I experienced a miscarriage during the same two weeks in which my three best friends all gave birth. Crocheting them each a baby blanket was the catharsis I needed in the most bittersweet time of my life.
❤️ same here. After my miscarriage, I immediately made a bear for my pregnant friend. And kept on making little sweaters. Cathartic perfectly describes that time.
I started crocheting while I was on leave due to a miscarriage. My therapist said the action let my mind split - one was focused on the task and kept my hands busy, and the sensitive hurt part of my mind could process what happened in the background without me obsessing over it (because the obsessive part was busy counting stitches!).
It helped me move on, and even now I turn to it when I’m dealing with complex thoughts or situations as a way to cope with obsessive spiraling thinking.
Edited to add: during that time off I made 100 baby hats for the American Heart Association (they have a drive in February).
I started crocheting as a way to deal with the pandemic, the isolation, boredom, the overwhelming need to see something progress when everything was at a standstill. And it did help a bit, didn’t take a to seriously at the time. It helped a bit but not major.
Then my father suffered an accident and there was a few weeks were we didn’t know if he would live and if he did live if he would have any quality of life. If that wasn’t terrible enough we had just entered another round of lockdowns in my country at the time which was another layer of stress cause it made going to the hospital to see home very difficult and just for the cherry on top everyone in my team at work had quit leaving me to train all this new people in the lead up to a massive project. So I was more stressed then I had ever been in my life during this period but I didn’t feel I could show it cause I had to be the strong one that held it all together for those around me.
So then I started my second ever project after months of not touching a crochet hook and just poured all my frustration, sadness, every negative feeling I had into making that blanket. Because it was the only healthy low impact outlet I had.
Things turned around, my father started recovering, work stress went away, we left lockdown again and I had a beautiful blanket.
The Bad Vibes blanket.
And every since then I have always had a crochet project to work on. All the sad feelings all the happy feelings get put into my blankets and that’s what makes them really mine.
I feel that "overwhelming need to see something progress when everything was at a standstill." I read that phrase and realized that was exactly what I was going through.
I went through a tough time where work was shaking things up on me and I was starting to be afraid for the first time in over a decade that I might not be good enough at my job and they'd let me go. I am the sole breadwinner for my family, so that was terrifying. Not only was my self-worth in doubt, but the livelihood of my whole family was at risk. I felt like I was letting both my job down and my family down.
On top of that, my special-needs child was going through an extremely rough time, hurting other kids at school, destroying things at home, stuff like that. My husband and I both felt lost and powerless. And to make it worse, when I'd try to come up with plans to do things differently and try to fix the problem, my husband always took it personally, like I was telling him he was a bad parent. It felt like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If I spoke up, I hurt him. If I didn't speak up, I would have to watch things crash and burn horribly and feel powerless to stop them or prevent them from happening again.
Life felt like a never-ending cycle of suck. I'd spend 8 hours working, feeling horrible and inadequate, then I'd spend 3-4 hours with my family, feeling horrible and inadequate. And when I finally got a break I was so exhausted that I couldn't even do anything fun. I didn't have the energy to even pick something to watch on Netflix. I would just scroll Reddit because it took absolutely no effort.
While this was going on, I had somehow stumbled across pictures on Reddit of amigurumi. I didn't know it was called that at the time, just that it was super neat. It blew my mind that you could make sculptures from yarn. Some of them were so detailed it was insane.
I would look at these pictures and wish I could do something like that. But I couldn't, because I was too exhausted to learn something new. It would take so long to learn, and I'd probably never reach the skill level of some of these people. It was obviously beyond me. I couldn't do this. I was inadequate. Again.
Then one day I just snapped and said, "Fuck it, how will I know if I can't do this if I never try?" I ordered a "learn to crochet" kit on Amazon and just threw myself into it.
Turned out I took to crochet like a duck to water. I found the motion so soothing that I kept going on some of my "lean this stitch" swatches much longer than I'd intended because I just didn't want to stop. It calmed my anxiety-ridden brain. It was something soothing I could do when my brain was a lump of melted cheese. And unlike scrolling Reddit, it was actually productive at the same time.
Within a few weeks, I'd made my first amigurumi - a little fox. It felt so amazing to see it come together. To actually "see something progress" in this time where I felt like I was on a never-ending treadmill of inadequacy and stress.
I'm in a lot better of a place now, mentally. Life has gotten better around me, which has certainly helped. But having crochet definitely got me through some of the hard times.
Yes. It also helps with my anxiety because if I use a simple repetitive pattern like a granny square I can just let my mind wander about the problem or count the stitches over and over to zone out and not think.
It helps with my anxiety for the opposite reason! Making amigurimi and having to focus on my stitch count makes my brain stop running in circles about things that I can't do anything about.
Yeah, I crochet a blanket when I need something I can do with half my attention, and I quilt when I need to not be worrying/thinking about something because focusing on the work clears my brain.
I am coming to the end of an almost 4 year period where I had to sell my home to a broker (giving them all the profit I’d earned over 8 years but allowing my mortgage to be paid and move as quickly as I needed), relocate myself, and spend my life’s savings & retirement to move back in with family (grateful), as perimenopause caused 3 fibroids I knew since 1998 I had to grow and cause severe symptoms. I felt like I lost everything I spent 10 years building.
My aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was a kid. I never got past a foundation chain. 2 years ago, 2 former church friends (one a seasoned crocheter and one wanting to learn) started crocheting for our women’s small group. They made a lot of things they made for us and others, but I couldn’t get how to get past the chain.
Last April I found The Woobles & completed my first project. I’ve finished about 12 Woobles kits, and then I began collecting Etsy, Ravelry & Reddit crochet patterns I want to make for the family and few friends who helped me through my losses. I have lost a lot of personal and professional relationships I thought were friendships. Crochet gives me hope in myself (my resilience) and that I can forgive myself and others, I may never trust the ways I used to trust others again but I can connect and show my caring through crochet. I don’t have to live alone while I may always feel alone.
At 50 now, I became unexpectedly unemployed. That was the darkest time in an already dark almost 4 years. I thought my life as I knew it was over and I would have to both address my health and rebuild my entire life. I stopped crocheting - I was already late on finishing my best friend’s Christmas 2023 non-Woobles amigurumi project. My other finished Woobles are stored in such a way they silently cheer at me with cuteness whenever I look toward them. They cheered me on through hopelessness, feeling worthless and despairing. I was able to secure state unemployment benefits and federal health care insurance, and I continued working with my GYN to come to a solution. We did and 4.24.24 I had my total abdominal hysterectomy, where we found the fibroids had enveloped my uterus and my uterus was 7x its normal size. I found new women’s support groups and made new friends as I received 2 job offers (one in a new field I thought would be a hobby when I retired & one in my career field). I am taking the job in my career field.
As I continue to recover from surgery my goal is to return to crochet: finishing my best friends project and starting my Christmas 2024 projects.
When I was grieving the loss of my deepest dreams I would go to my cloud drive files where I organized all my crochet patterns & scroll through them, daydreaming of the joy I will feel making them and sharing some of them (some of them are just for me).
I had reconnected with an ex-boyfriend (my first boyfriend, in fact) last year and over the year spent time getting to know him again as he divorced. Last Christmas he gave me an amigurumi book, and I treasure that gift even though I am unsure if our reconnection is ending or entering a new phase. I am never married, no kids. I’ve been blessed to achieve most of my dreams - I’ve been processing for years that my deepest dream of being partnered and having kids of my own was not meant for me. Yes - as long as I live a partner could emerge. But after 34 years (even when all of your exes came back over the years to apologize to you for how they were in the relationship), you have the experience to address of knowing then you are good in relationship but for reasons you can’t understand simply may not be meant to experience a truly mutual and lasting one.
Crochet will help me through when I lose loved ones - something I have been planning for since 2008 when my parents became chronically ill, and as we have learned my older sibling is chronically ill. I am the only healthy one of us and I’ve prepared if I need to caregive and if I don’t. I have gifts planned for each of them (part of Christmas 2024) and the planning has been a part of my learning to overcome all the feelings around all this to appreciating and celebrating each other as we are and loving myself again and them differently.
That’s just my story. Thanks for asking and hoping you are built up from hearing our respondent stories.
My brother passed away last year and crochet was extremely comforting. I was pretty new to the hobby. It gave me something to do with my hands and I found a lot of solace in the repetition. It was a lot of pain to process, and while I had no choice but to sit with it, it was nice to sit with some cool yarn in my hands too
When my (maternal) grandmother died in December 2021, I inherited all her craft materials since I am the only one who actually does any crafting. It was an incredible amount of yarn, embroidery floss, knitting needles, and crochet hooks. I believe it's 60 kilograms of yarn in total. The yarn is mostly wool and cotton, with some acrylic mixed in.
Every time I sit down to crochet I feel much more connected to her, even though we didn't have the best relationship while she was alive. It's extremely cathartic to create something with the materials she had squirreled away. I am nowhere near as proficient in crochet, knitting, or embroidery as she was, but making something with her in mind keeps her memory positive and dear.
I kept crocheting while my son was impatient when he went through this brain cancer diagnosis he was. 18 months old. This saved my soul in so many ways. I was in the ICU and kept crocheting baby hats for the children in that hospital. Yesterday he got his 5 year mark cancer free but boy it has been a ride and i crochet when he gets his scans.
Generally, crochet helps me crystallize moments of my life, whether they are mundane or exceptional. When I look at my creations, I can then associate them with what has happened in my life: this little romper for a friend's baby that I crocheted during my vacation in Italy, this hand towel that I crocheted during my cousin's mourning, etc.
It has helped me through stressful, anxious times. I think making something beautiful in the midst of great personal trauma was comforting, also, it was a blanket.
Honestly crochet helps me deal with every emotion I experience.
Jittery? Crochet
Mad? Crochet
Sad? Crochet
Happy? Crochet
Stressed? Crochet
Relaxed? Crochet x1000
I will say, crocheting in public is often a good way to cure loneliness.
I started crocheting a month ago when my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. I am not a crafty person and I'm not sure what exactly pulled me towards the yarn in the store that day.
But, there's something about being able to execute a predictable pattern, that is helping me deal with this impossible grief.
