What do your friends and family think about your crochet enthusiasm??

[seagull1993]

>> Because of their reactions, I've never taken any projects with me to work on in public. If I get these kind of reactions from family, I can't and don't want to imagine what strangers will do. <<

 

The way I look at it is that I don't know these people (strangers) anyway and will probably not see them again, so what do I care if they give me strange looks while I am crocheting on something in public? LOL

 

Actually, I always get compliments and questions on the item I am working on, no matter where I may be (I never leave home without my little crochet tote) -- and I have had several (who said they knitted or did needlepoint) comment that they wished that THEY had brought something to work on, too!

 

As for your family's reaction, I would just tell them that crocheting is healthier and cheaper than a psychiatrist or tranquilizers. Stand up for your right to be a happy hooker and take pride in your beloved obsession -- er, I mean hobby. ;-D

[Deb]

I crochet (and knit) on a commuter train. I've found a bunch of *yarnies* to sit with, and we chat and work and share. No one dares say anything while I am with my fellow hookers! Even the conductor is careful around us. (he said something about the needles looking like lethal weapons hahah!) We've converted many a NON-yarn type person... We have quite a following on the train now.

 

My family is supportive - they like the fruits of my labors. My mom sometimes looks at my new yarn purchase and shakes her head... I just point at her 10 gallon tub full of cross stitch paraphenalia and raise my eyebrows.

[andip470]

My husband does try to be understanding of my many bags of WIP and ever growing stash. He really does try, but just doesn't get it. He often refers to "mom's knitting stuff" I'm sure that someday he'll remember that I don't kint. My youngest daughter shares my passion for yarn and has her own bag with an afghan in progress.

 

I got lots of comments during the girls' basketball season - crocheting during all practices and games. A long season, from November to March finished LOTS of scarves. The other moms were positive and complimentary. The dads on the other hand... lots of knitting and rocking chair comments from them.

[Poochie]

My mom crochets and knits, so my family is used to seeing it done.....just not done by someone young like me....LOL...."Only Granny's do that stuff!!!".....

[synch]

Luckily I have a few co-workers that are fellow knitters/crocheters and we like to chat about our stuff. Occasionally we'll sneak out in the "field" and head to a LYS to get some yarn! Other than that, I do get a sense that it's an x-generation (i'm 30) "taboo" around non-crocheters close to my age who always make comments that it's for grandmas. However, it's being more accepted due to the new Happy Hooker book and I like that! Thank you Ms. Stoller for puttin' it out there to the masses who only knew about knitting!

[jessc031778]

My aunt seems to think that I'm too young to be into crochet...same for knitting...apparently there's some sort of age requirement that I haven't hi tyet as fas as she's concerned ...I remember very clearly one morning I was visiting my grandmother's house along with my mom & aunt...I was knitting that day, but my aunt kept losing track of the conversation because she was watching me work...and when I finally just said "OK!! WHAT are you staring for???" she just said that I was only in my 20's and she's trying to figure out why I'm doing such an old-lady thing....

 

For the rest of my family, they all think it's just cool...for the '04 holidays I made every single family member their very own afghan, each one a different style, all different colors, no two even remotely close to being similar...and they ALL loved them!! And now that very same aunt asked me to make her another one, so I started that one and am nearly finished with it now....

[CB Potts]

I have the same exact experience on both sides -- my Mom and my husband's family both came up very poor, so anything handmade they consider 'second-rate'.

 

So I've learned to keep the goodies for my immediate family and friends who appreciate them! My sisters, however, are fairly impressed with anything I churn out-- my baby sister does amazing cross stitch work, but the other two don't do much craftwise.

[lizzy]

Hi my name is Liz and I have been reading and viewing everones beautiful works I finally figure out how to respond.

 

Everyone at work and my kids think I can get a little crazy with the crocheting, but they sure are always asking for me to make stuff, especially my sons, they work with women and when ever a birthday is around or baby shower my sons are always asking me to make something. I am back in school working on my AA and one of my classes is Effective Persuasive Writting. We had to pick a topic to write about. Guess what I picked "The History of Crochet". My co-worker started laughing, she said your professor is not going to agree with that, and guess what, she did. so I have until May 21 to come up with the history info of crocheting and try to presuade my readers that is now a popular art that is even popular with today's youth. If anyone has any ideas on where I could get reliable info that would be a great help and maybe i will even post my paper when i get it graded... haha

[tlisley]

Hmm... I get mixed reactions... completely disinterested "Really? That's nice..." or really excited responses. My family however is spoiled by my grandmother! She has the most PERFECT stitches I've ever seen! Of course that makes me feel inept... then I remember I've only been doing this a couple of months! I recently made a scarf (my own design...even impressed myself on that one LOL!) and gave it to my mom, she went ga-ga over it. That was pretty cool. And the funnest thing was for my brother to get all excited over a "fishing pillow" (something to sit on while fishing) I made him for his birthday. I was sure he'd be like "Um... thanks..." but he was really happy!

