We may love to crochet but I’m sure many of us neurodivergent people find the quiet unsettling or even distracting. I know personally when it’s too quiet, my thoughts can start running rampant and soon enough I’m paying more attention to whatever’s going on in my head than what’s on my hook. So what can we do about it? There are lots of options out there but here are my 5 favorite things to do when I’m crocheting and don’t want to sit in silence.
Podcasts
I used to be very anti-podcast for some unknown reason (even to me) but in the past several years, I’ve started listening to them more and more. Podcasts are great for a few reasons. First, they’re obviously entertaining and can also be really informational and/or helpful. Second, there’s a huge variety of podcasts out there so you will definitely be able to find something that interests you. Third, they can be a helpful time tracker.
Let me expand a little bit on that last point.
If you have ADHD like me, you probably lose track of time if you get too absorbed by your crochet project. I know I can easily get lost for hours. Podcasts are a good measure of time because you’ll know how long the episode is when you put it on. This means you can avoid putting something on that will be way too long if you don’t have much time and therefore avoid being late for whatever’s next on your schedule. It also means you’ll know if you’ve listened to 3 hour-long episodes, that you’ve been sitting there for 3 hours and need to get up a stretch. I find podcasts to be more effective at this than other options like audiobooks where it can be less obvious how long a certain chapter will be, for example.
There’s one podcast I listen to with devotion which is Morbid. That is always my go-to if there’s a new episode I can catch up on. Some others that I listen to are This is Actually Happening, Ologies, and You’re Wrong About. Plenty of us neurodivergents love to learn new things so listening to a podcast while you crochet is a great way to get some learning in too!
Audiobooks
I know a lot of crocheters are also readers so audiobooks are another great option. Personally, one of the “problems” (for lack of a better word) I’ve had with taking up crochet is that it has cut into my reading time! Time that I used to spend reading is now more often spent crocheting. Not only that, but my ADHD has recently become quite an issue with trying to actually sit down and read so listening to audiobooks while I crochet has been a great way for me to still get to read some books even when my brain is not cooperating. Audiobooks to the rescue!
If you have a library card, you can probably borrow quite a few good audiobooks through apps like Hoopla and Libby. Check with your local library to see what electronic resources they offer – chances are it will save you a lot of money because audiobooks can be expensive! If you still have a way to listen to CDs, you may also find some audiobooks on discs at your library. Take a look!
Music
This may seem obvious to some people, but I’m including it anyway because you never know if someone else hadn’t thought of it! Music is always a great way to fill the silence. No matter what genre, it’ll probably add some extra fun to your crochet. You could even make a crochet playlist with some of your favorite tunes so that you don’t have to think about what you want to put on. Nice and easy!
I’ve personally had Chappell Roan and Taylor Swift on repeat lately. Both make for some pretty good crochet tunes if you ask me!
Documentary
I’m often a bit hesitant to put something on the TV because I don’t want to accidentally focus more on what’s on the TV than my crochet. If I’m watching a new and interesting show or movie, my attention tends to go to the TV rather than what’s on my hook. However, I have found documentaries are a good way to combat this. Something about nonfiction is less distracting to me than fiction. If I throw a documentary or true crime show on in the background, it gives me just the right level of distraction to be able to work on my crochet project without making tons of mistakes while still having something to keep me entertained when I’m lost in repeating rows. I imagine reality TV might be a good choice too if that’s your kind of thing.
One of my favorite true crime shows to put on is Evil Lives Here. There are a solid 15 seasons at the time I’m writing this so it should last you at least a few crochet sessions.
Comfort movie/show
Nothing beats a good comfort show! When I need some sort of noise but can’t decide on what to have on, I usually default to one of two choices: Parks and Recreation or Shrek. Comfort shows or movies are a good option because you can listen and you know what’s going on without having to focus exclusively on the TV. That means it’s pretty easy to make sure you don’t lose your crocheting momentum by becoming distracted by plot twists you couldn’t have seen coming.
These are 5 of my favorite things to do when you want to crochet but don’t want to sit in silence. I hope this gave you some good ideas to fill the silence when you need to. Any one of these adds a little extra comforting noise and entertainment to your crochet sessions. Do you have any other activities that you like to do alongside crocheting? Let me know in the comments!
