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’.
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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.
