Much to the amusement of many of my dear ones I am an avid yarn lover. While they await their glossy boxes and so on I await my yarn surprises .There are many countless blogs and internet pages dedicated to this wonderful craft, this is not one of them. Why do what others do better? It is however a huge part of my life. It’s my go to when I feel creative. It’s my stress reliever when life overwhelms and it’s my little, not so secret, passion.
No words can tell of the excitement that me and many others feel on sight of a beautiful new yarn. Nor the inspirational flutter that comes when one more talented than us produces something so beautiful you simply have to attempt it. Some jokingly call it a disease , others an obsession . We all have ridiculous ‘yarn stashes’ that are mountainous in size and infinitely rewarding to our souls. I’m not sure I’d go so far as to describe it as an obsession for me,but it most certainly is something that has a deep link to my soul.
Tell me of a newly conceived baby and I will tell you of a mind inspired to create. Is there anything more satisfying in life than slowly and meticulously creating little garments for tiny humans not yet arrived into this world? It is impossible not to think of possibilities and wonder to the future. Personally this is my most motivational scenario . Purposeful creating with a person in mind, born or otherwise. The care one takes selecting patterns and yarn, buttons and notions. The crafting of a unique little package for a unique individual. I LOVE it!
I am, I suppose, a knitter. I was taught to knit at the grand old age of 3 by my mother and had my skills honed by my favourite aunt. Both stunning craftswomen, schooled by others before them in this archaic talent. I learned quickly and I loved it greatly. Many hours were spent sitting alongside either one of them, knitting companionably, side by side. My mother was the teacher. She naturally inspired and reassured that ‘I could’. Items made by her side were challenging and frustrating and most definitely worthwhile. Her meticulous nature encouraging my more free spirited person to put the graft in and get it right. My aunt on the other hand was more relaxed , shall we say , in her approach. If you messed it up, she would take the piece from you, rip it out and knit it back to where you had it previously before the mistake was noticed. I am sure it requires no intellect to know which one taught me best in terms of being a knitter.
Knitting fell somewhat out of favour in the 90’s and naughties as people craved new, shiny, sleek. It was a period in time where the artisan crafts of centuries past were no longer wanted. Inexpensive imports and vast bargain stores suddenly took away from the creations of love so cherished in the past. Like most , I too stopped. Then Julia Roberts and a few other famous persons were spotted knitting in cafes on sets and the like and suddenly the art of knitting was revived. Bespoke yarns of inspirational quality and colour became more readily available and without doubt the success of the internet could only be a bonus for this scattered community of yarn adoring crafters. It was once again ‘cool’ to knit.
The thing was that while it may be cool to knit it certainly was not cool to abandon ones small children so that patterns could be plodded through meticulously. EVERYONE who knits knows that its a hanging crime to stop mid row. Its also a capital offence to interrupt the silent stitch count. It matters not if you need “a big poo poo”, the addict knitter plods on and faces the consequences. Not exactly a toddler friendly activity.
Then there’s the husband who did NOT grow up in the home of a knitter, avidly tssking and sighing as two needles click together in rhythm, Heaven help him if he ever met the knitters of old, he has no idea of the peaceful sound made by two bamboo sticks (my preference) compared with a set of old metal no 8’s! It was like the world was conspiring against my knitting revival. So, in my wisdom, I decided I would teach myself to crochet.
Crochet is different in so many ways from knitting. It’s faster, it’s more forgiving, it’s at times more creative and for the most part entails the use of only a singular hook. This surely was the natural move for me . Off I went armed with a 4mm crochet hook, a ball of double knitting (who am I kidding 6 balls of double knitting as usual the dreamer in me already saw an immaculately finished throw) and my iPad playing ‘beginners crochet videos’ on you tube. How hard could it be?
Turns out, in the first instance , VERY. It looked soooooo simple. It sounded perfectly logical but my knitters brain could not get around the idea of a hook weaving in and out of a neatly held piece of yarn. In the end I gave up on that. I still crochet like I’m a knitter and its not only a hilarious sight, I’m certain I make life hard for myself. So off I go with my “granny square”. Very good, the name lures you into a presumption of white haired cosiness and warm fuzzy ease. To the novice crocheter it may as well be called the Serial Killer Square. Eventually, in despair , I asked one of the older avid crochet and knitting ladies at my holiday park for help. She said to me
“You’re crocheting like you’re knitting. They’re different, stop trying for perfection and plod on, get it done, it’ll turn out beautiful .”
So against every fibre of my being I did just that. My wonky square actually grew into a fairly pretty blanket. Not only did it look pretty it took a fraction of the time knitting would and I was quite honestly overjoyed. Several years on and I have learned much. I now understand written crochet terms where once I could only follow a video. I can translate terms from US to UK in my head and as a result I have enjoyed many hours of creativity and beautiful successes. I am especially proud of being self taught, I get a little buzz from that.
I still want to create and remain infinitely fulfilled making things for little tiny humans. Most recently my little granddaughter has benefited from what her mum calls “her call the midwife clothes”. She refuses to sleep at night, no matter the heat unless she is ensconced in her ‘nonna’ shawl. This makes nonna VERY happy.
Back to today’s blog title … is life crochet or knit? Is it the meticulously learned craft that must be treated with respect and care, where all variables from yarn type to needle size to personal tension have significance in it’s finished work? Or is it the more relaxed and spontaneous crochet. the pick up put down wildly creative and super forgiving method of bringing yarn together to make unique fabrics, garments and the like?
Truly, I think it is both.
There is always a time in life for the focus and dedication required to knit, to take a careful and considered approach and to slowly but steadily work towards the end goal. I also believe that a little spontaneity can be like the rainbow after a storm. If we decide only to regard life one way we run the risk of our earthly days being either very restrictive or very haphazard. A little of both is needed. Perhaps the ‘knitters’ (metaphorically speaking) could add some crochet touches to their lives, like the frilly edge to a beautifully crafted shawl. They could allow the freedom of crochet to give them release and stir dreams and goals that otherwise may lie dormant. It is more than ok that these dreams are brought to fruition using their knitting techniques it is simply a beautiful way for them to release their own inner creativity.
As for the crocheters, well we all need some structure to our lives. Even the most free spirited among us must pay the bills and maintain our functioning lives. Perhaps bringing a little ‘knitting’ into the equation could be just what is needed to move from creative inspiration to reality.
We all have our gifts and our passions, each one valuable and contributory to this life we live . How beautiful if we could step out of our comfort zone and learn something new that in turn will enhance what we know and love.
My knitting and crochet side by side…
Patterns links below
Delivering Love 
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