Life Getting in the Way of Crocheting?
By Veronica Smith – 17 CommentsI saw a T-Shirt on a random stranger that said “Life is what happens to you while you are making other plansâ€. It’s true isn’t it?
I just think things would go a lot more smoothly in my life if there was less of the annoying stuff like cleaning, and more of the stuff that involved yarns and threads – just my opinion. I have such grand plans for my crocheting, I would eventually like to start my own online store selling ‘one-off’ hand crafted items. I thought I’d start with an Etsy or Ebay store first and build my empire from there.
Pipe dreams it seems. Nearly everything I do make is either a gift or snapped up – for free – by an admirer, this is lovely, I have no complaints about people wanting my stuff. However this means no stock is being made for future shop possibilities. I have made a few dollars with stuff but not nearly enough to call it any kind of income. I have these dreams of getting on top of everything and then making my own “job†at home. You know, setting aside time, say 8:00 – 3:00 four or five days a week that is devoted to this endeavor. The only difference between a ‘real’ job and this one is that I will be at home.
This is a good plan however I don’t seem to be able to get sorted enough to do that. Life just gets in my way so I just need to go with the flow because the very thing stopping me from getting my own store is LIFE. So I am going to really enjoy every second of these interruptions that stop my dream of making an income from my wares because I am stressing my way through the best bits of time. If I get my online store it will be the icing on the cake so to speak and just another part of my life journey – a journey crocheted together with yarn.
Has life ever gotten in your way of crocheting? How did/do you work through it?
I guess I’m lucky: crochet gets in the way of my life. And nothing – I mean nothing – else gets done. So, my ‘problem’ is limiting myself. I try not to do more than four hours a day (excluding research, et al). NB I’m disabled and medically retired, so I have nothing better to do, all day (?)
Hi Rachel .. I recently took some orders from my daughter’s workmates for 5 scarves and 4 pairs of lacy fingerless gloves. Another friend warned me to be careful because sometimes the pressure of having to make something takes away from the pleasure of actually doing it. You know, I think she was right!! I love to crochet and spend several hours each day making things (mostly for charity) but I still have one of those scarves to do to finish those orders and I’m going to have to MAKE myself do it just to get it out of the way. I think loving what you do is probably more important than trying to earn money from it. Its been said many times that its very difficult to make a living out of crafts like knitting or crochet, especially when you take into account the cost of materials and your ‘hourly rate’ for the work involved. Mind you, having said that I’d love to find a consignment shop where I could try to sell the odd item – just for the sheer fun of it.
I could’ve written this post myself! The first thing holding me back was money for supplies — I ended up being gifted enough to last a while. Then I was busy making gifts for family birthdays. Now I need to organise my craft room, which is currently being used for storage. It’s a huge task and I’m just not up to it — it would take days, weeks even, and I just don’t have the time or energy for it. I’m depressed just thinking of it…
My mom died this past Jan. and I immersed myself in crocheting so as not to think about the loss. Now I have a zillion patterns saved, pounds of yarn and lots of ideas. All I want to do is crochet but every time I sit down to do it, a little voice says, “you should be doing the dishes” or “you should vacuum.” But I’d much rather crochet. I’ll be 60 in 2 mos. and I figure that I should spend the years I have left crocheting as much as I can. I’ll never finish all that I have plans for but I’ve spent most of my life doing housework or working outside the home and now it is my time. So if I leave a mess in the kitchen then my heirs will just have to deal with it! I want to do nothing but crochet every day!
life does get in the way! I started crocheting more about 6 years ago when I was home preparing for my third child, and getting an autism diagnosis for my oldest.
I very often take a small project to work on in waiting rooms during my son’s appointments. When I take my kids to awana, I stay and work on a project while they are doing their bible verses.
as for selling stuff…I would love to create an online store and be one of those women who makes a living with their crochet. My greatest fear is getting too many orders and feeling the pressure to HAVE to work on things. Right now I have found a happy medium. A local community market sells my stuff on consignment, and cuts me a check every 2 weeks. I sell a blue million simple dishcloths, plus little things like simple texting gloves, change purses, tawashi scrubbers, coasters. I can take special orders if I want to…
And how! I recently became a new mom and now life and poopy diapers and a hungry little baby gets in the way of everything. But, thank God for naps- I’ve been getting more crochet done than actual housework. Clean bathroom or finish my cowl? Ummmm….yarn based project, please. Derr.
Oh, man isn’t it?? I’m in 7th grade and I spend at least an hour every night doing homework. After I’m done with the necessary work and dinner, I have to go to bed!!! I get so frustrated that I can’t finish a sweater that I’ve been working on. I try to crochet every day, but sometimes things just don’t work out. : {) <– moustache man
Highschool started two weeks ago for me. My brother bought me some yarn while he was in Europe, so I decided to make some socks for the first time. It’s been about 5 weeks, and I haven’t finished them. Thing is…I KNOW never to start “large” projects because I never finish them.
