Life of a Hooker

When growing up my neighbor taught me how to chain.  My hands were so little that I was unable to hold the yarn properly - or I was not coordinated!  At any rate, I developed my own way.  When we moved to Southern California my "grandmother" then taught me how to actually put the stitches together, and I was then off to a great start.  

It amazes me now that my crocheting then in my teenage years mainly consisted of making doilies.  I suppose that has a lot to do with the times (early 60's) and who was teaching me.  I taught myself how to knit and made many sweaters, none of which I had saved for some reason.  But I didn't make sweaters from crocheting.

After I moved to Georgia when in my 20's I began to crochet along with my sewing.  I made a lovely houndstooth sweater coat - I think that the pattern came from Women's Day or one of those lady magazines. It was on the front cover and I loved it.  The problem, however, was that it was not made in the proper yarn.  Although I knew how to make things, no one had explained to me the intricacies of picking out a yarn, why worsted, why cotton, why not.  So the sweater was more like a heavy unyielding coat, no sweater to it!  No stretch.  But gorgeous!  

During that time I was also knitting a sweater which, to this day, is not finished!  It is still in my stash. I am not a size 8 any longer, so unless for some reason I get to take off about 45 pounds, I doubt if I finished it that I would ever be able to wear it.  Maybe give it to some teen in church, assuming it isn't too out of date! ( but then, the styles always come back again).  The last thing I made was a baby afghan for my niece - it was made to look like ribbons.  Chartreuse ones going vertical, and darker green weaving in and out horizontally, with a white background.  LOVED  IT!

While in Georgia I made all my clothes, painted, decorated and painted ceramics, and quit crocheting for some unknown reason.  Perhaps I just didn't like the granny squares and the dolls with large skirts on the beds.  It just didn't seem to appeal to me any longer.  I quit knitting, too.

Then moved to California.  Eventually crocheted an afghan with a backing for another niece who was about seven or eight, I think.  Then started one for my nephew who was a in college.  That project took me eight years to finish, and he just received it this year!  However, after re-marrying and moving to Idaho in 2004 I picked up the crocheting again while trying to finish the afghan.  Made some hats, scarves, things for church - and then discovered the joys of making baby things for the granddaughters.  It has been wonderful to create again - I had done so much of it over the early years but somehow got away from it, so am thankful to be able to have time to make presents for my loved ones.

My poor hubby did not know that he had married a creator!  I love to create things - right now gardening and crocheting.  So my stash continues to grow, I keep buying books and patterns, and my skills are increasing by the day.  I'm having fun making quickie projects like potholders, but don't like them to be the ordinary granny square.  I love making colorful ones and those made for the holidays.

Hopefully I will be able to apply what I am learning to start designing some items on my own.  Not as easy as I thought, but a skill I hope to have.  In the meanwhile, I'll post my ramblings here, and any patterns that I think are worth posting, while the photos remain on the other sites for the most part.

Happy Hooking!