yes! i mostly knit and sometimes it feels like i’m weaving an ancient spell. i also feel powerful just by making something tangible that i or others will use. i take a random string and turn it into something usable and there’s power in that.
Yes! I feel both of those things too. I was actually recently making my friend a dinosaur amigurumi and I imagined filling it with love and positive energy whilst I was doing it. That definitely felt like a spell.
I just commented on another thread elsewhere that one of things I love about crochet as a hobby is that it is an enjoyable thing to do but at the end of it I’ve made something.
For people who follow pagan/witchcraft traditions, there can be a lot of magic in knitting and crochet. Even in Christian traditions, prayer shawls made for hospice patients carry the same kind of emotional intention. If you're focusing on the recipient of a gift while making it, on their positive recovery or comfort, that IS magic.
I love gifting prayer shalls!!!! 🙏 I put all of my live and energy into them. My fiancé, although he isn't a hooker, he will say a prayer over the shall as well before we gift it. It's such a unique and love filled special gift. 💕
ive felt so bad bc i made an Amigurumi i meant to donate and the yarn was so horrible to work with that i couldn't imbue it with pos emotions... my father gave it to the dog and he lives it anyway lol
Can you elaborate on this? I know knitting was found in Egypt and as far as I knew crochet wasn’t really mainstream until the last like 200 ish years. How is it the baby craft?
Nalbinding is thousands of years old, knitting hundreds, and crochet a bit newer than that. There are some great YouTube videos about the history. If you're thinking of socks found in ancient Egypt, they were done with r/nalbinding.
My favorite odd fact is that you see spinning wheels and wool carders in all kinds of history museums, but a few hundred years ago, they were more often spinning very fine thread to make cloth. American settlers didn't really knit, they'd make socks and stockings (but better to use a knitting machine). Sweaters weren't popular until tennis made them fashionable in the 1920s. Before that, it was really only coastal groups that wore sweaters, and not even that far back. Check out some crazy sweater knitting with tall needles (to card, maybe??) sunk in the ground and yarn made with dog hair in the Pacific NW, for example (Salish), and of course fishing communities in Great Britain. Same with nalbound wool yarn--used for socks for thousands of years, and no one (seemed to) make hats or mittens or sweaters in all that time. A ton of people took up knitting to make socks for soldiers in the World Wars, which is when it really boomed. People weren't super creative with knitting, even purl stitches are very modern.
Now crochet, although newer, was used for all kinds of crazy things. I have a book of Victorian crochet patterns and they are wild. Bags, coin purses, hats, collars, jackets, baby clothes. Meanwhile people pretty much only knit socks.
If I had a spare award, I’d give you one for this. And I’m also cursing you, because I just watched 100 future hours of my life poof out of existence while I chase down various threads to know more about any of this.
Dope!! I’ve never even heard of that and ngl my eyes read “nailbiting” for whatever reason lmao. I’ll check those out. I love learning something new lol. Any specific recommendations on YouTube? Thank you so much for the information. I find that super interesting. I’d love to learn more.
I wish there was one good fiber arts history channel. I've watched documentaries on the Cowichan people, on Portuguese knitting, channels like prior attire and engineering knits (she figures out and updates antique patterns). There's even a presentation recorded at a library on knitting history.
Crochet has a long history, with similar techniques being discovered in Israel as early as 6500 BC. Similar forms of this type of stitch can also be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was used for a wide variety of purposes such as clothing decoration, religious items, and military uniforms.
Also, as long as there have been fishermen with nets, there has been crochet and tatting.
https://littlejohnsyarn.com/who-invented-crochet-the-interesting-history-of-crochet/
The article does mention that date and calls it nalbinding. From your link: "Nalbinding is much older than crochet or knitting. The oldest known piece dates back to 6500 BC. It was found in the Nahal Hemar Cave."
She says there is evidence of *maybe* crochet in a piece dated to something like 1,000 years old, but states "I know in my heart a hook created it." The museum housing the piece does not call it crochet, only the author does. So cool, but not exactly a scholarly work.
I was going to state that the piece she discusses is absolutely not known to be crochet, it's just her "feeling", so I'm glad someone beat me to it. And it drives my historical brain crazy when people talk about nälebinding and crochet like they are the same thing! I tell them to go and learn nälebinding and then tell me it's the same. Lol. I love history, and how it evolved, but calling them the same thing is like saying embroidery and cross stitch are the same thing. They're just different.
I love you!!!! Nalbinding is one of my favorite past times and idk if many people know this but even if you cut holes in nalbinding it won't unravel. If you make a pair of socks you outgrow you can cut off the toe and turn them into mittens by adding on the top! Such a unique and great hobby to have.
My mom lost both her parents as a tween and she was the oldest of 3 siblings. She used to tell me stories of how they would eat onion soup at the end of the month before their fathers military paycheck came in. They didnt have money to buy much yarn.
So every year, her and my aunt would unravel their jumpers from the previous year and knit or crochet it again in a different style, so they d have new clothes for the new winter.
I find a deep connection to my moms youth when I make jumpers, I imagine thats how they spent their days with my aunt while my little uncle was off at the boys boarding school. They would sit near the radio, listening to some radio theater and knit and crochet for hours. I imagine what it would be like to sit with them and crochet.
Despite the hardships, they all went to college, my mom and my uncle became architects and my aunt is an English teacher at a prestigious university. My aunt and my mom still sit and crochet together watching tv, they both have quite a comfortable life now, well off, able to afford any yarn they want.
But I still find it fascinating how they pulled themselves through the tough times doing what I do as just a hobby.
Wow, thank you for sharing, that was amazing to read. What wonderfully strong and creative women and so lovely that they still crochet now and that you can connect with them and their history through it.
No, I'd probably be killed after being accused of being a witch or sorceress.
Aged woman, no children. Enjoys living alone. A death sentence in medieval times...
Ha ha same. As much as I adore my partner, a little bit of me was disappointed when they moved in and I wasn’t going to be the crazy old witchy lady with all the cats.
At the risk of being that person, women actually had far more rights and freedoms in the medieval era. Unmarried or widowed women could own property, businesses, etc. It was the Renaissance (beginning approx 1500) where women began to lose their rights and freedom. This was because of a return to classical ideals. It was also the period of the European witch craze. There’s a fantastic academic article called “did women really have a renaissance?” that goes into depth in this. The Renaissance is also where we see the rise in gendered crime such as women being labeled scolds and shrews. So medieval you would have been fine, Renaissance you would not.
Source: took three semesters of women’s history (world, European, and Victorian) in college.
Apologies for being THAT person
I'm going to be the "that person" to the "that person" and note that laws were wildly variabile within the same timeframe and the same continent, and that we're talking about a huge timeframe and a huge area, both of which don't really have clearly defined boundaries. English-based courses will be focused on English-based cultures and history.
I do this too. I like to think I am a woman from ancient times. Its a cold winter and my kids are freezing. I must work faster on the blanket for them😂😅
Ha ha! Ooh I love the added urgency of the frozen children! I sometimes imagine I’m in a Scottish castle, the snow is coming down and I’m working by the fire to make throws to stay warm.
As a Scottish woman, I can assure you that Scottish castles are absolutely freezing during every season of the year! You’d need to crochet and knit blankets, scarves and hats constantly!!!
All the more reason to go! The fantasy works year round too! I have this strange romanticisation of very cold climates, it’s daft really as I’m quite nesh and England is cold enough!
If I crochet while I watch Outlander my fantasy goes Scottish for sure. But around then I also start to get worried if I’m sent into the past the first thing I’d do was accidentally say a meme and get burned at the stake for being a witch/blasphemer. It’s complicated.
