Soulful Stitches: Unveiling Character Through the Art of Crochet

I was determined to get good at crochet by the end of the workshop. My stitches were as tight as my muscles. While everyone else was chatting away, I stayed focused, not letting any distractions or mistakes creep in. The teacher taking a picture distracted me, and I lost count, feeling a bit frustrated.

Looking around, I saw everyone enjoying themselves, creating beautiful pieces. It made me laugh, realizing how serious I was. I wanted to learn crochet as a way to calm my mind especially with the days getting shorter and the stories getting heavier. An activity to engage in while I'm with my family during the evening and that would also have a mindful impact on me.

Research has shown that crocheting isan ideal tool for dealing with stress. The movements you have to make with your hands and fingers while crocheting require the necessary brain power. This means you can worry less. By crocheting you work on qualities in yourself such as patience and perseverance.

Personalities reveal themselves through the way people crochet.

I asked the teacher why my work didn't look right. "You're crocheting way too tight," she said. She added with a smile that personalities show in how people crochet—stressed folks seem to crochet tight and careless, while relaxed people crochet loose.

Hearing this made me uneasy at first, being a stress therapist; I wanted to be the chill one.

But then I realized I had to be honest with myself. I can be chill when I'm alone with no pressure, but in social situations or when learning something new, I focus on doing a good job. With focus comes stress, which is a good thing—it gets you going. The key is to include downtime for recovery, something I always tell my clients, and yet I didn’t like it when I gave the impression I would be stressed. I think that’s because of the stigma on that term. Maybe we need to use some other words. In this case, I would prefer to use the term: ‘focussed’ 🙂

I'm a black-and-white, all-or-nothing person, so I need a lot of planned downtime. In therapy, I give my full attention to clients, but every few sessions, I need a break to recover—just sitting with my thoughts, grabbing a coffee, reading, or looking out the window. It's my way, and I allow myself to work like that.

I decided to shift my mindset. I wanted a heartwarming evening, connecting with others while learning something new. I wanted it to be fun. This workshop wasn't just about crochet; it was about enjoying the evening in this beautiful little store, surrounded by people. Engaging in conversations, I noticed my blanket getting more beautiful.

At the end of the evening, I asked the teacher why my blanket was bigger than the example.

"You've been crocheting way too loose," she said. It made me smile, realizing how my approach had changed, not just to the crochet but to the whole experience of that evening.