Who inspired you most to start crocheting?

[Guest lillian1969]

Most people on here were probably inspired by a friend or family member to start crocheting, I am personally inspired by my mom's aunt. She makes so many beautiful sweaters and lots of decorative items for the home. Who is your inspiration? :thinking1

 

 

 

edited 2-22-2005 to clarify post title

[mc_crochets]

My friend (and mentor) Laura, she makes stuff all the time (not just crochet..she cross stitches too) and she basically said if you want to learn, LEARN, otherwise you'll never do it. So i practiced at home for a while and then took my stuff to work with me and she showed me what i was doing wrong and how to improve. she now says that I caught on to crochet faster than anyone she's ever seen LOL (stubborn perfectionist mind at work)<img border=0 src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/rowofhearts.gif" />

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

My mom crocheted and I always wanted to learn. After she passed away I picked up a little booklet and taught myself, just something to keep a connection to her:)h .

[MarvieN]

My Granny. She taught me when I was a little girl, probably about 6 years old or so. She had several strokes a few years later, but up till then that lady was never without her crochet. I picked it back up again a couple of years ago and have been teaching myself how to read patterns and learning new stitches and such. Other than brushing Granny's very long hair and working jigsaw puzzles with her, crocheting is the strongest memory I have of her.

[Guest ParchedWhisper]

You know I don't really know. No one in my family crochets or sews.

 

I learned to sew when i was in college and did costumes for the drama department. I just loved it. I taught myself to quilt, and then moved to crochet.

[ladywyntir]

i learned from my aunt. she has two boys, but they were too young to teach. so, she pulled my sister and i aside and taught us how to do it.

 

i don't remember learning it, but i remember her giving us hooks and yarn.

 

my mom also crochets but not so often. very interesting.. hee hee

 

~Marj :*cbulb

[Guest xxJessBezzxx]

I think my biggest inspiration is my aunt.

(along with my mother, grandmother *read=Nanny*, and now, also my soon to be MIL)

 

My aunt was, and IS always crocheting SOMEthing. Mainly afghans. This woman can whip up afghans in NO time.....

 

She is the one who taught me to crochet.....

 

And she is my inspiration in getting all of those unfinished afghans done!!!

[Yarnmistress]

My grandmother ( who is now gone) taught me to crochet when I was very young. She also taught me to sew. I didn't keep up with it though and sort of forgot what I was doing. Then as I got older I sort of picked both up again. Anything crochet makes me think of my grandmothers hands. She could make some of the most beautiful things.

 

I am teaching my oldest daughter to crochet now. She is seven and can do some basic stitches. She was working on a scarf back in November, but hasn't worked on it since. I need to get her back into it again.

 

Both of my girls want to learn to sew too.

[Guest Army Lani]

My mom and my brother, along with a bunch of cross stitching friends on another board I post on!! My brother was the one who retaught me (mom taught us both when we were younger).

 

Hugs,

Lani

 

My finished Crochet Projects!

[CraftyChristine]

My best friend inspired me, and my mom lit a fire under my butt lol. She wanted a zig zag afghan and so I sat for hours learning to read a pattern.

[Schoneys]

My biggest crochet inspiration is my grandmother. She does gorgeous work and while one of my cousins can crochet, she doesn't like to (can you believe that?!!!), so I am really the only other person in the family who also crochets. It gives us something in common and makes her proud because she taught me how.

 

Mel

[princsstrish]

I don't know anyone who crochets. I taught myself at a very low point in my life. My aunt KNITS some very beautiful sweaters and I always envied those. I can only knit a little bit but crochet has become my forte.

 

I guess I am inspired by everyone I see on this board, on the blogs, on the web lists. It's just amazing.

[crochetingRev]

my daughters god-mother

[memflag]

I would have to say that my Mother inspired me to start crocheting. Her and I have always had a rocky relationship with very little in common. My children and I were staying with her and my Dad for the past ten months. She worked for a while but then for health reasons she quit. Her and I would butt heads quite often because we are very different in our beliefs, but practically identical in personalities (strong, independent types). So, one day she offered to crochet me a doily. I said ok and we sat down and went through ALL of her magazines, pattern books etc. Some of her books are from the 20's, 30's and 40's. I thought the patterns were so pretty and without thinking I said " I really wish I could crochet." So she offered to teach me. Well that didn't turn out so well, but I like the idea of actually having something in common with my Mom that we could do together so I went and bought a Learn to Crochet book designed for children. I am a visual learner and the kids books had better pictures and descriptions of the stitches than the other learning books did. So, I learned. And now, I am making the squares for a tablecloth and as I get so many done, I will send them to her. She is going to sew them together and do the edging. That tablecloth is going to be so much more than a table covering. Everytime I use it, I will be able to think about my Mom and the time that her and I shared together to make it. I am bound and determined to improve my relationship with my Mom and crochet is giving me that path.

 

Does that make me a sentimental fool or what?!?!?

