Hooked on Serenity: Crocheting as Stress Relief | Podcast Episode #119

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What does crochet do for you?

For so many of us, crochet is more than just a hobby. For me it’s a creative outlet, a way to express myself, and most importantly, a way of life. By recognizing what crochet does for you beyond making something pretty and practical, you can be even closer to the craft and have a story to share with the community. This story may inspire others to learn and reap the benefits of yarn.

In this episode of The BHooked Podcast, we have someone to share an inspiring story of what crochet means to her. Elise, from Elise Rose Crochet, shares her inspiring story; through one of the most difficult times in her life, she found crochet. She calls it her saving grace.

Episode Transcript

Brittany:
Well, hello there and welcome to episode 119 of the B.Hooked podcast. Can you even believe that we have had 119 episodes? It just completely blows my mind.

Well, if you’re brand new to the show, first of all, welcome. I’m really excited that you’re here and I know that you’re going to enjoy today’s guest. I have a really inspiring conversation with an amazing person in the crochet community and she’s here to spread a message and I hope you will spread that message too.

For so many of us, crochet means a lot of different things. It is our way of occupying our hands so that our mind can be calm. It’s a creative outlet. It gives you a sense of accomplishment. Crochet means something different to every single one of us, but there is one common denominator, and that is that crochet makes us feel something.

Now to elaborate on this a little bit more, I’m joined by Elise from Les Petites Saint Crochet. I have just been so in love with her projects for a couple of years now. I’ve followed her on Instagram and she always has the most amazingly cute amigurumi creatures just everywhere—filling up my feed, making me smile, and I really do love that.

But I really had no idea of how cool of a story Elise has, and she’s able to share that with us today. So we talk a lot about her story, how she got into crochet, and how it’s so meaningful in her life. And I think that’s something that so many of us can relate to.

Now, of course, we talk about amigurumi, and we talk a little bit about knitting, too. But I think you’re really going to enjoy this episode. Feel free to go there, leave your questions and your comments on the bottom of that page, and certainly use it as a way to connect with Elise after you’ve listened to her story and today’s message.

So sit back with your favorite warm drink and cozy project, and let’s hear from Elise from Les Petites Saint Crochet. So Elise, hi, welcome to the show.

Elise: 5:22
Hi Brittany, I’m so excited to be with you today.

Brittany: 5:25
Well, I am so excited to have you here too. Actually, I’ve been wanting to chat with you for a long time now because I have been an admirer of your work for quite a while. You do some of the cutest Amigurumi toys. I just love sharing them on Fan Friday and now I can’t wait to tap into a little bit of what’s behind the scenes there. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Well, let’s first start from the beginning. I really enjoy hearing how people learn how to crochet because it’s such an integral part of our lives. And it’s interesting to see how we all sort of have our own unique stories. So take me back to the beginning. When did you learn how to crochet and who taught you?

Elise: 6:10
Well, it goes back quite a few years. I was initially introduced by my grandmother and actually my stepmother as well. They were both crocheters. And probably when I was around 10 years old, they showed me some basic things. But at that point, I wasn’t too interested. I wanted to do other things.

And I really didn’t pick it up again until about 30 years later. And at the time, that was around early 2017. And I’m the mom of four children, and my oldest two girls were away in college, and I just had my two younger children, my two boys, at home. And we were just, you know, typical average American family, always on the go. I probably spent, you know, more time in my minivan than anywhere else.

And my older son has cerebral palsy and has epilepsy. And for most of his life, his epilepsy was very well controlled. He took medication and he has also, it’s called a vagus nerve stimulator that is implanted that helps with seizure activity. And just, we were cruising along, things were going really, really well.

But then in the fall of 2016, his seizures went from being extremely well controlled, like I said, to really out of control. And on December 27th of 2016, he had two seizures back to back that were really, really scary. And actually, that kind of was a turning point in our lives. We went from being that active family going and doing all the time to we were at the hospital. We were at doctor’s appointments. We got to know our neurologist way too well. And we were just kind of struggling to adjust to a new life.

Now, not being on the go for me was so new that I was kind of struggling as well. My son really needed to be at home. Any kind of stimulation caused seizure activity. All of this new medication was making him feel pretty miserable. So we were at home and I was going a little stir crazy.