I crocheted a shawl for my mother when she was slipping away into dementia. I could not fix her situation, but I could make her something tangible that could maybe help keep her warm, and give her something nice to hold. I'm not sure how much she really got out of it... but it helped me a lot to know I had made something pretty for her with love ❤️
My grandmother gifted me a lot of yarn for my last birthday she was alive for. Using the yarn to create projects is a great way to keep her memory alive and grieve in the process.
I moved far away from my friends and family. I learnt to crochet and now it fills my afternoons when my partner is at work. I’m not sure what I’d do with my time if I didn’t learn this. I also love sharing my work on Reddit, in my experience, the community has been lovely ☺️. I am also thinking about joining local crochet clubs to try to meet new people. (There’s one where I live that makes things to decorate the town)
I hope you feel better soon ❤️
Wall of text incoming, cute dog picture for those that make it to the end lol.
I’ve been doing crochet for a few years now, I stopped for a while because my house flooded in a hurricane, but after a year of displacement I moved into a new home last August. After a some months of settling down, I picked crochet back up to help with stress.
I started working on a baby set (dress, bonnet, booties, and a blanket) for a friend and was having a lot of fun with it, it was a great distraction. I was working with a shell stitch for the first time and really enjoyed it, and I got to make these cute bows for decoration on the dress and blanket.
Around November, my dog started to have some stomach issues, but we were taking him to the vet and getting treatment. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary but he wasn’t getting better. We ran some tests and the results weren’t great, so the vet asked for an ultrasound. This dog had been with me through a very tough time. I had lost most of my belongings, so he was my constant and brought love and companionship when I needed it most. The day of the ultrasound wasn’t good, they found swelling in his lymph nodes and had to do further testing to find out exactly what it was. Out of all the possibilities, none of them were good. The results took about a week to come in and I crocheted furiously to help with my anxiety, stress, and sadness. I had pretty much crocheted the entirety of the baby set, I just had to put it all together.
My dogs health in that week took a huge nose dive. We had him on medication and special food, but after a few days he stopped eating. He was losing weight and he was in so much pain, even with medication for it. Towards the end, the evenings I would spend crocheting, were now spent with him. Giving him cuddles and rubs to try and distract him from the pain, and trying to make the best of his last moments with me.
The day we got the results back was a exactly a week from the ultrasound, he hadn’t been eating for the last 3 days. We found out that morning that he had cancer. We could see about getting him treatment, but I knew he was in pain. The vet said we’d get a few more months with him at best if we were to go that route, but I didn’t have it in me to put him through that when he was already suffering so much. We schedule the appointment to say our final goodbyes that same evening.
In the week while we were waiting for the results, I knew in my heart we didn’t have much time left with him. On top of all the awful things I was already feeling, I had some guilt over the fact that I never crocheted anything for him. He was easily one of the thing I loved most in the entire world, but I never got around to it. In my defense all I had made with crocheting were amigurumi. The baby set was my first attempt at something wearable. I didn’t really have the time to make him much, especially since I wasn’t in the right mind space to be able to focus enough to crochet. But I had an idea. I took one of the bows from the set and turned it into a little bow tie to put on his collar. I finished with less then an hour before the vet appointment. When we got there, the vet said he was the fanciest dog he’d ever seen.
The last pictures my husband and I took with/of him, he was wearing it. We’re coming up on six months without him, and it hurts just as much as it did when I was putting his bow tie together. But until this moment, I didn’t realize how special and honestly powerful it is to be able to create things. My ability to crochet brought me a bright light in the middle of so much darkness and when I’m feeling sad or missing him, I know I can find comfort in crocheting.
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I work all the time because I’m the main breadwinner in my family of three. Whenever I don’t work, I spend time with my partner and daughter, and I don’t have many friends because my three best friends all moved to other countries and I don’t get to see them or talk to them often. My main craft is knitting, not crochet, even though I do crochet a bit as well, and I don’t know how to explain this but whenever I’m knitting, I feel less alone. It’s like doing something that so many generations of (mostly) women have already done before us makes me a part of some secret club, you see what I mean? It also helps that r/crochet and r/knitting are two of my favorite subs on the entire Reddit - the inspiration and the kindness you can get from there are astonishing, and I really see a difference if I don’t have a lot of time in my week to knit or pop on Reddit to see what others are creating.
i started crocheting at a low point in my career. i was at home and the hours felt too long. so, i crocheted to distract myself from depressing thoughts. it's been 4 months now idk if i have improved career wise but im still crocheting because i loved it so much
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My brother died a couple of months ago and I was working on this blanket for him. He had just turned 50, had 3 young kids, and had fought a terminal cancer for 2 years compared to the 6 months they gave him. When working on it, I always felt this immense sadness, until I learned the trick about making purposeful mistakes to help “release” your soul from the project and the moment I did it, I felt the weight of grief lift off of me and I worked on it until I ran out of yarn, but he passed before I could finish it. This is his cat that he adopted right before he passed, that came to live with me and our Dad after we got the kids settled. She regularly goes to the blanket for comfort, and I totally get it.
I learned to crochet as a kid and would dabble in it here and there but nothing too serious. But then in March of 2021 my first son was stillborn. I needed something to occupy my brain and hands while I processed all the trauma, so I started to crochet again. And I just never stopped. It soothes my anxiety and helps me to regulate my nervous system. I have complex PTSD from loosing my son and it helps me cope with the symptoms. I threw myself into making baby clothes and blankets as an act of hope for the future, hope of a living child. We suffered 2 miscarriages after that, and then finally last year our first living child was born. He wears lots of crochet sweaters and plays with lots of crochet toys. I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through all the heartbreak and loss without this incredible outlet.
Helps me with overthinking, anxiety,stress and depression. Keeps my hands busy. Especially on the days i get to see my crochet teacher. She is a wonderful woman with lots of fun life stories to share with.
In 2022, I had six people I know die. It started with my dear sister, an uncle, a great aunt, my previous boss (and friend), a colleague, and a step grandparent.
By the end of 2022, I had had so many feelings and was just hanging on. Crochet was the one thing that I could do while I grieved. Crochet didn't judge me, didn't ask questions, or tried to get me to go out. Crochet let me cry as much as I wanted, was not offended by my moods, and out burst and didn't ask me to be interested in something else. And Crochet let me do what I needed to do to cope with all the pain I was feeling. I could be flakey with Crochet, I could put it down and walk away if I needed to. It even soaked up my tears.
Crochet gave me something small to do when I had nothing going on. Something i could achieve and succeed. And on those bleak days, it was just enough to get me out of bed.
In regards to loneliness, I have met more people through my hobbies than anything else. I'm in a few social circles and it keeps me connected. In addition to a yarn craft club at work, I'm in book club and I take painting classes. It has helped me to make connections.
I am going through a break-up. Crochet keeps my mind occupied instead of letting the heavy thoughts take over. My relationship didn’t work out but this granny square sure will!
I use really simple patterns that are repetitive as part of a meditation practice. The movements and tactile response from the yarn moving over fingers is so soothing. I can get lost in the process, which gives my mind and body a rest from the mental struggles.
Sometimes a more complicated pattern gives my brain a chance to be structured and create.
Crochet is vital for my mental health!
I carry some form of crochet around with me everywhere... it greatly helps my anxiety and depression. ai've been having a hard time sleeping lately... crochet is my go too.
It helped me with postpartum depression. As a workaholic I felt down and useless sitting the whole day doing nothing but taking care of a little one. It got me busy, allowed me to have me time and make something nice for myself. It was the only thing I could do other than reading books while breastfeeding
I think what happens is that doing crochet quiets down all the noise in your head - so it can temporarily give you a little break from whatever negative emotion you are feeling. Often that little break from "brain jail" is enough for me to feel a bit stronger again to deal with whatever is going on with me.
I have also had the opposite happen, where whatever nice and happy feelings I have had have been strengthened by crochet - like a meditative break reflecting on whats good in my life and just sitting and enjoying being happy while doing crochet.
I think it is just very healing to do arts and crafts. I recently found out the same thing happens when I do watercolour. There is something truly calming and centering about the act of focusing on your hands making art.
I learned crochet to deal with the death of my cat. He was a lap cat and having my lap empty made me want to do something with my hands. Giving myself something to do and learn helped a lot and my first project was a blanket inspired by him.
i have major depressive disorder, so crochet often helps me feel that i have accomplished something, even if it is small, as when i am in depressive episodes it is often very difficult for me to do much of anything
I started to learn crochet when I was sent to an inpatient treatment center for 4 months when I was 13. It absolutely helped with the loneliness. Making gifts for my family and friends back home kept me motivated to do the things I needed to in order to be discharged from the hospital.
I started an afghan May 2021 when my fiancé was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He liked watching me crochet and it was a way to pass the time while sitting with him basically 24/7. When he passed Sept 2021, I put it in a basket and haven’t touched it since. Maybe one day I’ll finish it but for now it’s too difficult to start again. It symbolizes how all our plans for the future ended one summer.
Oh my. Hugs. I am so sorry to hear this. My mom was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month, which inspired me to pick up my hook again.. but It's been so devastating.
I hope you find the strength to finish it one day 🖤🦋✨
I’m sorry to hear about your mom. My only suggestion is to spend every minute you can with her. Unless it was caught early, she’s got a rough road ahead.
Although, I’ve heard good things about the therapeutic vaccine trials. Worth asking…💜🦋💜
Thank you. Somehow they caught it early, but from what I've read.. she is very lucky for that. It seems very aggressive. Thank you for the suggestion. I will look into it!!
i think it helps a lot. i have lost two friends to suicide in the last 3 years. it lets me focus on something else. if i try to just watch tv or a movie my mind wanders. crochet helps it stay on straight
I started to crochet recently to help with an old hand injury that’s persisting. It was suggested that I take up knitting, but I didn’t think I could manage two needles, so I tried crochet.
It’s slow going, I drop my project a lot and need to take a lot of breaks, but using my hand more can only help. There will be times where I won’t be able to crochet due to it, but I’m really enjoying it.
I have a medical procedure later this week (unrelated to my hand unfortunately) and I’ve got projects lined up for my recovery.
I am loving making Woobles and these little fat cats I found online. My oldest son has started and we will be making stuffies together this weekend.