 

Elizabeth

[diamond]

My mom when I was a teenager. She used to crochet all the time. When she got into an accident and couldn't see anymore, she would still crochet but couldn't put the pieces together. She enlisted me to help her and one thing led to another. My most treasured moment was a few years ago I was sitting in her hospital room late one night crocheting, when she woke and watched me, then quietly said "At least I leave you that." None of my other 6 sisters bothered to learn.

[Sleepystitcher]

My mother always crocheted with thread when I was young. She tried to teach me, but just couldn't crochet slow enough for me to really "see" what she was doing. So I gave up on ever learning. Then in the early 70's, right about the time I got married she started working with yarn, making me a couple of those crocheted vests that were all the rage at the time. She tried showing me how again, but still couldn't slow down enough for me to "get it." I gave up on ever learning.

Then when my youngest was just a tiny baby we stayed with my in-laws for a few months and my wonderful, patient MIL taught me to knit. I wanted desperately to learn to make things for my baby, and she was never idle...always crocheting or knitting something and I felt so inferior (that's not the right word, but the best way I can describe it) to her since all I knew how to do at that point was embroider. Anyway, I muddled along with knitting until I was expecting DS#2. I bought a Coats and Clark Learn to Crochet book and taught myself, and my DMIL helped me out when I got stuck. I still haven't mastered working with thread, although I have a few of my mother's steel crochet hooks, as well as her aluminum hooks.

So I guess it would be both my mother and dmil who inspired me. I do really feel a connection to both of them when I crochet and knit.

[Mom w/a Motif]

It was actually someone who never crocheted, my Grandma. I wanted to make an afghan for her, after seeing an "Annie's Attic" catalog, which my aunt got in the mail. I didn't even know she crocheted. But she was the one who helped me, after I decided I wanted to do it, finally... I never did make the afghan I bought the pattern for to make my Grandma, but I did make her one, eventually. No one in my family could believe I was crocheting... The chain smoking, leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, mouth like a trucker, rebellious teenager! (I've since quit smoking, am afraid to ride on a motorcycle, don't talk like "that" anymore, um... still wear a leather jacket, and still am somewhat rebellious!) I guess now my "rebellion" would be buying yarn when we "don't have any money". (Plastic.... he he he he...)

 

Tina

http://timelesscreations.blogspot.com

[kat]

my mom and granny have crocheted for as long as i can remember, and when i was younger i never stayed interested. i guess as of now i would have to say my mom, although because my granny was so precious to me, it is an honor to do something she enjoyed doing so much.

[vhanna26]

No one in my family crocheted. As a child, I lived in New York City, and would see older women crocheting on the subway, and I would sit by them to watch. I got a hook--a steel 00, and some Red Yarn, and taught myself.

 

I guess I have those ladies to thank for getting me started.

 

--Vera

[Empress Busy Bee]

My mom I guess.

When I was young I don't remember her doing much but a couple ponchos for my sister and I. She tried to teach me and I think I got the chain down. It was a few years later that I taught myself the rest and funny thing is a few years after that my mom started back up too and made a quite a few afghans. She doesn't anymore because it hurts her hands.

[LanetteG]

Funny enough the two people who inspire me most were either never in my life or was only there for a short time. My grandmother and my great grandmother are my bigest inspirations. Neither one of them taught me how(my great grandmother died when my mom was about 18 and my grandmother died when I was 6) but I have many things that the two of them made and they inspire me all the time. With out their things, I never would have tried thread and I love it.

I taught myself a few years ago and my other grandmother tried to teach me to knit(I'm so uncoordinated and blonde! ) And it's my stress reliever now. And now I'm passing it on to other Moms I know, even though I may not be the best teacher(I'm trying to teach my niece and I'm not sure she's getting it, but she's very eager!)

[ThreadHeroine]

I got inspired by my great-grandmothers. They both died before I was born so I never got the chance to meet them but my grandmother had kept all the old afghans, doilies, etc that they had made.

 

My grandmother's mother made the most beautiful doilies. I get my doily love from her. My grandfather's mother made the afghans and tablecloths. I admire her patience after seeing the size of them. Phew!

 

It gives me tradition

[Dalia]

My aunt ( my mother's sister). I used to watch her crochet for hours, she tried to teach me when I was about 10 yrs old and I did not get passed the chain. When I was pregnant with my first daughter I tried again and did not work out either and in January I got the urge yet again and the hook and I hit it off. My aunt passed away almost 2 years ago and I wonder if she is helping me.

[cajunwhacko]

My mom taught me how to do a chain when I was about six, and every few years I'd pick up my hook and start playing with it again, but she never taught me how to do anything beyond that.

 

Then last year after my cousin (who was my best friend at the time) went blind, he made me 2 doilies and sent them to me in a care package. I remember being in awe of them...

 

Then in September or so when my bf was diagnosed with cancer, I asked mom to teach me just because I needed something to do with my hands or I wasn't going to have any fingernails left. She taught me a little and then got me a book for Christmas, and I've taken off from there.

 

(oh, and bf is doing great - they took him off chemo early and cancelled radiation even. Woohoo! )

[neenas3]

my mom! i used to "help" her by unraveling her yarn as she worked:manyheart