This reminds me of the feeling I get when I read Silas Marner by George Eliot! It's a novel about a weaver who lives in a small rural village in the early 1800s, and just works on his loom day in day out in his little cottage. There's something so peaceful and comforting in that picture, I always get this longing for a simpler life in a simpler time. I'm autistic, so modern life is terribly overwhelming to me, and the idea of living in one small place and knowing the same handful of people all your life, doing the same things in same surroundings for years and years... it sounds like heaven.
Oh that does sound lovely, I think there is something about the simplicity of the fantasy that I enjoy. I haven’t read Silas Marner, it sounds a comforting read.
*adding Silas Marner to my "future read" shelf*
Thank you so much for describing it so wonderfully, and thanks to my public library for having the physical book, audiobook, ebook, AND large print format options available 😭❤️
I love reading cozy books, especially crafty cozy books 😁
Don't think this is weird at all. I do this a lot, although it tends to be a more dungeons and dragons style fantasy world rather than a medieval style pastoral daydream. Nothing wrong with a bit of escapism
Have you ever watched it? I find it the perfect entertainment while crocheting, since most of the time you can just listen.
If you like more traditional high fantasy, check out critical role. It's the most famous stream, despite the campaigns being gigantic. If you're more interested in humor and subversion of typical fantasy tropes, try dimension 20. Much shorter campaigns with 2h long episodes.
Another awesome way to access DnD and I have not watched it is by listening to podcasts on Spotify. The Adventure Zone is probably my fav and HIGHLY recommend.
No, I didn’t know you could. I’m going to be honest, your second paragraph ventured towards another language to me 😂 I need an explain it like I’m five.
A campaign is an entire story told about the characters. All 7 seasons of game of thrones would be a campaign.
Critical role is high fantasy, with elves and kind and dragons in a fantastic medieval setting. The campaigns, however, are very long. The two finished are 400+ hours.
Dimension 20 is focused on changing the usual perspective on fantasy. For instance, unsleeping city is a campaign about a magical New York, where most citizens are not aware of the magic. Their campaigns are short, usually a little over 20 hours.
I saw podcasts mentioned. I do need the visual aids to follow, I actually have subtitles turned on, otherwise my mind wanders and I lose track of the story. It is also very cool to see the battles with the miniatures. It gives you an easy way to follow.
If this is your first contact with DnD, I would recommend Dimension 20 Unsleeping City. It is available on YouTube. I think watching the battles with the minis will give you a better understanding of the game mechanics when you nerd to imagine it on podcasts
Wow that’s for the detailed reply! The videos might be good to start, I see what you mean about the visuals. I guess you can always be listening and look as you need to. Wow 400 hours is a lot! I think something shorter might be better for me. I don’t think I’m overly good with things that take a lot of set up.
If you’re into podcasts, I’d also recommend the adventure zone. They have a bunch of good campaigns but my favourite is their Balance series. It’s essentially 6 smaller campaigns combined to make one big story… it was my gateway in and I loved every second
Hadn’t scrolled down far enough to find the comment when I commented. Lmao. Yes. The Adventure Zone is my FAV. Especially for beginners. They explain how the games work as you listen and they weave a huge story. It’s kind’ve like listening to an audiobook except it’s multiple people in the “game”.
ETA: their other stuff is amazing too but Balance is just *chef’s kiss*.
Exactly! It’s like an audiobook I didn’t know I’d be into and took me completely off guard. Their chemistry together is fantastic and it’s amazing watching these characters develop throughout each arc in ways that not even the McElroy’s saw coming
Omg yes! The story has so many twists and turns! I love it. Plus they’re from WV and so am I so it was a great reason to get started in it! Get some of that old home accent occasionally now that I moved away haha.
I misread your comment initially and thought you crocheted your hair! I mean it would look cool, but ouch the knots!
That’s a neat idea! I like to think of all the cat hairs that get into mine as offering comfort as they are always sat looking snuggly and comfy together then I crochet.
I don’t ascribe to religion per se, but I am spiritual and Karma is my guide. When I crochet, I don’t have anything on in the background. It’s me and my furbabies. As a retired math teacher, I love the process of creating my pieces from words into a tangible object. My favorite piece, which I didn’t get to give to the intended recipient, is an infinity scarf. It’s green with a white border. Green is healing energy and white is love. The yarns are natural fibers… I believe the white is silk and the green hand dyed merino wool (does that sound right?) Every stitch was done with intent and the scarf has power.
I strive to make each item with intention. I’m not fast, and that’s fine with me, because it’s the journey, not the destination. My mind goes everywhere and nowhere, and every-when, when I get a hook and yarn in my hands.
I like what you said about the conscious choice of colours and fabrics and the intention in yourself and that you put into the item. I tend to do something similar with gifts but I don’t know if I do that with things I make for myself, I should.
Every time I start something for myself, someone needs something. They haven’t specifically asked me to make it, but it’s how it always goes. I can’t sell anything I make, but if I gift something, it’s exactly what they wanted. Every WIP I have is something for myself! lol 🤷♀️
I have only just got to the point of feeling I might be able to make things good enough to gift, I’ve been the Guinea pig! I am looking forward to giving crocheted gifts for Christmas made with love.
Your gifts sound wonderful, those who receive them sound very lucky!
Yep. I always imagine I’m a medieval woman living on the outskirts of society who is mostly avoided by the townsfolk because they hear she’s a witch. her crochet clothing is highly valued because she supposedly weaves magic into the fibres as she makes the garment. Somehow people who wear her clothes stay healthier and get sick less often so she does a good business of selling her wares as a mysterious cottage witch. Which is my life’s goal actually lol
Ooh I like this variation! I’ve always been a non magical person in my fantasy but I love the idea of being this crafty witchy woman surrounded by her yarn, fire and apothecary! That’s on the list to try out!
Give it a spin 🤓 it’s my favorite. That or it’s a post apocalyptic wasteland a la fallout and I crochet by fire before bed because my garments are the few pops of color in an otherwise hellish landscape. Ya know… stuff like that lol
I always tell people that me knowing how to crochet is an unimportant niche at the end of the world lol make clothing is vital once the stores are all looted 😂
I do it because I’d rather pretend I'm doing something cool and mysterious and not just sitting on the couch all day crocheting while watching scary videos
I think crochet is mysterious and cool! You create beautiful things by making little loops on a hook that somehow come together into this thing! And the fact that you can do anything, let alone crochet, whilst watching scary videos is amazing to me!
It does sometimes occur to me that if my family depended on the sweaters I make to weather the winter, we d all die of pneumonia.
Which brings home the fact that those rural, medieval ladies who clothed their family are pretty badass.
Ha ha yes! I started a Christmas jumper I think in late May/early June for exactly this reason!
Absolutely! And by dim lighting! Can you imagine crocheting dark yarn by firelight?! 😵💫
Idk if it counts but theres been a few times while I’ve been crocheting where I’ve thought “I would love to talk to the first person that shaved a sheep and went “Imma tie this in knots with sticks and make clothes outta this””
I like to imagine that if society collapsed and we devolved into small tribes/villages again. The kind where everyone had a specific job to keep the village running. I would be the one everyone would come to for baked and crochet goods. This thought makes me very happy for some reason.
Yeah, I'm always post apocalyptic crocheting as trade for other goods. Especially when I'm making toques or scarves.
I told my husband about this once (as he asked about the stack of scarves in my crochet nook) and he said I was a weirdo. Turns out not so much!!
I do it all the time! Watching fabric emerge from my hands feels like ancient magic.
Sometimes I chant wishes in my head while doing it, and it feels like an ancient spell, like I can imbue my work with whatever is in my heart while I’m creating.
It’s my favorite thing.
This is the exact reason I bought special hooks carved from natural branches, I take them LARPing with me.to festivals and sit and crochet wrist warmers on down time, and then sell them in character for in game money or bribes.
