In one of my earliest memories, I’m about five years old, and I’m sitting in my backyard next to a flower garden. It’s summer, and my grandmother is there with me. She’s short and round and has curly hair.

I feel the warmth of dappled sunshine on my shoulders. Grandma’s doing something with her hands. She’s teaching me to crochet.

That moment is like a photograph imprinted on my brain. I don’t know why it’s stayed with me, but I think it’s because I was learning something new–and also because of Grandma, who was probably smiling. And singing. Maybe in Italian, hence my affinity for Romance languages and all things pasta.

One thing I know for sure is that whenever I need to go to my “happy place,” I find myself back there. Recently, I decided to use that memory to draft a memoir-like children’s picture book about a girl, her grandma, and crocheting. It’s not published yet, but (crochet fingers crossed) it will be someday.

Side note: Did you know that the word "crochet" originated from the Old French word "croche," which in turn came from the Germanic word "croc," which means hook? I find that fascinating for two reasons: (1)"croc" just sounds hook-y to me, and (2) not only is there a CROCodile in Peter Pan (both the 1904 play by J.M. Barrie and the Disney version) but there also is a character named Captain HOOK.

Maybe Grandma’s influence that day is why I love using my hands for things like sewing, baking, playing guitar, and writing. But I never was much of a crocheter myself until a few months ago, when I decided to make afghans as gifts for my two daughters, Erica and Katie.

Like my daughters, the afghans are similar, yet different. Erica and Katie both decided on the same pattern but chose different colors. Erica wanted the strong contrast of black and blush (which matches her living room decor), while Katie chose the softer shades of sage and cream (Not blue! she told me, which was confusing because her living room is blue. Go figure.).

Unexpectedly, all this crocheting has been good for my brain! Yes, while sitting still for hours at a time doing not much else besides moving a little hook up and down, over and under, and in and out, I’ve gained a few insights! For example, did you know that:

• crocheting is relaxing?
• once an afghan gets to a certain size, it keeps your lap warm while you’re working?
• crocheting is a little like meditating? (Except that your mind does wander … a LOT)
• you can crochet while watching TV? (Unless you need subtitles, in which case it will take you forever to finish your afghan)
• crocheting will make you feel productive? (Much more productive than blogging ever will)
• an afghan can be a metaphor for life? Well, mine, anyway. It’s a theory I came up with while my mind was wandering (see bullet #3).

Best of all, you’ll learn an important lesson: that a task that seems complicated at first, and maybe downright impossible, can (probably, eventually) be accomplished if you’re patient enough (and if you don’t mind ripping out your stitches and starting over several times like I did).

Well,  I should get back to crocheting now if I’m ever going to finish Katie’s afghan. But first, I’m curious:

Do you crochet? Have a happy place? Have a happy childhood memory? I’d love to hear your thoughts, which will give me something more to meditate on while crocheting!