Moms are busy people. We take care of many physical needs in our homes and families. We look after teaching our kids important life skills. We even stay tuned in to their changing emotions and personalities. This is incredibly valuable and important work. But, in the “momming” season of our lives, its easy to miss having a little something that isn’t tied to taking care of children. While we give and give of ourselves to others, it is still good to have something that reflects our own interests. With this is mind, we might start to seek out the best hobby for busy moms like us.
Crochet fits in
Finding time to get back to an interest or develop a new hobby can be kind of hard with kids. Some new hobbies are going to be easier to fit in to “mom life” than others. Here, I’d like to make the case to you that crochet is quite possibly the best hobby for busy moms that there is. At least, it’s the easiest hobby I can keep up with while raising a baby and other kids of various ages. Below you can find my 7 main reasons why this is worth a try for any mom looking for a creative outlet.
You can also jump straight to my very first crochet lesson in the post about how to crochet a chain stitch.
First, I have to make one disclosure. Most of the things that make crochet a great hobby for moms (and other busy people) develop with a little practice. There IS a learning curve to crochet. That means it will take at least a small investment of time before you get comfortable with it. IF you can persevere through this, then I think there’s a good chance you will come to really appreciate the benefits of crochet in a busy mama’s life.
Here are some of those benefits:
It’s calming
I’ve always appreciated methodical work, like doing dishes or folding laundry. It’s not because those are the most thrilling or enjoyable things to do. Instead, it’s because they give me a valid reason to stay in one place for a while and just THINK while my hands are still getting something done. The change of pace is nice after lots of “running around.”
In a very similar way, crochet provides a nice break from getting a bunch of tasks done that take us here, there, and everywhere. It keeps hands busy, while providing a break from feeling overly busy. In the process, there’s a chance to take a mental pause or just unwind all the thoughts that can build up and cause frustration. I don’t think I have to explain the benefits of this point very much!
It goes quickly
In my experience, crochet tends to go about twice as fast as knitting. Obviously this depends on several things. Comparing apples to apples, it is definitely speedier. Even if you are the type of person who enjoys paying close attention to the details and taking your time, seeing your first small projects work up in one sitting is really encouraging.
Once you start to get the hang of crochet, progress you can see in your projects comes at a nice, steady pace. The stitches flow easily as your muscles memorize the motions and you sense how this specific yarn is cooperating with you and the hook. With so much of motherhood centering around long-term goals with sometimes elusive visible progress, this is one of the best hobbies for moms because it can give us an easy win!
It’s not expensive
Now, I need to make another clarification here. Crochet can absolutely get expensive. This is because yarn can get expensive…especially nice yarn. If you decide to take on bigger project or want to use more expensive yarns (think gorgeous color variations and more authentic feeling, natural fibers) then eventually you’ll be faced with a checkout total more than $10. The point is, crochet doesn’t have to be expensive right from the start. Purchasing one hook and one skein of yarn is all you need to discover if this is for you. Bigger investments can come later once you’ve decided you’re hooked…haha.
Because Crochet is so easily affordable, it’s a very low-pressure skill to take up and try. An accidentally ruined project here and there might cause frustration, but there’s not a high-dollar piece of equipment involved that will be stressful to replace if it gets knocked off of the table at some point.
It’s easy to start and stop
Life with kids means interruptions. That’s just the way it is. Even though we mom’s want to take care of everyone and be there when they need us, it can be frustrating to have to stop something multiple times when we are trying to work on a hobby. Thankfully, crochet is easy to start and stop when we don’t have a larger chunk of time to work on something uninterrupted.
Unlike other hobbies like painting, crochet has no or very little cleanup involved with putting it away. If a little one starts fussing or someone needs help with homework, all you need to do is to bundle up your project and set it aside. When you’re done, usually your hook and some scissors are the only tools to get out of the way. Not having a large spread of tools and materials out at once means that you can be quick to change activities when you need to, knowing that you’ll easily be able to pick up where you left off. Yep, that alone makes it one of the best hobbies for us busy moms!
On that note, you can check out this list of portable crochet patterns to find an easy new project that you can have in your bag wherever you go. It’s wonderful to have for in-between errands or anytime you may end up having to wait.
When life happens…
Crochet is also very forgiving when it’s been set down for a while. Because the stitches are worked one at a time off the hook, there is usually minimal damage done if the hook comes out of your work. Knitting, on the other hand, is worked in rows where the stitches can all quickly fall out together if the knitting needles slip out. This is especially true if you are carrying your work around in a bag. It’s very frustrating to sit down after some errands and find that your work has started to come apart as things shifted around in your purse.
Thankfully, crochet is far less prone to this sort of mishap.
And, keeping crochet in your purse is easier than knitting because a crochet hook is significantly smaller/shorter than knitting needles. This is just another way that crochet tends to be a little more versatile and user-friendly on the go.
It’s safe enough for kids
Sewing involves pins and needles. Knitting involves long pointy sticks. Crochet? Just one hook that is a lot more blunt than the other tools. If there are little people running around and I want to have a project out on the table for working on it a little here and there, crochet is the best thing I’ve found. It’s really not “risky” for kids to be around. Some curious little soul might pull down whatever you are working on and unravel it some. Your crochet hook might end up lost in small fingers. But, with the exception of the scissors you may need once and awhile, there’s nothing about crochet that screams “Danger!”.
Plus, as I pointed out above, crochet is actually really easy to put out of the way if you do have any concerns.
It’s easy to share and teach
So far, I have been focusing on how crochet is a good choice for YOUR individual hobby. It’s one of those creative “non-mom” things you can do, which actually fits in to life in the thick of motherhood. But, another reason this is the best hobby for moms is that it’s also a great thing to SHARE with your kids!
I’ve heard of people learning to crochet at extremely young ages, like four or five years old. Even very small children can enjoy playing with pieces of yarn and tying knots in little bits of it. By the time they are in kindergarden, most kids have the ability to learn the chain stitch, which is the very first thing to do in crochet. So, if your kids are interested, you may want to consider sharing the hobby with them-even if you are still learning yourself! There is a really precious opportunity for memories with this, since crochet happens to be a very kid-friendly art.
Be prepared…
Side note: If you get to the point where you like carrying a crochet project around in your purse or bag with you, be prepared for kids EVERYWHERE to be curious about what you are doing. I’ve often ended up doing a “mini-lesson” for a curious young person while waiting in a doctor’s office or at a sports event. It can be really fun!
It’s social
Finally, crochet is a fantastic pastime for moms because it is social! Crochet forms a common ground with others-and not just the interested kids I mentioned in the last point! Even if you appreciate the nice quiet time you can have working on your projects, you might appreciate the community. Crochet connects you to a vast and friendly group of people all over the world. It’s amazing to share inspiration, projects, patterns, and support with each other, either in person or online. So, in addition to your “mom friends” you can also benefit from a network of “crochet friends.”
So are you convinced? Do you think crochet is worth a try (or worth getting back to, if you already know how)? Let me know in the comments if you think this might just be the new thing you try “for you.”
And if you’re interested in learning how to crochet, be sure to sign up for my emails! Not only will you get some resources straight to your inbox to get you off to a great start crocheting, you’ll also get my list of 101 Crochet ideas sent straight away as a bonus.
If you want to share your favorite hobby as a busy mom, comment to let me know so I can look into it!
Keep the crafting delightful!
Amelia
P.S. Don’t forget to pin this for sharing with your mom friend!
