Try crochet..you up could end being hooked
While many of us bingewatched box sets over lockdown, others picked up a new hobby to pass the time and boost their mental or physical health.
And while walking, gardening and baking were among the most popular pastimes, people of all ages also discovered the therapeutic benefits of knitting and crocheting.
Lauded for its mindfulness and ability to help us relax, crocheting has taken off in a big way – and people in West Lothian are hooked.
It’s a hobby that anyone can enjoy and has benefits that are said to improve mental health.
This week the Courier is catching up with Leigh Thornton, who runs a crochet club in West Lothian, and found out why she’s got it all stitched up.
Leigh said she started Crochet Club after running many one-off workshops and courses over the years and finding that participants wanted to keep building on the relationships they made in the classes while developing their crochet skills.
Leigh explained: “As crocheting is so mindful by nature, having a monthly opportunity for people to come along, be creative, social and take time for themselves to relax just made sense.
“I started Crochet Club this year. I had a very successful beginners course in May and a lot of the ladies wanted to carry on meeting and learning.
“I run it as a welcoming, beginnerfriendly group so members are always changing. I offer it as a nocommitment kind of group. Anyone can check out the next few months of workshops and book into the ones that they find interesting.
“I have around five people that I’ve seen regularly at the workshops and some new faces that I hope to see more of.
“There are up to eight spaces in each workshop to ensure that everyone has the chance to access tuition with the project. A small group number also means that everyone can chat together.”
Over the pandemic Leigh moved her my existing workshops online and found a big uptake, finding people had more time to spend doing things they loved and learn new skills.
She continued: “Lockdown and restrictions were also a really stressful time so having a hobby like crochet helped to promote relaxation, release all the good hormones and let you have dedicated time to think of nothing else going on was really appealing.
“I’d love more people to come along to Crochet Club and start to feel the benefits of having such a mindful and relaxing hobby.
“It’s been a really stressful year for a lot of people and I’m not only offering the monthly crochet meet-ups, people are taking away a coping strategy for when times get stressful.
“It feels good to know that when people have a bit of crocheting under their belt, they’re armed with a new coping strategy when they need it.”
The club meets in Livingston at Gooey events, Livingston Village, on the third Monday of the month and Craigsfarm Community Hub in Craigshillon the second Wednesday of the month.
For more information email Leigh at thecolourdasher@gmail.com.