I really relate to this topic so much. I crochet as a hobby. With my master's program and job hunting, I don't have the time to put out the amount of crochet pieces that I see all over social media. It's a little discouraging to see "what I made in a month" videos that have more pieces than I make in a year. I've heard so many times that I should open a store, but that's a full time job in itself and I realistically couldn't do that on top of work. It feels like there is so much pressure to make as many things in possible, but there's not so much emphasis on the quality of the pieces. I really have to remind myself a lot that I crochet for myself and it's okay if a cardigan takes months. I am proud of my work, so I can't and shouldn't hold myself to the standards of others.
You’re working on your masters and still dedicate time for you hobby when ever you can, that’s a winner in my book. Just remind yourself that once you’re done with your masters degree you’ll have more time and can relax with some crochet 😊
Oh my goodness! I am a similar situation with thinking about open a shop but I have a lot on my plate with 2 jobs and being in college. I don’t know what to do yet so I’ve been doing research.
This really helped, I tend to hold myself to other crafters standards instead of just focusing on what my skill and time limits are. So again thank you for the reminder. Also good luck with this semester!
Easier said than done but we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. Social media is great but it can also be very detrimental. What people show on social media is only a snippet of their actual life and it can be manipulated into showing you whatever that person wants you to see. People’s lives are not always what they are portrayed to be on social media. Crafting is supposed to be a stress reliever, fun, relaxing and enjoyable. If you start comparing your work and your productivity to others, then it is now a competition and one that is not on an even playing field. Enjoy other peoples creations, but never compare yourself to them. Every person is unique and brings something special to this world. It would be a very dull place if we all acted like each other.
Also, I’ve been meeting so many fiber artists who have people tell them their work is overpriced and that always makes me want to SCREAM! I value my time and when I have someone try to tell me it’s worth any less than I perceive it to be, it makes me very mcmad :,)
omg anna, every. single. word. hit the nail right on the head for me! starting out, i would just churn out crochet projects left & right for the fun of learning how to make a new thing. now that i’ve learned enough to be able to crochet/knit almost any project i can think of, i’m much slower to start projects. lately, my personal method of fighting productivity culture and craft burnout is to wait until i find a project that i would want for myself and making that. i spent the entire first year and a half of crocheting on gifting items or making them for my shop, i totally skipped over making personal projects. now, i get motivation from knowing that the end product will be mine to enjoy and not just something i’m pumping out to have a certain number of listings on depop every week. not to mention how important it is to take breaks from crochet/knit. i definitely can’t go as fast as i used to and my wrists and arms start hurting far sooner than they used to. i know that i personally can never have crocheting fund my whole life, and if ALL i ever did was crochet, it probably wouldn’t be as fun for me. each item means SO much more to me when i wait for inspiration to hit and don’t force it. thank u so much for this video! i never realized how many people may feel the exact same way
I’ve been working on a single sock for three weeks now, not even turned for the ankle yet and it’s not like it’s even a long sock or anything 😂 I craft as a hobby as I’m pretty busy and I have a chronic pain illness as well. I love looking on social media at other peoples crafts when I can’t craft but sometimes it has made me feel bad about how slow I work. This video was a really nice reminder that knitting and crochet is supposed to be fun! It shouldn’t add more stress to an already stressful life
I work full time, but wish I could just stay at home and crochet instead. I snatch crochet time when I can and make sure I'm enjoying what I'm making as the time is precious. Thanks for your honesty 😊
Two things that help me a lot is sketching out the projects I want to make so I can see how they will look more or less when it’s finished, and the second thing is when I feel like I haven’t don’t enough I do the math of how many stitches I’ve made so far and sometimes seeing that it’s in the thousands blows my mind and inspires me to keep at my pace since I’m doing alright. I say this things knowing full well I have 5 wips on the go right now lol
I know some people will make several (often short) videos and just post them later so they may be putting out content daily, but actually they made all that content ahead of time. Just an idea. ❤
I wanted to chime in as a full time crocheter lol. Even as a full-time crocheter there is pressure. There is pressure to post constantly to get the views and potential customers. When I make 1 item, I will record about 3 videos for the same item in different ways so I have videos ready to post for later days. I def do get tired at times of making the same product over and over again and wish I had time to make something different for myself. It is important to me to make time to make something for myself because if I don't I will begin to burnout and once I do make something for myself, its like a restart button. Being a full-time crocheter is hard and its not always as fun as it can be perceived on social media. There's a lot of responsibility and time management and constant making that goes with it. I literally crochet ALL DAY. Yesterday I had a complete day off after like 3 months and that's because I was hungover and had no motivation to work lol. Throughout the day I felt guilty but I had to remind myself that I DESERVE a break. I def need to find a better work balance. Even with all that being said, I still love crocheting full time and I am beyond grateful I am able to do it at this time in my life. There are pros and cons to anything and everything really.
