happiness and food

I picked up crocheting during the pandemic. That time we were 6 months into the pandemic and I wanted to do something that kept my mind away from what was happening around the world. The cases were rising and things looked grim. From ordering some basic stuff online to watching you-tube videos, I proudly call myself a self-taught crocheter.

When I couldn’t write how I was feeling, crochet helped me keep myself calm yet focussed. In less that 6 months, I will be at my three year anniversary of crocheting. Looking back, I am grateful that I was able to pick up a new hobby.

There are days I wonder if only I had picked up the hook and a ball of yarn earlier in life. But I also believe that there is no age to add something new to life.

Today, I want to share some lessons from my crochet journey:

1. Patience can move mountains – We live in a very fast paced world. In a blink, you can do things that would take hours. Groceries come home, no one carries cash and binge watching a show is real. Instant gratification stares at us all the time. Likes, comments and what not. In times like we are living – crocheting takes time. It builds up stitch by stitch and the moment you miss one, you go wrong. The option then is to go back and start again. Crochet teaches me to be patient and things take shape one stitch as a time.
2. Tying loose ends brings closure – When I am working on a crochet project and I don’t tie the knots, I run the risk of unravelling the whole project. It wouldn’t matter how hard or long I worked on it, it would just be gone. Something that is true about life too. We can work as much as we want on that one relationship that matters but the moment there is a loose end that’s not secured, it’s gone.
3. Endless possibilities – With yarn and a hook I can make a coaster, a bag, a sweater, a blanket or a wall hanging. You see where I am going? It’s all up to me what I want to make and how much time I want to spend. But there is no dearth of options. Exactly how it happens in life. When one door closes, another opens. We just need to keep going.
4. Joy of giving – Ever since I started to crochet, I have also given away many things that I have made. I love when people pick up something for their home. My friend asked me to make crocheted items for her home and I made all of them. So when I visit her place, I see all my work there and that is joy.

I can go on and on but crocheting will continue to bring me joy. As I write this, I have three projects that I am working on simultaneously and I really wish I could have a small crafts room where I could stash up all of my stuff. Want to check out my work – head over to my Instagram handle and I am Dawn_to_Dusk_24 there.

Tell me about a hobby of yours today.

---

Friday Reflections is a link-up hosted by Corinne at The Frangipani Creative, Shalini at Kohl Eyed Me and yours truly. We invite you to join us every First Friday of the month to share a good cup of tea and your reflections based on the prompts we provide or free write. You can find the prompts for this month here.