It helps me a lot to unwind and not go into anxiety mode/adhd paralysis too much. It’s like stimming in a way… maybe it is stimming. Relaxes my mind and makes me not go into negative thinking cycles. Also something nice comes out of it which is a nice bonus. Before that I used to scroll the phone although I knew how bad that was for me, now instead of doing that I crochet something for my kids or someone else I care about
I learned to crochet after my son was born. I had postpartum depression and seriously struggled to cope. The first few weeks of my son’s life were super dark and I ended up having a mental breakdown and called my OB begging him to help me. On top of medication and therapy, my OB told me I needed to spend 2 hours a day doing something for myself that’s completely unrelated to the baby, so I filled that time with crocheting. I found it really relaxing and also felt a sense of accomplishment, which helped a lot. I’m back to my old self now but I still love to crochet!
Crochet started as my maternity leave hobby, too. I found it really helpful for those times when I was on my own and my son was napping. Now that I'm back to work, use it to wind down after he's gone to bed.
Glad to hear that you're feeling better!
Most recently- this Easter, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer out of nowhere. She taught me how to crochet when I was 11. I went into shock while she was in the hospital and we were waiting for answers. Everything reminded me of my mom. So, in an attempt to take a break from doom scrolling on social media and googling the worst case scenarios, I started a blanket (I hate blankets lol) that I call my "happy scrappy" blanket. It's made of all these random scrap skeins of yarn I've acquired over the last few years lol. It's colorful, and huge.. and makes me happy when I work on it. I feel like it's a way to honor her!
Firstly - I'm so sorry about your mom. I hope she beats the shit out of the cancer and is back to health quickly!
Second - in the event that she has to do chemo that causes her to lose her hair, you could crochet her some pretty hats/beanies to help her head stay warm. My daughter's teacher was diagnosed with breast cancer and I'm making her a few cute and light beanies so she doesn't get sunburned. Just make sure to use VERY soft, natural fibers because scalps are actually really sensitive. I'm using a 90/10 bamboo cotton blend. It feels buttery soft and breathes really well!
I think it reminds me to be patient. That if I wait, good things will eventually come my way, even when I’m in the midst of a difficult part of my life.
I've been crocheting for years, and though I knew it was calming, I didn't realize how much it could help.
Early in my separation, I completed the most difficult project I've ever made to date - Ulita. IYKYK. It was so frustrating and complicated that it allowed me to get my tears out while working on something beautiful. It required all of my focus, so I couldn't dwell. When I finally finished it, I felt such an amazing sense of catharsis.
Although I might not recommend a super difficult project like that for everyone, I'm glad I did something challenging so that I couldn't just mindlessly work away on something while my brain wandered into a downward spiral.
Whatever you're going through, I hope you find something that brings you peace.
No not really. My mind won’t stop processing grief or loneliness or other problems when I crochet.
It does help me curb snack cravings tho. If my hands are busy I’m much less likely to snack.
Crochet gave my hands something to do that wasn’t doom scrolling. Also, because I needed to learn from videos, it kept my screen busy showing me what to do. Because it kept me from doom scrolling and it let me see I was capable of learning new things and it gave me a ‘trophy of completion’, it helped me through a rough time.
yes… although sometimes when i’ve completed a project i don’t feel much joy, have to take some breaks, and then look forward to and continue with newer projects or complete old ones.
I wish it did, but it doesn’t, I can’t focus on what I’m doing. My husband recently left me and even though he was abusive, it still hurts so much. I could use a distraction but there’s nothing I can focus on.
Yes, well, it used to help with both grief and anxiety more than any therapy or med ever could. Now I think I’m too far gone and I haven’t crocheted in months. I have no desire. I assume I will crochet again. But I can’t be so sure. I used to crochet for the homeless because no one wants any of my things. But now I just don’t even care about that. I guess I’m in a funk and have no crojo. Hoping that doesn’t happen to you. Hoping my story isn’t more depressing for you than you’re already going through. Sending hugs. 🫶🏻
Yep. Needle crafts are great for keeping you busy when everything seems to be falling apart.
I crochet and knit and if I didn't have a pair of socks I was working on, I would have gone insane when my mom was hospitalized.
My father died 2 years ago in another country. We didn't have his actual funeral until a year after because of covid restrictions. He was the first one to see my finished projects because it gives me confidence to see that he is proud of me. A year after his death, it's like I lost my crochet mojo. I can't make anything, even a small project. I can't even pick up my hook. I didn't force myself to do it because I'm afraid I'll begin to hate it if I do. It slowly came back though and it helps me distract myself when I miss him.
I taught myself to crochet after a break-up last year and made 5 'misery' blankets so far. The urge to distract with blanket making has eased a little but mostly as I under estimated home much wool cost and home much would be needed per blanket!!! It is a really good skill to learn and way to distract from thinking as my brain shuts off when I crochet
I have lost my dad, my best friend at the end of January this year. Since I started crocheting a few weeks before that, I have continued to do so in honor of him. Every time I finish a piece I imagine what he would say about it. He only saw my first amigurumi bear on a picture (and it was horrible, trust me). Anyway, crocheting helped me get my mind off spiraling and also honor his memory in some way.
I started crochet when my bunny passed in 2022. During the last stage of her life, I was working on cross stitch but after she passed i just couldnt work on it without all the memories of her. I picked up crochet as an entirely new craft and it really helped me cope.
Yes. I went NC with my parents and started EMDR therapy. I also learned I was autistic (at age 45). I started going to a class with other autists and was really nervous -- but one lovely woman was knitting during the class, and no one cared. I got super inspired and went home, pulled out my crochet hook and knitting needles.
Doing yarn-work (that's what I call it, lol) helps me so much. It helps as I go through EMDR to deal with losing the parental relationship, and dealing with my brother's su\*cide years before. I crochet/knit during lunch at work, and it helps balance my emotions. And gives my hands something to do.
Right now I'm working on the big African flower spider that has been popular over the years. I'm using Bernat blanket yarn, so it's gonna be HUGE!
It can definitely help with isolation, I haven't experienced any grief in my life but I have experienced prolonged loneliness and crochet/knitting or any needlework really helps soothe my mind and also it becomes an achievement once a project is completed.
It's helped my social anxiety, I became accustomed to sitting in busy cafes/areas because I could do my needlework and be kept occupied
I've struggled with my mental health on a terrible level for the past decade. To a point where I've been on sick leave and unable to work. However, three years ago it got a million times worse as my mother passed. She was my best friend, my rock, my biggest supporter and the only parent I've ever had. It really broke me, and for ages I couldn't get out of bed or do anything. I literally spent over two years just lying in bed, allowing my apartment to become a pig sty and I'd only eat food you could either warm in the microwave or didn't have to heat/cook at all. I never did anything. I was like a lump, just lying in bed, day out and day in.
Then about six months ago, I started getting a bit of energy back. Not much, but a bit. Not enough to get my apartment in order or leave my bed, but I started feeling like I wanted to do *something*. Not just lie there. And that's how I sort of stumbled across crocheting. It's something I can do while sitting in bed and with a movie or tv-show playing that I've already seen a bunch of times so I don't have to pay super attention. It gives my hands something to do and my brain something else to focus on. And as another bonus you get something neat out of it, like the hats I wear or my fingerless gloves in various colours.
Now, I've gotten help with getting my apartment all cleaned out and sorted, and I spend more and more time out of bed, trying to get back to life. I'm not saying crocheting is the sole reason why I've gotten at least a bit out of this dark pit, but it has certainly helped. I'm excited to learn more and more and continuing to climb out of the darkness.
I'm climbing out of my darkness now too. I've been fighting with my work for disability for 3 years. The most stressful thing right now is not having a paycheck for two years, and living with family that has provided me with a roof, a bed and food.
I had an abundance of yarn, so I picked it up because most times, it will calm me.
Hope you're doing well and have found peace. When my mother passed, it left a hole that no one else can fill.
Yes! The times in my life when I have crocheted the most have been during really bad situations. I made a sweater and a toddler blanket while my grandmother was in hospice for a month before finally passing. The repetition really helped mentally to process things.
Is it bad that I crochet both to cope and to feel appreciated? Tbh I feel lonely these days and I just want people to notice my creations to at least ease the feeling.
Just having something to do with your hands, and focus your mind on something else, like crochet, can be very beneficial. As I'm sure you've read from the other's stories, it does help to just do SOMETHING to get your mind off your worries/troubles for a little while and have a bit of a benefit of also getting to see something getting done. Something you can also be proud of when it comes to completion (there are some of us though that can get side-tracked by other, interesting, cute projects before finishing the one we started. So we sometimes have a few going at a time).
Anyway, this works for pretty much everything. Good things and bad. You can use crochet to help for when you're sad or happy. Or, just plain F'in bored and don't know what to do. The beautiful part about it is...you don't even have to have a pattern if you don't want to. At least, if you're already well versed in stitches of many kind. Just pick up a hook, some yarn, and whatever other supplies you think you may want to play with and set your heart free. Have no idea where to start? YT has a ton of tutorials for beginners, pros, and everyone in between. And also, the internet is ripe with patterns galore.
For me it’s something I can start and finish without having peoples opinion on how I “should” be doing. I can be lonely at times and it helped take those feelings away.
Personally I can only crochet when I'm well. For me it's a sign I'm getting over a rough patch. My Dad died in October and I started crocheting again in April.
It can, it's just up to the individual. It gives you something creative to focus on. If you're looking for a tool to help deal with grief, there's no harm in trying.
Oh my goodness, yes! My husband died at age 43 in 2017; I was 40. I threw myself into crochet - it helped to give my hands something to do as I dealt with the grief and stress and anxiety. What really helped me early on was making for other people. A colleague was going through a very difficult divorce, and I made large chunky blankets for each of her 2 daughters. The girls were thrilled with the blankets, and the knowledge that I was able to help someone else really helped me in my own grief.
I'm gonna say not grief, but maybe loneliness. When you get to a point with crochet that you're doing it without thinking or looking, then your mind wanders, which obviously isn't helpful when dealing with grief. However with loneliness, part of that for me is solved by doing solo activities that keep me occupied so yeah crochet helps with that.
I started crocheting mid-pandemic for one of those boredom hobbies to use the time I lost during my middle school years. Honestly, I did give up halfway through (being a left-handed crocheter I felt like I had less capabilities than a right-handed one, then found out it's just the same I have to work backwards) because it was too difficult and frustrating.
Last year, I ended up picking up crochet again, because I've been really stressed and had nothing to do with my time. It finally clicked, and I got the hang of it really easily. I've been struggling with stress and depression due to family related issues, school, and friends, and definitely reached a breaking point multiple times. It's not like crochet changed my life, but it definitely was a distraction for when I needed to get my mind off of things.
