Crocheting in Public

The other day I took my godmother to a doctor's appointment. Sitting in the waiting room, I pulled out the Tiramisu Blanket I'm working on. If you follow my projects of Ravelry, you know this blanket is causing me some issues. I'm worried the yarn/stitch/hook combination is gonna make it way too stiff. I'm hoping against hope that once washed it softens up a bit.

Anyway, this lady, probably in her mid-60s, comes over and asks what I'm crocheting. She said she was a crocheter until she had to have a surgery of some sort. She started fingering my blanket.

"It's just single crochet?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied, "two single crochets in one stitch, skip one, repeat. Pretty basic body but I'll add a really cute border once I'm done."
"Hmm" she sort of grunted, "It's pretty sturdy, huh?"
"Yeah, well, I've read that this yarn softens up once machine washed."
"Hmm. Still pretty... thick. Well, I guess it might be good for December."

Um. Excuse me? Maybe I'm being overly sensitive because she was calling out my own fears about the project but I thought it was fairly rude for a complete stranger to be so negative! Maybe she was just trying to show that she really does know the craft? Later, an elderly woman asked what I was knitting. Normally I let the whole crochet/knit thing go, because the person asking is just making conversation anyway. But noooo... the first lady says "It's crochet, not knit". The elderly lady apologized & I just told her it was a small baby blanket. She commented that she liked that it was solid & simple but had an interesting texture. THANK YOU LADY! I told her that's exactly what I liked about the pattern.

People are strange creatures. I guess I can't expect every crafting in public interaction to be positive.

Anyway- I've broken my New Year's Resolution finally. I didn't work on anything at all yesterday. I have an excuse though- I'm really focused on finishing up my current crochet & knit projects so I can start trying to figure out Nana's dress. However, this has caused me to have some pain in my thumb from overuse while crocheting! I'm giving the paws a break for a couple days and getting back to it over the weekend.

Off-Topic- Pretty Things, Memories & Fasting

I fell in love with this little set of tea cups at Starbucks several weeks ago. I restrained myself until my sister bought them because she works there, thus her employee discount brought the $15 price down to $10. $10 for three cups seems far more reasonable.

I loved them so much that I bought a set (at the $15 price) for my friend's mom for her birthday this weekend. $15 seems like a reasonable price for three cups when they are a gift. :)

Here's my disappointment: I, for some reason, assumed all the cups would be shaped like the bottom blue one, just smaller. Thus, I thought I would probably use them for bowls of candy or maybe on my desk for little odds & ends. Nope. This is what they look like once separated:



Hmmm... I'm far less enchanted with them now. It looks like they are all probably the same volume, just different shapes. I still like them, but the handle-less-ness is a minor annoyance now. I'mma burn my fingertips drinking out of these! I'm still kinda excited about that blue one, though. It's the perfect shape for matcha, which I love.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying a medium green cup of Yogi Peach Detox this morning.



Yummm.

I originally bought it for my mom, who had kidney failure. I ended up liking the spicy quality of it, though, and continued to buy it after mom passed last year. It's pretty yummy, and I think we can all use some detoxing in our lives at some point.



A fun thing about Yogi tea is that the little tag that hangs from the tea bag always has some little quote. Today's is remarkably appropriate:

In order to be remembered, leave nothing behind but goodness.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the passing of my Uncle Conrad. Like most people I mention here, Con wasn't really my uncle. He's my 2nd maternal cousin's paternal uncle. In any case, Con was freaking awesome. Just a really fun, nice guy who you could never say a bad word about. He absolutely left nothing behind but goodness. He passed pretty suddenly and we all feel a big aching hole now. So, with that, my mom's anniversary coming up and just a lot of stress in general, I'm feeling pretty off my game today. I think I'll have a couple cups of Peach Detox, maybe stick to juices and water the rest of the day. Prayer, fasting and some family time will hopefully turn me back into a normal person.

Knit & Crochet Blog Week- Day 4

Day 4
Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.

Lately I've really been lusting after fair isle. During my visit to Loop & Leaf in Santa Barbara I chatted with a regular about it and she swore it's not as hard as it seems. "If you can do a garter stitch, you can do that". Yeah well... I can technically do a garter stitch... it just takes too long. :)

But when I see things like these mittens that look like you could make something amazing with just two types of yarn I think maybe, just maybe, I can do it.


Check out the others participating in knitcroblo4- the 4th day of the Knit & Crochet Blog Along.