And I’m a little bit of a worrier by nature anyway, but honestly, this took it to a whole new level. And I found myself constantly asking him, how are you doing? How are you feeling? Do you feel like you’re going to have a seizure? Have you rested? How are you doing? And I was starting to drive him crazy as well. And yeah, and he was 17 at the time. He just wants to be, you know, like a normal kid.

Brittany: 8:42
Yeah.

Elise: 8:42
And one day he looked at me and he said, Mom, stop it. Just stop it. And he is my kid who is always sweet and happy and respectful to us. So this really took me aback. And I realized that I am not helping him at this point. I am making things worse for him. And as a parent, that’s the absolute last thing I wanted to do—was to be part of the problem.

Brittany: 9:07
Yeah.

Elise: 9:08
So I decided I have got to find something to occupy my brain. I literally have to. So I jumped on Pinterest and I’m just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. Nothing was really jumping out at me until I came across this beautiful photo and it was of a granny square crib blanket.

And it was not what I remembered crochet to be because, you know, as my grandmother would make these afghans and they were really big and scratchy and, you know, we’re talking late 1970s, early 80s kinds of things. But this looked so different. It was modern and the colors were just beautiful. And I thought, wow. It was almost like the heavens opened up and that light shone down right on it. And it was like, this is what you need to do.

So I clicked on the pattern. I bought it right then and there and went to the yarn shop the next day, gathered all my supplies. And basically, I was determined to learn how to make granny squares. And that’s really how I started.

Brittany: 10:08
That is an amazing story. To hear about how it goes full circle is really interesting in that context. Right. Right. I, too, sort of remember those things that my grandmother made and never really thought that that was something I would be interested in. And unfortunately, I wasn’t interested when she was around to be able to teach me that.

But it really is interesting to see how far the industry has come. It’s so close to its roots, but yet it’s so modern and different.

Elise: 10:57
Yes. Oh, yes. There’s so many beautiful projects out there now. It’s absolutely amazing.

Brittany: 11:02
It really is. So it sounds like crochet, I mean, you said it was sort of like your saving grace.

Elise: 11:11
Yes, absolutely, 100%. It was something that… I was so anxious during that time and also going stir crazy at the same time that crochet was something that I could focus on. And that was a bright spot of my day. I could get on YouTube and learn anything I wanted to learn and play with beautiful, squishy, gorgeous yarn. And it really was a saving grace for me. Absolutely.

Brittany: 11:40
Yeah. So what did it look like back then? Did you pick it back up really easy or did you sort of struggle with it a little bit?

Elise: 11:49
Well, the original pattern that I bought was way more complicated than I was ready for. So I kind of scrapped that and just went to a straight video on how to make a simple granny square. And it kind of started coming back to me pretty quickly.

And I mean, YouTube is such an amazing resource at this point. And I could rewind the video anytime and say, wait, I can’t remember what that part was. So it did come back to me very quickly. And honestly, I had so much time that I could work on it hours and hours and hours a day.

Brittany: 12:24
Yeah. Is this something that your son noticed too?

Elise: 12:28
Oh, everybody in the family was so happy that mama had a hobby. And it wasn’t mom just fretting and worrying. It was, you know, that whole saying, if mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy. And that was absolutely true for us—that, you know, mom was happy. That made everybody else happy too.

Brittany: 12:47
Yeah. So how did you stay focused on the crochet side of things instead of the craziness that was happening in your life?

Elise: 12:58
I think because it was so inspiring. And also, when I—you know, I had this idea—I was like, oh, I wonder if there’s anybody on Instagram that crochets as well, not even realizing that there is an entire world of thousands and thousands of people all over the world that are on there.

And so I started a little Instagram account, and that was probably another one of the best things—connecting with all of these other makers. And I just found myself being more and more inspired and sharing what I was doing, and then seeing all of these other things that other people—what they were doing. And I love to learn. It just opened up an entire new world for me.

Brittany: 13:38
Yeah. I remember the day that I discovered Instagram and how amazing it was for our community. It was just like a whole new world of opportunities there. New people to meet and new projects to see. I just love Instagram.

Elise: 13:56
Oh, me too.

Brittany: 13:58
So it became more at some point, I would say, for you than just a passion and a hobby. Can you tell me about that story?

Elise: 14:06
I knew really quickly that this was something different for me. I have been one of those serial quitters, I call it, where I would pick up something. I used to scrapbook. I had tried my hand at knitting at one point. I would draw, cross stitch, embroider. I tried all of these different things at one point or another. And usually, I would lose interest.