I’ve seen some people use special stitch markers as ‘progress markers’ and I really like that idea. You put where you start in a session, day, week, and it’s a visual indicator of how much progress you’ve made. This is especially nice in large projects where it can be hard to see how much you’ve done.
I dont knit , crochet , spin , quilt for anyone elses enjoyment but mine, even if what I am working on is a commision or future gift. I didnt get into these hobbies to churn out items like a machine. We have machines to do that. This is the, Why knit a pair of socks when you can buy socks at the local store for cheaper, question. I enjoy the socks longer. I know how a sock is constructed regardless if it came from a machine or off knitting needles. I even know the history of socks and how a sock knitting machine kicked off the industral revolution. When you put knitting needles or a hook to yarn you are doing more than churning out items. You are connecting to the long history of people. In the end, I get more out of my hand made items. If it takes me longer than joe q whoever down the street then so be it. It is my journey not theirs.
thank you so much for this. i haven't been as active on my ig for a couple of weeks because I recently started student teaching so all of my time and energy has been going into that and I've felt guilty for not being as active. I really needed this reminder
this video was WAY too relatable. i work a full time job and consider knitting to be my hobby/side hustle (but i still know i have a lot more time to dedicate to knitting than other people!). with that being said, i can TOTALLY tend to compare myself to other people on social media without really considering the differences that might exist between my life & someone else's as well as what pieces we're making, etc. at the end of the day i know i'm happy with the things i'm making but it can be so hard not to feed into the comparison game & wish i could create things faster too! i'm definitely still working on it & trying my best to be satisfied with where i am 🧘♀
When I get to the point where I feel a bit "jealous" or anxious about what others are posting (I work FT) I try to just pull back from watching as much as I can so I can concentrate on what I am doing. Thank you for this - It helped me see things a bit differently.
I relate to this so much. I knit, crochet, and spin. I love making things, but it’s hard to only do one project at a time. I recently decided that I’m going to learn about different types of wool, and I will be sharing that on my channel. I’m excited and nervous about it.
I don’t crochet, I cross stitch but I feel similarly. I got really burnt out at the beginning of the year and didn’t pick up any projects until a couple of weeks ago. Last year especially I used to put pressure on myself to make something big or make gifts for other people and nothing for myself. My crafty resolution is to start making smaller things for myself. I’ve been cross stitching since I was 8/9 (24 now) and never kept anything for myself so I’m letting myself be selfish from now on 😂
This helped me a ton. Because I have felt like that a lot lately. I have felt the need to post reels and different content every single day. And I'm literally exhausted trying to build my audience and touch amd help others. Thank you so much for making this! I think I need to take anfew steps back from social media for a few days for my mental health. Cause I'm starting to feel burnt out. ALL OF MY SOCIAL MEDIAS are knitting and crochet content, cause I love it. But there's also so much to get lost in.
