Among the many things that I wished to do during this pregnancy, one has been to crochet for the baby. It was one afternoon in April when it all started. I searched for the bag of yarns and needles which sat hidden on some shelf, untouched since 2016. It is a craft I’ve long desired to learn and create small precious pieces for my home. But I always fell short of time (an excuse!) to start crocheting.
As a complete beginner, I was venturing into unknown territory with plenty of doubts. But the saying ‘practice is the key to success’ turns out to be true here and with pleasing rewards.
It was only a few weeks into lockdown and I was full of mixed feelings with the growing baby bump; Extremely stressed hearing all that was happening outside, I was also worried that it isn’t the safest time for pregnant women to attend hospital appointments. But between all those feelings I was also experiencing the happiness of having ample time for self-care and creative explorations. Things that will make my pregnancy healthier and more joyful.
A beginner to Crochet
As a newbie to crocheting, I approached this craft differently than how a crochet-pro would look at it.
First, I went through the mind-blowingly adorable boards on Pinterest and started saving the patterns that melted my heart. At this stage, there was no idea if these patterns are achievable.
Next, I reached my bookshelf to pull out the only crochet book I had bought along with yarns and needles, a few years ago. My idea was to start learning the various stitches from the book and then start on the patterns I’ve saved. Descriptions in the book were very clear and it felt an easy few hours or maybe days before I’m ready for the baby crochet project. To my horror, I saw no progress in the next few days and that started discouraging me.
I have always been someone who prefers reading over watching a video, unlike my husband who will want everything in a video format, from news to recipes, even FB ads!
Before I give up on crocheting, it was worth trying his method of videos because my way of learning didn’t benefit. So, I was on YouTube searching for crochet tutorials and to my surprise, it loaded me with the videos fit for beginners to advanced level of crocheting.
Practising the basic stitches and then proceeding to simple patterns, I was heading somewhere substantial on a crochet project for the baby. That was satisfying.
Crocheted Booties for the Baby!
Baby blankets come with the easiest patterns to start as a beginner but the monotony of going on with the same number of stitches for a few days wasn’t exciting me for the first piece of love that I’ll crochet for the little passenger. Baby booties looked adorable and quick to create. And there I was working along with Wooly Wonders Crochet for my little one’s first pair of crochet booties.
Her instructions are so smooth and clear that I forgot I’m a beginner! Neither did my stitches look of a novice, all thanks to the lady from Wooly Wonders Crochet.
🌟 Star suggestion: As you watch the tutorial, make notes of the steps on a diary for each round that you will crochet. This is for self-reference as you work on a new pattern and it makes moving forward with the steps very convenient. Speaking from my experience, watching a video (pausing & rewinding) throughout the process of crocheting strains the eyes.
Booties paved the way for more crocheting and I’m making more cuddly pieces for the baby. With so much joy, I’m working on the yarns to crochet for the baby during pregnancy and also creating some precious handmade gifts for my friends. Let me share more on this in my next post.
There are benefits of crochet during pregnancy!
I’m thinking of crochet as a way to create some super cute pieces for the little human growing inside me but there’s more to it! I’m introduced to the various benefits of crocheting that will be remedial in the fast-developing changes in me due to pregnancy! Thrilled to find that out and let me share it with you lovely ladies:
It is therapeutic:
Crochet helps to relax the mind and fight anxiety. It is very easy to feel anxious or depressed during pregnancy because we are preparing ourselves to enter a new world, aren’t we?
Crochet for good sleep:
All moms-to-be will agree that disturbed sleep is present throughout pregnancy, either because of back pain or stretching bump or restrictive sleeping positions. So it’s good to know that crochet can help us ‘soon to be mommies’ in catching some peaceful sleep before the little one arrives and hijacks our sleep hours. The repetitive stitches on crochet patterns have the secret of inducing sleep.
Crafting to reduce pregnancy fog:
Did you know that craft like crochet keeps our brain more active? Oh yes! forgetfulness is real in pregnancy and it can be bothersome. Well, what was I talking about? Never-mind 😐
Ladies, it is stress-busting!
Isn’t pregnancy is filled with work responsibilities, remembering to attend numerous hospital appointments, precautions on what to avoid eating or drinking, nursery planning and many more things? It turns us to look like superwomen, pregnancy involves a lot of stress. Crocheting calms the mind and refreshes us with its colours and beautiful patterns.
Creating handmade love:
Crochet yarns come together to produce adorable products for the little human and it is a magical feeling. There is nothing more precious than the products handmade with love.
With all these benefits I found the joy to crochet for baby as a complementing craft during pregnancy days. 🤰🏻
