Crocheting Too Tightly | How to relax your fabric, body and mind

Crocheting Too Tightly | How to relax your fabric, body and mind: I teach crochet for beginners and recently a self-taught crocheter asked me for crochet tension tips. So I recorded a video to share some thoughts on how to relax your body, how to relax your mind, and how to relax your crochet fabric. I also go through how to recognize the impact of tight crochet on your stitches and fabric. You can find a link to the video at the bottom of this blog post.

Here's a brief summary of the things I discuss in the video:

The mind, body, fabric connection

Yes, crochet has physical and mental benefits, including helping you relax. Check out this blog post for my top 5 benefits in relation to this.

However, especially if you are a beginner crocheter, or if you are just getting back into crochet, it's important for you to take some time to relax your mind and body before you sit down to create fabric.

Set your intention and pair it with a visual cue

Next, I recommend that you take some time to set your primary intention for your crochet time. It could be as simple as wanting to relax or fall asleep. In the video I shared my intention, which was to relax enough so I could more easily access my inner Fool, in order to have fun, embrace adventure, and move forward with faith in myself.

If you find yourself ruminating, planning, getting stressed, or otherwise starting to focusing on thinking rather than being, then having a visual cue to remind you of your intention can be a good idea. It could be something outside of your fabric like my yarn tarot card, or the light from the candle. Or you could use your fabric to provide its own cues - at the end of each row for example, you could count your stitches while refocusing on your intention.

Slow down!

You don't have a train to catch, so why are you rushing through the process of making your stitches? Consciously slow down the speed with which you crochet. Focus on the feel of the yarn and hook in your hands. Crochet each stitch with care and thoughtful intention.

Technical tips

• Don't throttle your hook! Your loops should always be relaxed and loose
• Your loops should be on the shaft of your hook, not in the throat
• Don't tug on your working yarn as you make or complete your stitches

Tips specifically for your foundation chain

• When making a chain stitch, to protect the chain stitch you just finished, pinch it between your thumb and forefinger
• Before you pull up a loop for the next chain stitch, consciously loosen the loop on your hook
• As you pull up a loop, ensure the new loop is loose, relaxed and on the shaft of your hook

Things to look out for

• Does your foundation row lie straight, or is it "bowing"? If it bends downwards at the ends, this indicates that your foundation chain is likely too tight
• Does your fabric lie flat, or is it curling? Depending on the stitch you're using and the characteristics you want in your fabric, if the fabric is curling it may be an indication that you are making your stitches too tight
• How do the stitches look? Look at the posts (the body) of your crochet stitches. Do the strands within the post look taut or relaxed? Do the posts look scrunched up, or do they fill the space between the head and the row below? Are there holes underneath the posts?