Finding Time to Crochet
By Emilee Gettle – 20 Comments| Anyone who reads this post obviously has an interested in crochet and perhaps it has crossed from an interest into an obsession! There are only 24 hours in the day and only so many hours to crochet! There is always more laundry to be done, a meal waiting to be prepared, an errand to be accomplished, a friend to call or perhaps a child to console. So, how can we factor in some precious time just to unwind and create something? Here are a few suggestions. |  |
Crochet in the car, on the train, plane or bus and even on the ferry!
Crochet while watching TV.
Crochet while waiting for an appointment.
Crochet at your child’s dance lesson or music lesson.
Crochet during your child’s nap or even your husband’s nap!
Crochet at the park.
Crochet while on the phone.
Crochet at a sporting event.
Crochet while cooking.
Since most of us have very busy lifestyles if we take advantage of our spare moments projects can be completed faster than we could have dreamed. It is amazing how one round here and there adds up.
So, tell us, how do you snatch up your spare moments and find the time to crochet?
I crochet anywhere & everywhere — when I work day shift, I crochet to & from work on the train. I’m never in front of the TV without yarn in my hands (either crocheting or winding balls). Whenever I go to an appointment (like the doctor’s or to get an oil change), I take a crochet project. When I flew out twice this summer to visit my husband (who’s away at military training), I crocheted on every flight, while watching downloaded movies on my netbook…although I don’t know that the flight attendants appreciated my sticker that says, “I crochet so I don’t kill people.” 😉
I have taken my crochet to the movies and worked a few rounds while sitting and waiting for the show to start! Not during the actual movie. 🙂 I got some funny looks, but it’s cheaper and healthier than the popcorn!
I can’t figure out your hint to crochet while cooking though. Around here, cooking tends to be a full on contact sport, requiring two or three hands at least! 🙂
I’m a commute crocheter. I often use the time to work up a few stitches in the cab. I also used to stitch during my after school Spanish class because it was okay during the conversation part. When I have guard duty at lunch (I’m a teacher) I sometimes bust out the crochet. If I have to go to the DMV or other such offices with long waits, crochet makes it much nicer. It’s better than a magazine in a doctor’s waiting room as well. I always have a project with me and I do get a lot done! 🙂
There is 24 hours in a day, but with kids, school, and a hubby its really hard to find the time, so I always borrow time from the next day, but at teh end of the year I’m always in the negatives 😉
@Bananas, lol, I like that! 😀
All of the above.
When I worked a regular day job I would choose smaller projects that travel easily like motif afghans and pack my lunch so I could eat in about 15 minutes on my lunch hour then spend about 35-40 minutes crocheting before I had to pack it up. Most of the time I could get an entire afghan square done in one lunch hour.
Another great time to work on projects is while you’re doing laundry. In my old apartment, my laundry room was in the basement, so I’d pack 2-3 loads and my current project then sit by the washer and crochet between switching loads and folding.
Yeah, the cooking one puzzles me, too. And how can someone crochet while on the phone??? I find crocheting takes all my concentration so, for me, it’s one thing or the other — not both. My mother-in-law can knit without looking at her work. I don’t know how she does it! I’ve always needed to keep my eyes on my work when knitting or crocheting.
I work at home and crocheting makes a nice break from work when I need one. Although it’s really hard to get back to work once I get started crocheting! ; )
I want to know how you crochet while cooking! 🙂 That’s a good one, I’d have stuff all over my yarn and have to wash it all out. 🙂
I crochet in all the places and times that you said there and I love it. I have 4 hours of doc appts that I’m going to be working on and I am taking my latest project (Bernat Mystery Crochet Along)
I barter with myself for uninterrupted crochet time. Clean the house, get laundry going, dinner ready, grocery shopping..you get the idea…when my work is done, I take my latest project to a great little coffee shop down the street and give myself at least one hour of “freetime”, more if I can manage. It’s become my own little nirvana and the owner and other regulars love to see what I am working on, and I am joined now and again by other crocheters and knitters…very cool way to relax. My family is really great about making sure I get that free time because they all know how much I enjoy the peace and relaxation, not to mention benefits they usually reap 😀
sitting in my truck waiting outside the VA hospital for my husband or outside walmart waiting for my son to get done with work or waiting for my daughter-in-law at the doctors or while she’s food shopping.Yep I spend alot of time sitting in my truck crocheting.
