50 Times Crochet Enthusiasts Were So Proud Of Their Projects, They Had To Share Them (New Pics)

We think it’s safe to say that (nearly) everyone would like to be more creative, more of the time. Even if you have brilliant ideas most of the time, there will be moments when you feel like you’ve hit a block. Or that you’re being overly derivative, regurgitating other people’s ideas. It happens to most creatives.

However, if you want to be more creative, you have to actively make space in your day for it. You can’t just kick back, relax, and wait for a surge of motivation or inspiration. The good news is that creativity is something that everyone can hone.

For example, Verywell Mind explains that you have to be intentional about sharpening your creative skills. That means proactively setting aside some time every day to focus on some aspect of your creative life and your skills.

Other ways to boost your creativity include things like doing in-depth research about your chosen field, rewarding your curiosity, embracing failure, and setting self-criticism and negative self-talk aside.

What’s more, if you’re serious about sharpening your creative instincts, you have to be willing to set your ego aside, think outside the box, and step outside of your comfort zone.

What this means in practice is that you embrace failure instead of shying away from it (it’s an opportunity for growth after all!), taking more risks, and trying out different approaches and alternative ideas. If you’re in a creative rut or facing a motivational block, you have to do something new to get out of a bad situation.

Meanwhile, in a piece in the Harvard Business Review, Bas Korsten also stresses the importance of intentionality when talking about creativity. He sees creativity as something you actively have to hone, rather than it being something ‘inherent.’

From his perspective, you can improve your creativity by spending more time in nature, taking up meditation, exercising more, and socializing with people from various backgrounds. When you don’t know what to expect and feel challenged by different ideas, you keep your mind active.

The difference between crochet and knitting, which are both ways of working yarn, according to the Martha Stewart blog, is that in the former case, the stitches are more like a chain of knots, while in the latter case, they form a ‘V’ shape. Crochet also uses a single hook, whereas knitting requires a pair of long needles.

Broadly speaking, crochet is a far more beginner-friendly experience. It’s a much more accessible arts and crafts hobby because there’s not as much focus on different techniques. Meanwhile, knitting is more challenging.

Previously, Bored Panda spoke with the friendly moderator team running the ‘Crochet’ subreddit. During one of our interviews, one of the mods stressed the fact that crochet is very beginner-friendly compared to knitting and sewing. One of the reasons for this is that it’s much more forgiving of your mistakes.

“[Crochet is] the easiest to rip apart (called frogging) and go back to fix a mistake.”

That’s not to say that crochet is super easy either. It has its fair share of challenges, too. “Most beginners often find difficulty in knowing where to place the hook in each stitch and figuring out how to coordinate holding the yarn, hook, and work all at the same time!" the moderator explained to Bored Panda earlier.

“Learning to crochet, like everything else, has a learning curve! Luckily, it’s pretty easy to get started—all you really need is a hook and a skein of yarn.”

Meanwhile, during another interview, one of the moderators had some words of wisdom to share with anyone new to the hobby. “Whenever a novice crocheter expresses frustration with learning, we have lots of suggestions! While video tutorials are popular, like any other subject, there are fabulous written, photo, and individual (hands-on) learning resources. All they need to do is search, ask, and keep trying to connect with their own creativity!” they said.

“There are so many facets of crochet, it takes time and effort to get all of these in sync. Crocheting customized items for family, friends, charity, and ourselves involves limitless aspects from wearables to home decor to toys and many practical patterns, too."

It would be an understatement to say that the ‘Crochet’ subreddit is simply “well-known.” It has seen massive success and popularity throughout the years, ever since it was created in 2008. At the time of writing, the community gets an impressive 14k contributions and nearly 400k visitors every single week. That’s proof that people love creativity, no matter where it's found.

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts about these arts and crafts projects, dear Pandas. Which designs were your favorite ones and why? Have you ever tried crochet or a similar hobby before?

Where do you look for artistic inspiration? When you’re done upvoting the brilliant pics that impressed you the most, why not drop by the comments section at the bottom of the post to share what you think?