By Julia Kemp
The Oxford Dictionary defines crochet as “a handicraft in which yarn is made up into a patterned fabric by looping yarn with a hooked needle.” However, I view crochet as a much more miraculous and remarkable endeavor. Crochet calms my mind and occupies my fingers; the world cannot function without crochet, and neither can I.
Whether laying in bed, basking in the springtime sunshine, or enjoying a movie on the couch, I never fail to enjoy a nice crochet session. From tank tops to tote bags to halter tops to stuffed animals—if you can name it, I’ve done it (or at least tried to). I picked up the hobby during quarantine as I, along with many of my peers, tirelessly searched for hobbies to occupy my bored mind. I trotted over to the closest Michaels, picked out about 10 colors of yarn and more crochet hooks than I needed, and went home ready to begin my new hobby. I had some crochet experience—my involvement in the knitting and crochet club during my elementary years helped build the foundation for my current crochet prowess. However, I quickly realized that my crochet skills were not quite where they needed to be. I clicked my way to the YouTube search bar, where I looked up different crochet stitches and patterns to work on. After hours of work to hone my crochet craft, I considered myself quite the expert, and began my first project.
Though beginning with quite hefty progress, I was quickly met with yet another roadblock in my journey to become the best crochet master the world has ever seen: I couldn’t seem to finish a project. Though consumed with the addictiveness of mindlessly looping yarn around a crochet hook, I couldn’t resist the urge to scroll through Pinterest and ogle over a beautiful crochet bag or top or blanket. I simply could not stop myself from crawling desperately to Michaels for yet another ball of yarn and ditching a half-finished project. And so I’ve found that my fascination with crochet is both a blessing and a curse. My obsession with the beautiful handicrafts that I’m capable of creating has single-handedly led to my inability to actually create my visions. And so, if you’re considering picking up crochet, I give you my warning: don’t let your “to be finished” pile grow larger than your “finished” one.