Whenever I used to think of crocheting, I always viewed it slightly negatively, calling it a “grandma hobby” and things of that sort. However, I never realized how useful it could be. Like many others in 2020, I found
myself lazing around to find new hobbies and stumbled upon crocheting on social media. Crochet is versatile because of the different items you can make, like small charms and beanies with
the different stitch patterns. Making something wearable by crocheting is practical and enjoy-
able. To test this, I made a crocheted bolero (sometimes called a shrug) with a crochet pattern
I had never tried before. I often heard of the benefits of making wearable items but shied away from attempting my own due to the risk of failure.
During Thanksgiving break, I had the time to pursue this project and, with the design being quite popular among crocheters, I was motivated to make one of my own.
I found the instructions on how to make the bolero from a video by TikToker Chloe Rose, though
the instructions were not clear. I had to guess half the steps needed to make the bolero, but it turned
out pretty good. Even though I didn’t have clear instructions, I was able to cover up any mistakes because the stitches are interconnected and give the illusion of a uniform design even if I messed up a little. I think that this is a beginner-friendly project because you only need to know two stitches (single crochet and a double crochet) for it to work.
With this style of crochet, you aren’t building exact rows on top of each other with a basic double cro-
chet stitch. Instead, you layer rows of single crochet. I used one ball of yarn and a size E hook for the entire project. The biggest key to this design is using a slightly bigger hook than normal. This will make all the stitches just slightly looser, giving the loose feeling of a bolero.
One of the major benefits of crocheting is that you can multitask while crocheting. When I crochet, I usually watch a movie. Similar to how people at the gym count repetitions they have completed, I would suggest counting the number of stitches you make. For this design, I counted three stitches up and then crossed down into the previous row to make one hole. The ongoing repeat of one-two-three became a rhythm in my head for hours on end. Every stitch became muscle memory and soon, I didn’t even need to look at the piece as I was working on it.
The most important thing for me was making sure that I made the right size because I did want to wear the bolero. I used myself as a measurement tool to make the design. I constantly held up my work against my body to see how it fit. I would periodically put on the bolero while I was making the sleeves so I could make them the perfect length.
This project took about four days to complete but I only worked on it for about three hours per day. One of the biggest upsides to hobbies like crochet is that you can make things that you can use every day. Some people make keychains or purses but wearable things are the most popular use of crochet. I think the piece that I made is very versatile and can be thrown over most tops to accentuate outfits.