Knit & Crochet Blog Along- Day 3

Day 3
Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.

Ok so since I'm more of a crocheter, I'm going to tell you about my crochet idols.

I've been really into amigurumi lately, so of course Planet June is at the top of the list. Not only does she do beautiful work, but she contributes so much to the crochet community by giving many adorable patterns for free!

Since all the patterns I like on Lion Brand's website seem to be by Tamie Snow, I have to point you to her website Roxy Craft

Really, thanks to Ravelry I have a million people who inspire and challenge me. That's the beauty of social networking, isn't it?

Who inspires and challenges you? How has online community building and social networking influenced you?

Check out others participating in knitcroblo3 - the third day of the Knit & Crochet Blog Along!

Knit & Crochet Blog Along- Day 2

Day 2
What pattern or project do you aspire to? Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft.

Oh geez. I came across this forum on Ravelry yesterday and I think I'm just going to hang up my hooks and die. There are SO many beautiful projects!

Basically, I'm going to have to say any knitted garment is what I aspire to. I just learned to knit a few months ago and am still working on the same ribbed scarf that I swear is never going to end. While I'm sure it's just a matter of getting used to it so I'm quicker and learning a bit more, I am equally in love with and intimidated by any cable knit sweater.

One day... one day...

See other blogs participating in knitcroblo2- the second day of the Knit & Crochet Blog Along!

Knit & Crochet Blog Week- Day 1

Missie over at Crafting with Cat Hair is playing catch-up in a blog along this week. I decided to join the party too! :) I'm posting the first three days today and will continue posting throughout the week!



Day 1 - Starting Out
How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?

I've mentioned this already, but my maternal grandmother (who I called Nana) taught me to crochet. We had a great relationship. My mom, who was a teacher, knew most of the staff at a school that was a lot closer to Nana's house than ours, so I went there K-4th grade and went over to Nana's pretty much every day after school. I actually have much clearer memories of weekdays at her house than my own.



Nana passed away the summer before my freshman year of high school. If I ever completed a project before she passed, I don't remember it. The skill stuck with me, though. A few years ago I was crocheting a baby blanket while visiting my mom at the hospital. My uncle came in and made a comment that Nana would be really proud watching me crochet something so pretty. I still cry thinking about that. We were so close and I've felt her absence at every major event in my life.

I also always feel a little guilty when I talk about Nana around my sister. My sister is 9 years younger than me, so she was just 5 when Nana passed and barely remembers her. A couple weeks ago my sister was watching me crochet and asked me to teach her. We only sat for a few minutes but she basically got the hang of the single crochet. Then she ran off to party with her friends and I haven't seen my "H" hook or her progress since. I don't want to push her, but I hope she comes back for more. It made me feel like I was giving her some of Nana back.

I've been making baby clothes all week for no good reason. I plan to try and copy this amazing little dress Nana made. I think it's incredible.



Check out all those who posted for knitcroblo1, the first day of Knitting and Crochet week.

Mastering the Basketweave- in memoriam

Do you sleep with the window open or a fan on? I do. I like to sleep in a cold room under a lot of blankets. Is that weird? It makes me feel more cozy, I think.

On my bed now I have sheets, a fleece blanket, a comforter and a yellow basketweave blanket my grandmother crocheted for me when I was a child. I love this blanket. I have several she made me but at queen-size this is the biggest(although she made my parents one that generously covers their Cal-King bed). It's also the warmest thanks to the doubled-up nature of the stitch. My mother once told me she remembers grandma making this blanket and how it took her FOREVER. I've always looked at it and wondered how on earth she did it. The stitch looks INSANE to me with the rows seeming to go over and under each other. Then, while making the fingerless mittens I learned the "frontpost double crochet" (or fpdc) and realized that HAD to be part of the basketweave. I did a search on ravelry and found a little dishcloth with the pattern. Sure enough, it's a series of fpdc and it's sibling, backpost double crochet (bpdc). Just to appreciate the massive amount of work that went into my beloved blanket I went ahead and made it.



For such a small little thing it took a few hours. I can't believe my grandmother made me a queen sized blanket this way! While I've always really loved the many blankets she made for me and my sister, I have really started cherishing them since I took up crocheting seriously again. My grandmother taught me to crochet at the age of 7 and it's been something I've come back to over and again throughout my life. I hope the things I make end up keeping people warm and cozy for decades too!

Are there any crafts or activities that you do to remember your loved ones who have passed away? Who taught you your favorite craft?