Y is for Yarn!

    I have always been fascinated by yarn ever since I was little.  Even today I love to browse the yarn aisles in local stores in awe of all the colors, textures, and variegated patterns.  My mother used to knit and crochet proficiently.  I used to love to watch her work the needles and create afghans and clothes from a simple ball of yarn.



         When I was around 10 I made up my mind I wanted to learn to crochet.  I wanted more than anything to be like her.  It seemed she could do anything!  My mother bought me a book that I studied diligently entitled "How to Crochet", a crochet hook, and yarn and with practice I learned and became proficient.  Over the years I have made countless afghans, baby blankets, clothes, dish cloths, and pot holders.

          Finally I challenged myself a little more and taught myself to knit.  Unfortunately several years back while knitting an afghan carpal tunnel struck and the pain kept me from continuing.  Recently I bought a bunch of knitting 
looms and made up my mind to learn to knit with a loom.  So far I love my looms and have renewed my passion for yarn in a whole new way.  I am determined to learn how to knit socks with a sock loom.  Until then I will practice and transform balls of yarn into colorful panels of fabric which I will sew together to create warm, cozy blankets.

Teaching

          While I am no professional teacher I have enjoyed the experience of teaching my daughter how to crochet over the last couple of years.  I taught myself when I was a kid, and when my daughter decided she wanted to learn and enter her creation into the local county 4H fair,  I was ready, willing, and able to teach her.


           The first year in 4H I taught her the most basic stitches and she successfully made a pot holder for the fair.  I was so proud of her accomplishment which was made even sweeter when she won a blue ribbon for her efforts.    The idea is to complete a project that is a little more difficult each year than the previous. 

       Last year I taught her how to make a granny square.  She began her project in the fall and by fair time the following summer she had enough squares to assemble for an afghan that she now uses on her bed.  She chose the yarn and used her money to buy each ball as she finished a square.  As fair time drew nearer, I taught her how to join each square together and then how to crochet a border around the outer edge.  She worked very hard.  When the day of reckoning came at the county fair, I am proud to say my daughter’s afghan took an honor award.

            This year she is attempting a little more difficult pattern which she chose.  A couple of weeks ago she began another afghan for next summer’s fair in a beautiful shell pattern.   I love teaching my kids new things and sharing with them my passions from art and writing to cooking and crochet.  It is a little like instilling in each of them a small piece of me.  They will take that knowledge with them throughout their lives and perhaps teach their kids remembering me and the memories we made.  Every time they go away they will take a piece of me and what they learned until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.

Focus on This: Crafts

Still working on this one...

A work in progress but getting there !