3KCBWDAY7 - The Unbalanced Crafter

My husband likes to say that I have the attention span of a squirrel.
(it's true!)

And then I'm also a Gemini - so it's either this or that, seemingly incompatible likes/interestes.

Same with crafting. First I learnt to knit.  My first FO was a hideous purple and yellow snake that had to be done in my std 2 needlework class. Unfortunately that little piece of evidence disappeared, but I still have the green and brown clown from the  next year.

 

Mmm...might need some cosmetic surgery around the lips.

I then knitted on and off.

Every 5 yrs or so, I'd annouce with great fanfare that I Am Going To Knit something, be it a scarve or very veeeeery verrrrrry simple jersey with which my mother or somebody would have to help in the end. I loved it, because I could read while doing it...maybe that's why I also struggled a little bit.

In std 7, I learned to cross stitch.  Never touched it again until almost 15 yrs later, when I exploded into cross stitching: towel border for new babies and Christmas presents, a collage type thingy depicting my sisi's travels while doing her 2 year working holiday in London -  nothing for myself. I loved it because you could easily do it in the car, and so I finished many projects.

First attempt at cross stitch - turned out to like it, despite Miss Mitchell's best attempts to instill an intense dislike in all things domestical in our group of std 7 girls

And now I crochet. I have been doing it for a year now and it's the craft I like most (although, I realised almost immediately - no simultaneous reading & hooking :-(  But happily, it's a great travelling hobby.  When I look back at the past year, I can't believe what I have already finished, and there's an ever-changing neverending-list of things I want to hook!

(But I do want to try out knitting this cardigan, as seen at the Cozy Things blog).
(I am a total Cozy Things groupie).

((And sometimes I sew - but only straight lines - so there will be some cushions in the making :-))

And so we come to the end of blog week.  Thanks so much to Eskimimi Makes for hosting this, to all who participated and provided interesting reads and chuckles, and all who read and enjoyed with us.
Roll on 4KCBW!

3KCBWDAY6- Improving My Skillset

One year ago, I took up my mom's old 4.5 mm crochet hook, some DK I had in the house, and proceeded to learn how to crochet.

Three days later , I gained muscle control over my fingers and the crochet hook.

At one stage I sat with The Happy Hooker on my lap, You Tube open in front of me, and my sister on the line from Ireland, to try and figure out how to make a DC.

Since then, I proceeded to successfully make one square.

Hot on its heels followed various simple cowls, a baby blanket, a vintage stripe blanket -gone-wrong-gone-wrap, two mug warmers, some coasters (actually testers),  two cushions for our beach house, a giant granny for my boy, flowers to mark my new suitcase, part of my aunty's to-be African Flower blanket, a Rainbow Ripple, another baby ripple still to be revealed here, some simple Christmas decorations, two winter scarves for my sisi, a flower scarf for me, some potholders, two amigurumi, a vintage brooch, a cushion for my cousin, a cushion and hearty garland for a Curly Girl, and a monster pouch for my iPhone. And a beanie. And a superlovely MyPicot scarve for me.

On holiday in Swakopmund, Namibia, April 2011, trying to figure out this DC thing

I learnt about British and American crochet language. Now, just for fun, throw Afrikaans into the mix - the terms are totally unrelated to the English counterparts. And for more fun, try Dutch, 'cause that where Afrikaans comes from, and no one can blame you if you want to throw your hands into the air and run away.

I learnt that crochet has a back and front :-D

I started blogging about my adventure, and in the process learnt so much from great ladies around the world, who are generous with their patterns and advice, not to mention inspiration.

And with online friend and fellow South African-based-in-London, Natasja King,  I started a crochet group on Facebook, that is now 1120 members strong.  What a joy that is!  At "Ons Hekel" I have seen the most beautiful ideas, met up fellow hookers and learn more every day.

So, in the next year, I Will:

1. learn to hook from a diagram
2. complete a Japanese flower scarve adapting from an existing doilie type pattern
3. learn to hook from a diagram
4. go beyond simple amigurumi
5. learn to hook from a diagram.
6. continue meeting new hookers at Ons Hekel and meet up with them where possible.

Did I mention I want to learn to hook from a diagram?

Then I'll order One Japanese Book for myself, as reward :-)