Rewards
Written by Michaela MacBlake Matthews
Getting Hooked On Crochet
What is it about creating beautiful, useful items with your own two hands that is so alluring and addictive? There are plenty of reasons why people love to crochet. The thrill of finishing a project, the challenge of learning a new pattern or stitch, the kid-in-a-candy-store excitement of choosing new yarn… There is so much depth in the creative process, it’s hard to encapsulate!
The Sense Behind Yarn-Hoarding
Picking out new supplies as any type of artisan is a field day for the dopamine circuitry in your brain! When we see vivid colors, our minds associate them with emotion and nutrition. It isn’t just a fully stocked display of unlimited potential- it’s thousands of years worth of gorgeous sunsets telling us that we are warm and safe, and vivid fruits and vegetables that not only bring us enjoyment, but help build happiness on a chemical level. When we see abundance, we feel it to the core! And for some of us, it can be hard to allow those feelings to shine through. We crave a sense of purpose, function… you know, grown-up stuff. Crochet, though, gives us a purpose. It gives us a bonafide reason to collect these good feelings in a tangible way, and work with them in physical space. That brings us to the next aspect…
Handcrafts, Fiber Arts, And Meditation
When we work with our hands to create something, we’re sinking into our visual and feeling processing zones. This pulls us up and away from ‘analog digital’, where stress tends to hideout and eat up our bandwidth. Analog digital is the opposite of physical feeling. It deals with plain text words and numbers, ordering and execution, and brass tacks logic. This zone is great for getting work done and processing decisions, but it needs to take breaks, or it will get worn out.
Slipping into sensation and the satisfying rhythm of the stitches is the perfect counterbalance to analog digital, because it gives that logical mind something repetitive to chew on- almost like keeping a child occupied in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Meanwhile, the feeling aspect of crochet is given more room to take the spotlight. This creates a wondrous lull, stepping back into our bodies and settling our heart rates, breathing in comfort, and releasing the stress that comes from cluttered analog digital.
Prioritizing Self Care With A Purpose
Remembering to relax can be a lifelong struggle, but the miracle secret-weapon of crochet is that it appeals to the logical mind on a fundamental level. You are making something useful, a valuable item that can serve a purpose, and even make for a heartfelt handmade gift. This function helps crochet get its foot in the door, so to speak. Once it has a footing, then the magic begins, and we get to steep ourselves in a world of constructive creativity, self exploration, and self care.
Finding A Balance Between Logic And Creativity
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The reason crochet builds such a lovely sense of community among other crafters, is that it appeals to the creative within the logical. Crochet addicts are cut from the same cloth, or better yet, woven from the same thread! Unlike sculpture, painting, or creating music, crochet has a clear beginning and end. You know when a project is finished, and you don’t need to tweak and question it to the ends of the earth. This provides a sense of stability, where some other crafts may feel more wild and uncertain. Crochet is a craft that marries together creativity and logic, and attracts people who genuinely value both!
So suffice it to say… Whether you’re working in rows or building onto hoops, crochet addicts are flat out pretty well rounded folks!
Find Your Gateway Drug Craft
These are some of our favorite beginner crochet kits for you itchin' to get started!
"Mac" is on the Lifestyle Team here at Darn Good Yarn, and loves taking a ‘teach a man to fish’ approach to creative therapy. She is certified in neuro-linguistic programming, and is also the surreal artist and author behind Surrealismac.