There’s something really special about creating something with your own hands.
I’ve been realizing how important it is for me to have hobbies that slow my mind down a little because life can feel so fast sometimes. There’s always something to do or somewhere to go or someone to talk to. I tend to overthink everything which makes life move even quicker. Or sometimes slower depending on where my brain leads me. Needless to say, having something that keeps both my mind and my hands busy has honestly been really comforting for me lately.
That’s kind of what led me to crochet.
I started crocheting because I wanted a new hobby. Something creative of course. Something that felt fulfilling. I’ve always loved the idea of being able to create something new and actually feeling proud of it afterward. That’s how I feel about writing a new poem or drawing a new picture. Starting with nothing at all and then ending with something beautiful. There’s something so rewarding about starting with a ball of yarn and an idea then ending up with something cozy, wearable and handmade.
Technically these little Winnie the Pooh hats are not my first crochet project but they are definitely my first completed project that came out exactly how I imagined it. Which definitely counts for something. The only other thing I had fully completed before was my tiny Dumbledore that I made using a Woobles kit that I had bought randomly when book shopping at Barnes and Noble. Which honestly feels very fitting for me somehow.
While making these hats, I realized crochet was giving me more than just something cute at the end. It gave me something to work toward. A goal. Something to focus on besides my thoughts. Stitch by stitch, row by row, I could actually see progress happening in front of me, and I think that feeling is really healing in a way.
A lot of people say that learning something new as an adult is difficult, and honestly they aren’t wrong. There were moments where I felt frustrated and confused or I was convinced I was doing it completely wrong. But I also think it’s important to remember that difficult doesn’t mean impossible. With enough patience, time, and dedication, you really can teach yourself almost anything.
The most frustrating part for me was trying to make both hats come out the exact same size. Since the hats were for identical twin girls, I wanted them to match perfectly. But the more I crocheted, the more I realized that handmade things are never perfectly identical. My stitches were tighter on one hat than the other, which made one hat bigger than the other. I restarted that second hat more times than I’d like to admit because I’m a perfectionist and can probably be diagnosed with OCD. Eventually I had to give up because realistically handmade gifts aren’t meant to be perfect.
And honestly? Seeing my friend’s reaction made every frustrating moment completely worth it.
Knowing something I made with my own hands could make someone else feel so happy and loved was incredibly fulfilling. There’s just something really beautiful about putting time, effort and care into creating something for another person. Even with all the uneven stitches and tiny imperfections, the hats still carried love in every row.
I think thats what I’m learning lately:
beautiful things take time and the imperfections make it more real.
— softly, Nash 🌱
softly, Nash 
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