Crochet is a fantastic hobby and is known for being faster than its close cousin, knitting; however, it still isn’t known for being a speedy method. Some of the joy of handmade items comes from the knowledge that time and love have gone into it, but it is still common to want to speed things up.
Bulkier yarn
This seems like common sense but is easy to miss: the bigger the yarn, the fewer stitches you need to finish a project. Lace-weight yarn can feel like your project lasts forever, so increase the yarn thickness and see your projects speed up. The faster you can see your project grow, the more invested you are likely to be in keeping going.
Use a crochet kit
Crochet kits are sets that can be bought that include a pattern and all the necessary yarns. This can optionally go as far as to include your hooks and other accessories. It removes the time taken to shop for materials; for example, crochet blanket kits remove a great deal of time in choosing matching colours. Specialists such as Wool Couture stock crochet blanket kits that could save you a significant amount of time.
Find a comfortable spot
The correct spot will have the right lighting to reduce strain on your eyes, a comfortable, supportive seat to reduce the risk of aches and pains, and a warm environment to help prevent your muscles from seizing up. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust states that 80 in 100 people will suffer from lower back pain in their lifetime, so the last thing you want is to join them because of your crochet position. Nothing stops you from crocheting faster than aching muscles and sore joints.
Warm-up
We warm up for exercise yet not for activities such as crochet. Injuries such as repetitive strain injury, aching muscles and tender joints are no fun for anyone and certainly won’t speed the process up. It is worth doing some basic hand and wrist stretches before you get going to prevent injury and pain.
