A Stitch in Time
Still hooked on crocheting after all these years
Springtime finds me surrounded by gardening magazines, planning my garden. Summer finds me in the garden that I spent hours planning in the spring. In the fall, I start crocheting and don’t stop until Christmas.
On the subject of crocheting, have you ever picked up one of the doilies prominently displayed in your grandmother’s home and wondered how she does it? As a young girl, I watched my granny tame a ball of yarn into beautiful pieces of art—just to be used to put a drink on or to cover the arms of a chair. It may be spelled c-r-o-c-h-e-t, but it’s pronounced “lost art.”
Granny was multi-talented and could not only crochet, but knit as well. I learned to crochet in my early 20s and when I did, the pattern I chose was one of the most difficult I have made to date. It was done in two motifs: a hexagon lily pad with raised blossoms and a diamond square. All the pieces were sewn together to make an incredible afghan.
It took my granny and me three hours just to figure out the pattern before I could get going. There were stitches she did not know how to do, so it was a win-win situation: She learned and so did I. It’s some 38 years later and I still have that afghan. I’m the lone one in my family who continues to keep up the tradition of crocheting.
I’ve attempted other forms of arts and crafts, such as liquid embroidery and cross-stitch, but to no avail and with horrible results. I really like crocheting because when you make a mistake, you just unravel and start again. I once made a cardigan for someone and I had to unravel the back panel nine times before perfecting it.
I stopped crocheting for a while, but after picking up the crochet hook and yarn once more, I was in love all over again. My skill level is experienced, but not expert. I do this for the love of creating and
The list of Laurie’s crocheted creations is long and varied. Among other things, this sampling of her beautiful work includes adorable baby outfits and her favourite coasters that look like watermelon slices. She says the praise and appreciation of her friends and family is all the encouragement she needs to keep crocheting! giving. People have told me that I should sell my work at craft fairs or flea markets, but as with many homemade items, you never really get what the work is worth. I’m a collector of all kinds of things, including crochet hooks. Some are very old while others are modern. I have my favourites because of the way they feel in my hand. The rest are simply on display. My handmade creations include doilies, table toppers, cushions and afghans, as well as baby clothing, coasters, cardigans, sweaters and even Christmas snowflakes with beads in them—the list goes on! There is a social media site that shows items other people have made and I’m by far an amateur in comparison, but my friends and family say I’m talented and that’s all I need to hear. I love surprising my coworkers with little gifts I’ve created just for them. In fact, several of the women I work with have received a baby outfit for their newborns. Granny isn’t here anymore to help me, so I now turn to the Internet for how-to videos. I sit in front of the computer with yarn and hook and follow along. I’m convinced those videos were created by Granny up in Heaven so she could continue to guide me in my projects. n