Crochet Breaks

I would naturally assume that people who are considered "crafty" do not put all their efforts solely into one craft hobby. People I know who are crafty tend to do multiple crafts - each serving a purpose in alleviating stress. For me, other than crochet, my big hobby is painting. I enjoy painting. Both painting and crochet are almost meditative. Each takes me to a place beyond my physical being and allows me to express myself. With crochet, the rhythm of the stitches and the counting in my head calm me. Painting allows me to look beyond myself and put images and thoughts on canvas without judgment.

Recently, I have begun loom knitting. ... let me back up a little bit.

loom knitted scarf - basic knit stitch with crocheted caps

I used to knit a long long LONG time ago (read: as... a really freakin' long time ago). Recently, I have met some people who knit and I began to wonder why I didn't knit anymore. While at the yarn store, I saw some knitting needles for sale and thought "why the heck not" so I picked up a pair and home I went. I cast on and while creating that first row, I remembered why I don't knit - because it's suicidal.

I knit tight - and by tight, I mean I cannot get the needle between the yarn and second needle. So here I sit, forcefully trying to shove a large pointed object into a small area... where my wrist happens to be behind.

I sat the needles to the side, remembering why knitting is a bad idea for me, and conceded to return to my crochet hook. It wasn't until I was breezing around YouTube, making my normal rounds on people I find wonderfully entertaining and crafty, when I remembered mikeysmail - a YouTube member I have watched for a very long time. Mikey is wonderfully creative and fun to watch. I remembered a series of videos he had done using a knitting loom. I was curious if it would work for me so the next time I was out and about, I bought one.

loom knitted caterpillar scarf (mikeysmail pattern)

I've been hooked (pardon the pun) since!

What I like is that I get the look and feel of knitting but it takes less time. One of my favorite features of crochet is the sheer speed you can create. Traditional knitting is so slow. I picked up Tunisian crochet a couple years ago and I while I do enjoy it, I struggle with the amount of time it takes to finish a small piece. Loom knitting, while not as fast as crochet, actually goes pretty quick when comparing it to traditional knitting and Tunisian crochet.

If you haven't tried it, I would highly suggest you do so. I still have several items on my crochet hooks - but when I'm looking for a quick break from crochet, I can still continue my crafty self through loom knitting. It's definitely a valuable and fun addition to the crafty mental cupboard that is my mind.