With the impending arrival of midterms, finals and course selection, stress is inevitable. Many people handle this by binge-watching the latest Netflix original series, stress-eating or power-napping. Although I have frequently indulged in these activities to relieve my academic burdens in the past, I really wanted another way to transfer my stressful feelings into a more productive and creative outlet. I would always see people on campus knitting, crocheting, and participating in other sorts of yarncrafts in between classes and I was instantly fascinated. The amount of concentration they put into their work was amazing to me, and I admired how detail-oriented and calculated the knitters and crocheters seemed to be. After talking to one of the knitters in my class and hearing how relaxing it was to do yarncrafts, I was convinced that I needed to learn. Over the summer, I asked my mom and grandma if they would teach me how to crochet. (It seemed a lot easier to me than knitting due to the fact that you only need to use one hook to crochet rather than the two needles needed to knit). My first project was a blanket and it took me a couple of tries to get the hang of the techniques, as well as a lot of frustrated yarn unravelings when I messed up, but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. Every free second of the day that I had, I was crocheting. By the end of the month, I had completed my first project.Â
With school, extracurriculars and work, I’ve found myself getting extremely stressed. This eventually led me to the decision of combatting these feelings by crocheting again. I can definitely say that my stress levels have gone down a lot since then. I love encouraging people to try new things and learning how to crochet is definitely one of them! With that in mind, these are some reasons why learning how to crochet is beneficial!
1. Crocheting is not only fun and relaxing, but has actually been proven to help reduce anxiety and relieve depression and stress-related thoughts.
By participating in an activity where you need to follow a specific, repetitive pattern, your body is able to produce serotonin, which is a natural anti-depressant, while you are crocheting. Crocheting also allows you to keep your hands constantly busy and can help people with anxiety-related disorders to focus more on allowing their mind to go to a calmer space when they’re experiencing anxious thoughts.
2. Crochet projects are not limited to making blankets. There are so many projects you can start!Â
The possibilities for crocheting projects, patterns and yarn colors are endless! You can crochet blankets, scarves, hats, headbands and even stuffed animals. The stuffed animal crocheting technique is known as amigurumi and the results are absolutely adorable! Â
3. You can make your friends and family gifts!Â
There’s no better gift to give to your friends and family for this upcoming holiday than something homemade. Making your friends homemade gifts is a great feeling, especially when you know that you put the time and effort into making it for them. It definitely adds sentimental value to the gift as well.
4. Crocheting is easy to learn and resources are pretty accessible on campus!
You can learn how to crochet on a multitude of platforms anywhere from YouTube tutorials to the Knitting and Crocheting Club that meets at the Student Union on Thursday nights! The Knitting and Crocheting Club is a great resource for learning basic beginning-level crochet skills. They also provide skeins of yarn for you to use to start projects. There is also the craft center in the Student Union that offers material, as well as a Michael’s and Jo-Ann Fabrics nearby in Hadley that offer crocheting classes to beginners!Â
5. Multitasking while crocheting is definitely possible!
Once you get the hang of the technique, multitasking is not a problem. I often crochet during work or while watching Netflix. Over the summer, I caught up on six seasons of Game of Thrones while crocheting my blanket and was still able to pay attention to all of the gory details. If you like to keep busy in multiple ways at once, then this is definitely the activity for you.
6. Crocheting can help you to stay warm!
With the knowledge that winter is indeed coming, it’s important to stay warm! While crocheting larger projects like blankets, you expand the length of the blanket and it’s common to find your entire lap being covered by your project. The thickness of the yarn can instantly warm you up and obviously, so can the finished project!
7. Learning new skills like crocheting and working on these kind of projects can actually help to boost your self-esteem.
When you learn a new skill and are successful in it, it definitely makes you feel better about yourself. Visualizing and imagining what your project is going to look like in the end can help to increase positivity and motivation as well. Attending crocheting classes and clubs can also allow you to meet new people that you would have otherwise never met before.Â
With these reasons in mind, you should definitely consider learning how to crochet. Good luck and happy crafting!Â