 

All in all, I don't care too much what other folks think, people who "love me" know I am always doing some creative crafty thing... they just want me to pick one and stay with it! OMG if you could see all the craft stuff in this house:oops how embarrassing! LOL!

[L-A]

I know it's been since April that there's been any activity on this thread, but after reading through the entire thing, I felt that I just HAD to put my 2-cents in!

 

At the age of 40, I've been crocheting for only a year & a half. (A friend showed me the basics of chain & double-crochet stitches. She's made a ton of blankets & scarfs by coming up with the ideas on her own, but had never read a pattern tried some more complicated stitches. Since then, I've been able to repay my friend by showing her how to read patterns & try new stitches!)

 

The funniest response I've had about taking up crochet came from my mother. My mom has always worked in fiber arts; sewing, embroidery, needlepoint & cross-stitch. And she is a MASTER of all of them. Growing up, she tried & tried to get me to pick up a needle. ANY kind of needle. But I wasn't interested. Well, after I finished my first project, I called her and said "Hey Mom, guess what I did! I crocheted a scarf & some gloves!" There was silence on the other end of the phone. "YOU crocheted them all by yourself?" she whispered. "Yep!" I said. More silence, then, "I think I have to sit down!" I about laughed till I cried! But the best part was, "You ARE my daughter!" She's so excited when she brags to her friends about "Look what my girl made!"

 

It only took 40 years, but my mom's crafty, fiber-loving genes finally came to the surface!

[yarnbunny]

I have never had a negative response from any of my friends or family. A lot of requests of "make me this" and "make me that".

But no negatives.

Everyone has always been really supportive and they all know that I GLADLY accept Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Joann's gift cards as presents.

 

Actually, I think they but me gift cards so they can end up with a crocheted gift.

[squish_52]

my family loves the fact that i crochet, and my co-workers give me funny looks cause i'm so young, often they are amazed that i'm turning string into art! and as for strangers, they stare and then walk away or come up to me and ask me what i'm knitting! lol my friends think its cool cause i'll make them stuff sometimes and my boyfriend, well he picks on me sometimes about the yarn but he knows that crochet is what relaxes me and helps keep me mellow yellow

[Ellie 13]

my boyfriend hates it. It gets annoyed because i like to watch tv and crochet. he thinks if i'm going to watch tv i should just watch tv. They think i'm obessed but i'm really not. i have many hobbies. its just one of my hobbies i can do almost anywhere

 

When I watch tv and crochet my friends think I'm crazy to do 2 things at once. I say "How can you understand a movie when you chanel surf?"

One friend even has picture in picture (2 movies at once). Go figure.

Ellie 13

[Ellie 13]

My family is fairly supportive, although my sisters do whisper behind my back about what I am making...of course after asking what I am going to make next for their kids! My mum thinks that its cool, and my Grandmother breaks down in tears whenever she see something that I have done.

 

In my Dad's own words from a recent e-mail he sent me after he spent an hour on the phone giving me a hard time because I crochet:

I have no real problem with your past time especially since you enjoy it and seem to be making a lot of nice friends because of it. AND you do very nice work. You put time and effort into it. And in the end you have something usually very useful to show for it. In other words my Daughter like everything you tackle you put your whole self into it and give it 120% effort. See even more than a 100 or 110 percent. Also did I mention you STICK to it and see it thru. Like ALWAYS I marvel at your talents and abilities.

 

In the next phone conversation with him he spent an hour explaining that his Great-Granny Crocheted, so he had always just assumed that crocheting was done by "little old ladies with large hook noses and warts" which is what his Great-Granny looked like in his 4 year old mind! But that it was cool that his daughter was doing something that his grannies did, and even better that it was keeping me out of the bars and off the streets! Don't think that I should tell him that I took a small crochet project to the bar two weeks back to watch a soccer match!

 

I crocheted sham rock pins in March, and did a few while waiting my for meal at a Fridays. I left one as part of the tip, the next week the waiter was wearing it. He's wanted to know if I had more, because the others wanted them. I had a whole bag done for St. Pats. Day, so I gave them out.

 

Ellie 13

[jpr54_]

i have received only positive responses from my relatives-

my son has even requested socks and a sweater

[mudpie]

Enthusiasm! Now that's a word I like. They use words more like "obsession" and "fixation". But in a good way. They joke that you'd better be careful shaking hands with me because you might get poked with a hook or a needle. But they love what I can do with those hooks and needles and often make requests.

[Sylviaf]

My family is very positive, too, even the kids. They have grown up with memaking things and just assume it is normal (which it is, in our home).

[CraftyShannon]

My mom has always been supportive of my crafting ventures, but my dad has finally caught on as well. I think him seeing that people actually are willing to pay for my stuff has changed his mind. Recently, he even gave his boss a layette set when his new daughter was born. The man was at our house and I happened to be there when dad gave it to him. You wouldn't think a man would be that excited, but he kept talking about how nice it was and he knew the hours I put into it. My brother still doesn't quite get it, but he has pointed out a few of my things are nice.