But I knew—honestly, it was pretty quickly—I knew that this was something really different for me. This was all I wanted to think about. I talked about it all the time, drove everybody in my family crazy. So I really knew early on that this was something really special.

Brittany: 14:50
Can you pinpoint what it was about this that made it so special?

Elise: 14:55
Probably a lot of it was finding other people. I really think that that human connection of discovering that this is something that other people love to do too. You know, before when I had had other projects, it was really before the age of YouTube and Instagram and all of these things where there was that sharing aspect.

So once I discovered that I could do something and not just enjoy it for myself, but I could share with other people and they could inspire me, that really took it to a whole new level.

Brittany: 15:27
Yeah. I think it’s interesting as I sit here and think about that and try to connect the dots. Now, a lot of those other things that you mentioned are similar in how you do them. A lot of them use—well, knitting also uses yarn. Cross stitch also is sort of like a needle arts sort of hobby.

Right. I’m wondering if what made crochet stick for you is not necessarily the act of it. It’s giving you more than just occupying your hands. It’s giving you a sense of accomplishment and an outlet for your creativity. Would you say that that might be true?

Elise: 16:13
Absolutely. And I just noticed how much it made me mentally feel better. I just felt that stress. When I could focus on crocheting something beautiful—whether it was a granny square blanket or when I transitioned into amigurumi—it made me so happy. It gave me something to focus on that was beautiful and that was challenging.

And that helped me emotionally so much that I know that there is definitely a connection there.

Brittany: 16:43
Yeah, for sure. I know so many of us have experienced that too. And I can’t help but just geek out a little bit on the science of it. That’s sort of like my background. It’s what I love. And I’m just very naturally curious.

So what do you think it was for you specifically that helped calm your mind? Was it that you were concentrating on something or something else?

Elise: 17:12
Well, I actually read an article very recently that Martha Stewart magazine published, and it was all about the research showing that—they were actually focusing on knitting—but I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t apply to crocheting as well. That it actually helps relieve stress. It reduces people’s heart rates—I think it was by like 11 beats per minute. It delays the onset of dementia.

There are all of these amazing neurological benefits to crocheting. And I don’t know if it is just a meditative type of thing, if it’s the concentration, but it’s really, really interesting—the benefits that we all have when we are using our hands to make something.

Brittany: 17:57
It really is. Now, would you say that you felt that benefit like right from the start or was it something that you eased into and you just noticed over time?

Elise: 18:07
Probably over time I noticed it, because in the beginning I think it was focusing really hard, and then sometimes I would get frustrated—like, you know, I can’t do that, I need to go back and rip it all out. But as I continued to go and things got a little bit easier, and, you know, when you’re in that zone—especially I feel like when I’m making granny square blankets—you just get in that zone and you don’t even have to look at the pattern anymore and you’re just cruising along.

That is just—that is a sweet spot right there. And there is just something really beautiful about that.

Brittany: 18:42
There really is. I feel like for me, there’s two different types of benefits that I feel when I crochet. One of them being the project where you don’t have to think. You’re just on autopilot. You’re making a granny square blanket. You’re doing the same motions over and over.

And I feel different when I work a project like that than when I sit down with… Yes. I 100% agree with that. It’s just really an interesting way of thinking about the craft. From somebody who maybe hasn’t crocheted or knit or anything like that, it’s difficult to understand.

It’s like, oh, okay, you make things with yarn or you’re just sitting there and you’re doing the same thing over—how could you do that? It seems like it would be so boring. But sometimes that boringness is exactly what we need to slow down and clear our minds and get through, like you said, some hard situations.

Elise: 20:05
Right. Absolutely. And I think that our modern society—I mean, I feel like it’s changed so much and probably even the last 10 to 15 years—we are always on our phones. We are always connected. And doing something with our hands, I think, really taps into things that our ancestors used to do.

I’ve gotten really interested in the whole ancestry and genealogy and thinking about what did my ancestors do? And I just know that I’m Irish—I found out doing my DNA recently. And I wonder if I have some great, great, great grandmother who was Irish and sat there and made lace or crocheted things for her family or knitted socks or something.

And I just feel like there’s something about that that taps into our roots that I feel like we really need in our modern day.

