I’ve been wanting to publish a pattern for a simple crochet rainbow wall hanging since I first wrote about macrachet last winter. Back then, I almost absent-mindedly crocheted a simple rainbow, more to illustrate the concept than to create something particular. The rainbow came together so quickly and effortlessly I didn’t bother taking any process notes. After all, it’s a rainbow. An arc. A half-circle. Who needs to take notes on that? Plus, I thought to myself, if it turns out well, I will surely write and publish the pattern within a few days. There’s no way I’ll forget between now and then.

Let’s fast forward 10 months. It’s the beginning of November now. While perusing my ever-growing collection of works in progress, I come across a crochet rainbow wall hanging and remember I wanted to to write a pattern for it. Well, thank goodness I have the time now. I remember I didn’t take notes, but I don’t worry. I quickly reverse-engineer the stitches and order of increases. As I jot the instructions down, I feel quite accomplished. I whip up prototype number 2 in less than an hour. Easy-peasy. Only, it doesn’t look the same. Or, perhaps it does, but it doesn’t feel the same as the original. What gives?

Is it my stitch tension? Yarn? No matter how many times I start, I cannot reproduce that rainbow from last year as easily as I convinced myself I could.   

Now, don’t get me wrong. It is a simple design. It’s an arc; a half-circle, remember? Thankfully, this crochet rainbow wall hanging comes together quickly. So, I start crocheting more prototypes, each with a small adjustment or a small modification.

If you follow my creative journey, you know I am a kind of disloyal, promiscuous crafter. While I admire and respect the work ethic, motivation, and patience of those who are able earn money by crocheting, that has never been me.

The truth is, I don’t stick with anything that doesn’t bring me joy. And nothing kills my joy more surely than repetition. I find the thrill in experimentation and in the process of discovery. I get the most satisfying feeling from figuring something out. Then, I like to admire the finished product and move on to something new.

But these rainbows changed something in my heart. Somewhere along the process of finding that perfect pattern formula, I fell in love with making one crochet rainbow wall hanging after another, repetition be damned.

One evening, my husband found me sitting cross-legged on the floor, crocheting a new rainbow next to a pile of finished ones. He jokingly called this little corner by the window my Rainbow Factory.

I giggled but couldn’t disagree with him. The process of “making” became almost addictive. Changing the colors from vivid to pastels. Changing the fringe material between cotton yarn and cotton rope. Experimenting with jute. Making the rainbows smaller, bigger, and playing with their shape. For the first time in my life, I was hooked on making more of the same thing, and boredom was the last word I’d describe my feelings about it.

As I lay all those finished rainbows on the floor before me in my little Rainbow Factory, I realized something. You see, I nailed that pattern formula by my third rainbow. I didn’t need to crochet the next 15. But I wanted to. Making these rainbows was bringing me so much joy I refused to stop. And when I was looking at them, I thought that perhaps they have more joy to give.  

If you would like to make a rainbow to brighten up your space, it is now available as a step-by-step pattern and guide in my crochet pattern shop.