I spent the larger portion of the last two years inside, as many of us did, due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, binge watching my favorite TV shows and scrolling aimlessly through social media got boring very quickly. I seriously missed the mental stimulation I got from my in-person classes and the joy of seeing my friends on a daily basis, so I desperately needed an activity to keep my mind active and distracted.

I rotated through all the trends and activities I came across — from cooking new TikTok recipes everyday to trying my hand at cycling. I thought I had tried just about everything and felt burnt out, but a friend of mine suggested crocheting.

I’ll be the first to admit that crocheting might not be for everyone and that it can definitely be challenging at first. The first item I ever tried to crochet was a bucket hat. Unfortunately, I created something that barely resembled a floppy beanie. I didn’t give up though, I had all the time in the world during quarantine and I was determined to make this activity work. Plus, the bragging rights that come with saying you created an item yourself just seemed too cool to pass up.

After my first fail, I decided to just dive in and make a sunflower granny square tote bag. To my pleasant surprise it was significantly easier than the bucket hat. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was broken into smaller sections instead of one big piece or maybe it was because the reward of a bag seemed much more enticing than a hat.

It’s safe to say that I successfully made my first crochet item. Every time I get a compliment on my bag, it drives me to crochet something new because the validation from friends and strangers makes me feel like I accomplished something. It’s proven to be an amazing confidence and mood booster for me. Crocheting is not just as a fun activity, but it’s led to many wonderful interactions about my crochet pieces with the people around me.

With the cold autumn weather rolling in soon, it’s the perfect opportunity for everyone to try their hand at crocheting too! Instead of shopping, you can fill up your fall closet by creating your own beanies, sweaters, scarves and more to stay warm this season. My favorite places to find easy step-by-step tutorials are Pinterest, Etsy and YouTube videos, but there’s so many other resources out there!

Crocheting is also such a fun and relaxing activity to do with friends when you want to spend a night in. Put on a fun Halloween movie this month, crash on the couch and crochet some cute beanies or sweaters. You can even exchange them! If you happen to be close friends with your roommates, then you can also create a blanket together for your living room. Just have each roomie crochet squares, stitch them together and you’ve got a unique and memorable blanket that will keep you cozy this fall.

I hope you all give crocheting a chance and that it gives you all the same joy and reward it’s given me the last two years. It’s an amazing opportunity to be creative and create articles of clothing and accessories that are unique to your style.