18
Lifestyle
17th October 2023
Get hooked on crochet! Caitlin Bennett Lifestyle writer
We’re in the age of arts and crafts. Now at our fingertips we have manuals for any hobby we wish to lend our hand to and, currently, crochet and knitting has grown in popularity. For hundreds of years, crochet has been used as a necessity in households, predominantly undertaken by women; it was a core way to produce clothes and recycling materials, and also, as a pastime too. Crochet has many origins from all around the world and dates back to 15th and 17th century, and a little known fact is that we cannot yet replicate it with machines and therefore any genuine crochet garment will be worth more money due to the fact it was made by hand. If for any reason a crocheted garment is not priced
accurately, then we must question the ethicality of its manufacturing. Crocheting is the art of producing woollen crafts with a hoop, of varying widths, and wool, again of varying ply. These are the basic and
"It can be a really rewarding and useful hobby"
essential tools needed to create nearly anything you wanted too out of crochet. Popular items to start are granny squares, which grow quickly and are easily sewn together to form an impressive blanket. You can crochet scarfs, bags and anything square based off of this premise. More complicated
Credit: UEA Stitch 'N' Mix
items could be clothing, toys and items with increasingly difficult stitches or patterns. Most patterns can be found on YouTube with step by step guides on how to mature the skill! The reason why crocheting could have gained popularity at the moment is due to its repetitive and, once learnt, relaxing nature. In this time of ditching the screens as much as we can, and with the cheap materials simple crocheting requires, it can be a really rewarding and useful hobby. Also, the rise of social media has meant that it is easier to go viral or set a trend, so we’ve seen much inspiration on these social platforms; once a hashtag gains momentum before you know it there are people flocking to Hobbycraft! Before you know it you’ll have concentrical mug coasters, place mats and runners for tables, everblooming flowers for ever-pretty vases, hats, scarfs or stool covers. The items made
also make really thoughtful and charming gifts, so maybe get into the spirit of Yuletide now and have the gifts ready for the 25th. The other way to make this hobby even more rewarding is to start with others, bring friends and family in on the trend, or use a club to build your circle. The UEA has its own knitting and crochet society and in September was holding taster sessions, but as with every
society, will be sure to be holding more events throughout the year!
"The other way to make this hobby even more rewarding is to start with others"
The realities of student housing and off-campus living to get a full deposit back. The Huffington Post UK reported on a study that found that a quarter of student homes are infested with rats, mice or slugs, and nearly a third are riddled with damp, condensation and mould; meanwhile, not even a third have
Credit: Unsplash
Mia Galanti
Lifestyle Editor
Like many students, I lived in student accommodation during my first year of university. The nowfelled Ziggurats (rest in temporary peace) was a perfect place to cut my teeth at living by myself for the first time. I was situated in the very middle of campus, no further than a ten-minute walk from anything, with enough independence that I felt like an adult, but also with the safety net of the Residential Life Team and my parents on speed-dial in case anything went wrong. It certainly came with its set of challenges— during Freshers we passed around
"Isn't the student experience all about living in less-than-perfect conditions?" Covid and various other flus to each other like hot potatoes, going into lockdown on the second week and sadly watching all the student inductions through our windows—also, our fridge broke three times—but it was an invaluable part of my student
"Nearly a third [of student houses] are riddled with damp and mould" carbon experience, one I still look back on fondly. After all, isn’t the student experience all about living in less-than-perfect conditions? Moving into a house with friends in second year, however, proved to be the real taste—and test— of adulthood. Unlike in first year, where a cleaner had come in biweekly and mostly sighed at us to move our steadily-growing pile of dirty pots and pans, we were left to fend for ourselves. We quickly had to work out a cleaning rota, a washing rota, a perpetually-maintained grocery list of communal products we needed more of and who should buy them. Council tax crept up on us like a bad surprise, only realised after finally opening the
plain white envelopes that had come through our letterbox throughout the year, and we filed our exemptions by the skin of our teeth to avoid paying an addition fee per month. Despite it all, we were fortunate with our house. Our letting agent was quick and responsive, and our friendly landlord moonlit as our maintenance man, coming in to fix our bathroom light and my housemate’s splintered bedframe. However, I have friends who weren’t so lucky. I heard horror stories of black mould, in some places growing up to several feet big; neglectful landlords who refused to do anything about broken locks or leaky ceilings; the wrangle
monoxide
detectors.
Not only is it disgusting, it is also a complete violation of health and safety codes and can be dangerous. Long-term exposure to damp and mould can result in respiratory issues, problems with sleep and migraines. Vermin infestations can result in a number of diseases such as salmonella and hantavirus. Moreover, many students have reported accidents happening as a result of landlord negligence, such as in one case a sink coming off the wall and cutting a student’s leg, resulting in them needing eighteen stitches. Another student reported that the locks on their doors had been changed without the tenants being notified, and on one occasion had selflocked and trapped occupants
in the kitchen: a total fire hazard. Exploitative landlords and predatory housing schemes are nothing new, but they are especially prevalent when it comes to students, famously one of the poorest demographics willing to suffer minor discomfort to secure housing. However, there is a different between minor discomfort and squalor. It is not just because of financial reasons that students are easy to exploit, but lack of experience. The same study reported that over half the students were unsure if their deposit was protected, meaning that landlords were effectively able to take predatory, undeserved cuts of the deposit without the students realising they had the ability to contest it. Thus, in light of the recent closure of the Ziggurats and the subsequent displacement of over 170 students offcampus, it is a reminder to read up on your tenant rights and understand what you are
entitled to. (And that your deposit is always automatically entered into a tenancy deposit protection scheme, so know that it is protected!)
Credit: Unsplash