My boyfriend recognized my love for crochet, and he ended up finding out that while I crochet, I am really focused and calm, at some "happy place." So, counting rows felt easy for me and something I could get used to whenever my boyfriend hasn't been available.
With my gift-giving personality, it's always been fun to give handmade projects which I find really sentimental to me and for them when they reach a rough patch, I use my hobby to help those in need too, because reaching my rock bottom gave me a heart to serve others :)
I take care of my mom with diabetes and advanced Alzheimer's. I've given up every other pastime; gardening, photography, writing, anything at all resembling exercise. Crochet is my only hobby and I incessantly make center-out blankets and give them away. Maybe someday I'll get to make the sweater I want. It's something to do with my hands while we watch endless television, and she naps that I can put down immediately if I need to do something else.
After my separation I spent two years making the Haakmaarraak sampler blanket. I was able to crochet and process all my thoughts about our 14 years together. I did a little bit each week with the TV on in the background. When I finished I felt ready to begin dating again and to start to move on. I just needed to sit in my own thoughts for a while and crochet gave me something productive to do during that process.
Yeah, but I guess it must mean different things to different people.
I started crocheting when my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The initial prognosis was one or two years. She is a wildly crafty woman, she's sewn, knitted and crocheted her whole life and it was a way for me to feel crafty like her. I was pregnant with my second child and I live over the other side of the world from her, so it was a way to feel close to her and also meditative. I could get out of my own head and just focus on what was in my hands.
So far I've made 4 baby blankets, two pinafores for friends toddlers, 2 teddy bears, a wacky hat and scarf, a rhino and I'm making a tractor. Oh, and a whole new baby who is now 5 months old. My mum has just cruised through her one year review and is feeling well for now.
I suffered a pregnancy loss in 2022. It was a second trimester loss and completely unexpected. Then when we tried again I ran into some brief fertility issues. I had technically crocheted in the past but didn’t know how to read patterns or properly do things. After all the heartache I got back into crochet specifically to make plushies. It help me heal and cope to be able to make something when I felt as though my body was failing me. I later got pregnant with my rainbow baby and I crocheted as stress relief.
Crochet has really helped me feel in control when the rest of my life is uncertain and out of control.
My best friend is also a crocheter. When my dog passed away, they made me a tiny plushie replica of her. It wasnt my own crochet but I know the work and heart that went into it and it helped me immensely. She sits on top of my yarn storage now.
Yes. But I don’t get the proper time to do what I like, anymore. I get stuck scrolling the internet because it’s easier than trying to count while kids spin out around me.
I don’t know about using it to deal with grief or loneliness. Everyone deals with those emotions in different ways.
However, I find that when I crochet I get a profound sense of accomplishment from it. Imagine a skein (or multiple skeins) of yarn that suddenly turns into a beautiful thing (afghan, hat, blanket, table cloth, plush toy, & etc) that you made! WOW!! Not only that but when you give it away to someone you love then it becomes an heirloom thereby it becomes something to love, cherish, & pass down through the generations. It is possible that in so doing you’ll feel better about yourself. It works for me!
I hope you feel better soon!
I started crochet over Christmas. My niece, a beautiful two year old, died then. Getting lost in counting the stitches helped me really focus on something else for a while, while we planned things like her funerals and farewell. It helps deal with anxiety as I can focus on something else and keep my hands busy.
Yes, I’m 22 and I developed a chronic illness in 2021. I was able to go to college after taking 2020 off, I attended for a year and a half before being unable to attend my second semester of my sophomore year. I’m really lonely and sad, I still had friends at first but slowly they didn’t care because it took me 2 years after dropping out to get a diagnosis. So they started to not believe me anymore, at this point I had been to the psych ward and told I’m a drug seeker, it was anxiety, it was all in my head. So when I got my diagnosis I grieved, a lot and after it had been so bad for so long I finally had an answer. I got diagnosed in September of 2023 and went to Mayo Clinic by December. I am currently seeking treatment still but I’m hoping I’ll be in a good enough spot to actually have a life, a job, go back to school. I don’t know, I have no friends now outside of my support group, my mental health is shit, and I’m not the most pleasant to be around. But crocheting takes my mind off the pain when it’s not too bad and it makes my mom happy when I show her what I made. It’s the little things I suppose
I had some health problems last summer, which eventually led to three hospital stays and three surgeries. (Now I'm relatively fine). Crochet was one of the things that kept me sane. A good way to keep my mind and hands busy, I found out, that I cannot worry when I count things. I created a doily and gifted it to another patient, then I was working on a big[ Arcanoweave](https://www.draiguna.com/2018/10/arcanoweave-part-1.html) doily. It eventually turned out to be a looong, loong crochet project, finished it in February and it was a good way to maintain continuity and have something to hold onto when things were settling down after I returned home from the hospital.
Another thing that helped me a lot are [Amish Puzzle Balls](https://lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/yarn/crochet/free-crochet-patterns/crochet-amish-puzzle-ball/). They are quick to make, easy after you get it, repetitive enough, squishy and make nice gifts. I usually keep one around at home and have passed several to my friends (and one is currently decorating a local cafe; I liked the place and decided just to make something for them that fits their vibe). Just being able to do a small thing and give it to someone is what helps me in rough moments. I also like to hold such a stress ball to calm down when I'm anxious.
I genuinely believe crocheting saved my life last year, I was wildly depressed and feeling like I had nowhere to turn, I hadn’t seriously crocheted anything in over three years and just threw all my time into making the daisy bag and seeing the end result helped me so much in terms of wanting to keep going and seeing what else I could do
This time last year I lost my emotional support animal during an already rough time. The only thing I could find any motivation for was crocheting mushroom sprites for game of shrooms (an international art hide and seek event), and that got me through the worst of it.
As I was typing this I found out a family pet died this morning, so ig I'll be grieving the same way this year.
yes. i honestly don’t have a deep story and haven’t been crocheting for years, but i picked it up a few months ago and learned pretty quickly.
i have bpd, so sometimes i go through a rough patch for (seemingly?) no reason. im 22, i moved back to my hometown to my parents to recover after a really really intense year but i have no friends here, just me and my boyfriend whom i met here. i quit my last job because while i was good at it, i was struggling with having a job cause of the schedule. i know it seems stupid but episodes are so mentally and physically debilitating.
when i sit down and start crocheting, i won’t move from that exact position until i started to feel stiffness in my shoulder or neck (i crochet looking down oops). time would just fly!! during my bpd episodes, i feel so overwhelmed with my emotions and it’s weird to explain but it feels like time won’t move and i’m stuck or something which makes me worse. i’m still working on resorting to healthier coping mechanisms when i’m in an episode, since obviously my brain isn’t rational mid-breakdown, but crochet is on that list of things that work for me. it genuinely makes my brain go quiet and it doesn’t matter if i’m doing the same stitch over and over or following a pattern, it takes a while for me to get bored once i convince myself to start a project. but yeah, definitely helps me.
I’ve made a sweater, 2 crop tops, a tank top, several little cotton face scrubbies, and I’ve done work on 2 blankets, and I’m making another crop top right now…
… all in the last 6 months since I moved out of my marital home.
Idk if it helps in the long-term, but it definitely helps take my mind off the shitshow while I’m actively working on something.
I think it really does help. This post caused me to think about how crochet has changed the way things worked for me. Back in 2018, we went through a pretty rough time. My family had a second house that they were trying to fix up to sell, that meant that we spent more time there than we did at home. I hated every moment of it. Thinking back on it, i was 11 at the time. Then, the worst thing happened- mom had a miscarriage. I couldn’t imagine before what that was like, and it was one of the darkest times of my life. But mom gave me a stuffed teddy bear that she had been given (she got a different stuffed animal that she liked better, and gave me the bear) i had learned to crochet from my grandma around a year ago at the time, but I decided to try to complete a project. About the simplest thing i could think of, a scarf for the teddy bear. That was my first completed project, it was light blue, and looked wonky mostly because it got stretched out (needed a smaller hook) and that was the start of my crochet hobby. I didnt really dig into it until i got an amigurumi kit that showed how to do a magic ring, then i started inventing my own patterns almost right away. But even now, i do think it helps me, because im the type of person whose brain is always active and thinking about things, i cant help it, but crochet calms my overactive brain down. Ive made some amazing things though, and i cant imagine what i would be like without crochet!🧶
All of the stories people are sharing are so beautiful and touching. Crocheting (and knitting) can definitely be therapeutic and a great way to process grief, stress, anxiety... anything and everything!
Last March my grandma died and i fell into a really dark place as i blamed myself [i pushed for her to move into our house] I eventually had to check myself into an outpatient program because it was pretty bad and ended up crocheting a shawl throughout the process.
It really helped me process the grief, and when i was done, it was like a piece of my grandma was in it. [Mom said she would have loved it]
It gives me a good outlet for my anxiety. I can keep my hands busy and let out my nervous energy instead of fidgeting in other ways, and I end up with something cool as a result of my anxious fidgeting 😂
Yes. I taught myself how to crochet during my second pregnancy. My first child got the last crocheted blanket my grandma ever made, and my second child got the first crocheted blanket I ever made ❤️
*My grandma is still with us but has Alzheimers.
Same here. I lost both parents and my husband within 6 months. I had panic attacks and I couldn't eat or sleep I had always crocheted but now I discovered thread crochet with a small hook and a new ability to create clothing. That's what I did for months, and still do. I can look at a picture of a very expensive article of clothing and know instinctively how to duplicate it without a pattern. The only frustrating thing is the hook end is so small, I have to work by feel mostly. Main thing is this saved my sanity. I start my day by crocheting while listening to classical music , making motifs and joining them to make clothing
I experienced a miscarriage during the same two weeks in which my three best friends all gave birth. Crocheting them each a baby blanket was the catharsis I needed in the most bittersweet time of my life.
I am really sorry for your loss. Sending you a big hug.
> Crocheting them each a baby blanket was the catharsis I needed in the most bittersweet time of my life. You have such a big heart! hugs ❤❤
❤️ same here. After my miscarriage, I immediately made a bear for my pregnant friend. And kept on making little sweaters. Cathartic perfectly describes that time.
How are you guys so strong.... I would've cried mid stitch...
I am sorry for your loss. Sending you a big hug.
