I love the feeling of yarn sliding through my fingers, of making intricate loops that become a scarf, or a hat, or a wall-hanging. Something about crocheting taps into this deep desire to make things with my hands.

My boyfriend (who is now my husband!) and I taught ourselves how to crochet about a year ago, sitting around in my room watching the same YouTube videos over and over until we could make things: he made a sock, and I made a hat. Never mind that we had to undo them almost completely because of some simple mistakes we made…

As a full-time grad student, I am often stuck inside my own head, pondering things that don’t have much relevance for day-to-day life, which is why I need to crochet. It gives me the chance to let my thoughts wander down rabbit holes while my hands loop something lovely.

And that is why I’m crocheting a whole pile of Christmas gifts this year. I will get to think about my family while I take a welcome break from academics, and explore what it means to be a maker! My first project is this cowl from LuzPatterns on Etsy. I’m making it for my sister, and I really hope she’ll like it as much as I do—it has such amazing texture, and I love how the waves are almost sculptural. I’m using Bernat Roving yarn in “putty,” which is this soft, single-ply yarn that is just the right shade of light grey.

I must say, I’m pretty excited about the next couple of months. I’ve got some fun projects lined up, and it will be a new experience to give things I’ve made with my own two hands to people I love.