Brittany: 20:56
Yeah, I agree 100%. I think it would be so cool to figure that out. And I don’t know, maybe it will make you feel like, oh, I don’t know. I’m sort of predisposed to love doing this.

Elise: 21:09
Yeah.

Brittany: 21:10
Now, sort of looking into today—you mentioned you do a lot of granny square blankets and that sort of thing—when I scroll through your Instagram feed, I see some of the most adorable little amigurumi and stuffed animal creations.

What is it about amigurumi that kind of draws you in that direction and has you continue to come back to it? Because you just—you make cute things, like after cute things, it seems like.

Elise: 21:37
Thank you. I do love Amigurumi. It is—yeah, I love it so much. And I really think that my love for it came from—number one, I feel like I’m a kid at heart. Honestly, I grew up in the late 70s and 80s, where I loved Sesame Street, and I loved Disney movies.

And, you know, I loved the movie Cinderella—but I could have cared less about her becoming a princess and meeting the prince. I loved it when the little mice came on. That is what I absolutely loved—loved them so much.

And when I discovered—I kind of stumbled upon a tutorial for Amigurumi on YouTube one day. And I thought, oh my goodness, I would love to do that. But I always thought that was something somebody else did. Like that would take way too much skill for me.

But a wonderful account on YouTube, Wooly Wonders Crochet, she had a tutorial. And I sat down, I was like, I am going to do this. If I can do this, then I’m going to be the happiest person. And I sat down and I made it, and I still have that little bunny rabbit. And it is the wonkiest-looking thing you’ve ever seen, but I was so proud of myself.

And it made me so excited. And really from that day forward, I was bound and determined to learn how to make them. And I’ve been doing it ever since.

Brittany: 22:57
Yeah. I would love to see that bunny rabbit. I might have to go through the archives of your Instagram account and see if it’s there.

Elise: 23:04
Well, I actually even wrote a blog post about it recently because I have so many people who share with me, “Oh, I could never make that.” And I’m like, yes, you could. I want you to see what I made a year and a half ago. So look at that first little bunny and look at that. And then trust me—with practice—you can do it too.

Brittany: 23:21
Yeah. I would love to link to that in the show notes too, because I’m sure there’s somebody listening who feels the same way. Says, “That’s just way too complicated. There’s no way I could do it.” And it can be complicated, but you can do it.

Elise: 23:36
Yeah. You just start simple. And none of us are born knowing how to make amigurumi. So it’s just a learned skill.

Brittany: 23:44
It is. It is. What is it about that skill that you love so much? Is it just that you can make really cute things, or is it because it challenges you, or something in between?

Elise: 23:57
I think for me, Amigurumi is so unique to crochet because it really has no utilitarian function. The only thing that Amigurumi is good for is to make others happy. It simply exists to bring a smile to somebody’s face. And I absolutely—I think that’s the most wonderful reason to make them.

You can’t clean with them. You can’t make—you know, it’s not like a dishcloth that you could use to clean with or a sweater that will keep you warm. It’s just to bring a smile to somebody’s face. And I just love that.

Brittany: 24:32
Yeah, I do too. I love that they do serve a purpose. And I feel like it’s almost—for me, it’s almost more of a more important purpose.

Crochet is, you know, it exists to keep us happy—you know, the person who’s creating the thing. But I also think that it exists to brighten somebody else’s day as well. And so I think you get that with the amigurumi.

Now, do you keep a lot of the things that you make or do you gift them or donate them?

Elise: 25:04
Um, I do a combination. I do tend to keep a lot of them and, um, I can get myself in trouble a little bit with that. And sometimes I’m like, okay, my stash is getting a little, um, full. So I will either donate them. I’ve donated a few. I have gifted several of them, and I actually have even sold some on my Etsy shop.

Brittany: 25:27
Okay. What types of animals do you like to make the most? I would say pigs—

Elise: 25:33
—are my absolute favorite. Pigs are just the cutest little animals. Yes. I like pigs and bunnies are probably my favorites.

Brittany: 25:41
Now, would you say that you have more of a realistic style or is it more like character?

Elise: 25:47
I think definitely character. Mine do not look realistic at all. I just—I love just, you know, like going back to that Disney—just those little characters. And, you know, I love to give them names and backstories. And they really do become like a little character in my mind.

