluable. Now in the sixth week of another lockdown, with four weeks to go (at least), I am so grateful for my yarn stash, and the countless projects that I can create. I have still got so much to learn, but I welcome that, pushing myself to improve with each item that I make.

My crochet hook may not hold magical powers, but it’s given me the peace and comfort that no spell can.

Last year I fell in love with crochet, and that love is here to stay.