Crochet Extra – 159th Edition – October 2019

The first week of the school holidays has passed— where myself and my son went camping.—yes I took plenty of crochet projects with me, but I did so much fishing, boating, paddle boarding and walking that I didn’t get to do as much as I hoped. But it was a lovely week away.

However after the Sunshine Coast Crochet Retreat it was a much needed break. The retreat was a great and busy weekend. 47 ladies in all attended and learnt 6 new techniques. The Saturday evening was very entertaining as we had a parade of shawls and cowls that participants had entered into the competition and viewed the many projects for show-and-tell. There are many talented ladies out there. You can see some of the photos from the weekend in our newsletter and watch a video assembled by one of the participants.

We also feature this month our customer corner— many of the items are from our workshops where participants stretched their skills with new projects. Congratulations to Deb H, Little Mountain for winning a $25 voucher for her submission.

Our workshop this month is making mandalas and raising money for breast cancer. There are two different mandalas depending on your skill level.

1; Connie’s Ray of Hope by Emily Littlefair—for advanced beginners

2; Anemone Mandala by Maria Limnell -for more experienced crocheters

Book your spot—Tuesdays 9.30—11.30 or Wednesdays 5.30—7.30.

Until next time

Lynda

Mindful Crocheting

We’ve all heard the term, and how mindful crocheting (or crafting) can be good your health. But what really is ‘mindful crochet’?

Mindfuless—is a mental state that is focusing on the present moment. The act of crocheting, and indeed many crafts, bring the body and mind together to focus on completing a single activity, thereby clearing wandering thoughts. It is the repetitive motion in crochet in particular that is key to helping block out troubling thoughts and develop a state of inner calm.

With the rise in mental health issues arising from the stresses and pressures of modern living, practicing mindful crocheting (or crafting) can reduce anxiety and depression and improve overall wellbeing. One study into crafting noted that these repetitive actions ‘distracted’ or ‘distanced’ individuals form negative emotional cognitive states and relaxed them.

What can you do to get yourself to a mindful state when you crochet?

• Find a comfortable spot to crochet—whether it be by yourself or in a social group— and find a comfortable position that you can stay in for the duration of your activity.
• Make time—whether it be 10 minutes or several hours, establish a regular time to crochet.
• Take your time with the project you choose—don’t rush—and focus on each stitch as you make it. Practice gentle, deep and even breathing.
• Find a project you enjoy—not one that requires a lot of concentration such as learning a who new stitch/ technique.

Writing this got me thinking about what projects I like to do and what puts me in a relaxed state. While I love to learn new techniques and playing with colour and design, to relax I focus on something simpler and repetitive. I feature these and the yarns I like to use in our section—Look What We Found. Or try this mindful mandala pattern by Bodhi Life Crochet.