Brittany: 26:06
Yeah, I love that. So do you share that on your blog as well?

Elise: 26:10
Yes. Well, especially on Instagram, most of my captions are stories about each little creature that I make.

Brittany: 26:19
Now, that’s a lot of fun. I’m going to have to go back and like really read through some of those.

Elise: 26:24
Yeah, it’s really fun.

Brittany: 26:26
Do you have a favorite one that you’ve made?

Elise: 26:28
It’s almost always the one that I just finished. So I just finished actually knitting a rabbit, and it’s a new technique for me—knitting them. There’s a very different process from crocheting them, and this was one of those projects that I thought, you know, just a month ago, “I’ll never be able to make that. It’s way too complicated.” And now I’m actually holding it in my hand right now, and I’m like, “I did this!” I’m so excited.

Brittany: 26:57
Yeah. Now that’s interesting—you said you tried knitting before and it wasn’t your thing, but you’re doing it now. What’s the story there?

Elise: 27:05
Well, I think a big part of that is the ability to get online and to figure things out. Because when I was knitting before—number one, I didn’t know what to knit. I didn’t even know amigurumi existed back then. And number two—for me, particularly with knitting—I couldn’t fix my mistakes. I had four small kids at home, you know, I was inundated with children and taking care of all that.

If something like YouTube had been available back then, that would have been a game changer for me just because, you know, knitting can be a little bit more complicated. And yeah, I just had no ability to fix a mistake, and I’d think, “Oh, well, I can’t do this.” So now being able to get on YouTube and say, “Okay, how do I do this? How do I fix this?”—that has been wonderful.

Brittany: 27:54
Yeah, I can relate to that a hundred percent. I was in the same situation that you were, and I tried to teach myself to knit with what resources were available and couldn’t fix my mistakes, and I just gave up and figured out, “I’m just not good at this. I just can’t do this,” right?

But it’s just another thing—another set of techniques that you need to learn. I think it’s really interesting for someone to hear, who might also share a love for amigurumi, that you can knit these stuffed animals as well.

Elise: 28:27
Yeah.

Brittany: 28:28
And coming from somebody who struggled with knitting initially, I feel like that’s got to be really good for them to be able to hear—that it is possible. Even if you do struggle with knitting, you can do something like make stuffed animals.

What are some of the differences between knitting and crocheting stuffed animals?

Elise: 28:49
Well, first of all, it creates such a different fabric. Crocheting—you’re just making, you know, single crochets mostly for amigurumi, and that creates a nice sturdy fabric that has very little stretch. So when you’re stuffing amigurumi—a crocheted one—you really stuff it quite full and it will not change the shape at all.

So when you’re knitting amigurumi, you have to be really careful how you stuff, because it can distort the shape because that fabric is so, so stretchy. Also, for the bunny rabbit that I just made, it is knit flat and then you seam it. So almost all of the—well, actually all of the—amigurumi that I’ve crocheted has been crocheted in the round starting with that magic ring.

Whereas this little bunny was knit completely flat and then you mattress seam it up. And I am working on a project right now learning how to use double point needles so that I can knit in the round, because mattress seaming—that’s a lot of work. A lot of work.

Brittany: 29:51
It is. And it doesn’t always work out. I know for me, even today, I go to seam—I’ve spent so much time on a project—I think, “I’ve got to make this seam perfect because it’ll drive me crazy if it’s not.” And it’s almost never perfect.

Elise: 30:07
Exactly. Exactly.

Brittany: 30:08
So do you think it’s easier—well, I mean, putting that aside, do you think it’s easier to knit flat or knit these in the round?

Elise: 30:17
I’m going to say I think it’s going to be easier to knit in the round. I was totally afraid of using double point needles. And now that I’ve just learned how to do it, I’m like, okay, this isn’t so bad. There’s definitely a learning curve there. But I think knitting them flat and seaming them is—to me—that’s a lot more challenging.

Brittany: 30:37
Yeah. Double pointed needles are—they are strange. And it’s so weird to have it all in your hands at one time, especially if you’re only working on a few stitches. Like, say you have a really small round with 20 stitches or something like that—it is really challenging.

Have you ever been in the situation where your double pointed needle completely slides out?

Elise: 30:59
Oh yeah. I actually shared that on my Instagram stories today.

Brittany: 31:03
Oh, you did? Really?