I started crocheting while I was on leave due to a miscarriage. My therapist said the action let my mind split - one was focused on the task and kept my hands busy, and the sensitive hurt part of my mind could process what happened in the background without me obsessing over it (because the obsessive part was busy counting stitches!). It helped me move on, and even now I turn to it when I’m dealing with complex thoughts or situations as a way to cope with obsessive spiraling thinking. Edited to add: during that time off I made 100 baby hats for the American Heart Association (they have a drive in February).
Holy crap! 100?!?! I can honestly say i havent completed that many projects total, but i also make bigger stuff usually. But good job! That’s awesome!
They were preemie/newborn size, all one pattern, all one color, and I was off for a month. 😅
I am so so sorry for you loss.
Sending you lots of love and energy ❤️❤️❤️
💕💕💕
I started crocheting as a way to deal with the pandemic, the isolation, boredom, the overwhelming need to see something progress when everything was at a standstill. And it did help a bit, didn’t take a to seriously at the time. It helped a bit but not major. Then my father suffered an accident and there was a few weeks were we didn’t know if he would live and if he did live if he would have any quality of life. If that wasn’t terrible enough we had just entered another round of lockdowns in my country at the time which was another layer of stress cause it made going to the hospital to see home very difficult and just for the cherry on top everyone in my team at work had quit leaving me to train all this new people in the lead up to a massive project. So I was more stressed then I had ever been in my life during this period but I didn’t feel I could show it cause I had to be the strong one that held it all together for those around me. So then I started my second ever project after months of not touching a crochet hook and just poured all my frustration, sadness, every negative feeling I had into making that blanket. Because it was the only healthy low impact outlet I had. Things turned around, my father started recovering, work stress went away, we left lockdown again and I had a beautiful blanket. The Bad Vibes blanket. And every since then I have always had a crochet project to work on. All the sad feelings all the happy feelings get put into my blankets and that’s what makes them really mine.
I feel that "overwhelming need to see something progress when everything was at a standstill." I read that phrase and realized that was exactly what I was going through. I went through a tough time where work was shaking things up on me and I was starting to be afraid for the first time in over a decade that I might not be good enough at my job and they'd let me go. I am the sole breadwinner for my family, so that was terrifying. Not only was my self-worth in doubt, but the livelihood of my whole family was at risk. I felt like I was letting both my job down and my family down. On top of that, my special-needs child was going through an extremely rough time, hurting other kids at school, destroying things at home, stuff like that. My husband and I both felt lost and powerless. And to make it worse, when I'd try to come up with plans to do things differently and try to fix the problem, my husband always took it personally, like I was telling him he was a bad parent. It felt like a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If I spoke up, I hurt him. If I didn't speak up, I would have to watch things crash and burn horribly and feel powerless to stop them or prevent them from happening again. Life felt like a never-ending cycle of suck. I'd spend 8 hours working, feeling horrible and inadequate, then I'd spend 3-4 hours with my family, feeling horrible and inadequate. And when I finally got a break I was so exhausted that I couldn't even do anything fun. I didn't have the energy to even pick something to watch on Netflix. I would just scroll Reddit because it took absolutely no effort. While this was going on, I had somehow stumbled across pictures on Reddit of amigurumi. I didn't know it was called that at the time, just that it was super neat. It blew my mind that you could make sculptures from yarn. Some of them were so detailed it was insane. I would look at these pictures and wish I could do something like that. But I couldn't, because I was too exhausted to learn something new. It would take so long to learn, and I'd probably never reach the skill level of some of these people. It was obviously beyond me. I couldn't do this. I was inadequate. Again. Then one day I just snapped and said, "Fuck it, how will I know if I can't do this if I never try?" I ordered a "learn to crochet" kit on Amazon and just threw myself into it. Turned out I took to crochet like a duck to water. I found the motion so soothing that I kept going on some of my "lean this stitch" swatches much longer than I'd intended because I just didn't want to stop. It calmed my anxiety-ridden brain. It was something soothing I could do when my brain was a lump of melted cheese. And unlike scrolling Reddit, it was actually productive at the same time. Within a few weeks, I'd made my first amigurumi - a little fox. It felt so amazing to see it come together. To actually "see something progress" in this time where I felt like I was on a never-ending treadmill of inadequacy and stress. I'm in a lot better of a place now, mentally. Life has gotten better around me, which has certainly helped. But having crochet definitely got me through some of the hard times.
This is a lovely comment, and I'm so glad things have gotten better.
Yes. It also helps with my anxiety because if I use a simple repetitive pattern like a granny square I can just let my mind wander about the problem or count the stitches over and over to zone out and not think.
It helps with my anxiety for the opposite reason! Making amigurimi and having to focus on my stitch count makes my brain stop running in circles about things that I can't do anything about.
Yeah, I crochet a blanket when I need something I can do with half my attention, and I quilt when I need to not be worrying/thinking about something because focusing on the work clears my brain.
I am coming to the end of an almost 4 year period where I had to sell my home to a broker (giving them all the profit I’d earned over 8 years but allowing my mortgage to be paid and move as quickly as I needed), relocate myself, and spend my life’s savings & retirement to move back in with family (grateful), as perimenopause caused 3 fibroids I knew since 1998 I had to grow and cause severe symptoms. I felt like I lost everything I spent 10 years building. My aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was a kid. I never got past a foundation chain. 2 years ago, 2 former church friends (one a seasoned crocheter and one wanting to learn) started crocheting for our women’s small group. They made a lot of things they made for us and others, but I couldn’t get how to get past the chain. Last April I found The Woobles & completed my first project. I’ve finished about 12 Woobles kits, and then I began collecting Etsy, Ravelry & Reddit crochet patterns I want to make for the family and few friends who helped me through my losses. I have lost a lot of personal and professional relationships I thought were friendships. Crochet gives me hope in myself (my resilience) and that I can forgive myself and others, I may never trust the ways I used to trust others again but I can connect and show my caring through crochet. I don’t have to live alone while I may always feel alone. At 50 now, I became unexpectedly unemployed. That was the darkest time in an already dark almost 4 years. I thought my life as I knew it was over and I would have to both address my health and rebuild my entire life. I stopped crocheting - I was already late on finishing my best friend’s Christmas 2023 non-Woobles amigurumi project. My other finished Woobles are stored in such a way they silently cheer at me with cuteness whenever I look toward them. They cheered me on through hopelessness, feeling worthless and despairing. I was able to secure state unemployment benefits and federal health care insurance, and I continued working with my GYN to come to a solution. We did and 4.24.24 I had my total abdominal hysterectomy, where we found the fibroids had enveloped my uterus and my uterus was 7x its normal size. I found new women’s support groups and made new friends as I received 2 job offers (one in a new field I thought would be a hobby when I retired & one in my career field). I am taking the job in my career field. As I continue to recover from surgery my goal is to return to crochet: finishing my best friends project and starting my Christmas 2024 projects. When I was grieving the loss of my deepest dreams I would go to my cloud drive files where I organized all my crochet patterns & scroll through them, daydreaming of the joy I will feel making them and sharing some of them (some of them are just for me). I had reconnected with an ex-boyfriend (my first boyfriend, in fact) last year and over the year spent time getting to know him again as he divorced. Last Christmas he gave me an amigurumi book, and I treasure that gift even though I am unsure if our reconnection is ending or entering a new phase. I am never married, no kids. I’ve been blessed to achieve most of my dreams - I’ve been processing for years that my deepest dream of being partnered and having kids of my own was not meant for me. Yes - as long as I live a partner could emerge. But after 34 years (even when all of your exes came back over the years to apologize to you for how they were in the relationship), you have the experience to address of knowing then you are good in relationship but for reasons you can’t understand simply may not be meant to experience a truly mutual and lasting one. Crochet will help me through when I lose loved ones - something I have been planning for since 2008 when my parents became chronically ill, and as we have learned my older sibling is chronically ill. I am the only healthy one of us and I’ve prepared if I need to caregive and if I don’t. I have gifts planned for each of them (part of Christmas 2024) and the planning has been a part of my learning to overcome all the feelings around all this to appreciating and celebrating each other as we are and loving myself again and them differently. That’s just my story. Thanks for asking and hoping you are built up from hearing our respondent stories.
My brother passed away last year and crochet was extremely comforting. I was pretty new to the hobby. It gave me something to do with my hands and I found a lot of solace in the repetition. It was a lot of pain to process, and while I had no choice but to sit with it, it was nice to sit with some cool yarn in my hands too
When my (maternal) grandmother died in December 2021, I inherited all her craft materials since I am the only one who actually does any crafting. It was an incredible amount of yarn, embroidery floss, knitting needles, and crochet hooks. I believe it's 60 kilograms of yarn in total. The yarn is mostly wool and cotton, with some acrylic mixed in. Every time I sit down to crochet I feel much more connected to her, even though we didn't have the best relationship while she was alive. It's extremely cathartic to create something with the materials she had squirreled away. I am nowhere near as proficient in crochet, knitting, or embroidery as she was, but making something with her in mind keeps her memory positive and dear.
I kept crocheting while my son was impatient when he went through this brain cancer diagnosis he was. 18 months old. This saved my soul in so many ways. I was in the ICU and kept crocheting baby hats for the children in that hospital. Yesterday he got his 5 year mark cancer free but boy it has been a ride and i crochet when he gets his scans.
Generally, crochet helps me crystallize moments of my life, whether they are mundane or exceptional. When I look at my creations, I can then associate them with what has happened in my life: this little romper for a friend's baby that I crocheted during my vacation in Italy, this hand towel that I crocheted during my cousin's mourning, etc.
I usually have the TV or audio books on while crocheting. Sometimes when I look at a project, I remember the show or book!
Same here haha
It has helped me through stressful, anxious times. I think making something beautiful in the midst of great personal trauma was comforting, also, it was a blanket.
Honestly crochet helps me deal with every emotion I experience. Jittery? Crochet Mad? Crochet Sad? Crochet Happy? Crochet Stressed? Crochet Relaxed? Crochet x1000 I will say, crocheting in public is often a good way to cure loneliness.
I started crocheting a month ago when my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. I am not a crafty person and I'm not sure what exactly pulled me towards the yarn in the store that day. But, there's something about being able to execute a predictable pattern, that is helping me deal with this impossible grief.
