Crocheting And ADHD/ADD


I have both ADHD and ADD (I think they are the same thing but who knows). I am not sure which but it can be hard to focus on one thing for so long. This brings the question of how can I crochet when crocheting is a mindless task. I actually like mindless tasks but normally I can only focus for so long and then find another. I have a few theories on why crocheting works so well for me but also some things I just love so much.

Finding a stitch/pattern
It has taken me many years but I found a stitch that most of the time I don't get bored of. Which happens to be the granny stitch. This is so relaxing to do and once I get started it's easy to get lost and have fun. Seriously explore different types of stitches and ways to crochet things, I spent years on a single crochet stitch blanket because I could not focus on it. Now I can pop out multiple blankets if I want to focus on them because I found a pattern/stitch I love and that keeps me going. I do still love doing things with single crochets but a lot of the time I have to keep my mind focused as well as my hands. Which normally results in me watching twitch or youtube (just to watch the old twitch streams). And if I am too focused on a pattern my mind doesn't always stay focused. I can though, a lot of people do not believe me but if I do NOT have something in my hands then honestly I will focus less because I will want to be on my phone or something. I really need to keep my hands moving. So when I am wanting to focus with all my might I have granny stitches. I can do them without looking a lot of the time. The reason? you aren't working into the stitches. It can take time to learn the circle beginning part but after that, you are working into openings that you can feel with your hands. It has become one of my favorite things to do. 

I also want to talk about patterns. Crocheting is difficult and takes time to learn, but one thing that leads people away is the patterns. Either they can't understand them or they are way too complicated. That is why I try and make all my patterns easy to understand and as simple as possible. I prefer patterns that I can mostly memorize and do without thought. The only thing I tend to forget is numbers which are why I have a little notebook with notes.

Colors and Patterns
Another thing that keeps me focused is the endless choice of colors and yarn and the fact you can make anything. I choose patterns that I feel are useful but you can make almost absolutely anything you put your mind to. If you just look up the hashtags of crocheting on any site you'll find endless creations in all different colors. Though at the same time it can be hard to choose a color. Sometimes i ask someone for help or I narrow it down. Or honestly, I just use all of them, all the ones I can get my hands on. There is no limit and that can be scary but also insanely fun. Maybe for you, you just need to get one at a time. But this problem is also somewhat solved for me because I buy reused yarn. So when I go shopping for yarn they are in bag bundles. I look and make sure before buying that it has the right size and texture I am willing to work with (some textures I hate to crochet with). And then I have a random set of colors to choose from! It makes shopping easier because I know the yarn walls at craft stores can be overwhelming. The only time I get new yarn is if someone buys it for me and they choose or it is for a very specific project! Which I don't do often because my mind wanders and I just kind of follow where it takes me.

Keeping your hands busy
one thing that comes with ADHD/ADD is the fact that I always want to do something. And besides being on my phone crocheting isn't hard to take with me anywhere I want to go. AS long as you have a ball of yarn and a hook you can do anything anywhere. I normally have one or two balls of yarn in a bag of some kind. And because of how much I crochet I have created a little go bag with all the essentials that I can just grab and I know I can make something if I want to. Trust me I always have a ball of yarn almost everywhere I go.

Now I know this doesn't apply to everyone but I wanted to share some things I have noticed and also enjoyed about crocheting with ADHD/ADD. I think about these things because I notice when I game I can't focus on just any game. Normally when I game it is through phases and I play non-stop for days or not at all. I really recommend if you have any sort of trouble finding patterns you can understand or prefer simpler patterns to check out some of my patterns on here. Some aren't as easy but I really do try to make them clear and simple.

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