Elise: 31:04
Because I’m such a newbie to double point needles, I didn’t really realize that once you increased enough where you had quite a few stitches on that needle, that those stitches were going to start falling off. And I didn’t have any of those little stoppers that go on the end, so I just got some of this putty that I had and I literally put them on the ends just to hold it in place.

I ordered my stoppers on Amazon—hopefully they’ll be here in two days—because I was really panicking when I started seeing like, “Oh my gosh, where did all my stitches go?”

Brittany: 31:35
I’ve had that happen too. I actually—I don’t normally like knitting on bamboo or wood except when I’m using double pointed needles, because then it just seems like it’s less likely to slide out, at least for me. Not to say that it won’t happen, but it’s better than working with metal where it’s really slippery.

Elise: 31:55
Yeah, mine are metal. And now I know—I will be doing bamboo next time. Yes.

Brittany: 32:01
Yeah. Well, I don’t want to get too off track with that. I think it’s just fun chatting with somebody about knitting and kind of like knitting woes.

Most of the listeners here are crocheters and just getting their feet wet with knitting. Some of them are pretty darn good at it, but a lot of us here sort of share in the same stories. Right.

So bringing it all back to the health benefits of things, we all share the joy of crochet, but it’s in our own unique little way. And I’m curious—what’s your way? What is the unique thing about crochet for you that makes it so special?

Elise: 32:42
Oh gosh. There’s so many things that make it special to me.

Number one, I absolutely love yarn. I love it. It is so beautiful to me, and for me, doing something with my hands—I actually heard a… I don’t even know who said this quote, but I just thought it was so true: that when you keep your hands busy, your mind can rest. And that is so true for me. I need to keep my hands busy.

So, handling beautiful yarn—I love colorful yarn. I am a big fan of all the different colors, and I’m very choosy about the colors that I choose so that it really draws me to it, so that I want to use this.

And for me, creating a little amigurumi toy that develops its little personality for me—and it just engages my imagination and my childhood and all of those little whimsical ideas that pop into my head as I’m making them—that really inspires me. And it just… it makes me deliriously happy, to be honest.

Brittany: 33:50
Yeah, and I love that, you know, a couple years later you still have that same passion. Do you have any advice for somebody listening who maybe is just sort of losing their crow-jo? You ever heard that—like, crow-jo?

Elise: 34:04
Yes.

Brittany: 34:05
What would you say to somebody who’s just like, “I just don’t have it right now. I’m just not feeling it”?

Elise: 34:11
I would say take a break. Just step away from it for a few days. I notice that every once in a while, if I’m starting to get kind of bogged down, I just am like, you know what? It’s okay to take a break.

Just step away. Take a weekend. Take a couple of days. Walk away from it and really think about what just makes your heart pitter patter—what makes you excited. And even if you have to drop a project—and I’m not a big fan of having a bunch of works in progress, I do not like that at all—but there have been times, especially if I’m working on really long-range projects, I need to take a step back and work on something that’s quick. Something that I can get done in a few days, tops.

That—usually accomplishing something and getting to kind of check it off my list, like I did something—kind of fuels that micro-jo again and gives me that spark I need.

Brittany: 35:02
Yeah. And I love that you gave people permission to do that and to realize that we all go through those periods, that it’s completely normal to sort of lose your motivation and sort of lose your passion for it. But I think what makes it all a true passion for all of us is that we keep coming back to it.

Elise: 35:21
Yes.

Brittany: 35:21
I don’t think you could force crochet out of my life—or out of your life, for that matter.

Elise: 35:43
Yeah.

Brittany: 35:43
Right. So I know your big mission is to share crochet with others because it’s made such a big impact in your life. So how can somebody listening today help to spread that same message?

Elise: 35:43
I have heard so many people talk about their stories and share that they came to crochet through a similar story to mine—whether it was just a stressful situation, maybe they have a very stressful job, or they’re just inundated with busyness in their life and they need something kind of sane to keep their hands busy.

But I really believe that if we share our stories about how we either came to crochet or how we see the benefits of it, I think that’s the absolute best thing—is to just share your story.

Brittany: 36:16
With anybody, right? Are you talking specifically on social media or maybe just somebody that you meet?