I feel SOO stressed over school and not crocheting that I haven’t been able to complete my project, as well as any other projects from my many hobbies.
Shelby and Suzie – I feel your pain! I am just starting my second year of graduate school…even in my late 20’s, school is still getting in the way. 🙂
I have a number of big WIPs that I just can’t seem to finish, though I have finished a lot of other small projects lately. I have been a crocheting fiend this summer while I did not have classes. One thing that helps me is to crochet for 10 minutes each night before bed, if I can. It’s not a long enough time for me to feel like I should be doing something more productive, but it’s enough to de-stress and continue making a little bit of progress on these projects. I have several projects I keep in my nightstand so that I have more than one from which to choose!
I agree with you totally. Enjoy the interruptions, the good ones, with friends and family and opportunities that interest you. You’ll find as time goes by that life is made up of lots of experiences including crochet. All of us crocheters need to be sure we have a balanced life.
My only 2011 New Year’s Resolution was to make this a year of “total immersion in fibers.” I also do needlepoint, embrodery, x-stitch and plastice canvas. Crochet is my Number 1 love, but I also want to learn to knit, and enjoy the above-listed fiber arts.
I became disabled Nov 2010 and thought “Wonderful! Now is my chance to do nothing but fibers.” Not true. Just as my hero, John Lennon, said, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.” Jan thru April 2011 were great fiber months, but late April I was diagnosed with breast cancer, had three lumpectomies and currently radiation. I lost all that time from April to now not crocheting or anything except giving my life to cancer treatments. But I am only 2 weeks from being done with radiation, and I am already planning my attack on the mountains of fibers and patterns I have collected over the past 40+ years.
TV TIME MEANS CROCHETING TIME FOR ME. RIGHT NEXT TO MY CHAIR SITS MY LATEST PROJECT. YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE PROGRESS THAT CAN BE MADE WHILE WATCHING YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS. AND YOU CAN REALLY BUZZ DURING THE COMMERICALS, NO NEED TO EVEN GLANCE UP.
So many times I have felt like this. I thought when I became disabled my family would pick up the slack regarding housework, etc but then I guess when dealing with the “male” side of our species they can be a fickled sort. The look at my being home as “yes” she can do more for us!!!! So Mama when on strike. I crochet when I want and work when I want. They’re big boys and can fend for themselves.
With regards to selling. I would love to sell. I have even went so far as to set up a page on Etsy but I just can’t seem to decide what to sale. I once was told my a crafter who works at one of the local “Joann Fabric” stores that I should just make what I enjoy making and try selling. Life is to short to stress.
Last year I made wristlets and hats for Christmas gifts. After Christmas I purchased a very large box of yarn to get started on my list for this year, but life got in the way. The arthritis in my thumbs got so much worse that I can’t do more than 1 row; then I have to rest for 5 minutes. I’m trying to find a pain medication that will allow me to do more, but no luck so far. So all the plans for sweaters that I had for this Christmas have turned to purchasing items online. I am trying to crochet sweater vests for 2 of my grandchildren, but I know it will take a while. I have all the time in the world since I retired 6 years ago, but even that isn’t enough when pain gets in the way. Fortunately I have an understanding husband and a granddaughter that lives with me, so housework isn’t an issue.
I have been crocheting little toys for the infants and toddlers for Halloween; I don’t think I’m even going to be able to do that this year.
I’ve never considered selling my crochet, but I know there are consignment shops in my area that I could place items with if I wanted to do so.
Yes, yes for me too daily life like cooking and looking after home used to stop me often.then I decided to be less responsible for everything and presto! It worked. Also started yoga and would get exciting ideas to do crochet projects.stopped feeling stuck in life and crochet lit up my life.I get newer ideas while doing yoga and breathing exercises.I crochet everyday and carry it also on holidays! It is relaxing too.
I am a stay at home mom with 4 kids and I feel guilty everytime I pick up that needle to crochet and look around the house and see it needs to be clean or I need to start dinner or the clothes need washing etc. I just wonder when am I going to have time to crochet? Sometimes I go weeks without crocheting. I will only do one crochet project at a time and that takes forever to finish. I desperately want to crochet everyday but can’t mainly because of the guilt. My husband works hard and he should be able to come home to a clean house and cooked food everyday right? maybe not everyday right? maybe most of the time, right? lol lol lol.
@Angela. When I started going to my psychologist she told me that “If Mama isn’t happy, nobody is gonna be happy”. You do more for your family when you are in a better mood. Everyone deserves some me time. Even if its one hour a day for yourself. (That should be uninterrupted) Take that hour and crochet. It may not seem like much but you’ll see what a difference it makes.