If you have never crocheted before, the first thing you may think of is a blanket your grandmother gave to you, or a potholder from a neighbor that you got for Christmas. As someone who has crocheted since I was nine years old, I can tell you that there is so much more to crochet than you may think! To celebrate my love for this craft, I wanted to share 9 things I love about crochet.
1. It’s a Great Way to Relax
This is a common reason why people love to crochet; it involves a lot of rhythmic motions that can be done with less concentration than a lot of other tasks. It makes the perfect activity to do at the end of a long day while you watch TV (You heard me: Netflix and crochet). Even when I am relaxing with a project, I feel like I am being productive because I’m not just mindlessly scrolling social media. Relaxation is always more poignant when you don’t have guilt about wasting your time, and crochet allows you to create while you relax.
2. It’s a Creative Outlet
It’s also a great way to get creative and make something. I love that I get to express myself through the pattern that I choose to follow and the yarn I select. Crochet gives me a lot of joy as I see the fabric come together from the work I put in; I get to make something beautiful from raw materials and talent. Just like any craft or art, crochet is a medium through which you can get the creative juices flowing.
3. It Expands the Definition of Myself
There are a lot of things that I enjoy doing, or that I am good at. I love that as I foster my crochet talent, I feel that it is a part of who I am. It’s so fun to tell people that in addition to my love for nature, running, and cats, I love to crochet! It is always really interesting to grow your skills and diversify your interests; crochet does that for me.
4. It Allows Me to Learn New Things
Crochet is easy to get into, as you can make a lot of things with just a few simple stitches. It also has countless stitch options you can pick up fairly quickly once you are familiar with the craft. I love that I can continuously expand my talent in crochet because of the many types of stitches, yarns, projects, and styles I can use. I love to learn, and crochet is a craft where I can learn any time I want.
5. It Has Enough Variety to Change Things Up
Although you may think of just baby blankets and granny squares, there is so much more to crochet! You can make garments or toys, home decor or accessories. Just like there are plenty of things to learn in crochet, there is enough variety in projects to spice things up. I love that I don’t have to be bored with crochet. If a larger project is losing my attention, I can switch and work on a quick project to revitalize my creativity. I like making the same thing multiple times to sell, but I can always find a new project if I want to switch my attention.
6. It’s a Simple Way to Earn a Little Money
Of all the side hustles out there, I love that crochet allows me to earn a little extra money for something that I make with my own hands. There are projects like garments and blankets that take a really long time to make, but there are also smaller accessories, toys, and home decor items that can be made quickly and sold for a reasonable price. It is so fun to make something that a friend or family member requests as a custom order, or even to have a complete stranger interested in something I made!
7. It Makes for Great Handmade Gifts
Speaking of making things for family and friends, I love that crochet is the perfect craft to give personalized, handmade gifts to those you care about! This past Christmas, I made my mother-in-law a nativity set since she collects them. It is really meaningful to make something you plan and create for another person. The personalization can be the yarn you use, the project you make, even the colors of the item. Handmade gifts are always a win, and crochet allows you to make meaningful presents that will hold great sentiment for a lifetime.
8. It Allows You to Make Garments that Fit Perfectly
How many times have you tried something on in the fitting rooms and thought, “I really like it, except…” With crochet, you can make a perfect clothing item for your body! You can change the fit and drape of your fabric when you crochet, and you can also pick the colors and yarn specifically based on what you want. I love that you are no longer constrained by what stores have in stock when you crochet your new favorite sweater/blouse/dress/etc.
9. It Connects You to a Community
Before my journey on social media with my small business, I never knew how strong of a crochet community there is. Crochet is not a common hobby, especially for someone my age, so social media is a great way to connect with other makers and designers you might never meet otherwise. Since the community is small, it is tight knit (ba dum tsss). I would encourage you to get connected with the crochet community since there is a lot of love and encouragement, and a lot of learning from and supporting each other in the craft.
There you have it, 9 things that I absolutely love about crochet. The best part about it is that I continually learn and grow in this craft. Share with me in the comments below or on Instagram at @crowchetcreations what you love about crochet!
