Making More time for Crochet is Something Many of us Want to Do, and thankfully there are some ways to increase it.
More time. That’s something that most of us feel we could use at one time or another. For creative hobbies like crochet, this seems to be especially true because crochet probably isn’t our “main job”. As a hobby, it can feel difficult to get around to crocheting as much as we want because it’s not as urgent or quite as essential as other things.
But, making time for crochet doesn’t have to be something that gets our very last energies. Trying to squeeze in a little bit here and a few stitches there, only to get interrupted, doesn’t have to be a constant frustration.
Below I’m going to go over some reasons for making more time for crochet that you might not have even thought of. Then, we’ll dive in to some places in your life where crochet might fit in more easily than you think.
The whole point here isn’t to stress as you try to cram one more thing into your day. But, if crocheting more sounds enjoyable to you (and maybe even like something that could help lift some of your stress) then these points are for you.
Benefits of More Crochet Time
Now obviously, you already have some sense of a benefit you’ll get from crocheting more. If you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be reading this right now.
You like to crochet, and you want to do it more. That’s enough reason in itself!
But, I’m choosing to list some more specific reasons below to get you thinking just a little bit. It might be good for you to acknowledge why you want to crochet more. Just pinpointing that might give you a new sense of purpose for your time.
But in addition to that, looking at these reasons might give you a new reason to crochet. Because you never know if one of these might just add some new fuel to your fire. Either way, determining your reason can make you more likely to stick with the things that will give you more time to crochet.
So here are some reasons for wanting that time:
Meeting Your Goals
This is a very broad reason, for sure. In fact, maybe anyone trying to crochet could say this to justify more time. However, it is still very valid. You may have a goal to finish some projects that have been WIP’s (works in progress) for awhile. Maybe you’ve been meaning to try something new or see how many hats you can make in a week for your favorite charity. Maybe you just want to finish your new crochet accessories while the weather is still right to wear them. Whatever reasons you already have in mind for crocheting more, a little extra time would surely help.
So if you already know exactly what projects you’ll tackle with some more time, you might want to check out my post on getting more crochet projects done. There I lay out how I plan for success in finishing my projects, and also introduce the planner I made that complements that strategy really well.
More Crochet Gifts
It seems to be that many crocheters and other crafters are very generous with their talents. Although we don’t want anyone to assume we’ll make something for them just because we know how, often we get great pleasure out of giving a handmade gift. So it is with this in mind that I bring up how more time to crochet could make a big difference for gifting.
We can express more of our love, create more unique gifts, and gift to more of our loved ones if we make more time to work on our crochet. This is especially true around big gifting seasons like Christmas. Instead of having to put off certain gifts because time ran short, making a little more time(along with using it efficiently) could mean that we are not disappointed by another late gift getting to someone on our list.
With that in mind, I actually have another article that goes more in-depth with how to prioritize your gift projects. It can help you decide on the order of knocking out all your wonderful gift ideas.

Potential for Growth
More time for crochet also means that you could step up your game with this craft if you desire to. For some, that may mean learning more and becoming more of an advanced crocheter. With so many stitches and techniques out there, learning to do something new is always a possibility. Sometimes this is fun just for the sake of learning, but of course gaining new skills also means that we can add new and interesting elements to our work.
Potential for growth could also mean taking on a new role for our crochet. Rather than crocheting only for ourselves or for gifts, there may come a time when we want to make things for a different reason too.
We may want to start crocheting items for a charity or good cause, and therefore finish as many items as we can. Alternately, many crocheters try to sell their items at one point or another. Crocheting can certainly become a paying hobby or even a profitable business for some. To make it work though, those that want to do that will certainly benefit from carving out more time to crochet and work on those goals.
Room for Crochet Whims
Finally, more time for crochet means more flexibility for you. If you have gotten to the point where you know how to work in considerably more crochet than you are now, you’ll be able to work on spur of the moment projects without really dropping what you are already working on.
It may be that you realize someone’s birthday is coming up soon and you hadn’t been aware of it. Or, you may see a really interesting pattern that you’d like to work up right away. In situations like these, having more time and a better ability to work in your crochet can give you more confidence to jump into an “impulse” project here and there knowing that creating a pile of unfinished projects isn’t inevitable. You will be able to finish everything in a timely manner.
In either case, my list of 101 ideas might be a great resource for coming up with something when you need to decide on a project. You can grab it for FREE.
One Thing to keep in mind
Now, I do want to point something out here, which is vitally important to realize when we are talking about more time and getting more crochet projects done.
