Restless? Never know what to do with your hands? I have the perfect solution for you; take up crocheting!

The most calming thing I can think to do when overwhelmed and stressed is to grab a crochet hook, listen to my favorite album or audiobook, and lose myself in yarn for an hour. Not only is crochet a great way to redirect fidgety energy, but it’s so rewarding when your time and effort results in a cute handmade project!

My personal go-to project when crocheting is a standard granny square. There is nothing more calming than the repetition of 3 double-crochet stitches and chaining two until you achieve the desired size of square. This pattern can give you any number of projects- or simply just be a decoration! It is also a great foundation for building your skills. You can use as many or as few colors as you want, and experiment with sizes and designs with the standard granny square pattern.

(A fun take on the granny square project could be to assign a color to moods or temperature, and make even sized squares of said color, and eventually make all your squares into a blanket mapping your mood or the temperatures! )

Another great pattern to try out when stressed is a beanie. For this project, simply measure the top of your head to where you want it to lie on your forehead and add a few inches to fold over. This is how long your foundation chain should be. All that is left is to choose a stitch (I recommend a half-double crochet, but a single crochet works great too!) and go at it! Once you have reached the length where it wraps around your head, connect the working end with the starting end with a simple slip stitch. Next step in the quick beanie process, you grab a darning needle and cinch the top of the hat, fold the bottom over and voila, you have a beanie!

There are countless other projects you could do with crocheting as a way to relieve stress, but these are my personal favorites. Good luck and happy crocheting!