This article was originally authored by Aleksandra Nowak, a local senior, with editorial and publishing assistance provided by the editors of Mississauga Arts Guide.
The creation of this article was made possible through the support of the Seniors Community Grant Program.
Crocheting—it’s an activity I never imagined myself doing, let alone hating. Yet here I am, surrounded by yarn and hooks, trying to muster up the enthusiasm to continue. It all started when my friend Hugette introduced me to the world of crocheting. She picked up the hobby of crocheting, after watching a video online. She started practicing and became really good at it. She showed me all of the items she’s worked on and I was impressed. She crocheted an adorable snail, and some coasters. She’s now working on a shopping bag, to take with her on the grocery store. She told me it would be a relaxing hobby, I could do in my spare time. I need to relax, so I thought why not.
At first, I was intrigued. Hugette sent me videos from her phone to watch of all these creations, people were making. I saw videos of little animals, hats and gloves. One woman ever crocheted a large quilt for her bedroom. The idea of creating a colourful crochet bedspread, from a simple ball of yarn seemed appealing. I wanted to do that too. I dreamt of making small trinkets and gifting them to my family. The image of seeing their faces after showing my hard work, brought me joy. I bought the supplies, invested in patterns, and even signed up for a beginner online class. But as time went on, my enthusiasm waned, and I realized that crocheting was not for me.
Firstly, the cost surprised me. Yarn and patterns aren’t cheap, and as someone on a budget, it felt like an unnecessary expense.
I mean what’s the point of making your own stuff if it costs more to create than it is to go to the store or an art show and buy it?
The supplies took up valuable space in my already cluttered home, and the thought of spending hours following a pattern felt stifling rather than creative.
To make matters worse, crocheting aggravated my arthritis and strained my eyes. The repetitive motions and fine details were not kind to my joints, and the strain on my eyes left me with headaches. As much as I tried to enjoy it, the discomfort was too much to bear.
Honestly, I’d rather shop at Winners and pick out some cute things for my family, for the holidays rather than make them something. it would be much cheaper and the quality would be much better.
Hugette, bless her heart, is a constant cheerleader for crocheting. I don’t have the heart to tell her how much I dislike it, so I’ve been quietly avoiding my crochet hooks and yarn.
But perhaps there’s a silver lining in this unwanted hobby. As I pondered what to do with all these supplies, it struck me—my daughter-in-law might enjoy crocheting. She’s always been the creative type. She likes to make things. She takes painting classes on Monday evenings. Maybe she’ll find joy in crocheting and use it to make her own clothes instead of constantly splurging on unnecessary clothes.
I am pack up my crochet kit. Now I have a plan. It is my daughter in laws birthday on a few weeks. This will be a perfect gift for her. With a sigh of relief, I realize that even in a situation I dislike, there’s potential for good. Maybe my failed attempt at crocheting will lead to a new passion for my daughter-in-law, and perhaps, in the end, that’s worth all the yarn and hooks in the world.
Maybe you’ve started a new hobby or you are planning to. Maybe you’ve already invested in the hobby, but you don’t like it as much as you thought you would. I hope you realize after reading my story, that there is a sliver lining and you can still try new things.
This article is written by a local senior in Mississauga with editorial and publishing assistance from Mississauga Arts Guide Editors.
