When I Have A Moment To Myself And How #Crochet Helps Me

By Jeannette | July 31, 2018

It will of no surprise to anyone who knows me, whether online or in “real life”, that, when I have a moment, I pick up a hook!

Not a hook as in “aaaargh! Where’s Peter Pan?” but a crochet hook.

It amazes me that I can do this for two reasons:

One, because I’m left-handed. I tried teaching myself before and ….got in a mess, I went to a crafting section at a blogging event, someone had a go at teaching me and, due to my left-handedness, gave up and then I went along to a crochet group at our local library in February 2016. Best move ever!

In two hours, I amazed myself coming out with this:

which grew to this within a week:

and then this and it could still grow!

And two, as a mum to two autistic teens with – I think – a diagnosis needed for me, my brain finds it very hard to switch off, if at all.

I’ll remember forms that need to be completed, phone calls that need to be made etc and, even though I’ll have popped them into a “to do” list, they rattle around in my head, on and on some nights.

I get anxious too, more than I should, “what if’s” jump into my mind and multiply very effectively, snowballing almost.

Which is why crochet is so good for me.

The counting of stitches needed banishes the “you haven’t done….” as the calming, gentle crochet hook (unless I’m doing double trebles, I love them, such a flourish needed!) works its magic and relaxes me and I’ve found it very useful in pre-operative assessments!

I’ll go in there calm and then they’ll take my heartbeat and my mind instantly starts saying “keep calm, you don’t want a high reading, KEEP CALM, fgs keep calm!”, which sends it into overdrive!! A few times I’ve had to say “I’m panicking, please can I have a couple of minutes crocheting and it will calm down”…and it does. Silly, but it works for me.

I honestly think that, following my three operations since October 2016, I would be in an even more anxious state than I am now, where it not for crochet and it produces nice results too, which still absolutely amazes me, that left-handed me can finally do this!!!



I’ve set up a Facebook page here if anyone is interested in popping over!