Elise: 36:21
I think anybody. I was recently actually in an airport and I was crocheting—I mean, actually I was knitting in the airport—but people are drawn to it. When they see you out in public and they see you crocheting and you’re making something, they automatically want to come talk to you. I am telling you, my husband is always amazed. He’s like, “Oh, if you have something in your hands, people are going to come out of the woodwork and want to talk to you.” And I think that is such a wonderful way to spread the joy of crochet and to share the benefits of it with other people.

Brittany: 36:54
Yeah. Now, would you say that you’re an extrovert or an introvert?

Elise: 36:58
I can talk to anybody and I’m happy to talk to anybody, but I would say that I love… I could never leave my house again and I would be very happy. So I don’t know if that qualifies me as an introvert or an extrovert.

Brittany: 37:12
Yeah. The reason I ask is because when I first started crocheting, I was too shy to do it in public. And it wasn’t because I was embarrassed of what I was doing. It was because I was just so shy. I knew that it always drew people in and I was just too shy to talk to them about what I was doing and that sort of thing. Of course, I’m not like that now—I kind of want to scream it from the rooftops to give it a try. And it’s silly, but I think I can’t possibly be the only person who feels a little bit shy to talk about what they’re doing.

Elise: 37:47
Yeah. I would recommend, if you are really shy and you don’t want to talk to strangers—don’t crochet in public.

Brittany: 37:54
Yes, I can definitely agree with that. So for social media, that’s such a big part of our lives now. You have used Instagram, I think, primarily as your outlet to help spread the message. Would you say that’s a good place for somebody to start sharing their story?

Elise: 38:12
Thank you so much. I didn’t know what I was doing. But people were so kind. And that just… that just warmed my heart so much—to find good human beings that they didn’t want to argue. They wanted to share what they were doing and they wanted to encourage you as well. So I love Instagram for that.

Brittany: 39:02
Me too. And it helps hold you accountable too. If you’re not sure that you can commit to posting every day—which is kind of a lot for people who are working full time and who just have busy lives—but to know that there’s somebody in your community, somebody who follows you, who might really be looking forward to what you have to say, that’s motivation for me.

Absolutely. On a day when maybe I don’t have a really pretty picture to post or if I don’t have a really great story, sometimes you just pop in there and say, “Hey, what’s going on with you? What story can you share with me today?” And I think that helps bring everything full circle.

Elise: 39:50
Right. And you never know who you are going to impact. I ended up getting just a direct message from a friend of mine who used to be one of my neighbors, but I hadn’t been in contact with her for maybe a year or so.

And she just messaged me and said, “Hey, I just wanted to thank you for sharing your little creations on Instagram and posting those little stories.” And I was like, “Oh, sure. I’m glad to do it.”

And she said, “I have been reading these to my dad. He had cancer, and every day we would get on Instagram and I would show him what you made and I would read the little stories. And when he was in the hospital, it really just was a bright spot in his day.”

And she said the cancer actually spread to his brain and he lost his vision. And she said, “I would still read those stories to him and we could enjoy that together. I just wanted to thank you for that.”

And he passed away. And I had absolutely no idea—every day that I would be sharing something—that there was somebody out there who just needed to see something happy, something that just brought a little smile to their face.

And that has stayed with me. And from that day forward, I was like, you know what? I may not really feel like doing this today, but there might be somebody out there who just needs to see a cute little pig in a dress, and that will just brighten their day.

Brittany: 41:09
Wow, that’s incredible. I can’t even imagine how much that would fuel your fire there.

Elise: 41:15
Yeah, it really did. And I mean, you probably don’t even realize this, but you were there with me in those days when we would be in the hospital or driving to the doctor’s appointments or these late night crochet sessions that I would have.

You know, when I would be so anxious and worried about my son I couldn’t sleep, I would turn your podcast on and I would listen. And so I feel like you were there with me all along as well.

Brittany: 41:39
Well, that is—gosh—that is so amazing to hear. And it’s crazy. I’m so excited that you’re able to be here and to share your story and help spread this message. And to know that I played a really small part in that—it just really warms my heart.

Elise: 41:54
Yeah.

Brittany: 41:56
Well, in a passing message, what would be your biggest advice to somebody right now who is going through a really hard time and wants… they’re just not sure how to get back to a place where they can feel like they’re doing something great and doing something meaningful?

Elise: 42:19
I think you need to search inward a little bit and look for those things that really matter. To use that term that Marie Kondo said—what sparks joy for you?

