The Meditative Hook: Finding Your Daily Flow State Through Fiber

With all of the overthinking and multitasking that we do in this world it can be hard to just sit and think. Its almost more stressful then sitting in silence. Meditating can seem like too much for a busy mind. If just clearing your mind seems like too much of a task your hands can help you find that stillness.

By using crochet you can enter into a state of mind called flow. As you over the yarn, insert and pull through. Your mind begins to shut off from that overthinking thought and you become at peace with your surroundings.

An Excerpt from The Mindful Stitch: Crochet as a Path to Well-Being

“Crochet, at its core, shows you a loop of pattern your brain can latch onto. The outcome is a desperately needed sense of predictability and order we struggle to create in our lives. Watching your repeated motions of yarn over, insert, pull through, loop, and finish gives your brain one less thing to think about. Literally, your brain and nervous system are provided with a steady and reliable sensory foundation. You’ve given your brain something constant so it doesn’t have to work as hard to analyze what you need to do next.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as reaching ‘a state of heightened consciousness that allows you to lose yourself in an activity. Time vanishes. Self-consciousness disappears. You lose all awareness of the background white noise of anxiety. Action and awareness merge.’ Though you can achieve flow doing high-adrenaline sports or creative activities like difficult problem-solving, it’s easiest to slip into this meditative ‘autopilot’ when you’re working in fiber. Flow is critical for our mental well-being. It gives us an authentic, safe space for our brains.

Blocking out your inner critic is one of the most enjoyable benefits of hooking into a flow state. That voice inside your head tallying your progress, critiquing whether what you are doing is ‘good enough,’ stressing out about what others think… it requires a lot of brainpower! Once you’re fully immersed in the physical act of crocheting, that constant narrative in your head dissolves. You stop worrying about what you have to do tomorrow or what you did wrong last week. You become one with your work.”

About the Book: The Mindful Stitch: Crochet as a Path to Well-Being

How crocheting can benefit your mind and body. Through the use of touch based activities such as crocheting you can allow your mind to be at ease. With facts from neuro science and studio practices we can learn to quiet our minds through crochet. This book will help teach you how to find your creative zen while allowing your body to relax. Come take a break from over stimulation on your devices and find peace at the end of your hook.

Join Our Advance Review Team! 

We are currently recruiting early readers/artists to be a part of our advance review team. You’ll read an advance digital copy of The Mindful Stitch in return for sharing your authentic impressions when the book launches.

Reviewer Guidelines: 

• The Offer: A free advanced digital copy (epub/pdf) of The Mindful Stitch before the official release date.
• Where to Post Review: Leave an honest review on Amazon!
• How Much?  Two-three honest sentences about what stuck out to you, was useful, or make note of… we don’t need drawn-out essays or English majors’ write-ups!
• When: Please post your review within 2-3 weeks of receiving your file (or by release day).

How To Get Yourself An Advanced Copy: 

Complete the Advanced Review Crew Form, including your PDF or ePUB preference, or send us a quick message via our contact page. The advanced review copy will be emailed directly to you.