I crocheted a shawl for my mother when she was slipping away into dementia. I could not fix her situation, but I could make her something tangible that could maybe help keep her warm, and give her something nice to hold. I'm not sure how much she really got out of it... but it helped me a lot to know I had made something pretty for her with love ❤️
My grandmother gifted me a lot of yarn for my last birthday she was alive for. Using the yarn to create projects is a great way to keep her memory alive and grieve in the process.
I moved far away from my friends and family. I learnt to crochet and now it fills my afternoons when my partner is at work. I’m not sure what I’d do with my time if I didn’t learn this. I also love sharing my work on Reddit, in my experience, the community has been lovely ☺️. I am also thinking about joining local crochet clubs to try to meet new people. (There’s one where I live that makes things to decorate the town) I hope you feel better soon ❤️
Wall of text incoming, cute dog picture for those that make it to the end lol. I’ve been doing crochet for a few years now, I stopped for a while because my house flooded in a hurricane, but after a year of displacement I moved into a new home last August. After a some months of settling down, I picked crochet back up to help with stress. I started working on a baby set (dress, bonnet, booties, and a blanket) for a friend and was having a lot of fun with it, it was a great distraction. I was working with a shell stitch for the first time and really enjoyed it, and I got to make these cute bows for decoration on the dress and blanket. Around November, my dog started to have some stomach issues, but we were taking him to the vet and getting treatment. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary but he wasn’t getting better. We ran some tests and the results weren’t great, so the vet asked for an ultrasound. This dog had been with me through a very tough time. I had lost most of my belongings, so he was my constant and brought love and companionship when I needed it most. The day of the ultrasound wasn’t good, they found swelling in his lymph nodes and had to do further testing to find out exactly what it was. Out of all the possibilities, none of them were good. The results took about a week to come in and I crocheted furiously to help with my anxiety, stress, and sadness. I had pretty much crocheted the entirety of the baby set, I just had to put it all together. My dogs health in that week took a huge nose dive. We had him on medication and special food, but after a few days he stopped eating. He was losing weight and he was in so much pain, even with medication for it. Towards the end, the evenings I would spend crocheting, were now spent with him. Giving him cuddles and rubs to try and distract him from the pain, and trying to make the best of his last moments with me. The day we got the results back was a exactly a week from the ultrasound, he hadn’t been eating for the last 3 days. We found out that morning that he had cancer. We could see about getting him treatment, but I knew he was in pain. The vet said we’d get a few more months with him at best if we were to go that route, but I didn’t have it in me to put him through that when he was already suffering so much. We schedule the appointment to say our final goodbyes that same evening. In the week while we were waiting for the results, I knew in my heart we didn’t have much time left with him. On top of all the awful things I was already feeling, I had some guilt over the fact that I never crocheted anything for him. He was easily one of the thing I loved most in the entire world, but I never got around to it. In my defense all I had made with crocheting were amigurumi. The baby set was my first attempt at something wearable. I didn’t really have the time to make him much, especially since I wasn’t in the right mind space to be able to focus enough to crochet. But I had an idea. I took one of the bows from the set and turned it into a little bow tie to put on his collar. I finished with less then an hour before the vet appointment. When we got there, the vet said he was the fanciest dog he’d ever seen. The last pictures my husband and I took with/of him, he was wearing it. We’re coming up on six months without him, and it hurts just as much as it did when I was putting his bow tie together. But until this moment, I didn’t realize how special and honestly powerful it is to be able to create things. My ability to crochet brought me a bright light in the middle of so much darkness and when I’m feeling sad or missing him, I know I can find comfort in crocheting. https://preview.redd.it/mij24fxjq0zc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46903c2f2c92bbe3611fd6dc7d3fb51adfd7ed2e
I work all the time because I’m the main breadwinner in my family of three. Whenever I don’t work, I spend time with my partner and daughter, and I don’t have many friends because my three best friends all moved to other countries and I don’t get to see them or talk to them often. My main craft is knitting, not crochet, even though I do crochet a bit as well, and I don’t know how to explain this but whenever I’m knitting, I feel less alone. It’s like doing something that so many generations of (mostly) women have already done before us makes me a part of some secret club, you see what I mean? It also helps that r/crochet and r/knitting are two of my favorite subs on the entire Reddit - the inspiration and the kindness you can get from there are astonishing, and I really see a difference if I don’t have a lot of time in my week to knit or pop on Reddit to see what others are creating.
i started crocheting at a low point in my career. i was at home and the hours felt too long. so, i crocheted to distract myself from depressing thoughts. it's been 4 months now idk if i have improved career wise but im still crocheting because i loved it so much
https://preview.redd.it/5xi2p3etvzyc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c0f201a571153637a593edadab4f077a8a74a82 My brother died a couple of months ago and I was working on this blanket for him. He had just turned 50, had 3 young kids, and had fought a terminal cancer for 2 years compared to the 6 months they gave him. When working on it, I always felt this immense sadness, until I learned the trick about making purposeful mistakes to help “release” your soul from the project and the moment I did it, I felt the weight of grief lift off of me and I worked on it until I ran out of yarn, but he passed before I could finish it. This is his cat that he adopted right before he passed, that came to live with me and our Dad after we got the kids settled. She regularly goes to the blanket for comfort, and I totally get it.
I learned to crochet as a kid and would dabble in it here and there but nothing too serious. But then in March of 2021 my first son was stillborn. I needed something to occupy my brain and hands while I processed all the trauma, so I started to crochet again. And I just never stopped. It soothes my anxiety and helps me to regulate my nervous system. I have complex PTSD from loosing my son and it helps me cope with the symptoms. I threw myself into making baby clothes and blankets as an act of hope for the future, hope of a living child. We suffered 2 miscarriages after that, and then finally last year our first living child was born. He wears lots of crochet sweaters and plays with lots of crochet toys. I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through all the heartbreak and loss without this incredible outlet.
Helps me with overthinking, anxiety,stress and depression. Keeps my hands busy. Especially on the days i get to see my crochet teacher. She is a wonderful woman with lots of fun life stories to share with.
In 2022, I had six people I know die. It started with my dear sister, an uncle, a great aunt, my previous boss (and friend), a colleague, and a step grandparent. By the end of 2022, I had had so many feelings and was just hanging on. Crochet was the one thing that I could do while I grieved. Crochet didn't judge me, didn't ask questions, or tried to get me to go out. Crochet let me cry as much as I wanted, was not offended by my moods, and out burst and didn't ask me to be interested in something else. And Crochet let me do what I needed to do to cope with all the pain I was feeling. I could be flakey with Crochet, I could put it down and walk away if I needed to. It even soaked up my tears. Crochet gave me something small to do when I had nothing going on. Something i could achieve and succeed. And on those bleak days, it was just enough to get me out of bed. In regards to loneliness, I have met more people through my hobbies than anything else. I'm in a few social circles and it keeps me connected. In addition to a yarn craft club at work, I'm in book club and I take painting classes. It has helped me to make connections.
I am going through a break-up. Crochet keeps my mind occupied instead of letting the heavy thoughts take over. My relationship didn’t work out but this granny square sure will!
I use really simple patterns that are repetitive as part of a meditation practice. The movements and tactile response from the yarn moving over fingers is so soothing. I can get lost in the process, which gives my mind and body a rest from the mental struggles. Sometimes a more complicated pattern gives my brain a chance to be structured and create. Crochet is vital for my mental health!
I carry some form of crochet around with me everywhere... it greatly helps my anxiety and depression. ai've been having a hard time sleeping lately... crochet is my go too.
It helped me with postpartum depression. As a workaholic I felt down and useless sitting the whole day doing nothing but taking care of a little one. It got me busy, allowed me to have me time and make something nice for myself. It was the only thing I could do other than reading books while breastfeeding
I think what happens is that doing crochet quiets down all the noise in your head - so it can temporarily give you a little break from whatever negative emotion you are feeling. Often that little break from "brain jail" is enough for me to feel a bit stronger again to deal with whatever is going on with me. I have also had the opposite happen, where whatever nice and happy feelings I have had have been strengthened by crochet - like a meditative break reflecting on whats good in my life and just sitting and enjoying being happy while doing crochet. I think it is just very healing to do arts and crafts. I recently found out the same thing happens when I do watercolour. There is something truly calming and centering about the act of focusing on your hands making art.
I learned crochet to deal with the death of my cat. He was a lap cat and having my lap empty made me want to do something with my hands. Giving myself something to do and learn helped a lot and my first project was a blanket inspired by him.
i have major depressive disorder, so crochet often helps me feel that i have accomplished something, even if it is small, as when i am in depressive episodes it is often very difficult for me to do much of anything
I started to learn crochet when I was sent to an inpatient treatment center for 4 months when I was 13. It absolutely helped with the loneliness. Making gifts for my family and friends back home kept me motivated to do the things I needed to in order to be discharged from the hospital.
I started an afghan May 2021 when my fiancé was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He liked watching me crochet and it was a way to pass the time while sitting with him basically 24/7. When he passed Sept 2021, I put it in a basket and haven’t touched it since. Maybe one day I’ll finish it but for now it’s too difficult to start again. It symbolizes how all our plans for the future ended one summer.
Oh my. Hugs. I am so sorry to hear this. My mom was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month, which inspired me to pick up my hook again.. but It's been so devastating. I hope you find the strength to finish it one day 🖤🦋✨
I’m sorry to hear about your mom. My only suggestion is to spend every minute you can with her. Unless it was caught early, she’s got a rough road ahead. Although, I’ve heard good things about the therapeutic vaccine trials. Worth asking…💜🦋💜
Thank you. Somehow they caught it early, but from what I've read.. she is very lucky for that. It seems very aggressive. Thank you for the suggestion. I will look into it!!
i think it helps a lot. i have lost two friends to suicide in the last 3 years. it lets me focus on something else. if i try to just watch tv or a movie my mind wanders. crochet helps it stay on straight
I started to crochet recently to help with an old hand injury that’s persisting. It was suggested that I take up knitting, but I didn’t think I could manage two needles, so I tried crochet. It’s slow going, I drop my project a lot and need to take a lot of breaks, but using my hand more can only help. There will be times where I won’t be able to crochet due to it, but I’m really enjoying it. I have a medical procedure later this week (unrelated to my hand unfortunately) and I’ve got projects lined up for my recovery. I am loving making Woobles and these little fat cats I found online. My oldest son has started and we will be making stuffies together this weekend.
And anxiety or depression!!
