I started learning crochet during finals last year because I needed something to do besides studying. Of course, the endless crochet videos appearing on my social media had absolutely nothing to do with it. My first granny square was so uneven that my roommate said it looked like a deformed pizza slice—and she still reminds me of it.

I kept practicing between study sessions because, strangely, crocheting was the only thing that could quiet my mind for a while. Even though I was terrible at first, I slowly improved and became more confident with every project.

A few months later, I decided to make my mom a scarf for her birthday. I used three completely different types of yarn that I had found on sale, so it definitely wasn’t perfect. I expected her to like it, but I wasn’t prepared for her to cry when she opened it.

She still wears that scarf every winter and proudly tells everyone, “My daughter made this,” as if I’m a professional crocheter. Six months before making it, I could barely crochet a chain without messing it up. Seeing how much the scarf means to her makes every frustrating stitch worth it.