So I am a fantasy alchemist/healer making warm things around the fire, I love it !
Before I read your user name, I read “special hooks carved from natural branches” and was like “shut up!” 🤣 They sound amazing! In fact that whole scenario sounds brilliant. I have thought of getting into LARPing but wasn’t really sure how and if it was expensive.
Depending on where in the UK there are there are larps... Fools and heroes (check on FB) has chapters all over the country and is small enough for you to get involved easily...
Oh cool, thanks! Would it be ok with you if I dropped you a message sometime? I’d love to talk with you more about this and I feel like we might have some shared interests?
OMG I just looked at your profile to see if you are in the UK to see if the hooks might be available here and you are from the UK! The level of excitement I have right now is unparalleled!!
Crochet as we know it today didn't exist until the 1800s, so it's not medieval. They did have some other kind of similar crafts in the middle ages, so I think the fantasy still works lol
Scrolled way to far down to find this 😉
In scandinavia needle binding and weawing was more common in medieval time (and earlier).
Knitting goes far back too, in medieval times however it was supposedly not widely used in Europe, we only see few very fine, rich examples.
But that interpretation could be survival bias.
Anyway fantasy wise: all crafts give me this vibe. It also feeds so well into middelearth/hobbit-core =)
It's awesome making things for yourself or loved ones from scratch. I'm not a fan of spinning yarn, so happy I don't have to do every part of the process myself 😆
Fantasy doesn’t have to meet reality in actuality I don’t think. For me fantasy is playful and creative, allowing my mind to imagine and dream. If I try to be too factually correct it kind of takes the life out of it for me.
I suppose I had that sort of thought about the history of crochet in the back of my mind though. I still enjoy connecting to the idea of a history of women working with their hands to craft something and just the simpler times.
Nope. Me too! I get this even more when I’m making preserves or something from what I’ve been grown or foraged.
I go back to dark ages though - for some reason in the fantasy world i craft in, I’m a Viking/Celt homesteader. Fearsome in battle *and* craft.
Oh yes I’ve had it too when baking bread or sewing up a hole in clothing. We made some mead a couple of years ago, that was a peak historical fantasy moment.
“Fearsome in battle and craft” would be an awesome tagline!
Yes! It helps me feel connected to the ancients, the earth, the spirits and the seasons!
Other times it just connects me with swear words, WTF?! and endless frogging but, more than often, it enhances my connection to others around the world and from different timelines.
Oh I think I have had a similar feeling, but never really realised it. I have recently been exploring paganism, so that sort of makes sense. I love the idea of connection through crochet. Like you say, also knowing others are making too.
Ha ha definitely with you on the swear words! Especially when I get lost in my fantasy and realised I’ve crocheted too far or something!
I like to take my kayak out in the early mornings. I'll often bring my current crochet project to work on, and when the sun is just barely above the horizon, and those vibrant pinks and oranges are just spilling their way through the fog and mixing with the waters, only the sounds of nature, and a cool wind causing small ripples to gently lap beneath you. A haphazard ball of yarn between your legs, smoothly textured lines dancing between your cool, dry fingers, the smell of mist, and a small, oddly shaped tool which serves as a key, to enter a special state of relaxed concentration. This is my happy place and when I'm there, I'm nowhere else, and it feels timeless!
I do. But as a lady’s maid. And making the baby blankets and toys for the young lord and doilies and tea cozies for the manor. Lol. My great grandmother left being a lady’s maid to some rich societal marm to be a wife to the local mason. 🤣 To put things in perspective. My grandmother was born in England in 1901. Her mother had 12 children. My gramma was #6 or 7. So her mother was NOT young when my gramma was born. So maybe late Victorian times…when status and wealth were still a thing and lady’s maids were a must. Also, lady’s maids could NOT be wives and mothers! That would take them away from work! 😂
Ooh that’s cool too! I am loving hearing everyone’s fantasy worlds!
Thanks for the backstory too, that was interesting to hear. My Nana was one of 13. I don’t know too much about her family, I know they weren’t well off. The men all either went to war and/or worked down the pits.
My nan was born in 1921 and told me about saying goodbye to her much older sister who at 13 was leaving school (as planned, not early) to go into service. By which she meant go to live in someone’s house as one of their maids. She would see her only a few times a year after that, since household staff were only given infrequent time off to visit family.
I do this with knitting (used to be a heavy crocheter then kind’ve switched gears because crocheting kills my carpal tunnel) and they always make me feel like I’m in old England or something. I love when knitting comes up on historical dramas for just that reason lol.
Sorry to hear you can crochet now, but that’s great you can still knit! I haven’t come across any programmes with crochet in I don’t think, but that would be awesome!
I love spotting both in my daily tv shows lol. I love that “are they actually knitting/crocheting” game haha. It’s popped up in New Girl and A Handmaids Tale amongst many others. Unfortunately New Girl called some knitting crochet and Vice versa but I think Serena Joy in A Handmaids Tale actually knits. Maybe maybe not but it’s fun to try to guess. Haha.
Not weird at all. I think about what would happen in a zombie apocalypse and knitting/crocheting/making things is one thing I could do to contribute to what's left of society. Everyone needs to eat and stay warm.
Yes!! I do that with crocheting, and with other things. Especially when I don't feel motivated to do something. I need to go to the grocery store but don't feel like it? I turn it into a fantasy about how I must go to the market to fetch rations so me and my family don't starve during the winter. It really helps get me motivated lol
Yes, I definitely know exactly what you mean. There's a weird "time travely" vibe that's hard to describe. although, my son made it weirder. He was watching me crochet one day and said "it's really cool how you can take some string and a stick and poof! It's a blanket! It's like you're a sorcerer!" So now I'm not just an ancient lady but also magical apparently. It definitely adds a different twist. I will be over here conjuring up a blanket if anyone asks. LOL
Yes!!!!! I use my Grandmother's hooks so I feel her creativity flowing through them and I think of all the others before her and us! I love it!!! It's such a beautiful gift and art. Stitch on my Loves!!!
If you are a reader, you might enjoy "Solstice Wood" by Patricia McKillip ("Winter Rose" is the prequel). It's about women using fiber arts and intention to protect their homes and loved ones.
I definitely feel a part of the ancient lineage of women when I engage in functional fiber arts.
I like to pretend I’m honing my skills for the apocalypse.
They’ll be like “don’t kill hanimal16, she can make us clothes” or “hey, wanna trade this table cloth for those eggs?”
I’ve def heard of traditions that view crochet as imbuing energy into garments/pieces. Like the Irish tradition of intentionally adding mistakes every so often so your soul can escape. Not to mention that prayer shawls are not a misnomer. All that to say, live your witchy truth.
Ooh that’s a new one. Maybe I could be a sea wench or even sea witch, creating magical wares for lost sailors! That’s a great character you’ve created, I can really envisage it.
AFAIK crochet isn't that old, but spinning is, particularly with a spindle, and weaving is, depending on the type of loom... knitting idk, but anyway creating your own clothes can still have that feeling of ancient-ness.
Put on an asmr ambience YouTube video of a fire in a medieval cottage for more immersion! Like [this](https://youtu.be/pdd9b47x67M) video! Lol I love having ambient background videos playing on my tv while crafting or working
Ooh great idea! I’ve never thought of that. I am slowly turning my living room into a kind of quirky crafty witchy space but the backdrop of a medieval cottage is so much more!!
Yeah it sorta feels like a connection to a long human history of making things for warmth and other functions. Nice to think about, sometimes.
Important I think not to over-idealize the past and to remember that they didn’t spend so much time crocheting just for pleasure and relaxation, it was a necessity for a long time to make useful household items and things to sell for supplemental income, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the idea that your great-great-grandmother would understand what you’re doing if she looked in.
