The Crochet Gateway

I still own the first crochet hook I have ever worked with. My grandmother had gifted me a matte red, metal, size k/101/2-6 50mm crochet hook at the tender age of 7, one rainy evening as she was watching me. I don't remember why she decided that evening she would teach me to crochet but I will spend the rest of my life being grateful that she did. I carried the ball of mahogany-colored yarn and the black purse with my crochet hook inside that she gave me everywhere for years. I loved it because it smelled like her. Carrying memories of the spearmint flavored lifesavers she always carried and floral perfume she wore. Although I let go of the bag and used all that mahogany-colored yarn, I will always hold that hook close to my heart. I may even pass it on to my daughter later.

I was obsessed with crocheting after she showed me first how to make a slip stitch, then a chain, and finally my first real stitch and what I now know to be double crochet. I crocheted everywhere and as often as I could. I would sneak and crochet during class in elementary school then go out to recess and crochet some more on the sidewalk near the basketball court. The funny part of it all was that I worked on that piece for a few years wanting it to magically become this huge afghan like I saw my grandma make, but it only ended up being about 20 inches long and 30 inches wide. I had this idea that in order to move on to new work and learn new stitches I needed to finish that one. I was holding my growth in amber with that thought process. So after years of working on that same piece, I finally brought out my scissors and released myself from this idea of perfection. This was the first valuable lesson I learned on my crochet journey. I am not bound to a specific project, as the creator, I can move on whenever I desire.

There were many years that went by where I stopped crocheting. Then one day we got the news that my husband's uncle was having a baby boy. After wondering and wondering what I could gift them with, I finally remembered that I could crochet him a little hat. So I picked back up my crochet hook and followed my first tutorial. I successfully made a newborn hat in one day. Making that hat really helped me to believe in myself when creating bigger projects. I was so proud of that little newborn hat. I finally started to believe that I could create anything. So then when I found out I was having my own son some months later I decided to make him a blanket. That blanket was terrible but it was necessary for boosting my confidence. When it came to learning to make my own patterns and read other people's patterns I wasn't afraid of failure anymore.

Crocheting was something that I thought was just a cute little hobby. Then a teacher I adore spoke about how skills like crocheting, sewing, needlework, and things of that nature were traditionally given to women to do to teach us valuable lessons in a specific way to enrich our lives. Things like patience and how to deal with emotions like disappointment and so much more. It was such a beautiful lesson. This teaching became a pivotal point in my crochet journey. I started to understand how in the greater scheme of things the gift of knowing how to crochet was setting me up for success on my feminine journey that I started later in life.

My latest project is thigh-high socks which when finished will be debuted on my TikTok. I have made blankets, hats, socks, a purse, a child-size giraffe, and some abstract pieces. My dreams are to make clothes for myself and create patterns for clothes and dolls to sell. I still have a long way to go before I achieve that dream. However, I am enjoying the process immensely, sharpening my skills and learning every stitch I come across. Crocheting has enriched my life in many ways and is a skill that I will teach my daughters too. Who knew a series of knots would end up holding my life together in such a beautiful way.