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Crochet is my true love. Long ago, I vowed to never learn to knit. Why would I do such a thing? Because I loved crochet too much-it became my obsession, my love affair, if you will.
Then came Ravelry…temptation was all around…I resisted for as long as I could, but I love to learn new things…and after about 13 years of faithfully giving myself only to crochet, I strayed.
I felt so dirty as I tenderly fingered the knitting needles in the store, trying to figure out which ones I would try first in this foreign land. Once I put them in my cart there was no going back. Crochet would never again be able to take comfort knowing it was my only love. I almost cried. Almost.
Once the seal was broken, things got a little better, I felt such pride that I could learn this new thing, a whole new world was open to me. And then I showed my husband. He rolled his eyes and said, “what’s the difference?” I tried to explain, but to explain to a non-yarner…what’s the difference?
As I worked through the worst movie ever created, hubby finally said what was really on his mind. “I don’t mind you crocheting. But I cannot sit and watch you knit. You look like a grandma and I don’t want to be married to a grandma.”
As if I couldn’t feel any dirtier for cheating on crochet! haha! I think I need a Scarlet K on my shirt to wear for eternity.
So, what is the point to this? I’m not sure, I just thought I’d share my story and see if there are any other crocheters with similar experiences with stigma to their craft or feeling the pain of cheating on their craft….
Here is my second ever knitting project (this is a fabulous free pattern-here is my ravelry project page where you can find the link to this pattern)
I too have never learned to knit even though I've always kind of wanted to. I learned to crochet around Christmas of 2006 and have had a pair knitting needles for almost as long. I just can't bring myself to learn. Probably because no one in my family has ever knitted, strictly crochet only. I would definitely feel like I'm cheating on my family since my mom taught me, her mom taught her and so on. So I totally understand you. My needles will most likely sit in my craft box never to be used.
ReplyDelete--Jess
:) Having crossed that line and breaking my vow I am really glad I did. :) A whole new world is opened up to me, I still love my crochet, but I see so many opportunities out there now. :)
DeleteWow. What a great story. You are a truly beautiful and inspirational person!!
ReplyDeleteWell, DB, I am kind of the opposite, in that I have been knitting for some 38 years. I did learn to crochet when I was a kid - shortly after I began to knit - but I never quite took to it like I did to knitting. I even made a few crochet projects - I remember one super-ugly pair of slippers made with some horrible nylon yarn that I wore for years - but I forgot how to crochet over the years. I've been trying to pick it up again, but mostly I can only crochet simple spiral circles and picot edgings (and those only because I taught myself how in order to adorn a pair of fingerless gloves I'd knitted). I'd love to learn again, but somehow I can't bring myself to do it. Maybe because I am too busy knitting various projects right now. But I have seen some lovely crochet projects and would like to try them. It's not as though I feel like I'm "cheating" on knitting; I guess I'm just a little bit afraid of trying and failing. But then, I taught myself how to read Japanese knitting patterns a month or so ago (I can already read some Japanese; it's the patterns themselves that are a bit difficult to sort out!), and if I can do that, why should I be afraid of a little yarn and a crochet hook, right? :) So maybe someday soon I'll bridge the gap! :)
Great blog! I really enjoy it and look forward to reading what you're going to come up with next!
Toni
(Sent you a friend request on Ravelry a little while ago)
Oh my gosh! Those Japanese patterns scare me. I was able to get through a Japanese Crochet pattern once without too much trouble, but my newbie self with my knitting needles is far less confident trying a knitted pattern yet. :) My dd is learning Japanese-she is in Karate and Kobudo and being trained by her sensei who learned right in Okinawa. Everything they do is in Japanese, it's pretty cool. My in-laws speak Spanish, and dd doesn't even know how to speak Spanish at all. Uggh!
DeleteOh and BTW, for someone who just learned to knit less than a year ago, your work is fabulous! I'd have thought you'd been knitting and designing for years!!
ReplyDeleteOh and BTW, for someone who just learned to knit less than a year ago, your work is fabulous! I'd have thought you'd been knitting and designing for years!!
ReplyDelete