Crochet time in everyday family life—how do you carve out little breaks for yourselves?

Dear Franziska,

we belong to different generations.

You’re describing the daily life of a young woman today, whose routine revolves around work, family, and all kinds of commitments. I’m over 60, and my children are grown and have families of their own. So for me, that “active” phase of family and work is already behind me. That’s why my comment on your thread can only be a personal look back. And this one dates back to the 1990s.

When I was young (shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall), I worked full-time, had a 5-person blended household to take care of, maintained a fruit and vegetable garden 30 km away, and also looked after my parents. There was little time left for my hobby of needlework. I simply lacked the inner peace needed for “relaxed needlework.”

I like to immerse myself deeply in my needlework projects and enjoy the entire process—from the idea to the finished result. So just crocheting or knitting a few stitches on the side left me feeling rather unsatisfied. So I stuffed all my craft supplies (yes, I had so few back then) into a bag and hid it way in the back of the closet.

It wasn’t until years later, when my personal situation changed and I had more time for myself, that I dug out my old craft supplies again. The knitting magazines were decades old. But you never really forget how to knit or crochet. On the contrary, it was like rediscovering the hobby. Everything I hadn’t been able to fully enjoy over the years—but which had likely been lying dormant within me—I now made up for with great enthusiasm. There was so much new to discover and try out, and now there are such wonderful new yarns, too. Colored yarns, in particular, didn’t even exist back then. And there are so many different types and weights. A visit to my yarn shop felt like a trip to paradise.

Getting back into my hobby brought me great joy, and that joy continues to this day. And since 2018, it’s even been my full-time job.

Warm regards, Ina