A process of unwinding – my journey into crochet

Abstract

Tolstoy (1904) described art as being 'a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress towards well-being of individuals and humanity' (p.50). My 'art' is crochet. A large component of therapy is facilitating clients to care for themselves and attend to their own needs. Crochet is a vital form of self-care that sustains me personally and professionally – it is something that I always look forward to at the end of a long day of lecturing and seeing clients (Dattilio, 2015). Crochet is enjoyable and relaxing, and I use it in different ways depending on my mood. For example, if life is very busy and hectic, then the crochet pattern I am following needs to be relatively simple and repetitive. If I am feeling angry and upset, complex patterns actually serve as a useful distraction due to the high level of concentration required. Crochet's role in my life provides me with a strong sense of connection and relatedness ('union') with others; it has undoubtedly enhanced my wellbeing in ways I could never have imagined when I first taught myself how to crochet in 2012. [excerpt]