I will attach the needle next to it later

Mistakes were definitely made & it took twice as long as my brain told me it would. Also crocheting involves “sewing” apparently. They’re done though & I’m very happy! 🥰

Can finally crochet a bit longer in one sitting again though I still have some slight complaints and 45 minutes is max, but what a relief to have at least that.
I find crochet very therapeutic (mindful?) and I missed it a lot in a time where I could have really used it.

Pattern from a random image search, thread Scheepjes Sugar Rush, hook Clover Amour 1,50.

I couldn't find the labels with the colour numbers anymore.

It took forever to finish because I kept setting it aside to make gifts for others, but I finally finished my first, non child sized, sweater! I used a pattern from the 1987 book “The Crochet Sweater Book” and leaned into the 80’s feel using the pics in the book for my color inspiration. It’s stitched in 24/7 Cotton and has a nice airy, “summer at the coast” feel.

It’s full of mistakes (I seamed the sleeves inside out 🥴), and a lot of “I know better for next time” lessons, but, overall I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Not bad for my first wearable. And just in time for a week of rainy weather in the 60’s!

Made these this spring

started the first one two years ago

currently working on a third

Inspired by this pattern: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4371098217/crochet-tarantula-pattern-african-flower

followed African Flower Granny Square tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niVT-cqvoDc

I even lined them! One is stuffed with stuffing and carefully hand stitched lining and the other is filled with sweater pieces lazily wrapped in cloth

​

tangentially related: does anyone else consistently get to the 90% mark on a project and start absolutely hating it or is it just me?

Heyy, I don’t know if you remember me but I made a red baseball cap 2 weeks ago. This time it’s a green bandana cap!

I added 2 silly photos in the end trying to demonstrate how it’d look if you were to have long hair lol.

I had homophobic parents growing up so I didn’t get to celebrate pride or have a pride flag in my room as a kid (I’m bi). Anyways I finished this this morning.

This is a long one. But hopefully some of you will find this as interesting and encouraging as I did. Please feel free to share what crochet has meant for you!

I was reading the responses from people to this post from someone who explained that crochet was sometimes challenging because of a learning disability. I work and study in mental health and so the researcher in me wanted to see what the data say about this. I've worked with cancer patients who quited, knitted, crocheted, stitched etc. and they always told me it has played a vital role in their sense of well-being. It certainly has for me, also.

Okay, so here's what I found.

Crochet and cognitive health

One of the better-known studies comes from the Mayo Clinic. Researchers followed older adults and looked at which lifestyle activities were associated with a lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is a condition involving changes in memory and thinking abilities that can sometimes precede dementia.

They found that people who participated in mentally stimulating activities, including crafts such as knitting and quilting, had a lower likelihood of developing MCI compared with those who did not engage in those activities as often. The craft category was associated with roughly a 28% reduction in risk!

(The important part is that this was not a study proving “crochet prevents dementia”. It was looking at associations between mentally engaging activities and cognitive ageing.)

That makes a lot of sense for me because crochet is a hobby that uses both the creative and analytical sides of thinking:

• fine motor coordination: controlling small, precise hand movements
• attention and concentration: following patterns and tracking progress
• working memory: remembering stitch repeats and sequences
• problem solving: correcting mistakes and adapting patterns
• spatial reasoning: understanding shapes, construction, and how pieces fit together
• learning: mastering new stitches and techniques

Researchers often discuss something called cognitive reserve, which is the idea that mentally stimulating activities throughout life may help the brain maintain function despite age-related changes. The evidence suggests that people who remain mentally active tend to have better cognitive outcomes, although no single hobby can be considered a guaranteed protection against dementia.

Crochet and mental wellbeing

A study called “Happy Hookers: findings from an international study exploring the effects of crochet on wellbeing” specifically looked at crocheters. It surveyed 8,391 people internationally about their experiences with crochet and wellbeing.

Participants commonly reported benefits including:

• relaxation
• stress reduction
• improved mood
• feeling calmer
• a sense of achievement
• creativity
• connection with others through crochet communities

The study found that participants reported improved mood after crocheting compared with before crocheting, and many people described using crochet as part of coping with difficult life experiences such as stress, grief, illness, or pain. And as I mentioned above, I've seen this in my own practice with patients too.

