Exam time, after work time and avoiding screen time: crochet is the perfect project.
We spoke to Year 5 students, Stefanie and Amberley plus transplant surgeon, Prof Lorna Marson about crocheting as the perfect break from medicine.
Stefanie
I got into crocheting right after I submitted my dissertation back in third year. I’d been learning how to knit but found that it took ages to finish items and it was bulky to lug around with me. One of my friends had recently picked up crochet and really enjoyed it, so I decided to give it a try! I ended up spending a lot of time that spring crocheting outdoors, which was really ideal. I find it relaxing and it’s perfect for me, because I’m someone who often needs to be doing something with her hands.
I made a granny square sweater vest during exams last year, which I’m pretty proud of! I think that coasters are a good place to start because they’re pretty quick and allow you to practice a variety of stitches.
‘I tend to start projects during exam periods (last year I made a bandana and brought it with me to work on before all my exams) as stress relief and to give myself a break from screens’
I really like being able to crochet outside! I used to live by a beach and loved being able to sit on a bench crocheting til my hands got too cold.
Amberley
I have loved to knit since my mum taught me over lockdown but crochet always seemed a very confusing and fiddly mystery. Over the summer of second year I had lots of free time so I decided to see whether I could achieve the impossible and make a granny square. There are lots of great Youtube tutorials out there for absolute beginners, and I made loads until they stopped being wonky.
‘I enjoy crochet because it gives me something to do with my hands when I might otherwise be reaching for my phone’
I find that doing something complicated with one half of my brain gives the other (stressed) half a chance to sort itself out. I also like the challenge of following a pattern and the satisfaction of having created a tangible thing that seemed very complicated at the outset.
Nowadays I mostly crochet little gifts for my friends and family, things like coasters, bookmarks or decorations. I love giving handmade presents, and the thought of them opening it really spurs me on when I have to unravel something for the fourth time. One of my favourite and most substantial creations is a vest I made for one of my friends – it took me months and was a Christmas present, so I was very relieved when it fit her!
I tend to crochet at the weekends when I can sit down and dedicate a good few hours to completing a project – usually in front of the television (see the opinion piece for what I’m watching…!).
Lorna
I got into knitting during lockdown, and was keen to try something new. My mum was very good at crotchet, and as she gets more frail, I was hoping that she might teach me, and that we could do something together. Whilst that hasn’t quite happened she does give me advice about it, which is a good talking point for us.
‘Crochet is a very relaxing and a good way to reflect on your day, whilst doing something constructive’
I find crochet very relaxing, I tend to do this in the evenings. During the week, I don’t have a TV, so I love sitting crocheting and listening to my audible book.
I am just finishing my first crotchet blanket, and plan to make another one next for my step-grandchild, due in February. Then I am keen to try something more ambitious!
If you’re interested in crochet you might like to check out the University of Edinburgh Knit and Crochet Society.
Visit the Knit and Crochet Society EUSA page
