A "Yarn" of a story.....

I've added a couple of new hobbies to my interests lately....crocheting and knitting.

My mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law (as well as some aunts and even students in my class this year) all know how to knit, crochet, or both. I've sat on the sidelines watching as their fingers did dances with needles and yarn, wondering "how do they do that?" For some reason, though, I never asked for lessons or help.

My grandmother used to crochet stuffed animals for me when I was a little girl. She also made images of each holiday (hearts, clover, bunnies, flags, pumpkins, etc), glued safety pins on them, and made them for my teachers each year. She and my mom tag-teamed and made blankets, hats, sweaters, and booties for Quinn while I was pregnant. My mom crocheted huge blankets for many family members over the years...even the dogs! My aunt knit me a scarf one year for Christmas. Buddy's mom has made blankets, and is currently knitting dish cloths as "remember me gifts" for ladies at the church they are leaving, since they just moved.

The students in my class this year and last learned to knit from a few teachers and this year started a knitting club. I can't tell you how dumb it made me feel to watch 10 and 11 year olds pick up knitting needles and immediately "figure it out"....and within a few days, would show me a completed project. One girl caught on so quickly, she has adult friends of her mom paying her to knit or crochet things for them!

I decided 2010 was the year I learn something new. I had mentioned to Buddy that I wanted to learn to crochet, so to make me stay true to my word, Quinn "picked out" a learn-to-crochet kit and some yarn as one of my Christmas presents. Then over my time at Mom's during the Christmas holiday, I had her teach me to crochet. I will freely admit that this was difficult for me. I just couldn't catch on, and yes, I even threw my crochet needle across the room (several times)! Finally it clicked and I was able to complete a project in April. I made a scarf, which I can't use until it gets cold again. But I started and completed a project!

This past weekend we went to see Buddy's parents at their new house and his mom showed me her knitting projects she had been working on. She is making dishcloth sets, like I said before. All of them had hearts on them somehow, whether the hearts were made by making little holes, or making the heart by using different kinds of stitches. She casually asked did I want to learn to knit. So I learned to knit this weekend too. Working two needles is a little more complicated than working one needle, but I am catching on.

The problem: I need to learn different kinds of stitches. For crochet, I can "chain" and do the "single crochet". For knitting, I can "cast on", and do the "knit" stitch. Another big problem for me with knitting is that I keep slipping stitches off the end of the needle. I don't have that problem with crochet, thanks to the hook on the end. I am trying to knit a dishcloth (no hearts, just plain), but I've had to start over about five times, since I don't know how to fix my mistake when the stitches slip off.

Hopefully, I can continue to figure out how to do this. My only regret is that I wish I had learned how to do this before now. Later, I will post some pictures of the projects my family has made me over the years....you'll see I have a lot to learn!