You've come a long way?

Or is it just baby steps? Well, truth be told, it's probably somewhere in between the two. Ha ha. I have been crocheting since I was about fourteen or fifteen. I remember my grandmother crocheting all of us kids vests for Christmas one year, and Grandma was a great crocheter. I remember her working on several things, though I won't say every time I saw her she was crocheting. She did it enough that I equated crocheting with her, and still do. I still have aunts who crochet, I know Aunt Mandy does, I think Aunt Ruthie does, Aunt Julie used to for sure. But I didn't learn from my family. I learned in school, from my Home Economics teacher in seventh grade. And truth be told, she did some funny stitches. She called the slip stitch single crochet, and her double crochets were funny. But she provided the base, and I learned the rest from various books, and some magazines I think maybe my grandmother or mother had around the house. I remember when I first learned to crochet, my father put me to work making him a bunch of granny squares that he was gonna have someone put together into an afghan. He would show off those blocks to anyone who came by, but they somehow never became an afghan. Around that time I remember making a few purses, some scarves, and some mittens.

So up until about a year ago, the above picture was pretty much what I did with my crocheting. Ripple afghans, usually in three colors. Ha. I referred to myself as kind of a 'one trick pony'. I loved my crocheting, but didn't really venture out. That afghan I call 'Neopolitan', because it reminds me of Neopolitan ice cream, the colors and all. Those are all Red Heart colors. I don't think I had ever really shopped for crocheting supplies anywhere other than Walmart, although I had shopped at craft stores for all kinds of other things.

Anyway, last April or so, I decided to venture out, and learn more about crocheting. I knew I could do it, I had tried an odd project or so with a little success, and anyway, it's easier to succeed at something you love, right? I was going to start with a garment, because I had never made anything wearable beyond those mittens so long ago. I was about to start with a cardigan from Crochet! magazine when my aunt asked me to make her a cape. That cape was kind of ugly, and I didn't like it, but she did, and I felt like I did a pretty good job with it. Then I went on with the cardigan, which I did finish, and have never taken a picture of it. It's made with worsted weight yarn, and I felt like it was too heavy to wear, so I haven't. Ah well.

Then I went on to this cute little hat. I like it. Ignore that little old lady beneath the brim, she's just some crazy mothering chick who happenned by. Ha ha ha.

Poor old Danny modeled the top so I could get a picture. I promised I wouldn't show his face.

Anyway, I think I've done pretty well this year with the branching out and all. I've made purses, afghans in different shapes, tree skirts, all kinds of things. I've played with new stitches, new yarns, all kinds of things. Even started that big beautiful Cathedral Window Afghan, though I haven't gotten far. I want to try even more things in the coming year. I want to do more thread crochet, make more mittens, make more practical things (though, to be honest, what's more practical than a nice crocheted blanket, and I make bunches of those.....) and all kinds of other stuff. There are a million more projects I have waiting in line, I have become addicted to downloading patterns, and don't even go there about all the magazines I like to buy, not to mention my digital subscriptions to Crochet! and Crochet World. Yeesh, where will it end. Well, heck, who says it ever has to! Hope there are hooks in Heaven!

Ha ha.

Y'all have a wonderful day.