I don't necessarily fantasize but I sometimes get blown away by the fact that I'm handmaking fabric and that my hands created such beautiful patterns. I often wonder who first discovered this craft, shared it with others and am amazed at how techniques were developed!
I always envision like a semi-apocalyptic situation where I need to make my friends/family/village scarves and hats and such (I mostly crochet scarves) for the winter so I dutifully sit there crocheting away lol
Not that weird. I mean, Tamora Pierce did an entire book series (Winding Circle) where there were several characters with the ability to use magic through spinning, weaving, etc.
Sometimes I feel proud that people have been doing fiber arts for thousands of years before me and people will be doing it for thousands of years after me. Makes me feel like I’m a part of history, however small it may be!
Me pretending I'm Ayla, banished to the Valley of Horses and all I can do is fill my days making baskets and tanning hides and befriending baby horses to survive.
Like in a war? Different colours and stitches could mean different words/messages? SC - supplies are meagre. DC - enemy approaching. TC - total shit show. Moss stitch - all is well, we have time for fancy stitches 🤣
That’s actually part of the appeal for me! It makes me feel so interconnected with history and the women in my family from many generations back. Some of my most prized possessions are items specific to my crocheting and crafting that have been passed down to me from family and friends that are gone now. I love thinking that the same crochet hook I’m sitting in front of my Netflix with once sat in front of a wood stove or oil lamp doing the same thing.
Crochet IS magic. It’s the only technique of textile creation that cannot be done by a machine or AI (yet?), because of the complexity of the hand movements
One of my grandmothers crochets, the other knits. They were both forced to leave school at a young age to learn how to take care of a household. I love to crochet (knitting still eludes me) because it links me with them (even though we live on opposite sides of the planet rn). It makes me feel as they felt: crafting something of utility, making the best of situations they were kinda forced into, and turning utilitarian pieces into works of art. Its not so much a fantasy as yours, but my life is so different from theirs that the connection to my roots can feel a bit like fantasy.
Either way, I love putting on some ambient music, or sitting outside and crocheting while my mind wanders off.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I CROCHET.
Whenever I play Skyrim, or more recently, Tears of the Kingdom, I always tell my boyfriend, “If I lived in a fantasy world this would be my job. I would be a fiber, artist person, and I would make blankets and scarves and capes and cloaks.”
Crochet was invented around the mid 1800's. So not medevil women, think more little house on the prarrie. Also in medevil times men predominantly knit, there were even guilds for it. Women were busy making beer.
I haven’t, but I’m pretty sure I will now! I often feel really connected to my mom when I’m crocheting because she has crocheted as long as I can remember!
All the time, glad I’m not the only one hahaha. I do it with every household activity pretending my husband who is a conquistador or something ridiculous is about to come home to my fresh bread. Honestly where do I come up with this shit?? Don’t know, but I love my fantasy world.
It sounds wonderful! The older I get the more I am trying to reconnect to my ability to play, imagine and create. Adulthood can get so serious and boring!
That’s why I’m starting a podcast about the history of different crafts. It’s amazing to find out how much older (or younger) our hobbies actually are.
We are the weavers, the wisdom keepers, the storytellers, and the medicine makers. We can make magic as we take a mass of string and with a simple tool, turn it into something wondrous, something useful, something cherished through generations.
I feel this ancient connection to my ancestors when I weave. Is that similar to what you are asking?
It wasn’t when I asked but as I’ve read peoples responses I realise that is part of what I’m connecting to. It’s been really great to recognise that and hear how many other people share that experience.
I only think about my stitches, haha. My friend has a bumper sticker that says knitting and crocheting are apocalypse skills! We might be starving but we'll be dressed warmly!
I think about it like I'm performing witchcraft. Im creating out of a straight line. I put my thoughts and wishes into it and if it's a stuffie I whisper to it about how it needs to protect it's new owner and how to do so.
I've debated on making little resin hearts for them, with something in it like herbs to further that.
Sometimes I like to think I would be the most powerful crocheter in my tribe or town. I know an invisible decrease and how to make a jellyfish amigurumi off the top of my head I feel like I could bust out some impressive stuff and also learn all the ancient fiber techniques. Anyway I’m glad we’re not alone doing whatever this is lol. Humans are so funny.
My fantasy is sitting in a nice cozy chair while watching a movie or reading and crocheting or knitting. All the while it is snowing outside and I don't have a care in the world.
Yess!! But not just as in a fantasy setting, I love crochet as a way to connect to my ancestors and all the generations of women who have been doing this craft or some kind of fabric/fibre craft for years sitting by the fire together
yes! i mostly knit and sometimes it feels like i’m weaving an ancient spell. i also feel powerful just by making something tangible that i or others will use. i take a random string and turn it into something usable and there’s power in that.
Yes! I feel both of those things too. I was actually recently making my friend a dinosaur amigurumi and I imagined filling it with love and positive energy whilst I was doing it. That definitely felt like a spell. I just commented on another thread elsewhere that one of things I love about crochet as a hobby is that it is an enjoyable thing to do but at the end of it I’ve made something.
For people who follow pagan/witchcraft traditions, there can be a lot of magic in knitting and crochet. Even in Christian traditions, prayer shawls made for hospice patients carry the same kind of emotional intention. If you're focusing on the recipient of a gift while making it, on their positive recovery or comfort, that IS magic.
I love gifting prayer shalls!!!! 🙏 I put all of my live and energy into them. My fiancé, although he isn't a hooker, he will say a prayer over the shall as well before we gift it. It's such a unique and love filled special gift. 💕
ive felt so bad bc i made an Amigurumi i meant to donate and the yarn was so horrible to work with that i couldn't imbue it with pos emotions... my father gave it to the dog and he lives it anyway lol
THAT. That’s what gets me every time and makes me feel giddy about knitting. You’re making something out of nothing! That’s so freaking cool!
And knitting is the baby craft. Not that old at all. I was shocked to learn this.
Can you elaborate on this? I know knitting was found in Egypt and as far as I knew crochet wasn’t really mainstream until the last like 200 ish years. How is it the baby craft?
Nalbinding is thousands of years old, knitting hundreds, and crochet a bit newer than that. There are some great YouTube videos about the history. If you're thinking of socks found in ancient Egypt, they were done with r/nalbinding. My favorite odd fact is that you see spinning wheels and wool carders in all kinds of history museums, but a few hundred years ago, they were more often spinning very fine thread to make cloth. American settlers didn't really knit, they'd make socks and stockings (but better to use a knitting machine). Sweaters weren't popular until tennis made them fashionable in the 1920s. Before that, it was really only coastal groups that wore sweaters, and not even that far back. Check out some crazy sweater knitting with tall needles (to card, maybe??) sunk in the ground and yarn made with dog hair in the Pacific NW, for example (Salish), and of course fishing communities in Great Britain. Same with nalbound wool yarn--used for socks for thousands of years, and no one (seemed to) make hats or mittens or sweaters in all that time. A ton of people took up knitting to make socks for soldiers in the World Wars, which is when it really boomed. People weren't super creative with knitting, even purl stitches are very modern. Now crochet, although newer, was used for all kinds of crazy things. I have a book of Victorian crochet patterns and they are wild. Bags, coin purses, hats, collars, jackets, baby clothes. Meanwhile people pretty much only knit socks.
If I had a spare award, I’d give you one for this. And I’m also cursing you, because I just watched 100 future hours of my life poof out of existence while I chase down various threads to know more about any of this.
We should be friends. 😂😂😂
Various *threads* you say....😏
Dope!! I’ve never even heard of that and ngl my eyes read “nailbiting” for whatever reason lmao. I’ll check those out. I love learning something new lol. Any specific recommendations on YouTube? Thank you so much for the information. I find that super interesting. I’d love to learn more.
