January 10th, 2021
Ever since the global pandemic began, we have been stuck in an unpleasant rut and things
have gotten more monotonous than ever. Some people found excitement in making dalgona
coffee or banana bread; For me it was crocheting. The beginning was extremely frustrating; it
took me weeks just to get the regular chain stitch right. I practiced making a simple square for
days. But boy was it satisfying when I got the hang of it.
I had not noticed the positive effect this newly founded hobby had on me until there were bad
days where crocheting just made me feel better. As someone struggling with anxiety, it’s not
only brought me excitement but also stability. Depression relief is by far the most reported
and studied benefit of crochet and knitting. The repetition of the crafts has been shown to
release serotonin, a natural anti-depressant. It keeps your hands busy and mind focused so
that you can attend classes or events even when you have social anxiety. It brings the internal
mind to a calmer space for when you’re coping with the anxiety of repetitious thoughts,
which numerous others and I have suffered from. Crochet is so relaxing is because it allows
us to achieve mindfulness, the state of being in which we are fully immersed in the present
moment. This gives the mind a much-needed break from worries about the past and future,
allowing the brain and body to both rejuvenate themselves. There’s something so joyful about
creating something with your own hands. It’s helped me raise my low self esteem and enjoy
the smaller things.
That led me to learn more, find more pages/YouTubers that I wouldn’t have discovered
otherwise. It eventually led me to find Share A Square whose initiative is great and I’m glad
to help in ways I can. The webinars held by Arya Lovekar were really fun and I learnt some new
stitches along the way and got some much needed advice. We practiced the chain stitch,
single crochet, double crochet and magic circle. The magic circle is a tricky one but I’m
getting used to it now. One of my favourite stitches to do is
the double crochet. Double crochet is a taller stitch than single crochet. It is formed by a
yarn over, which is wrapping yarn from back to front before placing the hook in the stitch,
yarn over and pull through 2 loops on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through remaining
2 loops. Yarn over is just a term for getting a round of the yarn on your hook. My grandma
plans to give me her old knitting hooks to me when I’m ready to pick it up but till then I’ll be
focusing on enjoying and creating with the art of crocheting.