Why I Love To Crochet

Why I Love To Crochet

I have been crocheting since I was a teenager. It is a lot of work as well as fun at times. I had a neighbor that taught me how to crochet. Her name is Donna Kendall. She helped me crochet a ripple yellow and green afghan. I entered it in the Franklin County fair in Preston, Idaho and received a blue ribbon on it. I have crocheted mostly baby afghans, but I have crocheted other things too. I used to belong to a group called Fridgie Hiders. I would crochet some things to put on the fridge, and I would exchange them with a few ladies. This was a lot of fun. Each month I would anxiously wait to see the cute fridgies the ladies would send me. I crocheted myself a tan purse, a white winter hat. I made a gray winter hat for my husband. I made red/green potholders, a turkey, big pumpkin, small pumpkin, a candle decoration, a bunny, an Easter bunny to put on the doorknob inside and outside the door, a Santa to put on the doorknob inside and outside the door, a Christmas decoration to put on the door that has a bell and a felt bow on it. I have made blankets for myself and scarves for others. Crocheting gifts for others has been very expensive counting the yarn that I bought, the hooks, and the needles. I have spent countless hours and made so many stitches. Crocheting makes my wrist and fingers tired and ache. Many times I had to FROG the afghans, rip rip it out, and start over again. That is why it is called frogging. There is a lot of heartache and frustration when I do this. Inner peace comes from finishing a crochet project. I see how beautiful the finished afghan is. I have crocheted an afghan for most of my nieces and nephews, my step-grandchildren, and my step-great-grandchildren. I have made booties for my niece, Karissa's two sons, Easton and Kruze. Easton's were too big for him. Kruze's were a little big, but he was able to wear his. I made booties for Karissa when she was little, but they were too big. It was frustrating when the booties I made were too big. I made booties for my step-great-grandson, Dalton, and my step-great-granddaughter, Kazley. I made booties for friends' babies. I made two pair of booties for the Wanner Reunion auction a couple of years ago, but we weren't able to go, and a cousin was able to use them for her baby son. I made a big light blue blanket for my youngest, step-daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Max after they got married. I crocheted an afghan for one of my friend, Amy's sons when he was a baby. I crocheted a light blue and white cat blanket. I made a green and white baby afghan for a friend's baby a couple of years ago. We go to church together. Although some stitches on a row were off, the afghan was gorgeous nonetheless. I felt bad that those stitches were wrong. I told her, but she loved it, and her son that I made the afghan for loved it. I am a perfectionist. That is part of the reason I tear afghans down and start over. Some of the time I should let a few rows go. I could have saved some money and frustration that way.

I have used many sizes of hooks too. The biggest I have used is size N. The hardest part of crocheting for me is when I use more than one color which I do most of the time. I know I am supposed to weave in the ends, but I like to use a needle to tie a knot with the color I just finished with and the next color I used. Even when I tie a knot with a color of yarn, the crocheting comes out, and I have to redo the rows where I had finished off a color.

I made a multi-color ripple afghan I believe in 1993 and entered it in the state fair in Salt Lake City, Utah. I didn't weave in any ends. I tied knots whenever I changed colors, and I got docked for it. I also tied knots throughout the blanket I made my step-daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Max.

One time I was crocheting an afghan and listening to Michael W. Smith songs I believe. I felt the spirit of my Heavenly very strongly when I was listening to the music. Sometimes I crochet better when I listen to music. Many times I have stayed up all night crocheting and got very tired doing so.

When do I really feel inner peace? I feel it after a crocheted project is done. I feel a great accomplishment when I finish an afghan. When the person I make it for says "thank you, it is beautiful", it makes me feel really good and peaceful. I feel peace right now as I am writing about this. When I finish crocheting an afghan, it makes all my heartache and frustrating worthwhile. Crocheting a gift for others as well as any gift for others is a labor of love. Life is full of struggles and frustration. That is the way our Heavenly Father intended it to be. I am so grateful that he has blessed me with this talent. I know many people I have given afghans and booties to are grateful I have this talent too.