Hello again, Hivers!
This is my first post in this community… if you look at my recent blog posts, I haven’t actually posted on the same subject twice. I guess I’m just a gal of many interests, trying to share a little bit of everything I love. I do have a bit of a short attention span, so the likelihood that I’d ever have a blog that focused exclusively on one subject is pretty small. I hope that’s ok with all of you! And I hope you enjoy today's offering!
Growing up, nearly every woman I knew (my mom, friends’ moms, aunts, grandmothers) knew how to knit. Everyone had handmade sweaters, ear warmers, scarves, mittens. A handful of those people also knew how to crochet… let’s think back to the 80s and 90s, how many of us had doilies on tables, and, for some strange reason, toilet paper cozies? I’ve always been a creative type, and love doing things with my hands, and so I asked my mom to teach me how to knit. Now, she was left-handed, so that’s how she taught me to do it… which led to some complications, and I relied heavily on having her nearby to help me to undo any errors while I was learning. I managed to knit a couple of nice and simple scarves, but never gained the confidence to be able to make anything independently. I kept meaning to get back to it, to be able to make things for my kids, but I then lived far away from my mom, and I didn’t know anyone with the time to sit and re-teach me.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I decided that I’d try my hand at crochet… it has become quite the fashion trend, and I’ve always enjoyed the variety of stitches and patterns you can achieve compared to knitting. There are thousands of tutorials on YouTube, and so I ordered myself some hooks, a ball of yarn, and sat down with them, determined to learn.
The first thing I did was just simply practise some basic stitches, making a square. It was lopsided, and calling it a “square” was a bit of a stretch. But it was fun, and I could do it while I was watching tv, or listening in on meetings… keeping my hands busy has always helped me to concentrate (nearly all my notebooks from school have sketches and doodles down the margins)... plus it was a bit of a challenge - I wanted to keep going until I got it figured out - to make a square square! I found some tutorials with some fun patterned “granny square” patterns, and that’s when I really got hooked.
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| The first few stitches. | The un-square square. | My first fun pattern. |
I had no idea when I started out how much I would latch onto this new skill… I’ve made so many things, and am constantly coming up with more things I want to make.
Here are a few of the things I’ve made since picking up a hook and yarn, only a year and a half ago:
A sweater “shrug” for my daughter, which started as a "virus blanket" square. When she outgrows it I’ll likely undo the sweater collar/cuffs, and make it into a larger lap blanket.
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| I blocked the square before continuing, so I could see what I was working with. | I think it makes a pretty cute sweater. | Little Miss was rather pleased too. |
The world’s warmest "macchiato sweater", because when it gets to -40C you need something thick and fuzzy! (I may need to make another one with a lighter yarn, because I love it but this thing is so hot, I really can’t wear it unless I’m going to be somewhere quite chilly - I can wear it when I go out in the fall/winter, but once I get home I have to change. lol)
I made myself this purse for summer outings - great for going to a market, or the beach… it’s sort of stretchy, because of the stitch pattern, and the openness lets sand fall through. I don’t love the strap - it digs into my shoulder a bit - but it does the job!
And then I made myself a little handbag to be able to keep my smaller items together, making them easier to find in such a large purse.
Unfortunately I can't remember where I found the patterns for these beauties, other than I spent hours digging through Pinterest for ideas.
Water bottle holsters for when we’re out adventuring, to keep hands free. I’ve made them for my kids, 3 of my nieces and nephews, and my neighbour. I’ve also been stopped on several outings asking where I got them… perhaps I should start selling them!
An example of the holsters in action, on a trip to the dinosaur museum.
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| The pattern, which I found on a random Pinterest image search. | A detailed shot, when not in use. | These hold a huge variety of water bottles - and they're apparently kitty approved! |
A large blanket for my son’s bed. This was probably my favourite project. I did the "Study of the Journey" stitch-along series for the first while, and then added on extra rows to make it rectangular, and large enough to cover his bed.
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| It all started with a simple circle. | Then it grew. | A little wonky, but I learned a lot and he loves it. |
I recently discovered some spools of hemp twine, which I had used to make jewelry with back in the early 2000s, and decided to use some of it to make a sun hat for my daughter. It was quite stiff and a little scratchy so I gave it a wash, and now it is very floppy… So I will need to get some stiffener to spray on the brim.
And a cute little halter top that she can wear on the hottest days, when even a regular tank top feels like too much.
I just made this 2 days ago, so she hasn't had a chance to wear it yet, so no action shots.
I’m trying very hard not to become a yarn hoarder… but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t check the yarn aisle for discounted skeins every time I’m somewhere that sells the stuff. I have a small stash, but if I allowed myself, I’d easily triple that. I started off with what was cheap and available in bulk… basically, acrylic. I’m now trying to move away from synthetic fibres in all of my clothes, so I’m on the lookout for cotton, bamboo, rayon… natural fibres that breathe and drape, wash and wear well. I have my eye on a particular yarn that I want to get and use to make myself a summer top… I’ll have to be sure to take progress shots and share once I make that happen.
I plan to sit down with some needles and YouTube tutorials to re-learn knitting, but it’s hard to convince myself to do this, when I’ve become so proficient with crocheting… but I do think there’s value in knowing how to do both. Plus, I’ve heard knitting uses less yarn than crocheting, so that appeals to my frugal nature. hahaha