 

I've gotten a good response from family and friends too. In fact, today, I just sold 3 things to a family friend. I was just showing off some of the stuff I've done and she asked if she could buy them. She didn't even ask how much I was charging for them! She would have bought a few more things for her granddaughter, but she wasn't sure if they were the right size. Then, she told me to be sure to tell her when I'm having my open house in the fall because she wants to come back to buy Christmas presents.

[Melibean223]

My mom and I always use to do crafty things together before she moved to Flordia, She use to always try to teach me crochet but when I was a teen "it wasn't cool" so I blew it off. Now she keep laughing at me when I call to tell her that I got another row of my round ripple done lol. For the most part the rest of my family either knits or crochets as well so they don't really pick on me other than my 17 yr old sister and 11 yr old brother (but hey ya can't win them all) My fiance thinks it is great that I finally have a hobby that I am really enthused about (failed an attempt at getting back into counted cross stitch a few months back, just wasn't what I was looking for) But as long as I can sit upstairs in the AC and crochet I am not on my fiance's back about how much time he spends playing with our trucks hehe so he has alterior motives to buying me yarn. And he just loves looking at the progress I am making on our daughters blanket and he keeps telling me that I'm in a race against myself to see if I finish "baking the baby" first or the blanket first. My friends hmmm the females all have family that knit and/or crochet or they do it so they don't really say anything. They aren't as enthusiastic about it as me I will sit in my car and crochet when we are all hanging out at our local dunkin donuts, The men know better than to pick on me cause I'm 9 months pregnant and one wrong comment in there eyes and they will either have to deal with me yelling at them or crying lol.

[kathome]

My family is so used to me crocheting that if I didn't "pick up a piece" say, after dinner and the dishes are done and we're all sitting around the diningroom table laughing and talking ...... ahhhh.... what a great life I've had . . Oh sorry - got a bit lost there for a minute......

 

 

Anyway, a few weeks ago my son's friend came over and saw me crocheting. His comment was - now get this - - "When did you become a little old lady?" HUH My DH piped up with "Oh, she always does that." My son just smiled.

[ChayaSar]

My husband learned how to do some basic stitches, and then said he'd leave the crocheting to me,

 

My mother loves that I make stuff, it reminds her of her grandmother... who i was named after, and my sisters, of the 3 i have 2 of them know how to crochet as well, and Doris did an AMAZING afghan for my mother in filet style crochet

 

My MIL knits, not sure if she crochets or not, but she is a great crafter, scrapbooking, she is actually a floral designer, so she doesn't say anything about my crocheting, and my 2 sil's 1 of them is on here (gavinsmom) and the other is 12 or 13, and she knits for sure, don't know about crochet....

 

So, I guess I just surround myself with people as crazy as I am, and we all live in a happy bubble

[Mermaiden]

My co-workers like to kid that I'm a granny early . They always take note of how I'm working on something different, nearly every single day.

 

My mom thinks it's pretty cool; she's a crafty type, always making or doing something, and while she fears I spend too much on yarn (meeeee???? Never.......... ), she thinks it's pretty great. I gave her the first few things I made and that really tickled her.

[Ladycrochat]

They are all very supportive, Especially my family....they know that I love it so much:woo, and that I am much happier:D when I can crochet, so as far as they are concerned they encourage :applauseit! LOL!

[MamaHooks]

My hubby thinks it is good for me and he loves the penguins I make him. My kids are "ok" with it. Sometimes it is neat to them and sometimes it is just something I do.

 

My in-laws are "fine" with it; my MIL thinks it is neat that I crochet.

 

My mother is a different story. She said to me yesterday that I have "no talent". I waste my time "playing" with yarn and that I was STUPID for thinking anyone would be will to buy anything I made. Only smart people who sell to shops like WALMART and TARGET make any money and are any good!

 

Yup, my mother is a real nice person. Yeah, she has been this way my entire life. She puts me down and feels better about herself. Funny or ironic thing is I do love her. I wish she was a nicer and better person; but so far she isn't. But that is life.

 

So I would say my family is "ok" with my crocheting. Personally, I love it. It helps keep me sane and it helps be not be a bitter person.

[Vickietoria]

Hi! Well, lets see... My mom taught me when I was 7, and I've been crochetting ever since. One of my younger sister also crochets, and the other knits. It's funny when we're all home for the holidays, and it's after dinner or something, and all 4 of us are working on something! My father is just used to the yarn in the house, and jokes with my hubby about where to put it all. My hubby thinks it's great, and he compares it to the hours he spends watching sports, so he's fine. My son still thinks it's annoying, but that's because he's 3 months old, and the yarn tickles his face sometimes when I'm feeding him and crochetting at the same time! Ah, I love crochetting!!!!

Victoria