I definitely feel this! Crocheting isn't even a part of my job or anything but I still feel bad that I'm so busy with uni to pick up my projects. There are so many things I wanna create but I have to stick to short projects whenever I get the time if I stand a chance of finishing them 😅🧶
Love watching your videos and have been a long time subscriber! One tip I have found for when I feel like I haven't done enough is I will stop the project i'm working on if it no longer brings me joy and stop using social media for a couple days and make a dream board of small easy projects that excite me. I then work on it until it is complete then come back to that initial project. Small wins refuels that initial spark we all share as fiber artists. hope this little tip helped ❤
This hits very close to home being a full-time graduate student. I also have severe carpal tunnel and am waiting for surgery to be scheduled. I miss crocheting as much as I once did, but I am trying to find a way to compromise between my wants and needs when it comes to crochet.
I recently finished a beautiful project that uses the shell stitch in a purse and people have been asking left and right for me to make them and it’s been so hard to explain that I don’t want to mix business and pleasure and turn my hobbies into work, people just don’t understand that putting this kind of time and love into a project requires so much energy and passion and time lol
I just started with crochet and love it so much! I am too much of a newbie to feel that kind of pressure but can definitely see how it can happen! Love your videos!! :)
Love this video it def speaks to me!!! I’m dealing with health issues and I struggle to have the energy to crochet regularly. When I watch videos of how much people make in a week or month etc I always remind myself that I have no idea what they have going on in their life and try not to compare my productivity to theirs!!
Do you think you would ever post ur stuff from Instagram in the community section or your tiktoks as shorts here on TH-cam? I love your content and I'd love to see the other things you do. I understand the following things but some people (love myself) don't have Instagram or tiktok but would love to see your other vids. Lots of creators do this so if u don't want to, I'd understand. (Many creators don't, I wish they would)
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I really relate to this topic so much. I crochet as a hobby. With my master's program and job hunting, I don't have the time to put out the amount of crochet pieces that I see all over social media. It's a little discouraging to see "what I made in a month" videos that have more pieces than I make in a year. I've heard so many times that I should open a store, but that's a full time job in itself and I realistically couldn't do that on top of work. It feels like there is so much pressure to make as many things in possible, but there's not so much emphasis on the quality of the pieces. I really have to remind myself a lot that I crochet for myself and it's okay if a cardigan takes months. I am proud of my work, so I can't and shouldn't hold myself to the standards of others.
You’re working on your masters and still dedicate time for you hobby when ever you can, that’s a winner in my book. Just remind yourself that once you’re done with your masters degree you’ll have more time and can relax with some crochet 😊
Oh my goodness! I am a similar situation with thinking about open a shop but I have a lot on my plate with 2 jobs and being in college. I don’t know what to do yet so I’ve been doing research.
same here!
This really helped, I tend to hold myself to other crafters standards instead of just focusing on what my skill and time limits are. So again thank you for the reminder. Also good luck with this semester!
Easier said than done but we need to stop comparing ourselves to others. Social media is great but it can also be very detrimental. What people show on social media is only a snippet of their actual life and it can be manipulated into showing you whatever that person wants you to see. People’s lives are not always what they are portrayed to be on social media. Crafting is supposed to be a stress reliever, fun, relaxing and enjoyable. If you start comparing your work and your productivity to others, then it is now a competition and one that is not on an even playing field. Enjoy other peoples creations, but never compare yourself to them. Every person is unique and brings something special to this world. It would be a very dull place if we all acted like each other.
Well said! I love this energy
Also, I’ve been meeting so many fiber artists who have people tell them their work is overpriced and that always makes me want to SCREAM! I value my time and when I have someone try to tell me it’s worth any less than I perceive it to be, it makes me very mcmad :,)
I just subbed about 2 weeks ago and was waiting for my first official watching as a subscriber
omg anna, every. single. word. hit the nail right on the head for me! starting out, i would just churn out crochet projects left & right for the fun of learning how to make a new thing. now that i’ve learned enough to be able to crochet/knit almost any project i can think of, i’m much slower to start projects.
