As someone who crochets regularly and also started with granny squares: I made one granny square and didn’t pick up a crochet hook for two years I made seven Bees in one weekend
I don't think I have ADHD, but I started crocheting by just doing a regular square for so long. Then I made a handful of octopuses in a week and then went on to make pigs and then went on to make my own patterns of sharks, cacti, and succulents
I startet a blanked with a lot of hexagonal little parts.... I started 5 years ago... all the parts are done and put together... I just need to close off some seams 😅 it's a nightmare.... but i also started an animal... Also not done. And another blanket... all unfinished. I suck 😅
@@Chakrenqueen no you don't. you can finish a project ANY time. I have all sorts of things finished and unfinished, and sometimes i even have to force myself to do a project imperfectly, just to get it done, like my biltong box i finished a couple days ago...i'd waited months to find the perfect display cabinet and i freaking still can't, so i literally took a couple hours and made one with a cardboard box, clear packing tape, a dollar tree fan and dollar tree metal skewer set, some hooks I made with wire, and some old fabric. i now have home made jerky, and will forever...and eventually i will find my box and upgrade it. The major takeaway is that the people who would criticise us for being this way, never freaking do anything cool tho, for real. I've noticed that every single time. At least we have varied interests, learn new things, learn new ideas, gain skill sets, and become inspired, and to the right people we inspire them as well. Keep doing as many projects as you feel like whenever you feel like it. I find it has a natural cycle of working itself out if you embrace it. there are some days i will get out 2 or 3 things to finish. The time it takes me to finish has nothing to do with how awesome something turns out. It is what it is. In general every new project I take on takes 5 times longer than Ithink it will.
IKK i tried to crochet but i gave up trying to do the first part with like the wrapping hook thingy 😞 i might try it again since i still have all the hooks
i might have adhd because i have the same problems listed in the video so i wanted to make a jacket, but i only did 1.5 of the squares and i currently made a plushie of one of my ocs (if anybodys hella curious its at the end of my last fanart vid/ my pfp, just uncolored) in like a week or 2 i started those squares last year i made the plushie fully by myself, not even using a pattern (since all of the ones i liked were buyable only)
*mini* stuffed animals. I literally never get bored because i finish them so fast, theyre one of my only craft things that doesn't get abandonned half way through
Was told putting yourself in difficult or doing stuff that's difficult is A LOT more fulfilling than doing mundane tasks with ADHD, why do you think most people with ADHD are adrenaline junkies? Hahahahaha😅
If you have ADHD and hyperfixations pro tip: crochet a doll that looks like your favorite character. Start off with something easy. There’s a crochet cactus tutorial I followed because I had a bunch of green yarn left over from when I tried crocheting when I was *10* (yes, that’s the last time I crocheted before this year), then I moved to a small doll of Kim Kitsuragi, and now I’m making little Weebee dolls of Honkai Star Rail characters.
@theshanamaster it's not so much adrenaline junkies as dopamine junkies. It's all in the dopamine. Our reward centers need more stimulation with novelty to keep the same level of motivation going through long term projects. So we have to learn to trick our brains with smaller more frequent rewards, or turn the process into a game or a race, or add novelty with new challenges or things to learn.
THIS!!! I have adhd and autism and crocheting is my new hyperfixation. I only want to make stuffed animals and it was so much fun. The way you described the rows as missions is how I feel exactly!!
This line has gotten me back into crocheting in general more. I've been avoiding things that require referring to a pattern regularly and just making things with simple repeats but it's not satisfying me anymore. I started working on a pair of horns last night and I was so happy every time I finished a row just because of the difference in outlook :D
Yes, I love that tooooo! Girl you’re so awesome and THANK YOU for posting this great info … now I feel the dish cloths are too advanced for me 🙄😅🤪 I think 1 out of 10 coming out perfectly square sucks but . . . I keep trying (now Wisteria is giving me 🤯) at least it’s only for our kitchen (I did make an embarrassing wonky one for a friend)
I started with a crochet cat and agree, it is totally doable! The hardest thing was not crocheting it, but sawing parts together. Then i moved on to a little lace strips just bc it is sooo beautiful in my eyes (I don't care it's almost useless, I felt joy just looking at them) and it was a great way to learn ALL the stitches.
