Lost the oomph to crochet but desperately want it back? Follow these steps to crochet success…
Have you ever found yourself in a crochet slump? Feeling like you’ve lost your ‘Crojo‘ (crochet mojo) so to speak?
Don’t fret! It happens to us all from time to time!
Believe it or not, it’s perfectly normal (and acceptable!) to not want to pick up a hook every waking minute (sounds crazy, I know!).
After all crochet is just like every other aspect of life. We all go through phases; ups and downs in our enthusiasm and creativity.
But for those times when you do hit a bump in the road and for one reason or another you’d rather not ride it out, here are some steps to getting your ‘crojo‘ back:
1. Acceptance
First stop in reclaiming your crochet ‘oomph’ is to accept that it’s fine and dandy to feel a bit, well, flat. We all go off things from time to time (well, except chocolate, obvs!) and rest assured, you will find your way back. The notion to hook will return in its own time. In the meantime just try to accept it for what it is.
2. Refresh
Why not treat this time as a sort of break? Just as a weekend away or a spa treat can refresh you and get you ready to return to daily life with a little boost, so can some time out from crochet.
Don’t dwell on it too much and instead try to relax a bit. Enjoy being able to watch the TV screen and see what the characters look like for a change. Read a book with your eyes instead of listing to the audio version. Before you know it you’ll be feeling refreshed and be back in the groove hooking doubles and trebles in no time.
3. Try something different
Sometimes turning your focus to something new can be the change you need to recapture your crojo.
By redirecting your interest to a new (or old!) craft, you can inadvertently reignite your interest in your love of crochet.
For example, I once embarked on learning the art of hand lettering when I felt my ‘crojo’ slipping. As it turned out I found focusing on this new skill to be a welcome change, and very therapeutic! It also coincidentally led me back on the crochet path as I discovered a new love of creating handmade greetings cards which featured hand lettered messages paired with little crochet appliqués. I had not only gained a new skill, but I had unintentionally found the perfect way to combine both skills!
I also know of a few people who, because they can also knit (lucky ducks!), turn their hand to whichever knit WIP (work in progress) they have on the go, until they feel the urge to crochet return.
4. Browse
As I’m sure we all know, that the art of crochet itself is a completely separate hobby to buying yarn or browsing for patterns to make (those who think it’s all the one hobby obviously don’t craft!).
Therefore, if you’re struggling to find the desire to pick up a hook, get browsing and find a pattern you fancy. It may just be that you need something new to capture your attention and motivate you.
5. Prioritise your current WIP’s
WIP = Work In Progress
If you have a lot of WIPs on the go at once, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and lose your drive.
Make a list of all the WIPs you currently having underway and note down the progress you are making with each. Next, prioritise them:
Are there any which you are determined to complete soon?
Are any time sensitive: i.e. have a deadline date to be completed for?
And realistically, are there any that will continue to lie in the cupboard and you would probably be better frogging and using the yarn for something you would enjoy making more?
Once you have them on paper and have prioritised them, you should feel much better, and clearer on your next steps, which hopefully in turn will help your return to being ‘hooked‘.
6. Start a short project
As with #5, same goes if you have a long make underway. It can be easy to become deflated when you are making, say, a sweater for example. When working on a larger creation, something which may be repetitive in pattern, you can easily begin to feel like you will never get past making that first panel.
To break things up, and regain some sense of enjoyment, switch it up and make something which you know won’t take you long and which you can feel some instant gratification in completing.
A simple solution maybe, yet it might be all you need to give yourself a boost and get you back on track (and to keep you going until you finally reach the end of that massive blanket you’ve been working on!)
Looking for a short but rewarding project to help you regain your ‘crojo’? Take a look at this very cute little free appliqué pattern . Prefer a slightly bigger project? Click here
7. Treat yourself
If all else fails…retail therapy for the win!
Get online, or to your local yarn shop, and buy yourself a little excitement!
Go on…treat yourself! Peruse all those beautiful yarns, dream up ideas of what you could do with them then charge a few and get making!
Your ‘crojo‘ will be back with a vengeance and in no time you’ll be back to feeling like you were born with a hook in hand!
How do you regain your ‘crojo’ when your lose it?
Please, share your tips with us in the comments!
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