50 Shades of Crochet



Lately I’ve been working on a square and have been enjoying every stitch, every moment.  So much so, it would not be an exaggeration to call it the highlight of each day.  Now how is it that crocheting can generate such heights of pleasure?

Maybe it’s because I’m using a high quality pure wool yarn in a warming winter palette.  It is soothing to look at and the wool feels earthy.   


It’s my first solid square worked in half treble crochet.   It creates a dense fabric which feels weighty and satisfying.  I don’t know if I can describe it as sensuous but it is so lovely to work with.  I now understand what people mean by ‘favourite yarn’.



I started making this square where outside I was bombarded with delicious food on every street corner, fabulous shopping, and the sway of excited crowds all around.  And within this setting I was also trying to concentrate on a job – I was hyped up on so many levels.  What a luxurious little respite it was to get away for some crochet!




Crocheting is creating, and therefore the opposite of consuming.  I don’t know about you, but consumption tends to make me feel sick – it is the natural result of gorging oneself.




And there is also electronic consumption.  (Waste a whole day on pinterest?  My guilty hand is raised!) 
  
 
Crochet is so remote from the hi-tech realm that it must re-set some basic pleasure receptors.  Working with natural fibres, and the simplicity of hook and yarn, brings us back to some very common denominators.



In half treble crochet, the loops are released in a single movement, making the stitch simple and quick.  Perhaps this contributed to making my square so enjoyable to work on.  But  I find the action of crochet in any stitch very grounding.  You are forced to move at the real pace of production.  Crochet is a slow, manual craft that can belong to the category of slow movements that are popular these days.



In our busy modern world, homing in and focusing on the tiny loop and repetitive action brings us back to the internal quiet, a place to escape.  Let’s revel in its pleasures.