I very much enjoy family time, but sometimes juggling the many tasks involved in homemaking and eldercare can be stressful and overwhelming. Part of my self care, which is of paramount importance to my continued physical health and emotional well-being, is making time for relaxing, fun pursuits that scratch my creative itch. Crochet is a natural choice to fill that need.
I watched my mom crochet throughout much of my childhood and adolescence. Somewhere in my early teens I picked up a hook and learned the art myself. Until relatively recently I don't remember starting a project of much size, nor do I remember finishing a project of any size. Planning, starting, and persevering til the end of even a small project required a self-discipline I didn't possess until much later in life. In my early 20s I did start an enormous bedspread to match my bedroom decor of peach and hunter green. I tired of that color scheme and changed it long before I finished the blanket. Now it languishes, sadly half finished in the bottom of a trunk in the darkest corner of my store room.
In picking up my hook again recently, I've been delighted to find thriving internet communities of hooking enthusiasts who re-energize my love of yarn, and encourage me on to greater heights of skill and accomplishment. Pictured above is my first finished object in many years, of which I am very proud: a pair of crocheted socks! They are something I made with my own two hands which I will actually use, and I'm so entirely pleased with them, I don't want to take them off!
Reading crochet patterns has long been a bugaboo for me, so I was delighted to find hundreds of amazing, easy-to-follow tutorial videos on Youtube. After a fair bit of watching and swatching and trying my hand at the various parts of a sock, I ended up combining the techniques I learned from two videos. I started with the toe of Glama's Easiest His & Hers Crochet TUBE SOCKS Everrrr! When it was time to add the heel I used the one in Bag-o-Day Crochet and More's Cute & Quick Sock Tutorial as a general guide.
After quite a bit of trial, plenty of errors, and a terrible case of second sock syndrome, I ended up with two cozy socks, made by my own hands!
I'm venturing into reading patterns now, and even writing my own a bit, so future posts will hopefully include tutorials as well as WIPS and FOs. But please don't mistake me for anything near a crochet expert. Much to the contrary, I'm really just beginning the endeavor of improving my ability and skill. I hope my fascination for crochet, and my efforts to become ever more skilled at this addicting art, are interesting to others because I want to keep learning and develop friendships in the process.
Hook on!
