Things Crochet Taught Me About Parenting

Crochet started as a hobby; I would crochet on commutes, backstage at shows, and in snatched lunchbreak moment; it became a lifeline to my crushed creativity while I was losing myself in the foggy days of new motherhood; during covid I created a social account and sold my custom crochet creations which became a community tool and much-needed income source.

Now it's an ever evolving hobby again. But over the years, I’ve realised it’s more than just yarn and hooks - it’s become a teacher. And oddly enough, many of the lessons I’ve learned with crochet mirror the lessons I’m learning in parenting too.

The Joanna Doll - the first custom crochet doll I ever made for someone other than my own family!

So today, I thought I’d share a few of those threads of wisdom.

1. Patience is Everything

When you’re first learning to crochet, you pull out more stitches than you keep. Your tension is all over the place. You drop stitches without realising. Sound familiar?

Parenting is much the same. You can read all the books, but real life has a way of unravelling your neat plans. Patience - with yourself and with your child - is what holds it all together.

2. Mistakes Can Be Beautiful

I’ve made “mistakes” in crochet projects that ended up becoming design features. A skipped stitch that turned into an interesting texture. A wrong colour change that looked better than the plan.

In parenting, too, mistakes happen. You lose your cool, forget the packed lunch, say yes when you meant no. And yet - those messy, human moments are often where the real connection happens.

George the Giraffe - when I was making custom toys and dolls to order.

3. Progress Isn’t Always Visible

Some projects grow quickly, others take months. Sometimes you can’t even tell you’re making progress until you step back and look at the whole piece.

Children grow like that too. One day they’re struggling with a word, the next it rolls off their tongue like it was always there. It reminds me that progress is happening, even when it feels slow.

4. The Importance of Rest Rows

Every crocheter knows the bliss of a simple row - nothing complicated, just a soothing rhythm.

Parenting has its “rest rows” too. The quiet cuddle on the sofa. The walk to school where you just chat about the clouds. These moments might not feel like “progress,” but they’re the foundation.

5. You Don’t Have to Follow the Pattern Exactly

Patterns are helpful, but some of the best projects happen when you make them your own.

As parents, we’re given endless “patterns” to follow - advice from books, blogs, relatives, strangers in supermarkets. But our family isn’t a carbon copy of anyone else’s. We get to stitch our own story.

I crocheted all of the guest's wedding favours, wedding party gifts (like brooches, boutonnieres, etc) and bridesmaid shawls for our wedding!

6. Community Matters

Crochet thrives in community - swapping yarn, learning stitches, cheering each other on. Parenting can feel lonely, but it’s lighter when you’re surrounded by people who get it.

Finding your people - whether in real life or online - is a lifeline. We weren’t meant to do this alone.

A Thread of Connection

Crochet and parenting both remind me that it’s not about perfection; it's about progress. It's about learning, and creativity, and mindfulness. It’s about showing up, one stitch at a time, one day at a time. Slowly, quietly, beautifully - we create something stronger and more meaningful than we ever could have imagined.

And just like with yarn, it’s only when you look back that you realise how far you’ve come.

If you’d like to bring a little more creativity and calm into your everyday life, I’ve put together some crochet-friendly tools and resources you can find in The Z Studio Project shop on Ko-Fi.

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