lately, my personal method of fighting productivity culture and craft burnout is to wait until i find a project that i would want for myself and making that. i spent the entire first year and a half of crocheting on gifting items or making them for my shop, i totally skipped over making personal projects. now, i get motivation from knowing that the end product will be mine to enjoy and not just something i’m pumping out to have a certain number of listings on depop every week.
not to mention how important it is to take breaks from crochet/knit. i definitely can’t go as fast as i used to and my wrists and arms start hurting far sooner than they used to. i know that i personally can never have crocheting fund my whole life, and if ALL i ever did was crochet, it probably wouldn’t be as fun for me. each item means SO much more to me when i wait for inspiration to hit and don’t force it.
thank u so much for this video! i never realized how many people may feel the exact same way
I’ve been working on a single sock for three weeks now, not even turned for the ankle yet and it’s not like it’s even a long sock or anything 😂 I craft as a hobby as I’m pretty busy and I have a chronic pain illness as well. I love looking on social media at other peoples crafts when I can’t craft but sometimes it has made me feel bad about how slow I work. This video was a really nice reminder that knitting and crochet is supposed to be fun! It shouldn’t add more stress to an already stressful life
UR HAIR IS AMAZING!!!
I work full time, but wish I could just stay at home and crochet instead. I snatch crochet time when I can and make sure I'm enjoying what I'm making as the time is precious. Thanks for your honesty 😊
Two things that help me a lot is sketching out the projects I want to make so I can see how they will look more or less when it’s finished, and the second thing is when I feel like I haven’t don’t enough I do the math of how many stitches I’ve made so far and sometimes seeing that it’s in the thousands blows my mind and inspires me to keep at my pace since I’m doing alright. I say this things knowing full well I have 5 wips on the go right now lol
thank you for this! you’re doing amazing 🙌🫶
I know some people will make several (often short) videos and just post them later so they may be putting out content daily, but actually they made all that content ahead of time. Just an idea. ❤
I wanted to chime in as a full time crocheter lol. Even as a full-time crocheter there is pressure. There is pressure to post constantly to get the views and potential customers. When I make 1 item, I will record about 3 videos for the same item in different ways so I have videos ready to post for later days. I def do get tired at times of making the same product over and over again and wish I had time to make something different for myself. It is important to me to make time to make something for myself because if I don't I will begin to burnout and once I do make something for myself, its like a restart button. Being a full-time crocheter is hard and its not always as fun as it can be perceived on social media. There's a lot of responsibility and time management and constant making that goes with it. I literally crochet ALL DAY. Yesterday I had a complete day off after like 3 months and that's because I was hungover and had no motivation to work lol. Throughout the day I felt guilty but I had to remind myself that I DESERVE a break. I def need to find a better work balance.
Even with all that being said, I still love crocheting full time and I am beyond grateful I am able to do it at this time in my life. There are pros and cons to anything and everything really.
I’ve seen some people use special stitch markers as ‘progress markers’ and I really like that idea. You put where you start in a session, day, week, and it’s a visual indicator of how much progress you’ve made. This is especially nice in large projects where it can be hard to see how much you’ve done.
I dont knit , crochet , spin , quilt for anyone elses enjoyment but mine, even if what I am working on is a commision or future gift. I didnt get into these hobbies to churn out items like a machine. We have machines to do that. This is the, Why knit a pair of socks when you can buy socks at the local store for cheaper, question. I enjoy the socks longer. I know how a sock is constructed regardless if it came from a machine or off knitting needles. I even know the history of socks and how a sock knitting machine kicked off the industral revolution. When you put knitting needles or a hook to yarn you are doing more than churning out items. You are connecting to the long history of people. In the end, I get more out of my hand made items. If it takes me longer than joe q whoever down the street then so be it. It is my journey not theirs.
