Any student moms out there?
It’s more common than you think- moms attending college/university and even high school!
I became a mom while attending film school in Australia. I took a break from school after my oldest Esperanza was born and went back when she was a toddler.
Being a mom is already hard and time consuming- an absolute round the clock job. Now add attending university classes and assignments and exams!
I was having constant panic attacks. I could hardly focus on the words in my text book while trying to study. I remembered friends having mentioned that crocheting helped calm their nerves especially when they were anxious. So I gave it a try!
Now picture this- it’s exam season and my husband walks through the door after work to see me sitting surrounded by text books and balls of yarn while crocheting the world’s longest beanie. I kid you not! Ok I didn’t look up the record for the world’s longest beanie. But I made a six foot beanie for my husband while studying for exams because that’s how much it helped me calm down and focus!
And this isn’t just me. Maturing Mama’s administrator Rebekah is an avid knitting machine and she does it also to assist with anxiety. She says, “It keeps my hands busy, my mind calm and my family warm!”
The best part about knitting and crocheting through panic attacks and anxiety is that something absolutely beautiful comes out of a difficult season. I have items I still use and when I wear it I feel accomplished in more ways than just having made a beanie.
I believe everyone ought to give this a try! To start, you ought to fine quality yarn. And there’s no finer place for this than Expression Fiber Arts.
Expression Fiber Arts sells both hand dyed yarn and patterns to follow. Here is creator Chandi to tell us more:
I started Expression Fiber Arts after a divorce and a move across the country from Arkansas to Alaska. It was time for a change in my life and one day I asked myself what I’d do if money were no consideration and without hesitation, I knew in my heart – I wanted to start a hand-dyed yarn company and offer radiant colors, beautiful patterns, all with a positive twist!
Working full time with my husband and our amazing team of dyers, designers and more has been such a delight! Who wouldn’t love to play with color and fibers all day?
Knitting and crocheting are incredibly enjoyable and can be extremely therapeutic. Whether it’s calming our minds working a few rows at the end of a hectic day or the joy of starting a new project, searching for the yarn and perfect pattern combination or the thrill of making a gift and presenting it to someone we love and watching their face light up when we say “I made that!,” knitting and crocheting can offer us peace of mind, a way to show love and express our creativity.
When first starting out either knitting or crocheting, I recommend 3 things. First, give yourself grace. You’re developing a new skill and it will take time and patience.
Secondly, enjoy this learning phase! There are so many amazing stitches to learn and patterns to make. It’s a thrilling time! Try not to get overwhelmed or frustrated with the process.
Thirdly, once you’re able, invest in good tools and yarn as that will make all the difference. Just like cooking with poor ingredients results in inferior recipes, working with low-quality hooks or needles or yarn will have an effect on your final project.
We use professional light and wash-fast dyes for our yarns to ensure high-quality, brilliant, reproducible colors for all your project dreams!
We sell patterns (many are free too) and hand-dyed yarn – we don’t currently offer our finished products for sale.
Patterns are located here: https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/categories/patterns.html
Beginners often enjoy our knitted Sonder shawl pattern or the crochet equivalent, Sugarblush. They come with free video tutorials to ensure your success!
https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/products/sonder.html
https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/products/sugarblush.html
One of our more advanced crochet patterns is our Dreamscape sweater: https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/products/dreamscape.html
McFadden is a great challenge for knitters: https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/products/mcfadden.html
One of the best aspects of knitting/crocheting is the community! From Facebook groups to Ravelry to local yarn shop knit nights, you’ll be sure to find a group you love! The only thing better than happily stitching away is happily stitching away with other like-minded souls!
To shop with Expression Fiber Arts go to https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/