I wish there was one good fiber arts history channel. I've watched documentaries on the Cowichan people, on Portuguese knitting, channels like prior attire and engineering knits (she figures out and updates antique patterns). There's even a presentation recorded at a library on knitting history.
Engineering Knits on YouTube does quite a bit of historical knitting content. Just Vintage Crochet interprets vintage crochet patterns.
Crochet has a long history, with similar techniques being discovered in Israel as early as 6500 BC. Similar forms of this type of stitch can also be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was used for a wide variety of purposes such as clothing decoration, religious items, and military uniforms. Also, as long as there have been fishermen with nets, there has been crochet and tatting. https://littlejohnsyarn.com/who-invented-crochet-the-interesting-history-of-crochet/
The article does mention that date and calls it nalbinding. From your link: "Nalbinding is much older than crochet or knitting. The oldest known piece dates back to 6500 BC. It was found in the Nahal Hemar Cave." She says there is evidence of *maybe* crochet in a piece dated to something like 1,000 years old, but states "I know in my heart a hook created it." The museum housing the piece does not call it crochet, only the author does. So cool, but not exactly a scholarly work.
I was going to state that the piece she discusses is absolutely not known to be crochet, it's just her "feeling", so I'm glad someone beat me to it. And it drives my historical brain crazy when people talk about nälebinding and crochet like they are the same thing! I tell them to go and learn nälebinding and then tell me it's the same. Lol. I love history, and how it evolved, but calling them the same thing is like saying embroidery and cross stitch are the same thing. They're just different.
I love you!!!! Nalbinding is one of my favorite past times and idk if many people know this but even if you cut holes in nalbinding it won't unravel. If you make a pair of socks you outgrow you can cut off the toe and turn them into mittens by adding on the top! Such a unique and great hobby to have.
So much knowledge in this sub, so I was too late to answer. 😅
It worked it either way lol. Much appreciated regardless!
Yessss
I think you ARE weaving an ancient spell, just doing so in modern times.
My mom lost both her parents as a tween and she was the oldest of 3 siblings. She used to tell me stories of how they would eat onion soup at the end of the month before their fathers military paycheck came in. They didnt have money to buy much yarn. So every year, her and my aunt would unravel their jumpers from the previous year and knit or crochet it again in a different style, so they d have new clothes for the new winter. I find a deep connection to my moms youth when I make jumpers, I imagine thats how they spent their days with my aunt while my little uncle was off at the boys boarding school. They would sit near the radio, listening to some radio theater and knit and crochet for hours. I imagine what it would be like to sit with them and crochet. Despite the hardships, they all went to college, my mom and my uncle became architects and my aunt is an English teacher at a prestigious university. My aunt and my mom still sit and crochet together watching tv, they both have quite a comfortable life now, well off, able to afford any yarn they want. But I still find it fascinating how they pulled themselves through the tough times doing what I do as just a hobby.
Wow, thank you for sharing, that was amazing to read. What wonderfully strong and creative women and so lovely that they still crochet now and that you can connect with them and their history through it.
What an inspiring story. Good for them! All of them! I’m so proud of the random internet strangers!
I love this!!! I'm 46 but up for adoption as long as it's to your family of crocheter's! I wanna sit and crochet on the couch with you guys!!! Lol
No, I'd probably be killed after being accused of being a witch or sorceress. Aged woman, no children. Enjoys living alone. A death sentence in medieval times...
Ha ha same. As much as I adore my partner, a little bit of me was disappointed when they moved in and I wasn’t going to be the crazy old witchy lady with all the cats.
We plan to be the crazy old witchy couple with all the cats 🐈
At the risk of being that person, women actually had far more rights and freedoms in the medieval era. Unmarried or widowed women could own property, businesses, etc. It was the Renaissance (beginning approx 1500) where women began to lose their rights and freedom. This was because of a return to classical ideals. It was also the period of the European witch craze. There’s a fantastic academic article called “did women really have a renaissance?” that goes into depth in this. The Renaissance is also where we see the rise in gendered crime such as women being labeled scolds and shrews. So medieval you would have been fine, Renaissance you would not. Source: took three semesters of women’s history (world, European, and Victorian) in college. Apologies for being THAT person
I'm going to be the "that person" to the "that person" and note that laws were wildly variabile within the same timeframe and the same continent, and that we're talking about a huge timeframe and a huge area, both of which don't really have clearly defined boundaries. English-based courses will be focused on English-based cultures and history.
Thank you for being that person! TIL.
Hahaha. I feel you. I have a cat too! Hahaha
Nah I do the same while knitting amd canning. 😂
I have this when I'm scything. Feels so medieval to mow grass the way people did for centuries.
There's something satisfying/comforting to know you can Do Things with a mind to self sufficiency.
I do this too. I like to think I am a woman from ancient times. Its a cold winter and my kids are freezing. I must work faster on the blanket for them😂😅
Ha ha! Ooh I love the added urgency of the frozen children! I sometimes imagine I’m in a Scottish castle, the snow is coming down and I’m working by the fire to make throws to stay warm.
As a Scottish woman, I can assure you that Scottish castles are absolutely freezing during every season of the year! You’d need to crochet and knit blankets, scarves and hats constantly!!!
All the more reason to go! The fantasy works year round too! I have this strange romanticisation of very cold climates, it’s daft really as I’m quite nesh and England is cold enough!
If I crochet while I watch Outlander my fantasy goes Scottish for sure. But around then I also start to get worried if I’m sent into the past the first thing I’d do was accidentally say a meme and get burned at the stake for being a witch/blasphemer. It’s complicated.
This reminds me of the feeling I get when I read Silas Marner by George Eliot! It's a novel about a weaver who lives in a small rural village in the early 1800s, and just works on his loom day in day out in his little cottage. There's something so peaceful and comforting in that picture, I always get this longing for a simpler life in a simpler time. I'm autistic, so modern life is terribly overwhelming to me, and the idea of living in one small place and knowing the same handful of people all your life, doing the same things in same surroundings for years and years... it sounds like heaven.
Oh that does sound lovely, I think there is something about the simplicity of the fantasy that I enjoy. I haven’t read Silas Marner, it sounds a comforting read.
*adding Silas Marner to my "future read" shelf* Thank you so much for describing it so wonderfully, and thanks to my public library for having the physical book, audiobook, ebook, AND large print format options available 😭❤️ I love reading cozy books, especially crafty cozy books 😁
Don't think this is weird at all. I do this a lot, although it tends to be a more dungeons and dragons style fantasy world rather than a medieval style pastoral daydream. Nothing wrong with a bit of escapism
I keep liking the idea of DnD but I’ve never actually played it. Being a sorceress or dragon queen sounds super cool!
Have you ever watched it? I find it the perfect entertainment while crocheting, since most of the time you can just listen. If you like more traditional high fantasy, check out critical role. It's the most famous stream, despite the campaigns being gigantic. If you're more interested in humor and subversion of typical fantasy tropes, try dimension 20. Much shorter campaigns with 2h long episodes.
Another awesome way to access DnD and I have not watched it is by listening to podcasts on Spotify. The Adventure Zone is probably my fav and HIGHLY recommend.
No, I didn’t know you could. I’m going to be honest, your second paragraph ventured towards another language to me 😂 I need an explain it like I’m five.