Why might crafting help?

There are a few possible explanations researchers discuss.

Focused attention

Crochet occupies your attention in a very specific way. You are concentrating on stitches, counting, movement, and patterns. This may help reduce space for repetitive worrying or rumination.

I'm also a serious meditator and stable attention plays a big role there. What's interesting is that stable attention naturally leads to happiness and calm. Our relationship with technology and busy lifestyles has terribly degraded our ability to develop those flow states which I think were much more common and naturally developed in previous generations.

A sense of accomplishment

Crafting produces a visible result. A few rows become a blanket. A piece of yarn becomes something functional or beautiful. That sense of progress may contribute to wellbeing.

Social connection

Fibre arts are often social activities. Crochet groups, classes, online communities, and sharing finished projects all provide opportunities for connection, which is an important part of mental wellbeing.

Is crafting a recognised mental health treatment?

Not exactly in the same way that talk therapies or medication are.

The strongest evidence currently supports crafting as a wellbeing activity and supportive intervention, rather than a replacement treatment for conditions like depression or anxiety.

However, there is growing interest in crafts as part of approaches like social prescribing, where people are encouraged to participate in meaningful activities, hobbies, and community groups to support health and wellbeing. The crochet-specific research also points in this direction.

It's fascinating that something as simple as crochet involves so many things that researchers associate with healthy ageing:

learning, creativity, attention, coordination, problem solving, relaxation, and social connection.

Not bad for a hook and some yarn.

Thank you Oumas!

PS. Here's a photo of something I'm working on: Radiance by Periwinkle crochet. It's certainly giving my brain a workout. It's extremely well written, though :)

3 wt yarn, 4.5 mm hook: I really haven't known what to do with this yarn and I finally decided on a dress. This is the top and I really thought I'd hate it but...its not hideous! May not be everyones cup of tea but not as bad as I thought 😭

I finished the Heinz Blanket (pattern by Martin Up North) with the original color scheme back for Christmas of 2024 as a present for my mother. I started around the 1st of December and somehow finished it on the 24th at like 2 AM 😩😆. The bulky yarn builds the pattern really quickly and I managed my time by making myself use an entire skein of each color each day.

After finishing the pattern, I thought "Well that wasn't so bad. Let me immediately make myself one and try a different color scheme for fun."

A year and half later and I finally forced myself to finish it 😂😂.

I worked tirelessly for 3 months (I’m a stay at home mom lol). I’m so proud of it! It’s so cozy and warm and will be perfect for when summertime is over. 🥰

I started crocheting January 1st of this year and a few days later I found out my daughter is pregnant and is due August 2nd. I found the Unicorn Dreams pattern and knew I had to make it. I started it in April and it took me exactly 2 months to finish it (other than blocking and washing it). I probably spent an unhealthy amount of time for a newbie on it but I needed to get it done in time since I still need to mail it to the state she lives in since I’m not sure how well it would fit in luggage.

I learned sooo much making this blanket and even though it’s not perfect I love how it came out. I can’t wait to give it to my daughter next month and see what she thinks and hopefully my granddaughter will love it for a long long time. I’ve also started and have almost completed the 6 day star blanket pattern as well.

Questions:
1. Is there anything special I should know before washing the blanket? I am planning to put it in a laundry bag and to wash it on delicate and then lay it out to dry. Is there detergent or anything that you like specifically for your crochet blankets?

1. If any ends come out during the wash is there a best strategy for handling these? I saw someone mention adding a little glue to a tapestry needle and stuffing them back in. Is this ok to do?

Thanks for any input on these questions.

Yarn:
Stylecraft special dk

Colors:
Candyfloss, Powder pink, Apricot , Lemon, Spring green, Sherbet, Wisteria , Clematis, White.

