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Free form for meditation / relaxation


Nhewyt

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I was just curious how many others here use the free forming as a way to sort of meditate and relax?

 

I find that when I am really stressing over something (or the peri-menopause hormones are just making me nuts lol) sitting down to crochet from a pattern or with a specific goal in mind just frustrates or irritates me when I'm already frustrated or irritated.

 

But I found that if I just grab some hooks and a jumble of various types of yarn, sit down and just let the crochet scumbles grow off the hook as they wish, that it really calms me and lets me focus. Even if I'm not in need of calming, just sitting down to scumble is relaxing sort of in the same way a purring cat on your lap is - if that makes sense to anyone but me ;)

 

So anyhow - am I a lone looney in this? :loco

 

Nhewyt

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my 17 year old daughter has this ball of yarn {{{{{{{{it's dark blue}}}}}}} and 1 hook......she finds it very relaxing to randomly crochet a length that resembles a scarf.........no straight edges and she only knows single crochet....but when she is upset she will turn on her radio and start stitching away........when she feels relieved she will bring it down.......show it to me.....we'll talk then she rips it all back out........it thought it a bit strange at first but it really makes a big difference for her...........i told her to keep doing it if that is what works for her to relieve her stress.....great job on finding something safe that works for you!!!!!!! everyone needs something safe to deal with thier emotions so they arent blowing up and whatnot.

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Not a lone looney at all :) I just spent this evening doing the same thing. I just can't sit still long enough to work on a pattern if I'm stressed or anxious, so I grab my freeform bag. Not only does it relax me, I now have a closet full of free form tote bags.

Alosha

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There was an article in Crochet magazine about a year ago concerning delinquent boys in a juvenile home. They use crochet to calm their anger and to become productive adults. At that time, I sent them a big box of leftover yarn and they all sent me a card signed by each boy with a nice comment! It was great to contribute to their growing assortment of slippers, hats, and scarves and to know that they find crochet as therapeutic as I do!

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when she feels relieved she will bring it down.......show it to me.....we'll talk then she rips it all back out

 

 

That's a lovely story. How wonderful that she shares it with you and that you value it with her. Good parenting happening in your home!

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i've never tried freeform, but i will now. i understand exactly what you mean about crocheting and following a pattern when you're upset or frustrated - not always the most calming situation... but to just hook and create when things aren't optimal, that sounds nice... i think that's what i'll be doing tonight...

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I'm so much a rule-follower that it takes lots of courage for me to try freeform. I guess I'm more of an accountant than an artist. :lol But I have a tremendous amount of respect for people who create freely, joyfully. Not looney at all. I envy you, in fact. It would actually cause me stress to do freeform, at least initially. Too scary not to have a roadmap of where I'm headed, you see.

 

Time for me to pluck up that courage and plunge into freeform.:hook

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I'm glad to see I'm not totally alone in this <(^o^)>

 

And yes, I agree - what wonderful parenting that your daughter feels she can come and talk things over with you after she's had a calming / thinking session with the yarn. Believe me, she will remember this forever.

 

I do find it interesting that some of you "fear" freeform - I actually never considered that perspective before. But I can understand it and even respect it because I can be a very structured person myself. I tend to organize my "stuff", make myself lists for just about everything (if it ain't on the list when I go shopping you can almost bet it won't get bought lol) and diligently balance my check book to the penny - but for me, instead of fearing the loss of "control" I welcome it with open arms and fall into my freeform sessions like one falling into a big soft fluffy bed after a hard day.

 

Nhewyt

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Nhewyt- had to laugh about the the lists. Same here, I have a pen & pad next to any spot I may sit at. As you say, if it's not on the list.....

As for freeform, I was surprised to find I was a bit stressed on my first attempt since I tend to create my patterns as I crochet. Guess the "rules" were more ingrained than I thought :) Now, it is my favorite way to de-stress.

Alosha

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I wish I could use that...I need something to help calm my OCD and anxiety (although it looks as if I could be on the verge of meds again). Sadly, my perfectionism prevents me since freeform intimidates me. Thats AWESOME its working for you too!

 

Lynn-That's really neat that she's found an outlet, and a calm one, that works for her!

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  • 1 month later...

Speaking of the "Fear of Freeform", Amazon just delivered my copy of Debbie New's book, "Unexpected Knitting" and I loved this one paragraph, which I think can apply to freeform crochet just as it does to freeform knitting:

 

"Free form knitting is a technique for building up a knitted fabric piece by piece in various directions, yarns and stitches. People sometimes feel that one has to be very adventurous to try free form knitting. Actually you don't need nearly as much courage to start a free form project as to start a traditional one. Think of the bravery of casting on 150 stitches and following a pattern for many inches before you know if you are going to like the result. A free form project progresses in small stages and anything goes. Free form knitting teaches one a lot about the nature of knitted stitches. It is the knitting itself that becomes the instructor."

 

I can't wait for my "real" work to end so I can sit and work on my latest freeform project. Even a scarf ties up my needles too long (Crochet hooks are so much better than knitting needles in this respect), and I can't wait to finish so I can get back to my FF! But the idea of trying Fair Isle or Intarsia knitting or Irish Crochet scares me to death!

 

And now, I think I'll sit down and follow one of Debbie's "workshops" on free form knitting (Each chapter is really a separate workshop, so the book is worth every penny of its $40 and then some!). I've been winging it til now and would love to try her techniques, since the "rocks" I want to add to my FF "Tidepool" shawl need to be non-linear, curvy shapes. With crochet, this has been easy,but I like some knitting in my shawls so they are less heavy and more drapeable.

 

Kim

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Im a begninger at designing and I have a few ideas for crochet caserole cozies I think I might try the free form idea as i dont know any patern i really like... after all if i dont like it i can rip it out right lol... I'm also trying my hand at desining tea pot cozies as i cant find any i really like for the swap lol I've come to realise that all you do with crochet is make knots to form a piece of fabric its up to you what you do with the fabric and how you mold it :) Its really not that intimidating if you think about it ... with that in mind let your imagination run wild with your hook and yarn at hand its amazing what you come up with.. and yes it is very very relaxing .. i tend to do it alot on the weekends when my finace is home because he is a trucker and tends to take control of the computer when he is home all weekend lol so i sit and crochet happily to movies or to nascar!

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I don't know about freeform, unless you consider making up my own version of a crocheted hamster hut, with a lid, being freeform. All I know is that crochet is very theraputic, pattern or not! It is very relaxing and really takes my mind off of daily pressures and stress.....not to mention that I just plain love it. :c9

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  • 4 weeks later...

I think freeform is very relaxing my mind is free to meditate or pray as I go along. Many of my projects take on some sort of a pattern because I like symmetry... but I don't stress over it.

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I don't crochet freeform but I do crochet "freestyle" because I am usually too stressed or distracted to follow patterns. My seven year old son is pretty autistic and is a very big distraction. I am also quite convinced that I have adult ADHD. So most of my crochet is either granny type of patterns that I make up or just rows of crochet with occassional bobbles, popcorns or open spaces (as with filet crochet) thrown in.

 

At night after the kids are asleep I like to watch TV but I need to read the close captioning. So - can't follow a pattern then either.

 

After I finish my current WIP's I'd like to try a pattern. But it can't be complicated. Too stressful.

 

Used to follow patterns - not now.

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I guess that i so the free form thing too......i have an idea of what i want to do and then just start stitching.....usually it is something simple just sc or dc.but it doesnt follow any written pattern.....i tell the people i work with that my crocheting is therapy.....i really do enjoy it....

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