I crochet in the late evening once my two boys have gone to bed. I don’t want to crochet during the day for fear that I’ll make a mistake because I’m not giving it my 100% attention. At night I can and do give it ALL my attention! I’m addicted – such a great hobby!
LOL, Denise. If I concerned myself with making a mistake, I’d never crochet!
On my days off I’ll just sit in front of the TV watching my favorite shows or a few movies and crochet. Or watch videos on YouTube. I drive everywhere and rarely am just a passenger so I don’t get to crochet while commuting. I wish I started crocheting when I was still in college – I would’ve had plenty of time on the train and in between classes. When I go over my fiance’s house I bring a project to do while we watch TV or a movie or when he’s playing Street Fighter with his friends. Sometime I bring a project with me on appointments. It’s hard to tell when you’re going to be in the waiting room forever or be seen immediately. In the first few weeks since my new store opened (it’s a Toys R Us Express – a small, temporary holiday location) we had nothing to do between customers so I’d bring a project, but lately I’ve been spending all my time restocking and trying to work merchandise out of the back room. With the birth of my daughter in December and maternity leave, I hope to spend time between feedings getting a few stitches done.
As far as the cooking goes, I think it’s during those meals when you kind of set it and leave it. I, for instance, do a little bit when making spaghetti. I’m not going to stand over the pot waiting for the water to boil, and my sauce is usually so simple I set it to low and forget it. It isn’t much time, but it’s something for us.
I totally understand the need for more time. I’m working, going to school, and trying to make items for a local kids charity (sort of). It’s called Winter Express and needy children come in to get Christmas presents for their families. Everything is either donated to the charity or for a yard sale they have to raise money for the program. Its so much fun, and it adds to the warm feeling I get when I crochet something worthwhile.
Went to 2 Little League baseball games yesterday and finished 3 1/2 wash cloths!
I crochet while:
Crochet in the car on trips more than 30 minutes with my husband… while we listen to Harry Potter on tape.
Crochet while watching TV… always!
Crochet while waiting for an appointment…. Yep, I feel like I’m not wasting my time as much
I now have a project bag just for the car / appointments. 😀
– Cat
i crochet anywhere, everywhere… i always carry a porject or two in all my bags. LOL.. any bag at all.. so anytime i get spare time.. i took them out and crochet .. hubby said i’m an addict but hey! i’m valueing my time.. thee hee hee
sue
This is great! I thought I was the only one who crocheted while cooking. Often a recipe will have you let something rest for 5 minutes, or waiting for water to boil, or leaving something in the oven. I don’t want to leave the cooking unattended, but if I have a project with me I’ll work on it while cooking.
I get most of my crochet done while on the internet, I get less done now that we have high speed internet! LOL! The old days waiting for pages to upload was great crochet time. I do crochet while watching You Tube & television. ( the more commercials, the more work I get done!
I also crochet while on the phone. Hands free devices and speaker phones are a Godsend!
I want to crochet while reading…I haven’t figured that one out yet…other than using audio-books.
My mom taught me to crochet when I was 8 yrs old and I don’t know what I would do to relax without it! I am totally addicted!! I carry a project with me everywhere. I don’t drive so am always a passenger and it is amazing how much you can get done in even a 15 minute trip. I have even learned to crochet while standing at the bus stop. You just hang your bag from your arm!
My absolute favorite way to crochet, though, is while listening to books on tape/cd.
Once I get more proficient, I’d really like to start crocheting while exercising on the recumbent bike. I see girls reading all the time when they are on treadmills or elipticals, but I don’t think I can keep that steady on those machines.