Thank you so muchhhh this helped me a lot!
thank you so much for this. i haven't been as active on my ig for a couple of weeks because I recently started student teaching so all of my time and energy has been going into that and I've felt guilty for not being as active. I really needed this reminder
this video was WAY too relatable. i work a full time job and consider knitting to be my hobby/side hustle (but i still know i have a lot more time to dedicate to knitting than other people!). with that being said, i can TOTALLY tend to compare myself to other people on social media without really considering the differences that might exist between my life & someone else's as well as what pieces we're making, etc. at the end of the day i know i'm happy with the things i'm making but it can be so hard not to feed into the comparison game & wish i could create things faster too! i'm definitely still working on it & trying my best to be satisfied with where i am 🧘♀
When I get to the point where I feel a bit "jealous" or anxious about what others are posting (I work FT) I try to just pull back from watching as much as I can so I can concentrate on what I am doing. Thank you for this - It helped me see things a bit differently.
I relate to this so much. I knit, crochet, and spin. I love making things, but it’s hard to only do one project at a time. I recently decided that I’m going to learn about different types of wool, and I will be sharing that on my channel. I’m excited and nervous about it.
I don’t crochet, I cross stitch but I feel similarly. I got really burnt out at the beginning of the year and didn’t pick up any projects until a couple of weeks ago. Last year especially I used to put pressure on myself to make something big or make gifts for other people and nothing for myself. My crafty resolution is to start making smaller things for myself. I’ve been cross stitching since I was 8/9 (24 now) and never kept anything for myself so I’m letting myself be selfish from now on 😂
This helped me a ton. Because I have felt like that a lot lately. I have felt the need to post reels and different content every single day. And I'm literally exhausted trying to build my audience and touch amd help others. Thank you so much for making this! I think I need to take anfew steps back from social media for a few days for my mental health. Cause I'm starting to feel burnt out. ALL OF MY SOCIAL MEDIAS are knitting and crochet content, cause I love it. But there's also so much to get lost in.
I definitely feel this! Crocheting isn't even a part of my job or anything but I still feel bad that I'm so busy with uni to pick up my projects. There are so many things I wanna create but I have to stick to short projects whenever I get the time if I stand a chance of finishing them 😅🧶
Love watching your videos and have been a long time subscriber! One tip I have found for when I feel like I haven't done enough is I will stop the project i'm working on if it no longer brings me joy and stop using social media for a couple days and make a dream board of small easy projects that excite me. I then work on it until it is complete then come back to that initial project. Small wins refuels that initial spark we all share as fiber artists. hope this little tip helped ❤
This hits very close to home being a full-time graduate student. I also have severe carpal tunnel and am waiting for surgery to be scheduled. I miss crocheting as much as I once did, but I am trying to find a way to compromise between my wants and needs when it comes to crochet.
You are very wise Anna. When you push yourself and put too many demands on yourself,it no longer is enjoyable. Keep it fun. 💜🙏🏻
I recently finished a beautiful project that uses the shell stitch in a purse and people have been asking left and right for me to make them and it’s been so hard to explain that I don’t want to mix business and pleasure and turn my hobbies into work, people just don’t understand that putting this kind of time and love into a project requires so much energy and passion and time lol
Thank you for making this video! Everything you said is how I’ve been feeling too.
I just started with crochet and love it so much! I am too much of a newbie to feel that kind of pressure but can definitely see how it can happen! Love your videos!! :)
Love this video it def speaks to me!!! I’m dealing with health issues and I struggle to have the energy to crochet regularly. When I watch videos of how much people make in a week or month etc I always remind myself that I have no idea what they have going on in their life and try not to compare my productivity to theirs!!
I relate!!
Do you think you would ever post ur stuff from Instagram in the community section or your tiktoks as shorts here on TH-cam? I love your content and I'd love to see the other things you do.
I understand the following things but some people (love myself) don't have Instagram or tiktok but would love to see your other vids. Lots of creators do this so if u don't want to, I'd understand. (Many creators don't, I wish they would)
so many of use can relate and I think that really proves that we can learn to step back and reevaluate our headspace towards our hobbies