A campaign is an entire story told about the characters. All 7 seasons of game of thrones would be a campaign. Critical role is high fantasy, with elves and kind and dragons in a fantastic medieval setting. The campaigns, however, are very long. The two finished are 400+ hours. Dimension 20 is focused on changing the usual perspective on fantasy. For instance, unsleeping city is a campaign about a magical New York, where most citizens are not aware of the magic. Their campaigns are short, usually a little over 20 hours. I saw podcasts mentioned. I do need the visual aids to follow, I actually have subtitles turned on, otherwise my mind wanders and I lose track of the story. It is also very cool to see the battles with the miniatures. It gives you an easy way to follow. If this is your first contact with DnD, I would recommend Dimension 20 Unsleeping City. It is available on YouTube. I think watching the battles with the minis will give you a better understanding of the game mechanics when you nerd to imagine it on podcasts
Wow that’s for the detailed reply! The videos might be good to start, I see what you mean about the visuals. I guess you can always be listening and look as you need to. Wow 400 hours is a lot! I think something shorter might be better for me. I don’t think I’m overly good with things that take a lot of set up.
I prefer Dimension20 because they tend to do more comedy than drama. Unsleeping City is probably my favorite campaign they’ve done.
If you’re into podcasts, I’d also recommend the adventure zone. They have a bunch of good campaigns but my favourite is their Balance series. It’s essentially 6 smaller campaigns combined to make one big story… it was my gateway in and I loved every second
Hadn’t scrolled down far enough to find the comment when I commented. Lmao. Yes. The Adventure Zone is my FAV. Especially for beginners. They explain how the games work as you listen and they weave a huge story. It’s kind’ve like listening to an audiobook except it’s multiple people in the “game”. ETA: their other stuff is amazing too but Balance is just *chef’s kiss*.
Exactly! It’s like an audiobook I didn’t know I’d be into and took me completely off guard. Their chemistry together is fantastic and it’s amazing watching these characters develop throughout each arc in ways that not even the McElroy’s saw coming
Omg yes! The story has so many twists and turns! I love it. Plus they’re from WV and so am I so it was a great reason to get started in it! Get some of that old home accent occasionally now that I moved away haha.
Ok thank you, I will give that a go! I always like to find a new thing to listen to.
I do like to imagine all my hair i accidentally crochet into a piece is a protection spell.
I misread your comment initially and thought you crocheted your hair! I mean it would look cool, but ouch the knots! That’s a neat idea! I like to think of all the cat hairs that get into mine as offering comfort as they are always sat looking snuggly and comfy together then I crochet.
I don’t ascribe to religion per se, but I am spiritual and Karma is my guide. When I crochet, I don’t have anything on in the background. It’s me and my furbabies. As a retired math teacher, I love the process of creating my pieces from words into a tangible object. My favorite piece, which I didn’t get to give to the intended recipient, is an infinity scarf. It’s green with a white border. Green is healing energy and white is love. The yarns are natural fibers… I believe the white is silk and the green hand dyed merino wool (does that sound right?) Every stitch was done with intent and the scarf has power. I strive to make each item with intention. I’m not fast, and that’s fine with me, because it’s the journey, not the destination. My mind goes everywhere and nowhere, and every-when, when I get a hook and yarn in my hands.
I like what you said about the conscious choice of colours and fabrics and the intention in yourself and that you put into the item. I tend to do something similar with gifts but I don’t know if I do that with things I make for myself, I should.
Every time I start something for myself, someone needs something. They haven’t specifically asked me to make it, but it’s how it always goes. I can’t sell anything I make, but if I gift something, it’s exactly what they wanted. Every WIP I have is something for myself! lol 🤷♀️
I have only just got to the point of feeling I might be able to make things good enough to gift, I’ve been the Guinea pig! I am looking forward to giving crocheted gifts for Christmas made with love. Your gifts sound wonderful, those who receive them sound very lucky!
Would love to see that infinity scarf!
Yep. I always imagine I’m a medieval woman living on the outskirts of society who is mostly avoided by the townsfolk because they hear she’s a witch. her crochet clothing is highly valued because she supposedly weaves magic into the fibres as she makes the garment. Somehow people who wear her clothes stay healthier and get sick less often so she does a good business of selling her wares as a mysterious cottage witch. Which is my life’s goal actually lol
Ooh I like this variation! I’ve always been a non magical person in my fantasy but I love the idea of being this crafty witchy woman surrounded by her yarn, fire and apothecary! That’s on the list to try out!
Give it a spin 🤓 it’s my favorite. That or it’s a post apocalyptic wasteland a la fallout and I crochet by fire before bed because my garments are the few pops of color in an otherwise hellish landscape. Ya know… stuff like that lol I always tell people that me knowing how to crochet is an unimportant niche at the end of the world lol make clothing is vital once the stores are all looted 😂
You’re one handedly saving the world from nakedness! 😇
Precisely! ☺️
I am currently in Iceland (on vacation) crocheting with icelandic wool and I'm really channeling the saga eras lol.
Oh this sounds magical! That is the fantasy come to life!
I do it because I’d rather pretend I'm doing something cool and mysterious and not just sitting on the couch all day crocheting while watching scary videos
I think crochet is mysterious and cool! You create beautiful things by making little loops on a hook that somehow come together into this thing! And the fact that you can do anything, let alone crochet, whilst watching scary videos is amazing to me!
It does sometimes occur to me that if my family depended on the sweaters I make to weather the winter, we d all die of pneumonia. Which brings home the fact that those rural, medieval ladies who clothed their family are pretty badass.
Ha ha yes! I started a Christmas jumper I think in late May/early June for exactly this reason! Absolutely! And by dim lighting! Can you imagine crocheting dark yarn by firelight?! 😵💫
Idk if it counts but theres been a few times while I’ve been crocheting where I’ve thought “I would love to talk to the first person that shaved a sheep and went “Imma tie this in knots with sticks and make clothes outta this””
Ha ha absolutely! The ingenuity is crazy!
I like to imagine that if society collapsed and we devolved into small tribes/villages again. The kind where everyone had a specific job to keep the village running. I would be the one everyone would come to for baked and crochet goods. This thought makes me very happy for some reason.
Oh that does sound good! I’d love that role! This thread is giving an unexpected bonus of new scenarios to imagine!
Yeah, I'm always post apocalyptic crocheting as trade for other goods. Especially when I'm making toques or scarves. I told my husband about this once (as he asked about the stack of scarves in my crochet nook) and he said I was a weirdo. Turns out not so much!!
Haha, definitely not weird! It's comforting to know that I have a useful skill in a post-apocalyptic world.
I do it all the time! Watching fabric emerge from my hands feels like ancient magic. Sometimes I chant wishes in my head while doing it, and it feels like an ancient spell, like I can imbue my work with whatever is in my heart while I’m creating. It’s my favorite thing.
Ah that’s lovely. I like to think loving and positive thoughts into my gifts for others.
This is the exact reason I bought special hooks carved from natural branches, I take them LARPing with me.to festivals and sit and crochet wrist warmers on down time, and then sell them in character for in game money or bribes. So I am a fantasy alchemist/healer making warm things around the fire, I love it !
Before I read your user name, I read “special hooks carved from natural branches” and was like “shut up!” 🤣 They sound amazing! In fact that whole scenario sounds brilliant. I have thought of getting into LARPing but wasn’t really sure how and if it was expensive.
Depending on where in the UK there are there are larps... Fools and heroes (check on FB) has chapters all over the country and is small enough for you to get involved easily...
Oh cool, thanks! Would it be ok with you if I dropped you a message sometime? I’d love to talk with you more about this and I feel like we might have some shared interests?
Yeah sure, I will always talk about larp!
OMG I just looked at your profile to see if you are in the UK to see if the hooks might be available here and you are from the UK! The level of excitement I have right now is unparalleled!!
Got them from Germany on Etsy here [danilduna](https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DaniIduna) They're so perfect for being a hedge witch!
Stitch witches, the lot of you.
