More Than Weaving: Latch Hooking

There is more out there in the weaving world, that is very similar to weaving but is not exactly weaving. Most of the time, they are marketed as kids crafts but when you get the hang of it, you can make things way cooler than what is marketed. I mean let’s think of it, most of us learned to weave as kids, but just on a pot holder loom! The craft that I am thinking of here is latch hooking. You remember those latch hook kits in your local craft store of a smiley face, I know you do. I bet they still sell it, so if you don’t remember- go check it out.

The fun thing, is that the latch hook backing, the mesh canvas is something you can buy without buying a kit. You can also used all your own yarn to create a latch hook. The materials to make a latch hook is very minimal so it is easy and fun. I personally started in the latch hooking game with a kit. I still do use a kit now and again. Literally, like 3 years ago I got a bunch of latch hooking kits for Christmas from Walmart. They have lots of cool Disney ones which is super fun! I also have seen great art being made by people adding their own yarn to kits. I have also been following Sam of Aww Sam on her vintage latch hook journey! So really whatever you need to be successful in this process is really whatever works.

If you are very interested in making your own latch hook, out of just the mesh canvas and your own yarn, I found that THIS DIY from Honestly WTF was super helpful and very easy to follow. There is also THIS one on A Beautiful Mess written by Rachel of Smile and Wave. I found both of these helpful for me, even when I was following along with a kit. They are technical but also easy to follow and understand. If you are planning to make your own latch hook, I say take a look at these bad boys.

Okay, now enough of the technical reasons for why I love latch hooking. I am now going to dive in probably to true and real reasons I LOVE this craft. It is similar to the reasons I love a lot of other fiber crafts, and that is REPETITION, REPETITION, REPETITION. The reason why I love that so much is because with repetition you can have mindfulness. You can have the ability to loose yourself in the craft, in the work that you are doing. This process of latch hooking is literally the same thing over and and over again. Same as knitting and crocheting. Through they have different stitches to switch from. Latch hooking can get tedious because there is not much change, there is a lot of the same, but what is fun and exciting in latch hooking is the color and the texture variances. VERY similar to weaving. Essentially latch hooking IS weaving!!! It is just that instead of a warp you have a mesh canvas and you need a little tool to create a rya knot.

I love the process of just being able to know exactly what you are doing and to allow the process to take you forward. There are times where you might have to think, what color is next and so forth, but for the most part the act of the craft itself is mindless which allows you to be mindful while creating. This is one of my most favorite parts of fiber arts! You can watch tv, listen to podcasts or an audio book or my favorite; you can just sit with yourself in the silence and just BE! The true part of mindfulness to be attached to your body and present in the moment. When we put mindfulness in the forefront we are more likely to reduce our stress and not focus so much on the stressors. I have been trying hard this week to focus on just being with myself with no distractions and it is HARD, because distraction is a skill that has kept me going for so long. I can see now how it has helped me, but I want to grow and so here I challenge myself.

Maybe I just got a bit too therapist there for a minute, but also maybe that is the point. Fiber arts can be a part of your therapeutic mental health practice. It can be a coping skill, a processor and grounding technique. Latch hook is a fun and easy entry way into weaving and also an add on to the skill if you are already an avid weaver. I challenge you to join me this week in sitting in the silence of crafting and seeing what you find. It might be fun to have a journal close by to write down what you find!

XOXO