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Crochet and Sustainability for Eco-friendly Self-care

Crochet and Sustainability for Eco-friendly Self-care

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Crochet as Therapy

Crochet and Sustainability for Eco-Friendly Self-care

Impact

Crochet and sustainability have a natural intersection, as this craft involves creating beautiful and useful items from yarn, a renewable and versatile material.

Eco-friendly self-care involves taking care of oneself while also considering the impact that our actions have on the planet.

By incorporating sustainable crochet practices into our daily self-care routines, we can not only improve our own well-being but also reduce our environmental impact.

Eco-friendly Yarns

One way to practice sustainable crochet is to choose eco-friendly yarns.

Many companies now offer yarns that are made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, and even recycled fibers.

These yarns are produced with less harm to the environment, and choosing them can support sustainable agriculture, reduce the use of pesticides and chemicals, and decrease the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

Natural Dyes

Another way to practice sustainable crochet is to use natural dyes.

Natural dyes can be created from plants, flowers, and even food waste.

Not only are they better for the environment than synthetic dyes, but they can also create beautiful and unique colors.

Experimenting with natural dyeing can be a fun and rewarding way to add a sustainable element to your crochet practice.

Slow Fashion

In addition to choosing eco-friendly materials and practices, sustainable crochet also involves using your crochet skills to create items that are useful, long-lasting, and reduce waste.

For example, instead of buying single-use items such as plastic bags or paper towels, you can create reusable alternatives through crochet.

You can also repurpose materials such as old t-shirts or sheets to create yarn and use them in your crochet projects.

By finding creative ways to reuse and repurpose materials, you can reduce waste and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Crochet with Purpose

Furthermore, crochet can also be used to create items that serve a specific purpose in reducing environmental impact.

For example, you can crochet produce bags to use at the grocery store instead of using plastic bags.

You can also crochet dishcloths or cleaning cloths to replace disposable sponges or paper towels.

These items are not only sustainable but also functional and beautiful.

Mental Health

Incorporating sustainable crochet practices into your daily self-care routine can also have a positive impact on your mental health.

Sustainable crochet can be a form of mindfulness, as it requires focus, patience, and creativity.

By taking the time to create something with your own hands, you can feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, which can boost your self-esteem and overall well-being.

Additionally, by contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle, you can feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment, which can also improve your mental health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, sustainable crochet is an excellent way to practice eco-friendly self-care while also engaging in a creative and rewarding activity.

By choosing eco-friendly materials and practices, creating items that reduce waste, and contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle, you can make a positive impact on the planet while also taking care of yourself.

So grab your hooks, choose some sustainable yarns, and let your creativity flow!

 

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Square-a-Day Crochet Blankets – 3 Options

Square-a-Day Crochet Blankets – 3 Options

by | Dec 22, 2016 | Creativity, Crochet as Therapy, Crochet Patterns, Stories

Square-a-Day Crochet Blankets

A crocheted square-a-day blanket is easy, quick and it almost grows when you are not looking.

You make one square each day of the year to reflect what was happening every day. At the end of twelve months you have a crochet record of how the year was for you.

Skills required

Because the effort you have to expend is only one square a day it can easily be done by beginners and experienced crocheters in a few moments each day.

If you are a beginner this project will help you get better at a simple granny square that will stand you in good stead for all of your crocheting life.

if you are an experienced crocheter you can add this little square to you repertoire of other crochet work that you have on the hook.

The square-a-day blanket is a perfect complement to other crochet work in progress (WIP) which you may have. The square-a-day blanket is a big project and will take you all year to finish. This means that you can also do other crochet work in-between.

Small, medium and large

It is always a good idea to have more than one project on the go, a big one (like this blanket), a medium one like a hat or shawl and a small one like a bookmark.

It is advisable to have large and small pieces and this blanket falls into the small pieces section because you can take it with you.

Basic square

The squares you do are a basic two-row granny square motif. The two rows can be one colour or in some cases (see below) with two different colours in each square.

You can do one, two or three square-a-day blankets and we have three suggestions of blankets that you can make this year.

 

3 Types of Square-a-Day Blankets

Three types of daily square blankets that you can make and are explained here are:

  • A daily rising planet blanket (astrology related)
  • A daily high temperature blanket
  • A daily mood blanket (your feelings)

Your life – your blanket

Clearly you can think up other ways to do the square-a-day blanket depending on interests in your own life.

If you are a gardener you can do one for planting, seedlings, flowers and fruits in your garden. The first rose bloom or the first apple on your trees. This is a good one as the seasons change and the garden lives a dies off over the year.

If you live in a rainy area you could do a square-a-day rainfall blanket.

Let the blanket reflect your life and the things that are important to you.

1) Daily Rising Planet Crochet Blanket.

For this blanket you will make one square for each day of the year.

The colour for each square is chosen depending on which planet rises before the Sun every day for 365 days.

Your blanket can be either 14 x 27 squares and this will make a long oblong blanket or it can be 18 x 21 squares which will make an almost square blanket.

Either way there is no simple way to make a rectangle that is 365 days so there will always be a few squares over and the left over squares can be where you write, or embroider, the date and year for the blanket.