It is this: Having more time to crochet doesn’t automatically mean better results. To quote the old but true cliche, everyone has the same amount of time. If you look at the ideas below and start crocheting a lot more, but then your expectations still change, you won’t really be helping yourself very much. If you set a whole bunch of unrealistic goals and fill up every one of those available moments to the point of stressing yourself, then you will be right back in the same place as before. This principle pretty much goes for anything in life that the more we have, the more we want. At least, I find myself very prone to this.
So even though I’m writing to help you create more time in your life for this, remember that your own perspective is really the biggest factor determining how satisfied you are. If you can remember to practice thankfulness for whatever amount of time you end up crocheting each day, then you will probably be satisfied with even a little time. It is also good to remember that if we set our expectations a little lower and give ourselves more time for each goal, it will go a long way towards keeping the stress out of it and allowing us to actually enjoy our time rather than get caught in just trying to be as productive as possible.
I hope that makes sense as we head in to some ideas for making the most of our time and getting in more crochet! Below are some areas of life that I use for crocheting so that I can do it more. See how many might be helpful to you in your own situation.

Sources of Crochet Time
Waiting Time
Usually we do not particularly enjoy waiting, but it sure helps to have something to do. Crochet is the perfect way to redeem some time waiting when there isn’t really anything else tangible to do(except maybe just look at your phone). With a crochet project handy, that time can be spent making progress. The key to this is to keep a project with you so that you can take advantage of these waiting times, since they aren’t always predictable.
Some examples of waiting times might be:
- Before an appointment
- During an unexpected traffic jam
- Before picking up kids from an activity
- When you find yourself ready to go before the rest of your friends or family
Riding Time
Another great time to crochet is during transportation whenever you’re not the one driving. As long as you don’t find yourself carsick(which I know is an issue for some who would otherwise enjoy this), crocheting during rides is a fantastic opportunity to get some things done.
In my own life, this is perhaps one of my favorite times to crochet that is kind of “squeezed in”. I don’t have a lot of time like this, but a twice times a week when my husband is driving and we head to church as a family, being able to crochet in the car makes it even better.
Some available times for transportation crochet might be:
- Road trip
- On a bus or trolley
- Plane rides
- …and pretty much any other way you might find yourself traveling! The distance doesn’t necessarily need to be long for this to be a useful source of crochet time.
For a few ideas of the kinds of projects that are good to take with you, you can take a look at this list of portable crochet patterns from Fiber Flux.
Watching Time
There is a joke in the knitting and crochet world(and likely among other types of craftspeople as well) that we know our favorite shows’ characters by voice more than by what they look like.
And it’s true that watching TV is also a prime time to get some crochet in as well, as long as it’s enjoyable to have both going. I find that although I don’t usually like to sit down and watch TV, I do enjoy it more with some crocheting and then it can still be a shared activity with my kids and family.
Some times you might find yourself able to watch and also crochet some could be:
- During movies or TV shows
- While at a sports event or game
- During some informal talks or presentations
For some things, you will want to use a little discernment so that you don’t come across as rude. If I am crocheting within sight of someone giving a talk or presentation, I make a point of looking up often, showing eye contact, and otherwise just showing them that I am still listening. If I find that my work requires too much concentration to do that easily, then I find that it’s wiser to put it away for that time. Keeping an easy project in your bag is really helpful for these times though.
During Conversation
Like crocheting during a presentation, crocheting while chatting with a friend might not be the best fit all the time. However, in the right times it can be very enjoyable to catch up with someone over a project. This also applies to phone conversations as well.
Winding Down
Lastly, one more time that crochet can be fit into the day is when you get a chance to relax. This might be one of the times when you are already crocheting. But, rather than just thinking of your free time, I’m thinking more specifically of the very end of the day when you might be sitting in bed or very close to going to sleep. Rather than spend time with a phone or perhaps read, crochet is another great way to unwind at the close of your day. (Just make sure you still have adequate light)
Once again, the big key to success if you would like to try this is, once again, to have a suitable project at hand. Once you get all settled in and think of doing a few rows of crochet, it’s a bit of a letdown to realize that your project or something you need is several rooms away!
For this very reason, many people end up keeping multiple projects in different places. One project may be by their bed or favorite chair. One may be in the car, and one might stay in a purse or designated bag, and so on. This is certainly fine to try and it can work very well, but it can also mean that projects take longer because your time is divided. I would suggest you grow into this habit and not have too many projects going at once.
