Now, I know what you’re thinking after reading the title. “Crochet? You mean the thing that grandmas do?” And I can assure you, yes it is an activity that was made well-known by the elderly. But, there really is more to it than sitting on a porch swing with a basket of yarn. Take it from the girl who got called ‘grandma’ all summer by the people on her swim team.
One day during last semester I happened to be scrolling through Tiktok (as I often do) and found the account of a girl who makes and sells really cool crochet tops. Seeing the things that she had made caused me to want to learn how to crochet. So, during Easter break I went to my local craft store, picked up a crochet hook, and then tried to learn using any of the leftover yarn that I already had at my house. (That’s technically not the right way that you should go about it, but I’ll get into that in a little bit). I pulled up the first tutorial that I found on Youtube and tried my best to maneuver the yarn.
Needless to say that at the beginning I was terrible. I just couldn’t get the yarn to cooperate with me, but somehow I was able to crochet a single square. There were a few dropped stitches and it didn’t look well made by any means, but I was able to create a small square of knit fabric in maybe 30 minutes. And as someone who has tried and failed to learn how to knit many times, I was pleased in myself to say the least.
Now that the long-winded backstory is all over, here are some of the reasons why I learned to love crochet so much.
- It is super easy to learn. Like I said before, it took me around 30 minutes to crochet just a tiny square. And it only took me a few days to get the hang of it. In terms of creative and artistic hobbies, that’s pretty fast if you ask me. You don’t even have to find a book or learn from someone in real life. There are hundreds of video tutorials on the internet that can teach you just about any kind of crochet that you can think of. Also, after you get the hang of it, crocheting without looking is possible. Which means that you can multitask: crochet while watching your new favorite tv show or at game night with your friends. (All things that I *definitely* haven’t done before).
- It’s a (somewhat) cheap hobby. The somewhat might scare a few people off, but just hear me out. It all depends on how obsessed with crochet you become. For me, I have an entire box in my dorm room that’s only purpose is to contain my “yarn stash.” But, if you’re just starting out, it’s pretty cheap. You can get a basic crochet hook and a ball of yarn all for under $10. (Which is a lot cheaper than other creative hobbies like sewing or painting.) And even if you get more into it, most balls of yarn are only around $5 or less. This means that it makes it a lot easier to spend you entire paycheck on yarn and not feel too bad about it… but it’s a lot of bang for your buck.
- It is incredibly versatile. There are countless different things that you can make with just a crochet hook and some yarn. I personally like to say I have an expertise at crochet tops, but I’ve also made stuffed animals and am currently working on a cardigan. You can also make blankets or room decor or anything else you can think of. And if you think of something but don’t know how to make it, you can easily find patterns online and can adapt to fit your vision. Not only that, there are a bunch of different crochet stitches and techniques to give your projects a different look. Between all those options, the possibilities are pretty much endless.
Well… have I convinced you yet? I hope I have. Crocheting really is just a fun hobby that anyone can get into or learn. Sure you might get called grandma, but it’s a great pass time and you can make some incredible things. (Plus, since yarn is so cheap, you can make your friends and family gifts without having to break the bank). Take it from your local college sophomore grandma, crocheting is one of my favorite things to do ever since I learned. And… I hope to see more young people learn how to crochet so we can all be the master crocheters in the nursing homes.