Sunrise and the Pre-dawn Rising Planet

The pre-dawn rising planet (in fact this is also known as the Oriental Plane)t is the planet that rises on the eastern horizon every morning before the Sun at dawn.

This rising planet will change over the course of a year as the Sun and the planets move through the zodiac.

Choosing the Colours

You will use one colour for each planet. In astrology the Moon is considered a planet as well.

Moon – white

Mercury – taupe

Venus – pink

Mars – red

jupiter – blue

Saturn – grey

Uranus – turquoise

Neptune – mint green

Pluto – maroon

The Make-a-Square-a-Day method

Because we do in fact know which planet will rise before the Sun this blanket can be started and you can push forward with the daily squares if you choose.

But the best way to create this type of daily blanket is by making one-square-per-day which is the main idea.

This is a big project and it can be done alongside other smaller or medium sized projects that you have on the hook.

To make one small granny square and crochet it together will take you less than thirty minutes every morning or evening.

2) Temperature Blankets

There are two ways to do the squares in the temperature blankets. You can simply do the daily high temperatures or the high/low temperatures.

Daily high temperatures

In the high temperature blanket you take the daily high for the day where you live and crochet the square in the pre-determined colours you choose.

So for example in Vancouver the highs are about 26C in summer and 4C in winter.

So each degree on the thermometer can be one colour or you can designate one colour to cover two degrees because there are only so many colours of yarn in one make.

Daily high/low temperature blanket

The other option is the high/low temperature blanket.

In this blanket you do a granny square with two rows where the first row is the low temperature and the second row is the high for the day. This makes a more colourful combination of squares in the blanket.

The only thing is that you need a wider range of colours to cover the low temperatures as well.

Example colours for a temperature blanket

Zero and below white

1C to 2C cream

3C to 4C grey/taupe

5Cto 6C light blue

7C to 8C teal

9C to 10C green

11C to 12C lemon

13C to 14C yellow gold

15C to 16C orange

17C to 18C pink

19C to 20C hot pink

21C to 22C red

23C to 24C magenta

25C to 26C violet

27C to 28C purple

29C and above black

3) Daily Mood Blanket

A mood blanket can be done by crocheting a square in the mood you wake up in each morning.

We all like to think we are upbeat and happy each and every day and that is the goal of most people but reality is different. The only problem with this blanket is that you may be in a sad mood for many days and the blanket will bear witness to this.

Also if you get halfway through the year and your cat dies you will be is a sad mood for weeks and this will show in the blanket.

The mood blanket will reflect life as it really is. If you feel comfortable with making a mood blanket here are some suggested colours that you can use for each mood.

Example colours for a mood blanket

Anger – red

Joy – orange

Happiness – yellow

Envious – green

Sadness – blue

Optimistic – indigo

Inspired – violet

Bored – white

Tired – black

You can choose the colours beforehand and hopefully you will have a happy and cheerful year.

 

Crocheting on the Go

Crocheting on the Go

by | Jul 26, 2015 | Crochet as Therapy, Stories

by Alison Stapleton

Making Space for Crochet

I have a special place for my crocheting at home.

I typically have at least two crochet projects on the hook at any one time. One big piece, like a blanket or shawl, and a small piece usually in granny squares.

I can keep the big one at home and take the little project with me.

I’ve crocheted in doctors and dentists waiting rooms all around the city, sat in the car waiting for kids to come out of school, and taken a small piece to coffee mornings and craft group meetings.

In one house that we lived in I had a special drawer in the kitchen only for wool and my squares so at night as, I waited for the spaghetti to cook for dinner, I crocheted a few stitches.

 

 

I have been known to have wool in my apron pocket as I prep dinner or talk on the phone.
Sigh…

 

The Meaning of Colour

The Meaning of Colour

by | Jul 3, 2015 | Crochet as Therapy, Crochet Basics, Stories

by Alison Stapleton

Each colour has a meaning

You can use colour to boost your mood.

Wear the colour you like or choose a colour whose meaning is how you want your day to go.

imagesPastel, primary, jewel or darks?

Pastels (lemon, lavender, mint green, baby pink and baby blue) are calming, soothing and non-confrontational. Pastels look good on babies and the elderly.

Primaries (red, yellow and blue) all stimulate the brain but in different ways.

Jewel colours (purple, teal, amber and ruby) are grown up and indicate confidence, up beat and positive vibes.

Dark colours suggest control and power. They can imply seriousness and subdued danger.

Red

Red is the colour of challenge, courage and sex. It says “Look at me” and that danger is near.

Red is stimulating and that is why it is the colour favoured in restaurants and good for your dining room because it stimulates conversation.

Orange

Orange is rude. It is a colour that suggests caution and be careful. If you wear orange you are sending the message that you are unpredictable and others should watch out. But that you are fun loving and unique.

Yellow

Yellow is the colour of sunshine and creativity it is a difficult colour to wear near your face as it reflects a yellow glow that is not always flattering.

Yellow’s message is one of inspiration and lateral thinking. Wearing yellow aids creative solutions to problems. It is a good color to wear when you want some fresh ideas to pop into your head.