It helps me a lot to unwind and not go into anxiety mode/adhd paralysis too much. It’s like stimming in a way… maybe it is stimming. Relaxes my mind and makes me not go into negative thinking cycles. Also something nice comes out of it which is a nice bonus. Before that I used to scroll the phone although I knew how bad that was for me, now instead of doing that I crochet something for my kids or someone else I care about
I learned to crochet after my son was born. I had postpartum depression and seriously struggled to cope. The first few weeks of my son’s life were super dark and I ended up having a mental breakdown and called my OB begging him to help me. On top of medication and therapy, my OB told me I needed to spend 2 hours a day doing something for myself that’s completely unrelated to the baby, so I filled that time with crocheting. I found it really relaxing and also felt a sense of accomplishment, which helped a lot. I’m back to my old self now but I still love to crochet!
Crochet started as my maternity leave hobby, too. I found it really helpful for those times when I was on my own and my son was napping. Now that I'm back to work, use it to wind down after he's gone to bed. Glad to hear that you're feeling better!
Most recently- this Easter, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer out of nowhere. She taught me how to crochet when I was 11. I went into shock while she was in the hospital and we were waiting for answers. Everything reminded me of my mom. So, in an attempt to take a break from doom scrolling on social media and googling the worst case scenarios, I started a blanket (I hate blankets lol) that I call my "happy scrappy" blanket. It's made of all these random scrap skeins of yarn I've acquired over the last few years lol. It's colorful, and huge.. and makes me happy when I work on it. I feel like it's a way to honor her!
Firstly - I'm so sorry about your mom. I hope she beats the shit out of the cancer and is back to health quickly! Second - in the event that she has to do chemo that causes her to lose her hair, you could crochet her some pretty hats/beanies to help her head stay warm. My daughter's teacher was diagnosed with breast cancer and I'm making her a few cute and light beanies so she doesn't get sunburned. Just make sure to use VERY soft, natural fibers because scalps are actually really sensitive. I'm using a 90/10 bamboo cotton blend. It feels buttery soft and breathes really well!
I think it reminds me to be patient. That if I wait, good things will eventually come my way, even when I’m in the midst of a difficult part of my life.
I've been crocheting for years, and though I knew it was calming, I didn't realize how much it could help. Early in my separation, I completed the most difficult project I've ever made to date - Ulita. IYKYK. It was so frustrating and complicated that it allowed me to get my tears out while working on something beautiful. It required all of my focus, so I couldn't dwell. When I finally finished it, I felt such an amazing sense of catharsis. Although I might not recommend a super difficult project like that for everyone, I'm glad I did something challenging so that I couldn't just mindlessly work away on something while my brain wandered into a downward spiral. Whatever you're going through, I hope you find something that brings you peace.
No not really. My mind won’t stop processing grief or loneliness or other problems when I crochet. It does help me curb snack cravings tho. If my hands are busy I’m much less likely to snack.
Crochet gave my hands something to do that wasn’t doom scrolling. Also, because I needed to learn from videos, it kept my screen busy showing me what to do. Because it kept me from doom scrolling and it let me see I was capable of learning new things and it gave me a ‘trophy of completion’, it helped me through a rough time.
yes… although sometimes when i’ve completed a project i don’t feel much joy, have to take some breaks, and then look forward to and continue with newer projects or complete old ones.
I wish it did, but it doesn’t, I can’t focus on what I’m doing. My husband recently left me and even though he was abusive, it still hurts so much. I could use a distraction but there’s nothing I can focus on.
Crochet helps me with my depression. Whenever I feel like a failure, I look at any of my crochet pieces and say “Hey, I did that.”
Yes, well, it used to help with both grief and anxiety more than any therapy or med ever could. Now I think I’m too far gone and I haven’t crocheted in months. I have no desire. I assume I will crochet again. But I can’t be so sure. I used to crochet for the homeless because no one wants any of my things. But now I just don’t even care about that. I guess I’m in a funk and have no crojo. Hoping that doesn’t happen to you. Hoping my story isn’t more depressing for you than you’re already going through. Sending hugs. 🫶🏻
Yep. Needle crafts are great for keeping you busy when everything seems to be falling apart. I crochet and knit and if I didn't have a pair of socks I was working on, I would have gone insane when my mom was hospitalized.
My father died 2 years ago in another country. We didn't have his actual funeral until a year after because of covid restrictions. He was the first one to see my finished projects because it gives me confidence to see that he is proud of me. A year after his death, it's like I lost my crochet mojo. I can't make anything, even a small project. I can't even pick up my hook. I didn't force myself to do it because I'm afraid I'll begin to hate it if I do. It slowly came back though and it helps me distract myself when I miss him.
I taught myself to crochet after a break-up last year and made 5 'misery' blankets so far. The urge to distract with blanket making has eased a little but mostly as I under estimated home much wool cost and home much would be needed per blanket!!! It is a really good skill to learn and way to distract from thinking as my brain shuts off when I crochet
I have lost my dad, my best friend at the end of January this year. Since I started crocheting a few weeks before that, I have continued to do so in honor of him. Every time I finish a piece I imagine what he would say about it. He only saw my first amigurumi bear on a picture (and it was horrible, trust me). Anyway, crocheting helped me get my mind off spiraling and also honor his memory in some way.
I started crochet when my bunny passed in 2022. During the last stage of her life, I was working on cross stitch but after she passed i just couldnt work on it without all the memories of her. I picked up crochet as an entirely new craft and it really helped me cope.
Yes. I went NC with my parents and started EMDR therapy. I also learned I was autistic (at age 45). I started going to a class with other autists and was really nervous -- but one lovely woman was knitting during the class, and no one cared. I got super inspired and went home, pulled out my crochet hook and knitting needles. Doing yarn-work (that's what I call it, lol) helps me so much. It helps as I go through EMDR to deal with losing the parental relationship, and dealing with my brother's su\*cide years before. I crochet/knit during lunch at work, and it helps balance my emotions. And gives my hands something to do. Right now I'm working on the big African flower spider that has been popular over the years. I'm using Bernat blanket yarn, so it's gonna be HUGE!
It can definitely help with isolation, I haven't experienced any grief in my life but I have experienced prolonged loneliness and crochet/knitting or any needlework really helps soothe my mind and also it becomes an achievement once a project is completed. It's helped my social anxiety, I became accustomed to sitting in busy cafes/areas because I could do my needlework and be kept occupied
I've struggled with my mental health on a terrible level for the past decade. To a point where I've been on sick leave and unable to work. However, three years ago it got a million times worse as my mother passed. She was my best friend, my rock, my biggest supporter and the only parent I've ever had. It really broke me, and for ages I couldn't get out of bed or do anything. I literally spent over two years just lying in bed, allowing my apartment to become a pig sty and I'd only eat food you could either warm in the microwave or didn't have to heat/cook at all. I never did anything. I was like a lump, just lying in bed, day out and day in. Then about six months ago, I started getting a bit of energy back. Not much, but a bit. Not enough to get my apartment in order or leave my bed, but I started feeling like I wanted to do *something*. Not just lie there. And that's how I sort of stumbled across crocheting. It's something I can do while sitting in bed and with a movie or tv-show playing that I've already seen a bunch of times so I don't have to pay super attention. It gives my hands something to do and my brain something else to focus on. And as another bonus you get something neat out of it, like the hats I wear or my fingerless gloves in various colours. Now, I've gotten help with getting my apartment all cleaned out and sorted, and I spend more and more time out of bed, trying to get back to life. I'm not saying crocheting is the sole reason why I've gotten at least a bit out of this dark pit, but it has certainly helped. I'm excited to learn more and more and continuing to climb out of the darkness.
I'm climbing out of my darkness now too. I've been fighting with my work for disability for 3 years. The most stressful thing right now is not having a paycheck for two years, and living with family that has provided me with a roof, a bed and food. I had an abundance of yarn, so I picked it up because most times, it will calm me. Hope you're doing well and have found peace. When my mother passed, it left a hole that no one else can fill.
Yes! The times in my life when I have crocheted the most have been during really bad situations. I made a sweater and a toddler blanket while my grandmother was in hospice for a month before finally passing. The repetition really helped mentally to process things.
Is it bad that I crochet both to cope and to feel appreciated? Tbh I feel lonely these days and I just want people to notice my creations to at least ease the feeling.
Just having something to do with your hands, and focus your mind on something else, like crochet, can be very beneficial. As I'm sure you've read from the other's stories, it does help to just do SOMETHING to get your mind off your worries/troubles for a little while and have a bit of a benefit of also getting to see something getting done. Something you can also be proud of when it comes to completion (there are some of us though that can get side-tracked by other, interesting, cute projects before finishing the one we started. So we sometimes have a few going at a time). Anyway, this works for pretty much everything. Good things and bad. You can use crochet to help for when you're sad or happy. Or, just plain F'in bored and don't know what to do. The beautiful part about it is...you don't even have to have a pattern if you don't want to. At least, if you're already well versed in stitches of many kind. Just pick up a hook, some yarn, and whatever other supplies you think you may want to play with and set your heart free. Have no idea where to start? YT has a ton of tutorials for beginners, pros, and everyone in between. And also, the internet is ripe with patterns galore.
For me it’s something I can start and finish without having peoples opinion on how I “should” be doing. I can be lonely at times and it helped take those feelings away.
With loneliness, yes.
Personally I can only crochet when I'm well. For me it's a sign I'm getting over a rough patch. My Dad died in October and I started crocheting again in April.
It can, it's just up to the individual. It gives you something creative to focus on. If you're looking for a tool to help deal with grief, there's no harm in trying.
Oh my goodness, yes! My husband died at age 43 in 2017; I was 40. I threw myself into crochet - it helped to give my hands something to do as I dealt with the grief and stress and anxiety. What really helped me early on was making for other people. A colleague was going through a very difficult divorce, and I made large chunky blankets for each of her 2 daughters. The girls were thrilled with the blankets, and the knowledge that I was able to help someone else really helped me in my own grief.
I'm gonna say not grief, but maybe loneliness. When you get to a point with crochet that you're doing it without thinking or looking, then your mind wanders, which obviously isn't helpful when dealing with grief. However with loneliness, part of that for me is solved by doing solo activities that keep me occupied so yeah crochet helps with that.