It's 12:34 A.M right now and my inner ADHD is screaming " LET'S GO TO THE CRAFT STORE AND GET THE STUFF WE NEED AND WE ARE GONNA MAKE A FROG!" I need to go to the craft store tomorrow
The stuff animals scare me. They look so complicated. But they are so gosh darn cute. I really should try and break my scarf habit and make one of those.
@@kindledragon2687 Do it! The first crochet piece I ever made was a stuffed penguin. The only hard part of it was figuring out how to make a magic loop, the rest was just single stitch and remembering to put in a stitch marker at the start of a row cause losing your place when working in a round is Pain.
@@kindledragon2687honestly the sphere shaped ones are the easiest cus you just do a flat circle, even walls, then the same circle in reverse. Then some arms legs and sew a face. ✨Ta da✨ all done and it is so cute. Then you can learn the more complicated one from there. 😁 I recommend tiny turtles 🐢or octopi🐙
Was literally told, you could plonk someone with adhd out on the middle of nowhere they'd capable to figure it out within 6 hours or so, compared to someone normal, we with adhd NEED DIFFICULT THINGS
@@kindledragon2687maybe the cuteness will encourage you to keep going! And of course your little plushie buddy will need a plushie friend. 😂 you cant let him down!
My adhd friend got into crocheting and the only thing she’s been making is bees, tiny squids, scarfs and hats for the bees it’s literally so adorable 😭
LOL, 100%! I started with water bottle holders, wine glass holders, flower pots filled with butterflies instead of stuffing. Lots of little things that can be done in a day and given away to friends are the BEST!!
THANK YOU!!! So true!The only way I could finish a granny square afgan is to make one huge granny square with different colors along the way. I need the feeling of frequent accomplishment to motivate me to continue.
My mom literally made "unfinished" blankets because the cats liked to lay on them, and 1-2 squares is the perfect size for a cat blanket. The first one was actually cuz she started a blanket and the cat laid on it constantly so she just left that one and restarted with a slightly different pattern to leave the cat's tile unique
That is so cute! And so relatable to pet owners! My home is barely accessible to me anymore, because of all the accommodations I've made for my elderly dog with IVDD 😅🥰
My mom did the same but for a different reason she started a blanket with one type of yarn and was doing a pattern but only had enough of the yarn to do that one section so it got turned into a cat blanket which was good since we had a couple month old kitten and it was winter
I was making a baby mobile and one day I couldn’t find a couple of the pieces, come to find out my cat had stolen them. I put them back in my project bin, got taken again, it happened a couple more times until I understood they were his now and I better made replacements 🤣
Literally! I played guitar for YEARS as a kid but I never wanted to practice unless the song I was learning was fun to play or I really really liked how it sounded. As an adult the only times I ever pick up a guitar is to play a specific song that I wanna learn. I don’t remember the basic stuff anymore but I have more motivation to play than I did as a kid. I also taught myself a few songs on the piano this way. No idea how to play piano but I learned those songs so technically i *can* play the piano. Just not as well as most people who play the piano can. But it’s still better than the people who can’t play it at all!
As someone who started again into crocheting just last year, granny squares is my kryptonite. You will never see me make a garment out of granny square too tiring
As someone who crochets and doesn't have ADHD; Do not start with granny squares, start with stuffed animals 😂 Honestly its a good advice for everyone. Just pick a chibi, round toy to start with.
I have a whole book on small animals and another book on small like human things with stumps so they can stand, easiest thing I did. I tried learning with normal "easy" stuff but couldn't
its also more motivating cause you instantly get a reward out of it when you're done, granny squares you gotta make so many and it takes way too long until you're done
ADHD and art is no joke. You really nailed it with getting 2 squares in and calling it a success. It was like you were describing my life. So visceral.
@@AmmoGus1 It's not that these are unique to people with ADHD - which, by the way, don't assume it's not something you yourself are affected by - it's that they experience all of it in a much more drastic way. But like, idk, just let people commiserate? There's no harm to you. This video and these comments are not made for or about you. Just move on, bro. You're wasting your time. You could be playing video games you like, instead.
@@AmmoGus1this is actually a trait of adhd, if you google it for two minutes plenty of good reliable sources explaining this part of adhd will come up. It’s a huge struggle we have, not being able to complete tasks. It greatly impacts our lives, outside of crafting. Why are you just minimizing that as a general human struggle we all face when it’s quite specifically not? Can you not see the thousands of ADHDers relating in the comments and thanking her for the great advice? This is for people with ADHD. It’s not for people who want to invalidate the difficult realities of ADHD. Go somewhere else. There’s probably hate forums you can join to spread your nastiness but keep it away from Elise. She creates a safe space here to discuss what it’s like to live with ADHD. You’re not welcome here.
