Although I do not knit, I am very excited whenever I come across an individual that enjoys crocheting. Crocheting is a process I have only known to do for a year and it is actually a process that I learned from a classmate when we were able to gather together to craft in a non-school setting. It is something that I have found comfort in, quite literally and figuratively, during these times that we have labeled as “unprecendented.” The repetitive nature of simply doing single-crochets back in forth to create a rectangle that could turn into a blanket, a scarf, or a hat was something to keep myself focused during classes and the challenges in following patterns to create stuffed animals stimulated my mind when I found that there wasn’t much to do while quarantining myself from others. Crocheting for me serves many purposes, and based on what I need, I feel like crochet is a craft that is easily adaptable to my needs in any given moment.
Looking back on my crocheting experience, I found that the items I created not only served as a physical item of comfort but also as a psychologically and emotionally comforting product. I thought that this medium would be useful for adolescents with anxiety. The sensory experience of using yarn might be suggestive of comfort, however, coming from a trauma informed perspective, it would be important to understand if an individual has any emotional triggers that could be tied to certain senses. The repetitive nature of crocheting provides structure that could help contain feelings of anxiety.
I chose to implement crocheting with adolescents since I have noticed an uptick in crocheting videos on TikTok. It appears as though the interest in what is traditionally thought of as an activity for older women is becoming more popular among younger audiences. By implementing this skill in addressing anxiety, adolescents are not only finding alternative means of coping, but also building a sense of community with those that they see on social media, a common activity in times of technology and quarantine.