Rearranging Priorities
So far, I’ve listed some places where you might be able to successfully “fit” crochet into the structure of your life the way it already is. With that being said, that may or may not be enough for you.
If something is important to you, there is simply no substitute for doing less of other things to give it the time and energy that you deem appropriate. Obviously, I am not suggesting that crochet take over your life, or that you need to put your very best energies towards it every day. What I am saying is that if you’re like me, you probably have more than one hobby or non-essential interest in your life. It is fantastic to be interested in a lot of things, and most of our possible interests are probably very good.
But, if you really want to make progress or meet certain goals in one area(like crochet), it might be very beneficial to put aside something else for awhile(or several things) so that you can focus. This is entirely up to you and what is most important to you.
Making the Most of Your (Crochet) Time
Now that I’ve gone over some ways to increase your creative time, let’s look at a few ways to make the most of it. Because, as I mentioned before, how you actually use your time is even more important that how much time you actually have. So below are some strategies that I have personally found helpful for using available time to fuller potential.
Know Your Next Step
First, it’s extremely helpful to know your next step. This is not only true for crochet. In fact, this is true for pretty much everything we want to be productive with.
If you don’t remember the next step in a crochet project, then you will use time for that. Likewise, if you were just never sure about what needs to happen next, you will probably use extra time figuring that out when you first sit down to crochet again.
So to avoid using extra time on this, it is good to try stopping in a place where you know exactly what to do next. That way, when you next have a chance to work on your project you won’t need to spend time thinking about it. This could be as simple as knowing what row you are on. Or, you could also note that you are about to start a new section. If you need to learn or brush up on a certain skill, even just knowing to start by practicing that is still knowing your next step.
Oftentimes it can help to actually write a note to yourself for this. If using a printed pattern, putting check marks on it is also a common way of marking your place. Similarly, my favorite way is actually to keep a paper clip on the edge of the paper, right at the place I left off. And then, there are many digital tools as well. Many apps and websites are available for keeping track of your progress. Whatever you use, just make sure it works for you.
Have Your Crochet Ready
You probably noticed that for crocheting at different times, it’s important to simply think ahead enough to have a project available. This may mean that you end up keeping different projects going for different settings. Or, you can also try to keep one project near you and set it down in the most convenient places throughout the day. You can certainly experiment with both.
Just know, this tends to be a moving target. Since each day is different and each project is different, finding a “perfect fit” for working on projects is always changing as well.
Declutter Your Space
When you get a chance to work on your projects, one pretty frustrating thing is having to look for supplies. It definitely makes things less enjoyable to not have a good system for organizing. In addition, I know from experience that when things are on the messy side everything is harder.
Having a clean and organized space allows you to better enjoy your creative time. And, it makes it easier to get things done because you will have fewer obstacles.
Your system for where things go definitely doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, it will probably grow and change with you over time. But, I would urge you to come up with some kind of system for things if you don’t have anything already.
Specifically for yarn, I have a Yarn Organization Pack (also called the Easy Peasy Yarn Organization System) that gives you all the tools you need to get your stash categorized in a way that’s easy to reference. You can even get part of it for free below:
Get a free printable for organizing your yarn plus ideas for how to use it best for YOU.
If you don’t know where to start or feel like you need some guidance for your entire space(not just yarn), Jennifer maker has a thourogh Craft Room Organization Challenge that might prove very helpful to you. Whether you have a small or large space and small or large amounts of supplies to organize, this would be a great way to go through the process in a gradual but intentional way.
Crochet Often
And finally, the best thing I have found for maximizing my crochet time is simply to crochet often. This goes back to the very first tip about knowing your next step when you pick up a project. If you work on things every day or close to it, then a project will be very fresh in your mind. But, if the time gets away and a project sits for weeks at a time, then it is harder to get back into the swing of things. Your momentum will be a lot more steady with frequent crocheting.
Final Encouragement
Whew! What do you think? Out of all those points and strategies, are there some takeaways that you plan to use to make more time for your crochet? With the reasons that I listed at the very beginning, you might even have new-found motivation for it!
I would love to hear which of the times for crochet seems to work out best for you. If you have any other tips and strategies that I didn’t list, please let me know as I would love to learn too!
Now before you go, consider grabbing my list of 101 crochet ideas to help y0u brainstorm your next projects and goals. It has some great questions to help you prioritize for the best use of your time. Plus, I’ve included some handy calendar pages in there in case you’d like to visually map out your goals.
You can click the button below to sign up and grab this resource: