The holiday season is a time filled with beautiful magic, but also unbelievable stress.
Finding little moments throughout your day for gratitude and mindfulness can help ease holiday stressors.
From gifts, lights, decorations, pictures, food, finances, and family drama. The holiday season has it all. For us crocheters, we get the lovely stressor of handmade gifts. The intention is always heartfelt, but the clock has a way of ticking too fast this time of year.
It’s funny, outside of the yarn and fabrics, many people don’t realize how much work goes into something handmade. I’m asked constantly to make things for people in my life. I’m a people pleaser by default, unfortunately. And while I would love to say yes every time, I also need to be realistic. I have two hands, and sometimes they need rest.
But gratitude always brings me back. I’m grateful that my hands know how to make beautiful things. I’m even more grateful to have so many people who would cherish something, anything, made by me.
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What is Gratitude?
During this season, gratitude messages are everywhere. Be grateful for loved ones, for the food on our plates, for the breath in our lungs. While those reminders are helpful, they don’t require us actually to stop and pay attention.
Gratitude is about noticing what is working in life. Big or small, we all have successes every day, but the motion of life has a way of pulling us away from savoring them.
We might not give thanks for waking up because a child is screaming for breakfast. We might not pause to feel the fall breeze because we’re running our hundredth errand of the day. But when we do find that time, there are benefits.
According to Harvard Health, taking a few moments each day to be grateful can support emotional and social stability, improve sleep, lower depression, and even benefit cardiovascular health.
Gratitude doesn’t prevent hard days, but it can lighten them.
I remember sitting in a drive-thru line after a terrible day. I was mad about an unresolved argument with my husband, overwhelmed by my daughter’s behavior, and stressed by a never-ending to-do list. I picked up my phone and saw a photo of my daughter. It hit me, this is the life I prayed for. The life of my dreams.
These are the moments I will miss. I thought of my husband, the father he is, and the life he provides for us. My daughter is experiencing the world with new eyes, full of wonder and life. A true light in my world.
Thoughts like that make the weight of the day fall away.
Why Crochet Supports Gratitude
Crochet can be a slow moment. And while this time of year can make crochet feel chaotic, fast-paced, and production-focused, it doesn’t have to be.
Crochet permits you to slow down. Even if it’s only for five minutes before you return to finishing blankets and beanies. Those five minutes can change the emotional tone of your entire day.
Settle into the repetition and the rhythm. Think about what you're making and who you're making it for. I call this stitching in love. I fill my mind with ways I treasure the person receiving the item. They’re worth every bit of wrist soreness later.
And always take a moment to be thankful for the ability to crochet. Crafting is an expression of you. Not everyone has this skill. It’s not always easy. It’s time that isn't guaranteed. Thank your hands for what they do.
Mindful crochet is one of the simplest forms of holiday stress relief, especially during a season that can feel overwhelming.
Gratitude Practices Everyday
Mindfulness and gratitude can be woven into everyday moments. They don’t have to take away from your day’s productivity. When your to-do list is long, here are small practices that can still shift your mindset.
- Red light pause — From Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh. A red light is usually an annoyance. But reframing it as a cue for gratitude turns a negative into a positive. Take it as a moment to list all things in your life that are working.
- Phone wake screen pause — When you unlock your phone, take a breath and find gratitude for something small. If you keep this idea in your mind, these tiny pauses can shift the tone of your day.
- Eating mindfully — This one appears everywhere, and for good reason. Take one silent moment while eating. Notice the flavors. Be thankful for the food, how it supports your body, and the people sharing the meal with you. This practice fits beautifully into holiday gatherings.
Gratitude Practices with Crochet
Now that the everyday moments are covered, here are some mindful crochet practices you can use while you work.
- One grateful stitch — Before starting a row, name one thing you're grateful for. Keep it honest and simple.
- Project pause — When you put your hook down, take a breath and tell yourself, “Look what my hands made.” “I add beauty to this world.”
- Gratitude marker — Add a stitch marker somewhere in your work. Not as a project reminder, but as a gratitude reminder. “I’m thankful I found the time today.” “I’m thankful for this breath.”