My first SUCCESSFUL project was a coaster! Its cute and i used an easy method :) i made a granny square too like 3 and combined them to make a lil bag ♡ i moved onto other things !
I just started crocheting and I’m making a blanket for my 9 month old son and having a blanket made by his mum is what gives me the motivation to finish it ❤
@@Xxx-dh3bgIts just harder for people with ADHD because its really hard for them to concentrate, and focus, no-one is saying its only hard for people with ADHD
@@colettebarrett-morris3962 Well there seems to be a lot of women out there that want to say that everything is ADHD. Tons of people out there are claiming that they have ADHD for no reason.
@Xxx-dh3bg so you verified every claim that they weren't dx or tested for adhd? Women and girls have historically been under dx, in the last 20 years research as aided women and girls to be recognized outside of their male counterparts. This could explain the uptick you observe but don't believe.
For real!!! So many non-ADHD people think the best thing to do is a repetitive, dull, task over and over. And then they wonder why we get sick of it! And they go “Oh well if you can’t even do the easy things you can’t do the hard ones!” and just- NO! It’s the exact opposite!!!
I’ve only finished one crochet blanket in my entire life and it was a peppermint crochet blanket for my mom for Christmas. She was my motivation for finishing it and she loves it still to this day.
For me, I started making scarves then moved to blankets, and I love making blankets! It's simple and relaxing and you don't even need a pattern if you don't want one.
YES. I literally went into it knowing i wouldn't be able to do "beginner" projects, so i started with something i actually wanted to do and it was wonderful. You'll learn just as much from plushies as you will anything else and they can be as simple as a single piece with only single crochet stitches or as complicated as dozens of individual pieces with any number of different stich types. Start. With. Plushies.
Facts. I started crocheting little animals years ago when I was resting at home with a concussion. My ADHD ass was so pleased with myself after completing little figures. I haven’t crocheted in years but I still have a collection of little guys that I made and I still feel good about actually having something to show for my efforts. As a result, I stayed interested for a lot longer!
I made a couple of animals and now that I know the stitches to make a classic granny square I can do while watching videos and honestly I think this was the best advice ever
This is so true for me. Tried to go big with a blanket, lost interest an 16th of the way through. Now I’ve made a frog and an adorable turtle and it’s so much more satisfying. Looking at so many other patterns to try and it’s exciting 😊
mandalas and "fancy blocks" are great for learning. make a bunch of different ones and then you end up with skills and pieces to join into pillows and sampler blankets (i have a Sophie's Universe going that has taught me SO much!)
omg if you're not quite ready to start projects but don't wanna learn granny squares, just make a bunch of little rectangles with yarn you like. Im talking the size of a phone. It's fun to see the stitches make a pattern and theyre soft and nice to hold
Sameeee! I'm always anxious I'll start something new and my ADHD getting me to drop it because I get bored so easily! I loveee that there's more and more people creating content for us 😭💜
I really needed to hear this, I just started to learn to crochet after finishing my 120 square knitted blanket, which took me 4 YEARS to finish. The eyes point got me
I have made 2 hats and I love the repetitive nature of them. Granny squares are a wishlist item for me but so far every attempt has ended up a rounded pot holder.😅
Yeah, I started with hats too. Made a ton of them for me & relatives. Got v good at it. Have started several granny sq throws & have never finished one. lololol
As an ADHD crocheter, the plushy advice is so damn real! Its actually funny how much easier it is, and way more forgiving to added ir dropped stitches. Like you dont have to worry about it fitting comfortably or looking flattering. As long as its vaguely shaped like the thing you're going for you're golden 👍
This video is literally how I managed to start crocheting - thanks Elyse! From me several months later I’d been knitting for some time and I do still love knitting but it takes more time and it’s really easy to mess up, (and I was really really good at messing up) and so before I even saw this video the only things I finished with knitting were these bunnies I found out how to make. I tried to crochet and everyone I knew was doing scarves and hats as their beginner projects, I’m not super motivated by scarves and hats and it didn’t go anywhere and I didn’t think I was good enough at it to try anything “more difficult” I saw this video and I couldn’t stop thinking about it, over thanksgiving break I made a turtle that I love, I made a dinosaur for my best friend that was so ugly but she loved it, for Christmas I made my sister a penguin and I asked my mom for nothing but yarn for Christmas. It’s July and I now have like 30 balls of yarn in a shoe organizer in my closet and have like a million things I want to make that I’m pretty sure I could make and it motivated me to get into sewing too. Holy crap
Hats and scarfs are also good starter projects. They're typically not complicated and can be completed in a couple hours. Baby stuff is also good to make since they're small and work up quick.