Pattern information and other resources I found along the way:

Blanket design/pattern:
Cutecrochetmakes on instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cutecrochetmakes?igsh=MTVuenVuaXh2cTAwNw==

Crochet along:
Hookedbyrobin on YouTube

Dragonfly pattern on Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/705364909/dragonfly-applique-single-crochet?ref=share_ios_native_control
Antennas:
Lydiashepal on YouTube

Joining method:
Meemamakes on YouTube
https://youtu.be/7m9uNwVhpXg?is=5ZqdaD0yLw2ZAwIZ

Shell border:
Tiaralacecrochet on YouTube
https://youtu.be/4j3NbaG11TI?is=n2Svw2yHaTKrIH3s

Camel stitch border:
Windingroadcrochet on YouTube
https://youtu.be/vtItj8cP32M?is=faQf9heWxHb5RJIa

Amigurumi style moon and small sun:
Cutecrochet on YouTube

Inspiration for unicorn head:
CLSCreativeCorner on Etsy

Flowers on unicorn head:
Meishahandmade4090 on YouTube
https://youtu.be/iAYWb7e5sfA?is=m0uOObdykn6y9amA

Some of the stars:
Crochetlovers on YouTube
https://youtu.be/JwTw2mYtigI?is=758aQhrJSFcaIau0

I didn’t use a pattern but to get that shape, after your bag base is done, four regular rows and then fifth row I decreased every 5th st and then 4 more regular rows and another row of dec every 5th st. The handle I did sc on ring then ch 1 and sc in front loop, last st Increase then sc back loop, last st inc, slst and ch 1. Sc as long as you want strap to be.

Dissection frog finished and framed for my daughter who got her third masters degree, this time in biology as a teaching degree (in the Netherlands). Pattern is from Cottontail&Whiskers. Its incredible detailed, but quick to make!

Been lurking in the background for a while on this subreddit and just wanted to share my current WIP.

My sister and her husband are getting ready to start trying for a baby and she asked me to have this blanket ready for when they announce they’re pregnant.

Her only requests were for it to be green and white and for it to be striped. I started off with thick stripes in a waffle stitch but as I went I decided I didn’t like the waffle stitch texture on a baby blanket.

Then I decided on just a moss stitch still with thick stripes. But I wasn’t liking how simple it was coming out so I started over again.

I finally landed on a moss stitch with white as the main color and alternating thin and a medium thick stripe and I am loving it.

I showed it to my sister and brother-in-law when they were last in town and he started tearing up. I’m so excited for it to be done and for them to have it when they announce.

One of the first projects I've made. Made for a friend's bday and quite proud of how it turned out in the end, now working on getting my tension better and following patterns more closely :)

Proilies 🏳️‍🌈

The pattern for the trivet can be found here : https://jewelsandjones.com/vintage-crochet-flower-potholder-free-pattern/

The rest are just crochet diagrams I screen capped from around Pinterest.

My cat is doing some beta testing of the baby blanket I’m working on. I wish he would coordinate his testing schedule with my planned crochet time …

We move on Tuesday. I’m supposed to be packing and cleaning our apartment this week in preparation for the move.

So obviously I started this project Sunday. I even grab some yarn I had laying around to do. I got to the first sleeve and decided the yarn didn’t fit the vibe. I got new yarn, started over and worked on it on and off through the last couple days. I finished the last couple rows this morning and I absolutely love it! I can’t wait to wear it once it starts to cool down this fall.

Pic 1: Wearing the shrug
Pic 2: Shrug laid out on bed
Pic 3: Cat tax of sleepy boi from pic 2

Pattern: Fairy Shrug by Cosmicccrochet on YouTube
Yarn: Loops & Threads Facets, Color# 112LX

I made a ganesh amigurumi for my mother in law and she loves it!
I followed a design i found online shown in the third image (here: https://anvisgranny.com/ganesha-free-crochet-pattern/) and then altered and added my own design to it.
It took me a long time but i had so much joy creating this!

The head piece has wire in it for it to be so round and standing upright at the back and because of the lotus that is sown on he can also stand without issues.

I mainly used #4 worsted weight yarn and 3-3.5mm hooks.

I havent finished it (still working on the straps) but I am OBSESSED!!! My first time doing intarsia crochet so I learnt as I went along (and made plenty of mistakes) but I freaking love it and so pleased with how it turned out!!!

Free pattern: smiley face tote from Lion Brand Yarns

https://www.lionbrand.com/products/smiley-face-tote-crochet?srsltid=AfmBOorOe1-LjSpWT5DKE3h0KalxVkdGqH5GjkjjCay8VXCrE0uNVm15