by Donna Sabatine

Created on: November 01, 2010   Last Updated: November 02, 2010

Within each of us there is a need to be creative whether it manifests itself as maintaining a nicely manicured yard,  or sometimes it is a great recipe.  For many people, this need to be creative comes out in fiber arts.   This basic drive to take nothing other than a piece of string and create intricate patterns has been the basis for many art forms and crafts over the years.    Crochet is one of the most well known forms of fiber arts and today offers a wide range of options, colors and textures created from all of the great patterns available!

A Tradition of Creativity

There is some speculation that “finger crochet”, also popular in today options for crochet, was actually the first crochet due to its simplicity in design and process.   Many sources cite crochet dating back to the early 1500’s known as “nuns work” or “nun’s lace” in Italy.  The earliest crocheted items relative to what we know of crochet today, became popular and well known in Europe during the 19th century.    It was also about this time that crochet began to replace lace as it was less costly.  This was primarily due to cotton thread being mass produced and more affordable.   Crochet was also easier to teach than some of the other fiber arts and was common in homes both as wearable items as well as decorative accents.

Stress Relief

There has been much written on the benefits of crochet as a stress reliever.  The rhythmic motions of the yarn and hook as they glide through your fingers will soothe a stressful day, reminding us to slow down and enjoy the moment.   Crochet differs from the older craft of knitting in that there is only one loop and one hook active during the pattern.  It is easier to learn for many people and therefore is a good place to start as even simple patterns and stitches have the same therapeutic benefit as the more complex and involved patterns.

Satisfaction

Of course, for any crochet enthusiast who has learned the craft and knows the feeling of completing a special project, there is the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.   The sense of completion and pride in being able to wear an item that you created or to be able to enjoy something as simple as an afghan on a cool autumn evening will bring a sense of completion not to mention the smiles it creates when shared with others as gifts.  The best satisfaction however, comes from sharing the craft itself and the creativity, stress relief and satisfaction in bringing the creativity out in someone else.

Learn more about this author, Donna Sabatine.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.