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Crocheting!

Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 10:24 pm
by ViewsAskew
When my mom was pregnant with my sister, I was 13. I learned to crochet so I could make her some booties or a blanket or some such. Then I never crocheted again.

This year in the US, a group of women organized the Women's March on Washington. As I understand it, there were Sister marches in over 400 other locations around the world. I volunteered to be a march marshal for the Chicago march.

Someone decided to make pink hats as a statement (called ***** hats). They were knitted, crocheted, or sewn. I figured, what they heck, I used to crochet, if only for a short time, and how hard could it be, lol? I watched YouTube and relearned. It was a piece of cake, lol. I ended up making 7 hats and gave the extras to some of the other marshals who weren't able to make their own.

It wasn't perfect re. RLS - when symptoms flared, I did have to get up. But maybe concentrating on counting (it was meditative to me) kept it at bay for longer than it would have been normally. Either way, I may just keep this up!

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:22 pm
by Polar Bear
Well done. I never learned to crochet properly. I made the inevitable squares that were sewn together to make a blanket.

However, in the 60s my mother crocheted me a white mini dress which I wore with the knee length white boots of the era.
She also crocheted a wonderful blanket made up of individual snowflakes, stitched together. This blanket is used as a coverlet in our guest bedroom - it's about 50 years old.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 10:21 pm
by legsbestill
That sounds like such a stylish look, Polar Bear. It would still look great even today. Did you feel fantastic in it? I would have loved an outfit like that. I too still have the crocheted blankets my mother made and they are lovely but she never made anything cool like a dress. I love crocheted clothes. You should definitely keep it up, Ann, think of all the beautiful things you could make. Something tangible and pretty to show for the nocturnal torture of rls

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:40 pm
by Polar Bear
legs - I certainly thought I was the bees knees..... especially when under those purple lights that made anything white just glow :)
50 years ago.

To those of you who do crochet some of the work is so beautiful.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:54 pm
by Yankiwi
Polar Bear, that sounds very Mary Quant! I bet you looked great in it.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:24 am
by ViewsAskew
I am hoping to continue!

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 6:53 pm
by yawny
Y'all are much better people than me...I would like to learn crocheting mainly because I'd enjoy making everyone I love ugly Christmas sweaters that they would feel obligated to wear. Even so, what a wonderful skill to have and enjoyable pastime. I've got to do it sometime.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2017 5:56 am
by ViewsAskew
Love the idea of the ugly sweaters, lol. Maybe I sense a project in my future...

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:54 pm
by ViewsAskew
Update - I taught myself how to knit! Have made several hats, scarves, etc. Am working on an infinity scarf right now. This is scary because of how easy it is to start collecting yarn. Oh, my. So many colors and textures and yarn diameters, etc. I have over 200 patterns picked out that I like on Ravelry - some crochet, some knitting. I made myself STOP buying yarn after I acquired about 15 types. I have sock yarn and yarn for dish cloths (the ones I made were so cute!). I have wool, silk, and bamboo, acrylic, cotton, among other fibers. I have fingering and lace yarn - very narrow diameter - and chunky yarn that is like a rope.

Sigh - I replaced my plants - which I knew I had to give up when we moved - with yarn.

Oh, well.

The cowl/infinity scarf I am working on has given me so many headaches. It is a lace pattern and requires dropping stitches and knitting or purling stitches together, etc. You have to count SO carefully. When I am tired, but waiting for my meds to completely kick in enough to sleep, I do not have the capacity to count and not lose or gain a stitch. So, in the morning, I look at it and see that it is completely screwed up...and I completely rip it out (unlike other styles of knitting, it can be SO hard to just remove a row or two) and start over. I have now started over - wait for it - wait - wait - 16 times.

I decided last night that I was going to work on it during the day today and finish it because it will NEVER get done if I work on it at night! Here is hoping nothing distracts me...

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:07 pm
by yawny
There is something special about yarn...I have a bucket of it that I bought years ago for craft projects and it's so aesthetically pleasing to look at. Recently, I had to remove the yarn to a tall furniture piece to keep it out of my cat's way. He was pulling it out and I'd find the most interesting designs across the room. He wouldn't play with it but instead would pull it out and wrap it around furniture legs and somehow create designs across the floor. I thought I might have a little Picasso on my hands but then I found a vomited ball of yarn and his art days ended very abruptly. :( Crocheting is one of those things I'd love to learn but never get to. I imagine it's meditative...is it?

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:42 pm
by stjohnh
I don't crochet, but I have noticed that being very involved in a sedentary activity will keep my legs from jumping. I like playing solitaire on my phone while lying down, and it does take a little thinking but doesn't draw me in. My legs jump like crazy playing solitaire. I put pacman on my phone and I can play it lying down without my legs jumping. Not sure what the difference is, but pacman requires quick thinking and speed.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:53 pm
by ViewsAskew
yawny wrote:There is something special about yarn...I have a bucket of it that I bought years ago for craft projects and it's so aesthetically pleasing to look at. Recently, I had to remove the yarn to a tall furniture piece to keep it out of my cat's way. He was pulling it out and I'd find the most interesting designs across the room. He wouldn't play with it but instead would pull it out and wrap it around furniture legs and somehow create designs across the floor. I thought I might have a little Picasso on my hands but then I found a vomited ball of yarn and his art days ended very abruptly. :( Crocheting is one of those things I'd love to learn but never get to. I imagine it's meditative...is it?


It truly is aesthetically pleasing! Some of the colors are gorgeous, not to mention the textures and hand feel.

You know, vomited yarn could be very Pollack :-).

Yes - crocheting and knitting (at least once you are competent at the stitches you are making) are very meditative.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:57 pm
by ViewsAskew
stjohnh wrote:I don't crochet, but I have noticed that being very involved in a sedentary activity will keep my legs from jumping. I like playing solitaire on my phone while lying down, and it does take a little thinking but doesn't draw me in. My legs jump like crazy playing solitaire. I put pacman on my phone and I can play it lying down without my legs jumping. Not sure what the difference is, but pacman requires quick thinking and speed.


Growing up, I only knew women who knit or crocheted. My grandfather did several things that were more feminine - but he was an artist. He did not crochet or knit, though. I did not expect to see so many men doing it - either at my local yarn store, on Ravelry, or doing YouTube videos. You could have another hobby, Holland besides PacMan.

I usually turn on my phone and see if I can find some Pokemon hanging outside my house :-).

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:24 am
by yawny
ViewsAskew wrote: You know, vomited yarn could be very Pollack :-).


LOL that made me snort laugh...visually it does resemble a Pollock, and conceptually an Andres Serrano. I just want him to use the litter box but you know how artists can be.

At the risk of hijacking this thread for discussing non-artistic activities with absolutely no cultural significance or resulting in aesthetically beautiful handmade creations...

Holland, if you like pacman, you might like Wormax.io. I actually use it to wake up. Sometimes in the morning or late afternoon when I can't seem to wake up I'll play a few games. I suppose it's my substitute for coffee.

Re: Crocheting!

Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 1:58 pm
by stjohnh
yawny wrote:Holland, if you like pacman, you might like Wormax.io.

Yawny, thanks I've now played a few games and it looks like fun