Rekindling my love of crochet

A handbag my Grannie crochet while in college..

Growing up, I always had short infatuations with some type of artistry. Starting at age two I was mesmerized by construction while my Dad was building the edition on to our house. By age four, I wanted to paint everything in sight.  My parents put up with months of me paint plates, rocks, and furniture. By age six, I would spend countless hours in my Dad’s shop building bookshelves, birdhouses and the sort. I was convinced at age six that I wanted to be an architect. After a few days at my Dad’s office with his fellow engineers and contractors, my architect days were over—I wanted to be a teacher. Then, I set up school with hand held chalkboards and Dr. Seuss. After visiting a staff meeting at my mother’s school, my teaching days ended and I now wanted to be a Chef.  The next three months, my parents were subject to eating my many creations until that infatuation subsided. Finally, by age eight, my Girl Scout leader had suggested that we learn crochet. For about four months, my only hobby was crochet. I crochet scarves and hats and even worked on a blanket project with my Grannie Iris. I remember during this crochet infatuation my Grannie and I bonded as I had come to learn of her crochet days during college. In the 1940s when she attended the University of Arkansas, she took classes on crochet as a part of the curriculum for females. While this phase of my crafting infatuation did not last, I do remember the bonds of crafting that were made between my Grannie and I during those months.

Grannie Iris' matching hat as well!

Fast forward about 10 years, I’m a sophomore in college and suddenly want to learn to knit. For Christmas 2009, I asked my mother for knitting lessons and materials. She wasn’t surprised because every year I ask for a new type of skill to be learned—piano, running, driving, painting, cooking, baking, making homemade noodles, sewing, and so forth. This January 2010 was no different when I met my mother’s secretary, Mrs. Charlotte, an older lady that has been knitting since her youth. I learned the basic stitches and got after it. Within months, I had exhausted my knitting abilities and needed a break. I went through phases, scarves, hot pads, headbands, and leg warmers. By May 2010 I had packed my carry-on bag for the plane ride to Peru with enough knitting to keep me occupied for the 15 hour flight. However, I was burnt out on my knitting, so I decided to sleep instead. From May until August, I didn’t knit. I knew that for my upcoming class, I needed to start my red scarf project and refresh myself on crochet, but I kept putting it off. Finally, motivation came back to me, I resumed knitting and did a little crochet. I was glad to be knitting again and still did not have the desire to crochet.

Last Thursday, I borrowed one of Tamami’s crochet hooks to simply fill time crocheting a square out of boredom. That rainbow square turned into the start of my first crochet project since I was eight! By the end of the weekend I had crochet a hat, without a pattern. It is a combination of my yarn scraps and is rather unique. I call it my angry man hat because if you look closely enough, you see this odd shaped, unhappy face! I was so excited from this hat, that I spurred by re-ignited romance with crochet. Much like any of the other short live infatuations with different artistries, I have rekindled this flame. In the last ten days, I have crochet two hats and am on my third. I’m looking forward to crocheting over the Thanksgiving Break, hopefully with my Grannie Iris, and perhaps making many gifts!

See the original crochet square in rainbow? it is the start of this hat!

My second crochet hat of the week!

The front of my first crochet hat in 10 years!
Can you see the angry man face?

I’m not sure how long this crochet phase will last, but it has curbed my desire to knit. I’m sure I’ll be setting up a system between knitting and crochet in which I can switch back on forth on each until I get burnt out again. I know that some people would find it difficult to keep switching from so many different skill sets, I just get tired of one and decided to go to another. I find it exilerating to be able to do whatever I want when the desire hits me! And, clearly, crochet is my newest infatuation!

and the start of my third crochet hat this week..