Waves of Change: Observations in Crochet and Mental Health.

At the time of writing in the UK and abroad many of us are experiencing a time unprecedented in our history as we are quarantined or isolated in our homes away from the routines and interactions that we are used to. In following my own journey so far through this strange time and that of many of the contributors to Facebook Crochet and Mental Health forums, I best describe this experience as one of waves.

The initial experience of being shut off from the world brought to many a wave of shock – often we reacted with a flight/fight/freeze response as is common with a traumatic (or startling) event. This was something out of the ordinary, something for which most of us had no pre-planned skill. We either hid from it, embraced a new reality without question or were stunned and directionless for a while.

Many in the crochet world battened down the hatches and set to work on their stashes - for some this was a golden opportunity to finish all those WIPs (Works-in-progress) that had been begging for our attention! We shared photographs of our year old projects and congratulated each other on a job well done, whilst simultaneously being bombarded with a wealth of new ideas for future projects. Some of us grasped the opportunity to embrace the online world, to make new contacts, to share patterns and generally be very creative and positive.

But then came a different wave - a wave of slight despair, of fear and of disorientation. We had embraced the opportunity but were increasingly faced with the enormity of the reality of our current world and of the unclear longevity of our crisis. Some of us were on the front line of care; some of us were key workers; some were carers; some of us were at home, battling with time; but all of us were facing a new reality. The forums held those who were brave enough to share their fears or their loss of “Crojo” and united to express their own waves of uncertainty.

Then the crochet world (who wonderfully often make and donate hats and blankets to premature baby units, lap blankets to care homes, twiddle muffs to dementia care units, warm clothing to disaster zones….) banded together with its own waves of appeal - we made rainbows to decorate our windows to bring hope to children and passers-by who might need cheer; next we made heart pairs to donate to those families who were unable to be with their loved ones at their end; someone suggested making adaptors for face masks since many were experiencing pain or wounding from the continuous pressure of the elastic and many of us made them by the sack-load; we are currently awaiting the next wave of community making trend - we don't yet know what it is, but I am sure it will come!

This joint venture to look outwards into the community and share the love that we have of “yarny goodness” and creativity is empowering in our powerless state; it is a beautiful expression of the kindness and compassion I am privileged to see at my crochet workshops on a regular basis. But the continual re-invention is also potentially exhausting.

In a world where we have had to re-invent our own present, where we have had to work out how we can best cope with or without routine, where we have been exposed to our own selves as we may rarely have had the time to before, we remain in danger of input overload. Even if we succeed in limiting our exposure to news broadcasting in order to reduce our re-traumatisation, we can still fall prey to the huge "I oughts" available to us. Yes, it is fabulous to be part of something greater, to do our bit, to develop our talents and our creativity, but also, wonderful crocheters, it is important to continue to take care of ourselves and each other. I read of a lady recently who stayed up all night to crochet mask adaptors and then felt rotten, berating herself for their wavy edges and uneven lengths. Luckily most people on crochet forums are kind and supportive and I’m sure that her work was gratefully received by the recipients. I am amongst those many who are having an enforced break due to repetitive strain injury because of sudden, over-enthusiastic stitching!

In my other line of work I see so often a yearning to be part of something bigger – it’s a wonderful integration of the human condition and is to be celebrated. That having been said, in the current times, we mustn’t forget that we already carry an underlying wound of anxiety and so we need to be self-compassionate as well as compassionate to others. Self-compassion is not the same as selfishness – it’s about cherishing ourselves in order to be strong.

With this strength we can make our bridges; be creative and change our worlds.

Without it we may be in danger of sinking beneath the next wave.

The waves of change, of input, of emotional fragility or strength, of contentment or of fear, of creativity or of barrenness will continue to build, to break and to wash over us. Some of these waves we can ride, some we will welcome, others will tip us off balance for a while and we will have to wait for the return of equilibrium. But ultimately each wave will dissipate.

Lovely crocheters, stay safe, embrace your fragility and your creativity and stay connected. Enjoy the ways we can help each other and enjoy the wonderful feeling of turning that colourful piece of string into a beautiful, meaningful creation.