Green

Green is the colour for peace and tranquility. It should be worn to calm and rejuvenate your psyche.

Mint green is calming but chartreuse suggests some spiky ideas running through your head.

Blue

Blue in its purest sense is what used to be called French blue and it is like a sapphire blue.

This is a strong color and the wearer is confident and fair. The darker the blue the stronger the person.

Pale blue is for young children or men’s formal shirts which are covered by grey or charcoal suits.

Indigo

Indigo is a colour for getting things done it works well for men and women. It is confident and casual at the same time. Think dark denim jeans which are both smart and casual.

Violet

Violet is the colour of originality. If you wear violet you are stating that you are your own man or woman and will do your own thing in life. Violet in home furnishing can be wild flowers and heathery creamy violets work well.

White

White looks good on just about anyone. A sharp white blouse is a wardrobe staple. White next to your face in blouses or shirts is flattering to all complexions.

Black

Black is a serious city color. Most people can wear black and be taken seriously. Black pants are a woman’s wardrobe staple.

Brown

Brown is a color to wear when you are feeling down and want to hide from life. It is a colour for doing nothing in. It indicates you may be forlorn or pining for days gone by. It can be a sign of depression and if you wear brown it will make you feel browned off and life weary.

Grey

Grey is a colour that wants to blend into the background. It is a non confrontational colour and suggests the wearer is passive and will conform to the will of others. It is a colour that wants peace and quiet.

You may also like:

  • Colour magic
  • Selecting colour for soft home furnishings



Repetitive Actions and Crochet

Repetitive Actions and Crochet

by | Apr 15, 2015 | Crochet as Therapy

IMG_1852Repetitive Actions

We find solace in repetitive actions.

We learn this early on. As children we love having the same book read to us because knowing the end of the story makes it not so scary.

As we get older we build ritual into our lives by going to work the same route, doing the same things on each day and ordering the same food in restaurants that we tend to choose.

There is safety in repetitive actions. Simple.

That’s why you favor one restaurant over another or one fast food chain over the one next door. You know that the no 3 burger and fries is what you like and it is the same in restaurants across the country and even in other continents.

I can order a grande latte at Starbucks in Vancouver and place the exact same order at Heathrow airport and I will get the same drink, which I like.

The unknown is scary on a basic level.

Therefore the known is safe.

Crochet has simple stitches and when you have grasped a pattern you can repeat, not only the pattern many times, but the actual square in granny squares for instance.

Deciding whether to do a square in pink or blue is the extent of the unknown about crochet. Because it is known to us before we start it makes crochet soothing.

Crochet is soothing because it is repetitive.

We know what will happen when we stick to a pattern and we know the end result.

And we want the same result for the first square to the two hundredth square.

Doing something over and over again is good to soothe frazzled nerves and, after a tough day at work, it is relaxing.

It seems like work but without the dangers of work.

At work you never know what will happen. You don’t know whether or not you can a balance the cash drawer, or if your boss will yell at you, or if a colleague does not pitch up for their shift and this makes extra workload for you.

Maybe your coworkers are a pain or needy and clingy. Either way working for others is stressful.



Crochet Explained Letter by Letter

Crochet Explained Letter by Letter

by | Mar 19, 2015 | Crochet as Therapy

IMG_1155What is crochet?

Let’s break it down letter by letter.

C – R – O – C – H – E – T

C is for Creative

If it is anything crochet is creative. It is not like knitting where machines can do it. Crochet is always done by hand and usually there is only one stitch on the hook at a time.

R is for Release

When crocheting the release come from the letting go of stress by the rhythmic hooking of the garment. . To think that crochet is just making stuff is incorrect and you will miss one of the greatest benefits of crochet to assume so.

O is for Original

Every piece is an original. Yes you may make more than one hat but each hat will be an original pei e of art as the crafter making it will impart something of there essence into the item. Many crochet gets will adapt a pattern to suit themselves and this makes each insinuate and original. There is no cookie cutter crochet.

C is for Colour

Clearly color plays a big part in crochet. The simple to the intricate an bring different feels to the moods of the it’s through the use of color whether bristly or pastel shades are used the individual color. Ok inactions of each crafter will show in the finished item. .

H is for Heavenly

Heavenly may not be the first word you relate to crocheting it those who do it a lot will agree. That there is something almost spiritual in the. Reaction of an item where your thoughts and even prayers will become part of the item. If you listen to music whilst crocheting you can remember the th elated when you look and admire the finished work.

E is for Enjoyment

You have to enjoy crocheting to get the most from the craft. Choosing the yarn, pattern and colors and the message in your piece is all part of the enjoyment of crocheting. Some people. Do get e dry day as testament to their love of crochet.

T is for Tension

All crocheted items have tension in the stitches. If you hold the yarn too tight the item will be strangled. If you holds the yarn too loose the item will have no shape. Tension when perfect results in a beautiful creation. Every crocheted will make a tension square before they begin every item to check their tension. Of course there is another type of tension as well the tension you may have because your life is being challenging this type of tension can be expressed through the beauty of crocheting.