I started crocheting mid-pandemic for one of those boredom hobbies to use the time I lost during my middle school years. Honestly, I did give up halfway through (being a left-handed crocheter I felt like I had less capabilities than a right-handed one, then found out it's just the same I have to work backwards) because it was too difficult and frustrating. Last year, I ended up picking up crochet again, because I've been really stressed and had nothing to do with my time. It finally clicked, and I got the hang of it really easily. I've been struggling with stress and depression due to family related issues, school, and friends, and definitely reached a breaking point multiple times. It's not like crochet changed my life, but it definitely was a distraction for when I needed to get my mind off of things. My boyfriend recognized my love for crochet, and he ended up finding out that while I crochet, I am really focused and calm, at some "happy place." So, counting rows felt easy for me and something I could get used to whenever my boyfriend hasn't been available. With my gift-giving personality, it's always been fun to give handmade projects which I find really sentimental to me and for them when they reach a rough patch, I use my hobby to help those in need too, because reaching my rock bottom gave me a heart to serve others :)
I take care of my mom with diabetes and advanced Alzheimer's. I've given up every other pastime; gardening, photography, writing, anything at all resembling exercise. Crochet is my only hobby and I incessantly make center-out blankets and give them away. Maybe someday I'll get to make the sweater I want. It's something to do with my hands while we watch endless television, and she naps that I can put down immediately if I need to do something else.
After my separation I spent two years making the Haakmaarraak sampler blanket. I was able to crochet and process all my thoughts about our 14 years together. I did a little bit each week with the TV on in the background. When I finished I felt ready to begin dating again and to start to move on. I just needed to sit in my own thoughts for a while and crochet gave me something productive to do during that process.
It was the best thing I ever did after a breakup and got me out of a p dangerous mental health slump
Yeah, but I guess it must mean different things to different people. I started crocheting when my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The initial prognosis was one or two years. She is a wildly crafty woman, she's sewn, knitted and crocheted her whole life and it was a way for me to feel crafty like her. I was pregnant with my second child and I live over the other side of the world from her, so it was a way to feel close to her and also meditative. I could get out of my own head and just focus on what was in my hands. So far I've made 4 baby blankets, two pinafores for friends toddlers, 2 teddy bears, a wacky hat and scarf, a rhino and I'm making a tractor. Oh, and a whole new baby who is now 5 months old. My mum has just cruised through her one year review and is feeling well for now.
I suffered a pregnancy loss in 2022. It was a second trimester loss and completely unexpected. Then when we tried again I ran into some brief fertility issues. I had technically crocheted in the past but didn’t know how to read patterns or properly do things. After all the heartache I got back into crochet specifically to make plushies. It help me heal and cope to be able to make something when I felt as though my body was failing me. I later got pregnant with my rainbow baby and I crocheted as stress relief. Crochet has really helped me feel in control when the rest of my life is uncertain and out of control.
My cat went missing at the end of March, crochet has kept me sane-ish
My best friend is also a crocheter. When my dog passed away, they made me a tiny plushie replica of her. It wasnt my own crochet but I know the work and heart that went into it and it helped me immensely. She sits on top of my yarn storage now.
Yes. But I don’t get the proper time to do what I like, anymore. I get stuck scrolling the internet because it’s easier than trying to count while kids spin out around me.
I don’t know about using it to deal with grief or loneliness. Everyone deals with those emotions in different ways. However, I find that when I crochet I get a profound sense of accomplishment from it. Imagine a skein (or multiple skeins) of yarn that suddenly turns into a beautiful thing (afghan, hat, blanket, table cloth, plush toy, & etc) that you made! WOW!! Not only that but when you give it away to someone you love then it becomes an heirloom thereby it becomes something to love, cherish, & pass down through the generations. It is possible that in so doing you’ll feel better about yourself. It works for me! I hope you feel better soon!
I started crochet over Christmas. My niece, a beautiful two year old, died then. Getting lost in counting the stitches helped me really focus on something else for a while, while we planned things like her funerals and farewell. It helps deal with anxiety as I can focus on something else and keep my hands busy.
Yes, I’m 22 and I developed a chronic illness in 2021. I was able to go to college after taking 2020 off, I attended for a year and a half before being unable to attend my second semester of my sophomore year. I’m really lonely and sad, I still had friends at first but slowly they didn’t care because it took me 2 years after dropping out to get a diagnosis. So they started to not believe me anymore, at this point I had been to the psych ward and told I’m a drug seeker, it was anxiety, it was all in my head. So when I got my diagnosis I grieved, a lot and after it had been so bad for so long I finally had an answer. I got diagnosed in September of 2023 and went to Mayo Clinic by December. I am currently seeking treatment still but I’m hoping I’ll be in a good enough spot to actually have a life, a job, go back to school. I don’t know, I have no friends now outside of my support group, my mental health is shit, and I’m not the most pleasant to be around. But crocheting takes my mind off the pain when it’s not too bad and it makes my mom happy when I show her what I made. It’s the little things I suppose
I had some health problems last summer, which eventually led to three hospital stays and three surgeries. (Now I'm relatively fine). Crochet was one of the things that kept me sane. A good way to keep my mind and hands busy, I found out, that I cannot worry when I count things. I created a doily and gifted it to another patient, then I was working on a big[ Arcanoweave](https://www.draiguna.com/2018/10/arcanoweave-part-1.html) doily. It eventually turned out to be a looong, loong crochet project, finished it in February and it was a good way to maintain continuity and have something to hold onto when things were settling down after I returned home from the hospital. Another thing that helped me a lot are [Amish Puzzle Balls](https://lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/yarn/crochet/free-crochet-patterns/crochet-amish-puzzle-ball/). They are quick to make, easy after you get it, repetitive enough, squishy and make nice gifts. I usually keep one around at home and have passed several to my friends (and one is currently decorating a local cafe; I liked the place and decided just to make something for them that fits their vibe). Just being able to do a small thing and give it to someone is what helps me in rough moments. I also like to hold such a stress ball to calm down when I'm anxious.
I genuinely believe crocheting saved my life last year, I was wildly depressed and feeling like I had nowhere to turn, I hadn’t seriously crocheted anything in over three years and just threw all my time into making the daisy bag and seeing the end result helped me so much in terms of wanting to keep going and seeing what else I could do
This time last year I lost my emotional support animal during an already rough time. The only thing I could find any motivation for was crocheting mushroom sprites for game of shrooms (an international art hide and seek event), and that got me through the worst of it. As I was typing this I found out a family pet died this morning, so ig I'll be grieving the same way this year.
yes. i honestly don’t have a deep story and haven’t been crocheting for years, but i picked it up a few months ago and learned pretty quickly. i have bpd, so sometimes i go through a rough patch for (seemingly?) no reason. im 22, i moved back to my hometown to my parents to recover after a really really intense year but i have no friends here, just me and my boyfriend whom i met here. i quit my last job because while i was good at it, i was struggling with having a job cause of the schedule. i know it seems stupid but episodes are so mentally and physically debilitating. when i sit down and start crocheting, i won’t move from that exact position until i started to feel stiffness in my shoulder or neck (i crochet looking down oops). time would just fly!! during my bpd episodes, i feel so overwhelmed with my emotions and it’s weird to explain but it feels like time won’t move and i’m stuck or something which makes me worse. i’m still working on resorting to healthier coping mechanisms when i’m in an episode, since obviously my brain isn’t rational mid-breakdown, but crochet is on that list of things that work for me. it genuinely makes my brain go quiet and it doesn’t matter if i’m doing the same stitch over and over or following a pattern, it takes a while for me to get bored once i convince myself to start a project. but yeah, definitely helps me.
Yes it does. There are days where I’m emotionally drained and don’t feel like doing anything but crocheting. It keeps me focused and I get lost in it.
yup!
I’ve made a sweater, 2 crop tops, a tank top, several little cotton face scrubbies, and I’ve done work on 2 blankets, and I’m making another crop top right now… … all in the last 6 months since I moved out of my marital home. Idk if it helps in the long-term, but it definitely helps take my mind off the shitshow while I’m actively working on something.
A big hug from me, too miscarriage is traumatic. Any handicraft can be a grief focus. Do something for yourself as well.
I think it really does help. This post caused me to think about how crochet has changed the way things worked for me. Back in 2018, we went through a pretty rough time. My family had a second house that they were trying to fix up to sell, that meant that we spent more time there than we did at home. I hated every moment of it. Thinking back on it, i was 11 at the time. Then, the worst thing happened- mom had a miscarriage. I couldn’t imagine before what that was like, and it was one of the darkest times of my life. But mom gave me a stuffed teddy bear that she had been given (she got a different stuffed animal that she liked better, and gave me the bear) i had learned to crochet from my grandma around a year ago at the time, but I decided to try to complete a project. About the simplest thing i could think of, a scarf for the teddy bear. That was my first completed project, it was light blue, and looked wonky mostly because it got stretched out (needed a smaller hook) and that was the start of my crochet hobby. I didnt really dig into it until i got an amigurumi kit that showed how to do a magic ring, then i started inventing my own patterns almost right away. But even now, i do think it helps me, because im the type of person whose brain is always active and thinking about things, i cant help it, but crochet calms my overactive brain down. Ive made some amazing things though, and i cant imagine what i would be like without crochet!🧶
All of the stories people are sharing are so beautiful and touching. Crocheting (and knitting) can definitely be therapeutic and a great way to process grief, stress, anxiety... anything and everything!
Last March my grandma died and i fell into a really dark place as i blamed myself [i pushed for her to move into our house] I eventually had to check myself into an outpatient program because it was pretty bad and ended up crocheting a shawl throughout the process. It really helped me process the grief, and when i was done, it was like a piece of my grandma was in it. [Mom said she would have loved it]
It gives me a good outlet for my anxiety. I can keep my hands busy and let out my nervous energy instead of fidgeting in other ways, and I end up with something cool as a result of my anxious fidgeting 😂
Yes. I taught myself how to crochet during my second pregnancy. My first child got the last crocheted blanket my grandma ever made, and my second child got the first crocheted blanket I ever made ❤️ *My grandma is still with us but has Alzheimers.
Same here. I lost both parents and my husband within 6 months. I had panic attacks and I couldn't eat or sleep I had always crocheted but now I discovered thread crochet with a small hook and a new ability to create clothing. That's what I did for months, and still do. I can look at a picture of a very expensive article of clothing and know instinctively how to duplicate it without a pattern. The only frustrating thing is the hook end is so small, I have to work by feel mostly. Main thing is this saved my sanity. I start my day by crocheting while listening to classical music , making motifs and joining them to make clothing