The Finale

This is the last post I will be making about my inquiry on crocheting. BUT this will not be the last time I create a crochet project. I have found such joy in the art of crochet and I have unveiled some lovely benefits and inspirations for use within my day to day like and even within the classroom. For this final post, I would like to recap my overall inquiry journey.

The Beginning

At the start of my journey, I knew that I wanted to crochet and had a few simple ideas for the path I wanted to take. I knew I wanted to make slippers and potentially gift them as Christmas gifts. I was also gearing towards the path of monitoring my stress levels of picking p this new hobby while maintaining the busy schedule of a University student. So, as the ball began to roll, and after I leapt over a few bumps along the way, I quickly fell in love with the process. The fact that I actually enjoyed what I was doing aided the fact that this new hobby hardly caused me any stress. Indeed, at times I was busy and would decrease the amount of time to crochet, but I always made time to do a few chains wherever I could.

My idea of creating slippers for gifts changed along the way. I realized that they take quite a long time and, in the beginning, my stitches were quite sparse. When I decided to alter what I was creating to a toque and the headbands, I learned that these items were easier to make and since I had been getting better with my stitches, they looked far better than the slippers, especially the very first one. Winter break is coming and I now know what I will be making for my friends since I will have so much more time on my hands!

The Pathways

Throughout the journey, I was looking into the benefits of crocheting and I learned that repetitive motions are a repressor of stress as they allow the body and mind to focus on what is right in front. Now, I also learned that there comes times when crocheting can be frustrating and tedious. For instance, when I was first starting, I blindly chose yarn that I thought would be cute/comfy without thinking about the actuality of using it. Some yarns require bigger needles or simply more skills to be able to create with. I am happy to say that I have enough practice, and confidence in my abilities, to use the yarn that I initially bought for my first post! Secondly, crocheting can be frustrating when you notice a mistake several chains after, requiring you to pull the yarn out. I have come to terms with this factor as I have realized that I would rather re-do the few chains rather than dislike or be annoyed with the final project in the end. On the bright side of having to re-do chains, I was able to get more practice.

Furthermore, I looked into the benefits of mindfulness and implemented a few guided videos throughout my process. I enjoyed crocheting, as I mentioned before, as it was a simple task that kept me in the present moment, and the same goes for being mindful. I found that I had difficulty getting to my full potential of being mindful while conducting other tasks at the same time, but I do feel it was a relaxing and eye-opening experience. Moving forward, I would like to hone deeper into the world of practicing mindfulness and I have seen nothing but the beneficial outcomes from doing so.

Lastly, I had looked into ways of incorporating crocheting or crochet projects into the classroom. I had come across some really fun and creative ideas! My inquiry was more specific to creating wearable pieces, but there is so much more that can be done with this form of art. And as I mentioned in my blog, there are several benefits that come with it as well.

What Next?

Moving forwards, I plan on making more wearable creations using different patterns and colours. I want to hone my abilities by learning new stitches that can cross over into making other creations such as puppets or toys for the classroom. also, I have always wanted to make my own throw blanket, and that is true commitment. I may just have to ask someone for help with that one.

Thank you!

Thank you to anyone who has followed my journey, I have really enjoyed the process and I hope you found at least of helpful resource or piece of information throughout. My blog posts include several ideas, links, and videos on where to buy materials, tutorials, mindfulness, classroom ideas, and more! Do not hesitate to read my blog posts or even reach out if you have equations or comments! Happy stitching.

Sincerely,

Ivorye