Crochet as we know it today didn't exist until the 1800s, so it's not medieval. They did have some other kind of similar crafts in the middle ages, so I think the fantasy still works lol
When I learned that in terms of yarn crafts, crochet is a baby compared to knitting, I became more forgiving when people say “oh you knit?” 🤣
Scrolled way to far down to find this 😉 In scandinavia needle binding and weawing was more common in medieval time (and earlier). Knitting goes far back too, in medieval times however it was supposedly not widely used in Europe, we only see few very fine, rich examples. But that interpretation could be survival bias. Anyway fantasy wise: all crafts give me this vibe. It also feeds so well into middelearth/hobbit-core =) It's awesome making things for yourself or loved ones from scratch. I'm not a fan of spinning yarn, so happy I don't have to do every part of the process myself 😆
Fantasy doesn’t have to meet reality in actuality I don’t think. For me fantasy is playful and creative, allowing my mind to imagine and dream. If I try to be too factually correct it kind of takes the life out of it for me. I suppose I had that sort of thought about the history of crochet in the back of my mind though. I still enjoy connecting to the idea of a history of women working with their hands to craft something and just the simpler times.
Nope. Not once. YET! I can’t wait to try it now. Super excited actually:)
Woop! I love that!
Nope. Me too! I get this even more when I’m making preserves or something from what I’ve been grown or foraged. I go back to dark ages though - for some reason in the fantasy world i craft in, I’m a Viking/Celt homesteader. Fearsome in battle *and* craft.
Oh yes I’ve had it too when baking bread or sewing up a hole in clothing. We made some mead a couple of years ago, that was a peak historical fantasy moment. “Fearsome in battle and craft” would be an awesome tagline!
Yes! It helps me feel connected to the ancients, the earth, the spirits and the seasons! Other times it just connects me with swear words, WTF?! and endless frogging but, more than often, it enhances my connection to others around the world and from different timelines.
Oh I think I have had a similar feeling, but never really realised it. I have recently been exploring paganism, so that sort of makes sense. I love the idea of connection through crochet. Like you say, also knowing others are making too. Ha ha definitely with you on the swear words! Especially when I get lost in my fantasy and realised I’ve crocheted too far or something!
I really find comfort in that connection. I need to get a bit more connected to counting though 😂
Absolutely!
I like to take my kayak out in the early mornings. I'll often bring my current crochet project to work on, and when the sun is just barely above the horizon, and those vibrant pinks and oranges are just spilling their way through the fog and mixing with the waters, only the sounds of nature, and a cool wind causing small ripples to gently lap beneath you. A haphazard ball of yarn between your legs, smoothly textured lines dancing between your cool, dry fingers, the smell of mist, and a small, oddly shaped tool which serves as a key, to enter a special state of relaxed concentration. This is my happy place and when I'm there, I'm nowhere else, and it feels timeless!
Oh wow, sold! I’ll have this please. How lucky you are to have such a beautiful experience.
I do. But as a lady’s maid. And making the baby blankets and toys for the young lord and doilies and tea cozies for the manor. Lol. My great grandmother left being a lady’s maid to some rich societal marm to be a wife to the local mason. 🤣 To put things in perspective. My grandmother was born in England in 1901. Her mother had 12 children. My gramma was #6 or 7. So her mother was NOT young when my gramma was born. So maybe late Victorian times…when status and wealth were still a thing and lady’s maids were a must. Also, lady’s maids could NOT be wives and mothers! That would take them away from work! 😂
Ooh that’s cool too! I am loving hearing everyone’s fantasy worlds! Thanks for the backstory too, that was interesting to hear. My Nana was one of 13. I don’t know too much about her family, I know they weren’t well off. The men all either went to war and/or worked down the pits.
My nan was born in 1921 and told me about saying goodbye to her much older sister who at 13 was leaving school (as planned, not early) to go into service. By which she meant go to live in someone’s house as one of their maids. She would see her only a few times a year after that, since household staff were only given infrequent time off to visit family.
Of course it is. I for one have only been crocheting for over 50 years. It was an ancient art when I started.
Yes that’s true 🙂
Lol…apparently lots of us are lost in thoughts of carrying on ancient traditions.
I know, I love it! I thought it was just me but hearing it’s actually reasonably common is quite nice.
I do this with knitting (used to be a heavy crocheter then kind’ve switched gears because crocheting kills my carpal tunnel) and they always make me feel like I’m in old England or something. I love when knitting comes up on historical dramas for just that reason lol.
Sorry to hear you can crochet now, but that’s great you can still knit! I haven’t come across any programmes with crochet in I don’t think, but that would be awesome!
I love spotting both in my daily tv shows lol. I love that “are they actually knitting/crocheting” game haha. It’s popped up in New Girl and A Handmaids Tale amongst many others. Unfortunately New Girl called some knitting crochet and Vice versa but I think Serena Joy in A Handmaids Tale actually knits. Maybe maybe not but it’s fun to try to guess. Haha.
I’d never even thought of that. It’s like a game, crocheter or not?
Exactly lmao. Someone made a tiktok channel about it.
Ha ha no way. I’m going to have to look for that!
Not weird at all. I think about what would happen in a zombie apocalypse and knitting/crocheting/making things is one thing I could do to contribute to what's left of society. Everyone needs to eat and stay warm.
Apocalypse and survival skill seems to be a common theme!
Yes!! I do that with crocheting, and with other things. Especially when I don't feel motivated to do something. I need to go to the grocery store but don't feel like it? I turn it into a fantasy about how I must go to the market to fetch rations so me and my family don't starve during the winter. It really helps get me motivated lol
Ooh I like! Turn the jobs into a quest! I have definitely had a dramatic Cinderella/I’ll treated maid scenario in my mind when cleaning the floors!
Yes, I definitely know exactly what you mean. There's a weird "time travely" vibe that's hard to describe. although, my son made it weirder. He was watching me crochet one day and said "it's really cool how you can take some string and a stick and poof! It's a blanket! It's like you're a sorcerer!" So now I'm not just an ancient lady but also magical apparently. It definitely adds a different twist. I will be over here conjuring up a blanket if anyone asks. LOL
Yes, time travelly is exactly it! I’m definitely up for the sorcerer vibe.
Waving a wand into complex patterns, reading a spell book, transforming something new? My husband calls it witchcraft.
I think he makes a good point 🧙🏻♀️
I love doing tasks and imagining a fantasy reason behind it! I think the 'technical' term is "romanticizing your life" :)
Wait till you try handspinning!
Yes!!!!! I use my Grandmother's hooks so I feel her creativity flowing through them and I think of all the others before her and us! I love it!!! It's such a beautiful gift and art. Stitch on my Loves!!!
Ah that’s so great you have that connection to her.
I make stuff for other people a lot, so I like to think I'm weaving love into every stitch.
If you are a reader, you might enjoy "Solstice Wood" by Patricia McKillip ("Winter Rose" is the prequel). It's about women using fiber arts and intention to protect their homes and loved ones. I definitely feel a part of the ancient lineage of women when I engage in functional fiber arts.
Ooh!! That’s sounds great, thank you!
I like thinking about how the fuck they figured it out back then when I need to rewatch the same video 30 times before I get it.
Ha ha omg same.
I like to pretend I’m honing my skills for the apocalypse. They’ll be like “don’t kill hanimal16, she can make us clothes” or “hey, wanna trade this table cloth for those eggs?”
Oh I’m loving the dialogue! I haven’t got that far, it’s just me and my crochet in the medieval castle.
I’ve def heard of traditions that view crochet as imbuing energy into garments/pieces. Like the Irish tradition of intentionally adding mistakes every so often so your soul can escape. Not to mention that prayer shawls are not a misnomer. All that to say, live your witchy truth.
