My Pièce de Résistance

Of all the things I had in mind for this blog when I started, blogging about crochet was never one of them. In fact, had it not been for my sister, I probably would not have taken back up the hobby until I became an old lady living alone with my cats or pregnant with nothing to do but make cute little sweaters for the expected child… (Forgive me, but whenever I crochet those are the only images which come to mind. The latter is so cute, don’t you think? Imagine sitting in a rocker on the verandah in the afternoon with the sun getting ready to make its descent, and the nice little shadows being cast by the trees while crocheting and feeling the occasional kick from the little one as a reminder that new life is within you (although I am not sure you will actually need a reminder when you are pregnant. I don’t know because I have never been. I’m just assuming )… Or, maybe it’s the peak of the day and there’s a gentle breeze with the sound of birds chirping in the trees… Or! Maybe it’s raining and the baby is in the crib and you’re just sitting there beside him/her crocheting but making frequent glances at his/her beautiful, angelic, innocent face as s/he sleeps…).

Crochet – Cathedral Window

In August, I taught my sister how to crochet (read about it here) and things didn’t turn out quite the way I had expected it to but nevertheless it wasn’t disappointing. So, equipped with a new needle and thread, I decided to find out if I had really lost touch with reading and following a pattern. About 5 years ago, I saw a lovely pattern called Cathedral Window and I decided I would do it “someday”. It requires that you cut the thread and re-attach it to complete the pattern and I don’t like doing that so, of course, I did what I do best, I procrastinated. For 5 years. Anyway, recently I felt confident enough to take on this project in my free time and that I did. After 5 years I started and completed the Cathedral Window. As with all the pieces I have ever done, I was anxious to finish it so I could see the final product. The “spokes” were a killer! They took me a long time to do and some got a little twisted along the way. My favourite part is the edge. I love the pattern for the edge and that part was fun to do. Even though there were a number of those dreaded picots.

A Crochet Encounter

Yesterday, my sister requested that I teach her how to crochet. I am definitely no expert and after years of not even holding the tools of the trade, crochet needle and thread, I was hoping I would not disappoint her. I didn’t, by the way. I still remembered the basics after such a long time! How to begin, slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, treble… and I know if I tried I could still do the picot thing. After all, I had made a whole doily set that must have had about a million picots back in high school! Maybe I exaggerate a little still but it had a lot! It turned out beautiful though but I sure remember the frustration and the anxiety to finish.

So, anyway, I still had a hang of the basics. Or at least so I thought.