For the love of crochet – how I found peace in a craft that can’t be automated

As an Audience Engagement Analyst at The National, crochet is not a natural hobby one might assume would accompany a job like mine and rightfully so. I spend my days surrounded by lines of code, spreadsheets and numbers, and have been known to automate every process I can get my hands on so I can move from rote, repetitive tasks to new and exciting challenges. I’ve seen delightful amusement on the faces of many people when I tell them that I spend a few evenings per week winding down with a crochet hook and some yarn as a relaxation method often associated with grandmothers of bygone eras.

I started crocheting around April 2023, right after I had concluded a previous role and I found myself reflecting on what truly motivates me. I had started a summer internship a month after my final university exam and subsequently revelled in the challenges of high-pressure role after high-pressure role. As such, I was uncertain as to what lay ahead for me.

In the meantime, my little sister had picked up crochet and was spinning up hats, toys and little purses faster than I could blink. I’d previously tried to learn in between Zoom calls and Slack messages but grew impatient with how slowly I seemed to be improving and tucked the hooks away.

Then suddenly, I felt unsure what came next, or it’s fairer to say, after four years of immediate work post-university and a relentless desire to climb a career ladder and establish myself in that dream job that seemed ever out of reach, I began questioning the constant-climb mindset that had defined my early career.

Of course, I did what any other twenty-something with everything to prove does and immediately signed up to every recruiting site I could hoping to find the perfect job this time (hint: there is no such thing). The job market was not a forgiving place however, in the world post-Covid-19 and I was growing uneasy in this new world where ghosting candidates was a cross-industry norm. Then one day, after applying to the requisite amount of ads I decided I needed to keep me sane – I was on Pinterest and I decided to pick up the crochet hooks and try again.

Suddenly I was inspired, I had something to learn and work on again. I started crocheting with more gusto than skill and my early pieces definitely reflected this. Crocheting a simple row of chains was a lesson in endurance and the dramatic –beautiful projects I salivated over felt even more out of reach. But slowly, with the help of many YouTube tutorials, I improved.

In crochet, there is a foundational concept of a granny-square. The best way to describe them are squares of crochet patterns that can often be made in a single setting and used as the basis for almost anything. Don’t believe me? Check out granny square blankets, hats, purses, teddy bears and cushion covers. As my job search continued, I found my fingers itching to relax into this art form that allowed my restless mind the ability to meditate whilst creating - a perfect combination. Granny squares allowed me to improve my skills and accomplish something meaningful after a long day of hustling away.

Moreover, I began to just enjoy the process of creation, I made myself a new bag and purse and loved being able to tell people “I made it!” when they asked me where I got a new item from. This is when I discovered a second joy, the happiness in the faces of my family and friends as I gifted them new pieces of work I had created with my own hands. My little sister became the recipient of a bunny I had created using new techniques. The five seconds her three-year-old brain enjoyed filled me with a sense of pride.

Eventually, I found a new job and whilst I revelled in the new challenges and career-development it offered, I did not stop crocheting. When work was challenging or life gave me lemons, I would reach for my yarn hooks and continue to create new pieces. A particularly poignant moment for me was gifting my two best friends crocheted bouquets on the eve of their Masters degree graduations, “Flowers that won’t ever die!” passers-by remarked and I was proud of the many, many long-hours I’d spent creating and perfecting patterns of roses and magnolias.

Of course I considered monetising my hobby, but cursory research showed me that in a world fed by fast-fashion, where handmade art often struggles, receiving a fair price for my labour would be an uphill challenge. And whilst I greatly admire those who do so, I opted to continue to enjoy it as my hobby and gift to those I care for.

Crochet is a unique artform in that unlike knitting, pottery and other handcrafts, there exist no crochet machines. Every piece of truly crocheted art (not crochet imitation available for sale) requires a complex set of hand movements. This means creating a crochet machine is simply too complex and expensive to be worthwhile.

It also means there are no shortcuts and no “optimising” the hours of work I spent with my yarn and hook apart from to just get better and enjoy the process. My crochet hook and yarn have taught me many lessons, which includes giving me deep appreciation for those who make my clothes and accessories and a motivation to be more ethical in my consumption of goods.

As I planned my move to Abu Dhabi, I packed up my crochet hooks and yarn with me. But during the past year I’ve spent establishing a new life, I’ve admittedly had less time to dedicate to my grounding hobby.

But recently, I was reminded of how therapeutic an art form my craft can be after a particularly tiring week when I decided to take my co-worker up on her request (read: challenge) to crochet her a dress for her Labubu. Over one weekend, I sat down and worked out a pattern and allowed myself to create something. I took this project with me to coffee with friends, whilst chatting with family and watching YouTube videos. And, as it had in 2023, crochet allowed me to claim back my time as resistance to my frustration.

As I sat down to work that week, and my coworker showed her Labubu’s new outfit to everyone at the office, I was reminded again of how, despite how the modern age's pressures to optimise, automate, industrialise, there is always time to take some joy from leaving our screens, and mindfully create purpose with our own hands.