Get “Hooked” on Crocheting!

by Madelyn Young '25 on March 6, 2023
A&E Staff

Arts & Entertainment

Have you been looking for a new hobby? Try crocheting!

Although it might seem a little outdated, crocheting has been making a comeback, and serves as a great way for people to express themselves creatively.

Crocheting your own clothing is a great way to show off your sense of fashion since each piece is unique. Even if you follow a pattern, no two pieces will turn out the exact same way, because everything can be made with different colors and in different sizes.

In addition to being extremely rewarding, crocheting can help prevent fast fashion. As social media and influencers seem to show off new trends daily, companies rapidly produce clothes to keep up. Not only are these clothes often poor quality, they also tend to get thrown out or donated as trends quickly die. Creating some pieces of clothing for yourself, on the other hand, ensures that you have unique, lasting pieces curated to your taste. And depending on the piece, you can often reuse yarn if you aren’t satisfied with a project (trust me, I do this a lot).

Crocheters aren’t just making clothes. Crocheting is a great hobby to have around holidays and birthdays to make unique homemade gifts for friends and family. You can use yarn to make stuffed animals, tapestries, bags, coasters, and even clothes for your pets (I made a hat for my cat, Quinn, this weekend).

If you want to begin crocheting, but aren’t sure where to start, make use of social media platforms like Youtube, TikTok, and Pinterest. There are thousands of creators that have tutorials on supplies, techniques, and projects. Many people share their progress, which can be encouraging for people who are struggling. These platforms can be very helpful for finding inspiration for a new project.

Taking up crocheting is also relatively inexpensive. All you need to get started is a hook and a ball of yarn, which you can get online or at craft stores. As you gain experience, you can branch out and find different colors and textures of yarn for different projects. There are big craft stores like Michael’s close to Providence, but also many local ones all throughout Rhode Island (such as Skein Yarn Shop in East Greenwich).

I also find that crocheting is a great way to relax. You can do it while listening to a podcast or audiobook, watching TV, or even while talking with friends.

As winter (slowly) comes to an end, this is the perfect time to start working on some crochet pieces to show off when the weather is warmer!