New Twist on Crochet

When I was around ten years old, my mom was knitting. My dad taught me to crochet with my fingers. I could make long lines of crochet chains. Then I figured I could crochet the chains and make them thicker. It was my introduction to crochet. My grandfather took an old wooden spool from thread and put four small nails in it and I learned to spool knit. I never made anything worth keeping but it gave me something to do on winter days.

I had wanted to learn to really crochet. So, one day after classes at the college I went downtown. I found a small yarn shop and bought a how too crochet book for thirty-five cents. I also bought an afghan kit.

I spent days working on the afghan when I was not studying. I wanted to get it done. It turned out to be more of a lap afghan because I crocheted tight. I do ripple afghans from memory, I have done so many now.

Always striving to make something bigger and better I set about making a Double Wedding Ring afghan for a wedding gift. While the bride only had one color for her wedding I made it work. I truly do not like piece work. I want something I can do row after row and see it materialize.

This does not mean I can't do piece work. With this afghan if I were ever to do it again, I'd allow a lot more time. I finished it the night before the wedding.

As my nieces and nephews get older and my former students begin to marry and have children, i find that I make more baby layettes than anything else. I love making them. They keep me busy. I have a pattern I use for boys and I invented the pattern for the afghan. I have a pattern I use for girls and again I created the matching afghan.

Having been crocheting now for over thirty years I find there are very few patterns I cannot tackle and if I can't find an afghan to go with what I am doing I also create one. It's not as hard as it seems.

When my sisters were young I sewed the clothes for their Barbies. I got home from school earlier and worked until I knew they would arrive. When my daughter was little I crocheted the clothing for her Barbies. Then for my nieces and my granddaughter.

I find the tiny stitching a challenge. I started out ripping most things out because I would crochet them so tight, even Barbie could not get them on. I have mastered the art of dressing Barbie in style.

When I have yarn I want to use up, I crochet scrunci's for putting up hair. They young girls love them. I've even done them in school colors.

I also use my cotton yarn for making dish cloths. I find they last longer than the store bought ones and are very absorbent.

There is a crochet project around the corner most days. If you don't know how, you are never too old to learn.