on my mind

Lately, I've been thinking about crochet.  You see, crochet was my first.  Way back before it was time for us to have babies, I began crocheting baby whatnots as a young married.  Oh, it was funny!  Sure, I made some nice blankets and and an adorable lamb, but some of the stuff I turned out....  Actually, I should show you some pictures sometime just for laughs.

Over time I began to think of crochet as an "uncool" craft as I was besotted by knitting wonder after knitting wonder.  Last fall I took up knitting and whipped up a few scarves.  I'm glad I "can" knit, but I lament the number of needles I'd need to imbibe deeply in knitting.

This is what's brought me back to crochet:




1. ziggy, 2. making me smile, 3. jar full of goodness, 4. Summer Granny, 5. Sunburst Blanket II, 6. j o i n i n g, 7. granny's a square!, 8. Joelle's Giant Granny Square, 9. for scale

So, obviously, crochet can be quite cool.  And, to me, it is easier than knitting. They say it's always just whichever you learn first.

I knew that come this time of year I'd want to play with yarn again. But, therein lies another obstacle - yarn.  I have this gigantic plastic tub (I hate those plastic tubs) of nasty, Red Heart yarn and other acrylics.  Sorry to hurt any feelings, but this stuff just doesn't do it for me after seeing delectable balls of warm, sunny wool.  When I took up crochet so long ago, I didn't have standards in crafting materials.  It was big box store or nothing.  I did dip my fingers into some yarn at a specialty boutique back in the day, in order to make myself a really nice poncho (hahahahahahahahah!) which I promise never to wear.



Ok, so where does this leave me?  1.  Must donate yarn bucket.  2.  Feel naughty buying new yarn when I'm giving away "serviceable" stuff.  3.  Don't know what "good" yarn to buy.  4.  I think I'll make a blanket?  5.  Added Cascade 220 to my Amazon wish list because people/books seem to like it.  6.  Doubt I will get any for Christmas.  7.  Have issues with spending my meager monies on anything but fabric (and am saving up for The Sewing Summit). 

If you could put in your 2 cents on what is a good quality, but not incredibly expensive yarn, that would be most welcome.  Maybe I'll get up the guts to buy some.  I know I want wool or a wool blend, and I think washable would be good (oops is cascade washable?)  I imagine (which means very little, really) that I'll make a blanket like this one.  I have no expectations of whipping this out this year, but maybe in a year or so...  I'd just like something to work with my hands on these cold nights.  Something to take up now and then when the mood strikes.



I'll leave you with this snapshot of my work kitchen table last night.  It's a lovely little essay on "Gestation" in crafting by Jane Brocket from The Gentle Art of Domesticity.  "It is all too easy to announce, if only to myself, the impending arrival of a creation, only to let it gestate well beyond its due date.  So I try to set realistic targets that won't interfere with the normal patterns of domestic life..." (pg 94). 

I think my first target is to sort and donate my old yarns.  Maybe that'll give life to this desire to acquire some new ones.