What just makes you so excited that you want to wake up in the morning, you want to stay up late working on that, you want to think about and talk about?

Look for those things that you’re naturally drawn to. And my biggest, biggest advice to everybody is—let go of perfection. It doesn’t serve any purposes.

And so if you’re just getting started with something, don’t be hard on yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Understand that this is a skill that you will get better with over time. But be gentle and enjoy the process and quit worrying about if it’s perfect or not.

Brittany: 43:04
Perfect. Preach it, sister. Yes. I love that. I love that advice. I feel like—I wish I would have taken that advice in the early, early days. And thank God I stayed with it.

But I was really tough on myself too—of not loving it, the outcome. It looked wobbly or it wasn’t perfect—you know, that word—it wasn’t perfect. Right?

And you get better. Now, I’ve heard people say, “Oh, I wish that my stuff would be as perfect as yours.” And there are so many things wrong with projects that I crochet that you might not necessarily see.

You know, I’m not perfect. But things do get better.

Elise: 43:44
Yes, for sure.

Brittany: 43:46
Well, I would love to give people a chance to connect with you after they’ve listened today. So where is the best place for them to go and see some of your creations? Maybe hear some more of your story and just have you become a part of their community?

Elise: 44:00
You can always find me on Instagram at lepetitesaintcrochet. And I have a blog as well, so that’s just lepetitesaintcrochet.com. And I actually have a YouTube channel now as well.

Brittany: 44:13
Wonderful. So what types of stuff are you posting there?

Elise: 44:16
I am posting all about crochet and knitting and amigurumi and inspiration—and telling people never to give up and get rid of perfection in their lives. So yeah. Yeah. Just sharing all the things. Yeah.

Brittany: 44:29
Well, I will definitely have links to those in the show notes page so people can go and check you out and hear your amazing message.

I know if you enjoyed what we talked about today, I’m sure you’ll hear so much more over—definitely on the Instagram page, because I’ve sort of stalked you there for a little while.

But now on the YouTube channel—that’s really cool. I know video is a great way to connect with people. Yes. And it’s sort of how people love to consume content these days. I know that’s the first place I go when I want to learn something—is gotta find a video for it.

Elise: 45:01
Yep. Yep.

Brittany: 45:03
All right. Well, thank you so much, Elise. This has been an absolute joy. I would love to elaborate on this topic a little bit more. So we’ll definitely have to have you back.

Elise: 45:11
Well, thank you so much, Brittany. This is just a dream come true for me.

Brittany: 45:15
All right. I hope you enjoyed that episode with Elise from Le Petites Saint Crochet. I hope you will check her out on Instagram—if nothing else, just so you can see those really adorable photos and read some of the stories that are attached to them. It sounds like they are incredibly inspiring.

And so, Elise, I just want to say thank you for what you’re doing in the community. I love the message that you’re trying to spread. I’m just honored that I can be a small part of helping you spread that message—because crochet is life for so many of us.

And I do feel that it is our duty to try and spread the joy of the craft to other people, so that they might have the opportunity to experience the joy that we feel every time we start and complete a project.

So figure out what works for you. If you like video, perhaps you try YouTube. If you like Instagram, maybe you try to share your story, your projects, your message on Instagram. Maybe it’s a blog or whatever.

It doesn’t matter what outlets you like. There is a person who also is there. There’s a person who loves reading. There’s a person who loves watching video. There’s a person who loves to be on Instagram.

So no matter where you try to spread your message, there will be somebody there who needs to hear what you have to say. That’s the bottom line. Because like Elise said, you never know who’s on the other side—who’s looking forward to you showing up week after week.

Even if you might not feel like it, even if you feel like you don’t have something magnificent to share, just the fact that you’re there can really brighten somebody’s day—especially when you’re sharing something as bright and beautiful as crochet.

Now, don’t forget—another place to connect with others in the community is over on the show notes page. Of course, you can find the resources that Elise mentioned, as well as a link to her YouTube channel, her Instagram handle, and her website.

But down at the bottom of that page is a comment section, and it’s there specifically for you. So I would love for you to go in there, leave your comment, introduce yourself, tell me what you like to crochet, share your story with me.

I would just absolutely, absolutely love to read your story of how you got into crochet—how crochet has helped and changed your life in some way.

All right. I’ll see you in next week’s episode. Bye for now.