I crochet. (I do a number of other crafting things too.) I crochet most days, or I’m thinking about what I’m going to crochet or how I’m going to use that awesome yarn I bought on sale that’s languishing in my stash. I really enjoy my crochet, and I continue to do it through the pain of various medical conditions.
Crochet definitely helps me to enjoy a sense of accomplishment when an item is completed. It doesn’t matter how small or how seeming insignificant it might be, there’s a real ‘I made that’ feeling and a matching smile when it works out. When it doesn’t, which is less often than it used to be, given I’ve been crocheting for around 45 years now.
The process of working stitches with a hook and string is meditative too. I find Tunisian Simple Stitch the most meditative of all and can work row after row in an almost hypnotically calm state, until my hands protest too much for me to continue.
The first crocheted item I can remember making was a lacy pull-on vest with a mandala type centre to it I made to wear to some school social event in the early ’70’s. I still have the pattern book! I made a few of them that year.
During those years, the really special things I crocheted, I gave away. Sister’s baby was the recipient of a beautiful square, white lace christening shawl that took weeks to complete.
I learned Hairpin Lace to make her a delicate stole for her 21st birthday in an antique white lace weight, how pretty it was. She did not see the value in handcrafted the way I did, and although it took me many years to work it out, now I only make for myself.
Currently, I’m working on a Tunisian Lace shawl named Argo by a fabulous designer, Aoibhe Ni. Mine is in white cotton because I need something white and had this beautiful mercerised cotton on hand.
But, with all of the awful memory and attention span issues I’ve been having, not to mention the constant pain, it’s been a frustrating ‘two steps forward, one step backwards’ situation for a week or so. So frustrating!
Perseverance has paid off so far and I’ve moved on to the next band of fancy stitch pattern! I’ve had to use a pattern marker for every new section, moving the sticky note marker at the end of every single section! This project will not be one of those swift overnight, or even weekend finishes!
Update 1: The shawl is progressing, perhaps not as fast as I’d like, because let’s face it, I’d like it done already so I can wear it. There are only 3 more rows to go, 2.5 really as I’m half way through this 10 stitch wide, or 10 uple in Aoibhe Ni’s terminology. There are pretty pink and blue, and green and yellow paired locking stitch markers every few stitches to help me keep my place in the repeating pattern. It’s getting exciting now.