Hobbies for internal balance - crochet

Varvara Shcherbakova-Litvyak

Actress, founder of the brand Love to Knit, crochet author

"Paper" talks about simple hobbies that will help maintain mental balance in difficult times. Other materials from this series are available here .

In a new issue, read about crochet. The founder of the brand of knitted products Love to Knit and the creator of the Knitting course Varvara Shcherbakova Litvyak tells what the pluses of this lesson are, from which things to start and how to choose yarn.

What is it

- Knitting is the creation of a canvas using a hook or knitting needles. The most important and recent discovery is that you can not mechanize crochet. A canvas, knitted manually with knitting needles, can be simulated in a knitting machine, and not a single car in the world can knit with a “hook”.

That is why I am sad when I meet in the mass market a crocheted product for a couple of thousand rubles. This is an unreasonably low price for manual labor.

I myself knit crocheted, but I would not say that it was this technique that is somehow especially “shown” to beginners. I know the girls who are excellently knit on the knitting needles, but they don’t go a hook. It happens the other way around. There are differences in these methods: for example, the consumption of thread in crochet more than in other types of knitting.

Many people think that the hook is more suitable for summer products, but this is not so: they can be connected by a wonderful winter cardigan, for example. It all depends on the pattern and drawing. You can also crochet many amazing home products: curtains, tablecloth, blanket, decorative pillowcases, lampshades, pillows for chairs

What tools and materials will be needed

- Knitting hooks are metal, plastic, bone. They also differ in size. It is important that the hook approaches the selected yarn. I advise beginners to choose a metal hook with a silicone handle. Such hooks are inexpensive, they can be easily bought on the Internet .

In addition, you will need yarn - I think that you need to take volumetric to study. So you will see the result faster: the loops are better visible, and the yarn is pleasantly felt in the hand. You should like yarn!

In general, it is very important to overlay everyone pleasant before starting training. Learning is not easy, but if you have a convenient hook, tactfully pleasant yarn and comfortable chair, training will be in joy. It's like beautiful notebooks, a new pencil case and a convenient backpack before September 1.

Yumming is of natural origin: cotton, wool, linen, merino and so on. Or artificial: acrylic, nylon, polyamide, kapron. It also happens mixed: for example, 50 % merinos and 50 % polyacryl.

If you are planning to tie a winter scarf, then choose wool, if a summer top is a cotton. Personally, I really do not like acrylic and other synthetic materials for creating clothes. They are short -lived, non -emotional and not very pleasant to the touch.

You can choose yarn in any store for creativity - for example, in Leonardo . In addition, it is sold in specialized stores: I love Two Hands .

What are the pluses and to whom it will suit

- Knitting is a meditative activity, but only if you mastered it. When training, the hands will not be obeyed, the score and breathing from zeal will be lost. But when you are sure and calm, fly away to the astral.

Knitting helps to cope with stress, an even rhythm allows you to abstract from the outside world, go to another, invisible dimension. You can listen to music, podcasts, be silent, sing. My mother manages to watch movies and TV shows during knitting.

Here are a few more points that can inspire to start knitting:

• When you knit, you create something with your hands, and this greatly increases self-esteem.
• Knitting grounds, takes to the world of calm and peace.
• It is cool to knit, because the result of your work is here, here, it can be touched, worn or presented.
• Knitting develops fine motor skills and, as one of my familiar people's artist said, this is a good prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
• Knitting helps to distract from pain.
• Knitting is an amazing creative implementation and what you can present to the world.
• Knitting teaches not to deceive yourself. If in the process you see that it turns out not very, it is better to redo it right away. And this applies to all other actions.

Where to start

- Crochet types of crochet. For example, in Tunisian knitting, a special long hook is used, on which all the loops of the row are located. The length of the hook should correspond to the width of the canvas.

There is also a crochet technique "Irish lace". This is a supercrefield: the canvas is created from individual elements fixed on the grid. Or knitting on a fork - crochet on a piece of wire.

My advice: first take a classic short hook, learn to make air loops and crochet and without and without, and then switch to more complex techniques.

Moreover, there are also many types of knitting in a short crocheted. For example, the technique of tiny is characteristic of openwork, air texture and a large number of through holes, and Missoni technique refers to the Italian house Missoni, who created a recognizable zigzag “print” . This drawing has become popular in knitting.

If you begin to google, you will find many tutorials, videos and other crocheting materials. They are useful, although they do not seem inspiring to me. Therefore, last summer I released a small online crochet online course . These are a few video tutorials on how to choose a hook and yarn, where to draw inspiration, how to knit basic patterns. I give the basis of the foundations, thanks to which you yourself can go on a fascinating needlework trip.

I recommend starting masters to start with something simple-for example, with a scarf. There are even rows - it is difficult to make a mistake. And then get involved, tie yourself, your house and your loved ones from head to toe. This is very exciting.

What else to read:

• Hobbies for internal balance: try Slow Cooking - relaxing cooking for several hours.