Crochet has been a huge part of my life since I was about 9 years old. My friend’s grandmother, Nonnie, sat me down in her kitchen, put a crochet hook in my hand, and instructed me on how to stitch my yarn together to be able to create something beautiful. I am forever grateful for Nonnie teaching me the basics of crochet because I would not be the woman I am today without the skill. Even more, I am grateful for Nonnie taking the place of my own grandmother after she had passed earlier that year. I had never dealt with loss well, but the loss of my Mom-mom hit me especially hard. Perhaps it was because we shared a love of swans, or because I had seen her so often before her passing, or maybe it’s because I saw how much it was also affecting my parents; whatever the reason, I had a hard time moving past her death. So when Nonnie taught me the basics of crochet, I practiced it all the time and made it my get-away. I would sit and crochet while watching television, when I was in the car, and even as I was waiting to check out in the store.
For years, I worked to improve my crochet skills. People would endlessly tell me that I was an old lady or that crochet was an activity for grandmothers, but I never let that stop me. I learned new stitches and how to read patterns so that I would be able to make stuffed animals and clothes. I would work for hours at a time trying to perfect my craft. All this work did an amazing job at distracting me from any stress or heartache I was experiencing. Plus, through my distraction, I was proud of what I was creating. Over the years I have made blankets, scarves, baby and doll clothes and stuffed animals.
To me, crochet is medicine. It helps me express myself and relieve stress when I can’t find another way. It helps to pull me out of the short bouts of depression I go through and I am afraid for the day that I cannot crochet anymore. Sometimes it takes the place of homework or cleaning my room simply because I need a little bit of craft therapy.
And I’m not the only one who uses crafting as a type of therapy. If you look up #CraftAsTherapy on Instagram, there are over 29,000 posts! These posts consist of a lot of crochet, but they aren’t the only pictures with the hashtag. Everything from calligraphy to wood carving can be found as someone’s therapy method; it just depends on what that person is good at or interested in doing.
To so many people, crafting is the only medicine that they need to be able to defeat the monster they’re battling. They may need to do it every day or maybe just when they get too stressed out. For me, I know I can’t go on a long trip without some yarn and a crochet hook in my bag. Personally, I think it is a new revolution that is slowly making its way into the media from people of all ages. It could be the newest self-help method to sweep the nation and eventually the world. So next time you're felling down, or just not yourself, pick up a craft. It could be your saving grace.
Want to know more about how using a craft, more specifically crochet, can help improve your health and well-being? Kathryn Vercillo has a new book entitled Hook to Heal! available through Amazon and Createspace. In her book she strives to help readers find new ways to expand their own creativity to improve their health, well-being and quality of life. She is also the author of "Crochet Saved My Life" where she writes about how learning to crochet helped her through a debilitating battle with depression.Check them out!