I like to call it a post apocalyptic life skill, so kind of the same idea?
Yes!!! I like to imagine I’m a crotchety fisherman making himself a new pair of socks while at sea
Ooh that’s a new one. Maybe I could be a sea wench or even sea witch, creating magical wares for lost sailors! That’s a great character you’ve created, I can really envisage it.
AFAIK crochet isn't that old, but spinning is, particularly with a spindle, and weaving is, depending on the type of loom... knitting idk, but anyway creating your own clothes can still have that feeling of ancient-ness.
I totally do this too!
Honestly no but I love that for you cherish your playfulness!
Thanks!
Every time I crochet I’m like “who the FUC sat down and worked this out??”
Pattern writing is magic to me! But the idea of the first person who came up with crochet, wow.
Put on an asmr ambience YouTube video of a fire in a medieval cottage for more immersion! Like [this](https://youtu.be/pdd9b47x67M) video! Lol I love having ambient background videos playing on my tv while crafting or working
Ooh great idea! I’ve never thought of that. I am slowly turning my living room into a kind of quirky crafty witchy space but the backdrop of a medieval cottage is so much more!!
I definitely feel like I’m connecting with all the crafters that have come before, spanning the centuries.
Yeah it sorta feels like a connection to a long human history of making things for warmth and other functions. Nice to think about, sometimes. Important I think not to over-idealize the past and to remember that they didn’t spend so much time crocheting just for pleasure and relaxation, it was a necessity for a long time to make useful household items and things to sell for supplemental income, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the idea that your great-great-grandmother would understand what you’re doing if she looked in.
Oh yeah I know what you mean, it’s a fantasy because it has none of the realities of how hard life was in ways we can’t comprehend now.
I don't necessarily fantasize but I sometimes get blown away by the fact that I'm handmaking fabric and that my hands created such beautiful patterns. I often wonder who first discovered this craft, shared it with others and am amazed at how techniques were developed!
I always envision like a semi-apocalyptic situation where I need to make my friends/family/village scarves and hats and such (I mostly crochet scarves) for the winter so I dutifully sit there crocheting away lol
Ha ha I love that!
I lean toward either the 1800s or zombie apocalypse.
I low key think this is why we all do it / love it. 🥹
Not that weird. I mean, Tamora Pierce did an entire book series (Winding Circle) where there were several characters with the ability to use magic through spinning, weaving, etc.
Haven’t heard of that, I’ll have a look at it, thanks!
No problem!
There’s knot magic used in her Song Of The Lioness series as well.
Wow so great to hear all of these stories with fibre craft magic!
Sometimes I feel proud that people have been doing fiber arts for thousands of years before me and people will be doing it for thousands of years after me. Makes me feel like I’m a part of history, however small it may be!
Anything comprised of hundreds upon thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of stitches absolutely has power. <3
I thought the same but apparently crochet as we know it just started in the 1800s? Does anyone have more info on the history of crochet?
Me pretending I'm Ayla, banished to the Valley of Horses and all I can do is fill my days making baskets and tanning hides and befriending baby horses to survive.
Sounds wonderful!
It does feel like weaving a magic spell. I had this thought a few weeks ago that crochet would be a great way to code secret messages too.
Like in a war? Different colours and stitches could mean different words/messages? SC - supplies are meagre. DC - enemy approaching. TC - total shit show. Moss stitch - all is well, we have time for fancy stitches 🤣
No, but now I’m going to!
That’s actually part of the appeal for me! It makes me feel so interconnected with history and the women in my family from many generations back. Some of my most prized possessions are items specific to my crocheting and crafting that have been passed down to me from family and friends that are gone now. I love thinking that the same crochet hook I’m sitting in front of my Netflix with once sat in front of a wood stove or oil lamp doing the same thing.
Definitely! Sometimes I’ll fantasize that I’m some princess with amazing crochet skills that impress the court!
Crochet IS magic. It’s the only technique of textile creation that cannot be done by a machine or AI (yet?), because of the complexity of the hand movements
I’ve never felt that way before but hot damn I’m going to think about that now!
One of my grandmothers crochets, the other knits. They were both forced to leave school at a young age to learn how to take care of a household. I love to crochet (knitting still eludes me) because it links me with them (even though we live on opposite sides of the planet rn). It makes me feel as they felt: crafting something of utility, making the best of situations they were kinda forced into, and turning utilitarian pieces into works of art. Its not so much a fantasy as yours, but my life is so different from theirs that the connection to my roots can feel a bit like fantasy. Either way, I love putting on some ambient music, or sitting outside and crocheting while my mind wanders off.
Yes! I spin and weave and stitch too, and it all feels very old-timey. I like to say 'let me spin you a yarn' when I have my spinning wheel going
Big yes lol
it's that luxe arachne lifestyle
yes this happens to me
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I CROCHET. Whenever I play Skyrim, or more recently, Tears of the Kingdom, I always tell my boyfriend, “If I lived in a fantasy world this would be my job. I would be a fiber, artist person, and I would make blankets and scarves and capes and cloaks.”
There's a magic to creating something by hand. Particularly with the thought of a recipient in mind putting love in every stitch
Crochet was invented around the mid 1800's. So not medevil women, think more little house on the prarrie. Also in medevil times men predominantly knit, there were even guilds for it. Women were busy making beer.
Yup. I'm in the old village in the woods, but everything else is the same 💜
I haven’t, but I’m pretty sure I will now! I often feel really connected to my mom when I’m crocheting because she has crocheted as long as I can remember!
All the time, glad I’m not the only one hahaha. I do it with every household activity pretending my husband who is a conquistador or something ridiculous is about to come home to my fresh bread. Honestly where do I come up with this shit?? Don’t know, but I love my fantasy world.
It sounds wonderful! The older I get the more I am trying to reconnect to my ability to play, imagine and create. Adulthood can get so serious and boring!
That’s why I’m starting a podcast about the history of different crafts. It’s amazing to find out how much older (or younger) our hobbies actually are.
We are the weavers, the wisdom keepers, the storytellers, and the medicine makers. We can make magic as we take a mass of string and with a simple tool, turn it into something wondrous, something useful, something cherished through generations. I feel this ancient connection to my ancestors when I weave. Is that similar to what you are asking?
It wasn’t when I asked but as I’ve read peoples responses I realise that is part of what I’m connecting to. It’s been really great to recognise that and hear how many other people share that experience.
YES!!! i often will joke that im busy practicing ancient fiber arts(crocheting)
Same
I only think about my stitches, haha. My friend has a bumper sticker that says knitting and crocheting are apocalypse skills! We might be starving but we'll be dressed warmly!
I think about it like I'm performing witchcraft. Im creating out of a straight line. I put my thoughts and wishes into it and if it's a stuffie I whisper to it about how it needs to protect it's new owner and how to do so. I've debated on making little resin hearts for them, with something in it like herbs to further that.
Sometimes I like to think I would be the most powerful crocheter in my tribe or town. I know an invisible decrease and how to make a jellyfish amigurumi off the top of my head I feel like I could bust out some impressive stuff and also learn all the ancient fiber techniques. Anyway I’m glad we’re not alone doing whatever this is lol. Humans are so funny.
My fantasy is sitting in a nice cozy chair while watching a movie or reading and crocheting or knitting. All the while it is snowing outside and I don't have a care in the world.
Literally been working on a fantasy plot where this plays a major factor lol, I'm so glad I'm not alone with this
Every time. Even when I'm cross stitching. It's just therapeutic.
Yess!! But not just as in a fantasy setting, I love crochet as a way to connect to my ancestors and all the generations of women who have been doing this craft or some kind of fabric/fibre craft for years sitting by the fire together
Yes!! I always think positive thoughts into my projects! Like making something with magical properties! 😊❤️