Crocheting is very similar to a more common needlework craft, knitting, but it uses one hook instead of two needles.
They are both used to make hats, clothing, plushies, tapestries, scarves, and more.
However, knitting is used more commonly for clothing, while crocheters crochet both clothing and plushies.
I mainly crochet plushies, also known as amigurumi, like the set of beans that I crocheted to go along with the book for classrooms.
I started crocheting in the summer of 2021 and although it took me a while to get the hang of it, I eventually grew to love it.
I decided to learn how to crochet because someone I knew at school had shown me one of their crocheted projects.
I thought it was super cool and wanted to be able to create something like it.
Although crocheting is a fun hobby, it's also an activity to help me relieve stress and anxiety.
In Hazel's Rainbow, each color of the rainbow represents a different emotion.
Because crocheting is a way for me to cope with stress from school and my extracurriculars, I had the idea of incorporating crocheting into my project.
I came up with the idea of crocheting a set of rainbow beans for each classroom that I give my book to.
It makes the book more hands-on and keeps kids interested in learning about their emotions.
They can also serve as stress balls for students when they need help regulating their emotions.