If you do start with granny squares and can’t finish 100 for a blanket, there are lots of bags that use far fewer granny squares that you can make instead.
Another option is to find a pattern that uses multiple different types of granny squares (like different flowers or different stitch samples) so it's less redundant.😊
@@Tim_ra Maybe, but it’s not only one symptom that ADHD has, so it’s hard to say is it just bad focus or really adhd /without negativity (I forget how this calls sorry..)
As a fellow ADHD crocheter, there is a type of blanket called an endless granny square. It's literally just one large granny square. You don't have to piece anything together. 😁
as someone with adhd who decided to pick up crotcheting and told everyone in my life I'd make them a bookmark and I have yet to finish my first stuffed animal this is reassuring so thank you for sharing
You have no clue how bad I needed this. I started crocheting last year and I haven’t made anything yet. Just a bunch on random patterns I taught myself. Thank you!!
I started crocheting because I wanted to do the folklore Betty cardigan and I was confused but I learned quickly and finished it in 5 days and that has been my proudest accomplishment to this day.
omgg i've been dyingggg to make that but i can't find a good pattern to follow what pattern did u follow?? also, congratulations on making it btw its still sooo daunting to me!
As an ADHDer who knits and crochets. I love making toys. Especially if the toy has multiple parts. I'm currently crocheting toy Clams (2 outer shells, 2 inner shells and the middle animal part) I love that each part feels like a finished piece and then you add it all together and quickly see it all come together. Blankets and clothes feel never ending to me and I easily get bored. So far I've made 2 out of 9 clams and halfway through clam 3 and I've only been at it two days.
Followed your advice. Now swimming in ADORABLE little crochet creatures. Totally fell in love with crochet, don't know how to watch telly without it now
Do look at your work or the TV? I am enjoying crafts so much along watching TV but I realized I watched entire shows and movies without knowing what they look like
Lmao. I crochet. I have adhd. I agree. I started with amigurumi and am working on a daisy granny square blanket now. She’s a thousand percent right. Start small.
One of the best videos I've ever seen! So good! I used to knit for years, but I never got around to crocheting my other friends would do that, but I’ve always wanted to learn! ❤❤
I actually started crocheting because I wanted to make stuffed animals, so I did and I have been making those stuffed animals. For three years. And I only just made my very first granny square today. I’m not even kidding. Today. After three years.
no fr, i've made so many stuffed animals for people i love, i always go through phases of crocheting a lot and then stopping for a bit. i think i've made at least 30 plushies over the last 2 years or so (i'm not sure, hell, my boyfriend alone has 8 currently).. but how many granny square projects have i made? one. small bag. which has been unfinished (missing lining) for a MONTH. edit: ok 30 is definitely too low of a number but you get the idea
@@nicodiangelo1942 yeah lol! Idk why but granny squares took me longer to figure out than a magic ring (which is like the hardest thing to figure out imo) because I kept chaining on the sides but you are only supposed to chain on the corners? Still confused but yeah haha
oh my gosh it's like you knew what I did (she said looking at the blanket it took her 6 years to crochet and all that's left is the corners and the edging. Trying to avoid thinking about the 4 other blanket kits in my closet. You literally articulated my "Great! learned how to do that" mindset.
As an advanced crocheter, this is a great tip not just for people with ADHD. And it applies for other hobbies too. Start with a smaller project that still has something complicated in it. You can finish it in a reasonable amount of time but it also feels like a true achievement.
This is absolutely the best advice ever. Wish I would have known this when I started 6 yrs ago. I have a king sized comforter bag full of unfinished projects.
i ended up making a scrap blanket out of all of my unfinished crochet/knitting projects! i had a lot that was either squares, scarves, or just other flat pieces, so it worked out perfect! it's definitely not the prettiest thing, but i think it's cool 🤣