If you're looking to mix some more mindfulness practices into your crocheting routine, check out my other mindfulness post. Also, every free pattern comes with a mindfulness prompt to use while you crochet.
Hey, I’m Abby!
The hands and heart behind Yarnful Mind. I’m a stay-at-home mom, wife, and longtime lover of yarn. I turn to crochet not just for creativity, but for calm. What started as a way to quiet my depressingly anxious mind has grown into something much bigger: a gentle space where I can share patterns, mindful moments, and the slow magic of making.
Stitch slow, breathe deep, stay mindful.
Small Turkey Motif
Stitches (US Terms):
- Magic Ring (MR)
- Back Loop Only (BLO) stitches
- Front Loop Only (FLO) stitches
- Picot Stitch
- Single Crochet (sc)
- Double Crochet (dc)
- Triple Crochet (tc)
- [ ] – brackets indicate the final stitch count for the row or round
- * – Repeat the instructions between parentheses the specified number of times.
Body (Yarn A)
Start: Magic ring with 6 sc [6 sc]
Round 1: inc *6 [12 sc]
Round 2: (1 sc, inc) *6 [18 sc]
Round 3: (1 sc, 1 sc, inc) *6 [24 sc]
Sl st to the first st of round 3. FO, leaving a long tail for joining to the tail.
Head (Yarn A)
Start: Magic ring with 6 sc [6 sc]
Round 1: inc *6 [12 sc]
Sl st to the first st. FO, leaving a long tail for joining.
Note: I like to embroider the face once the body, wings, and head are sewn together, but before attaching them to the tail.
Wings (Yarn A) – make 2
Start: Magic ring with 6 sc [6 sc]
Round 1: inc *2, sc and dc in next st, ch 1, dc and sc in next st, inc *2 [8 sc, 2 dc, 1 ch space]
Sl st to the first st. FO, leaving a long tail for joining.
The wings should look like little teardrops once finished. See image below.
Tail (Yarn B)
Start: Magic ring with 6 sc [6 sc]
Round 1: inc *6 [12 sc]
Round 2: (1 sc, inc) *6 [18 sc]
Round 3: (1 sc, 1 sc, inc) *6 [24 sc]
Round 4: (1 sc, 1 sc, 1 sc, inc) *6 [30 sc]
Sl st to the first st. FO
Now switch to working in rows:
Attach Yarn A to any sc.
Row 1: 15 sc across. Turn. [15 sc]
Row 2: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next 2 st, dc inc in each in the next 10 st, 1 dc in the next 2 sts [25 dc] Finish the last st with Yarn B for color change. Turn. Note: I like to use a stacked sc instead of ch 2 so there isn't that small gap. Ch 2 is better for beginners.
Row 3: ch 1, 1 sc in each st across [25 sc]. Finish the last st with Yarn C. Turn.
Row 4: ch 1, 1 sc in each st across [25 sc]. Finish the last st with Yarn D. Turn.
Row 5: ch 1, 1 sc, (sk 1 st, 4 dc in next st, sk 1 st, 1 sc) *6 [6 sc and 6 shells]
FO, and weave in the ends.
Assembly
I like to attach the body, wings, and head together first. Then I embroider the face details. This lets the wattle be embroidered and beak onto the body as well.
Once the front pieces are assembled and embroidered, join them to the tail.
Weave in all ends, and your turkey is done.
Final Encouragement
Taking time to be grateful is what this holiday is truly about. The meal doesn’t have to be perfect, the family doesn’t have to agree, and life doesn’t have to look picture-perfect.
These moments are still beautiful ones. Moments that can’t be relived or undone. Finding the beauty in them is living fully.
Thank you so much for taking a moment with me today. I hope you continue to join me as I grow.
Happy Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for you 💛
Please do not copy, repost, or distribute this pattern as your own. You are welcome to sell finished items made from this pattern, but please credit Yarnful Mind as the designer. Thank you for supporting my work and honoring creative boundaries.