Decompressing...With Crochet

Sounds kind of old-ladyish, I know, but before y'all kick me out of the clubhouse, allow me to explain.

There is something very relaxing about the art of crochet, especially when things in life have been really hectic. The very nature of crocheting causes you to sit down, take a load off and slow down for a bit.

I think it has a lot to do with the mindlessness of the task. It's like you can set your hands on autopilot while you wait for blog pages to load (here I'm still dealing with the very archaic dial-up) watch a movie or listen to the radio, keep an eye on the kids playing outside or even just sit and think, and before long you've accomplished something useful.

Which, when you spend the majority of your day doing those myriad SAHM tasks that must be done but end up being done over and over and over throughout the day without any real evidence of any progress having been made in a day (save for barely keeping on top of things), well, it's nice to see some tangible evidence for your efforts.

It's also helped me with dieting, because I can't just grab a snack like I could if I were reading a book. It's kind of hard to do such a thing when both hands are preoccupied.

Unless I were to get one of those little harmonica holders that guitar players sometimes have, but that would be hideous, would it not? To want a Snickers with Almonds Kudos bar that bad?

Whatever the reason (maybe the chaotic busy-ness of the past couple of weeks?) I’ve been crocheting with abandon…bordering on OCD.

I think this is also because my artistic M.O. seems to dictate that when I start one project I always get ideas for others.

I usually have about ten three or four projects going at once, as is the case now. Here are just a couple of them:





This time around, it happens that one of my brainchild projects was to make a protective floor mat for under our kitchen table.

I am getting weary of seeing the folded white washcloths that have been under the legs of the table since we put the laminate flooring in a couple of months ago. (I may be a frump, but even I reach a breaking point with such things sooner or later).

I've been searching for months for an area rug or mat or something to go beneath the table, but nothing has struck me as "This...this is it!"

Nothing that lines up with my budget, anyway.

It would probably help a lot if I finally made the drapery panels that are to be hung up in there, because then I could better tell if floor treatments would 'work' with my color scheme.

Lately, however, I’ve been seeing these sea grass and other natural woven mats that are bound at the edges with canvas and really liked the look.

Frugal frump that I am, I wasn’t about to pay the prices I’ve seen them for.

So while going through my entire Jane Austen BBC movie collection crocheting recently, I came up with the brilliant idea that if I were to do a tight single-stitch crochet with twine I might be able to achieve something similar for a lot cheaper.

I went to Wallys and bought a few rolls of some non-scratchy yet sturdy looking hemp twine (as for jewelry making) that happened to be a similar color to the paint on my walls and got to work.

Trouble was, after using one roll up, I realized that to make a large enough mat, I’d be looking at spending almost as much on the twine as I would for a pre-made mat.



Hemp twine is expensive!

If only I could grow my own hemp and make my own twine…

...but alas, I'm pretty sure the growing operation required for that particular plant would be frowned upon by the authorities, lol.

Not to mention seriously tarnishing our reputations and good standing in our community.

Nope, wouldn't be prudent.

It also kinda makes me question my sudden addiction to crocheting.

Hmmm, maybe I should just turn that project into a beach bag, get a bigger crochet hook, and make a big old rag rug instead.