Who inspired you most to start crocheting?

[rsisland]

My great Aunt taught both my Grandmother and I. I was around 6 or 8 at the time. My Great Aunt died when I was still young, and my Grandmother was a very tight stitcher and gave up. I stopped until I was in my 20's and then just taught myself.

 

 

Robin

[twoqtgirls]

Several people actually - my mom for one. I am a product of the 70's and she made me a couple of those cool crocheted flower vests. My sister crocheted afghans. A close friend of my mom's Rose, crocheted and knitted. She stayed with us some after her husband passed away, and she taught me to knit. Mom taught me to crochet, but I let it go for awhile. Finally I just got a book and started up again.

 

Cheryl

[craftybutterfly]

i was about 7 years old, watching my great-aunt make a ripple afghan in those hideous '70's colors (gold and brown). from that moment, i WANTED to know how to do that. well, she didnt have time to show me, and it was a few years later when i finally learned from my older sisters friend. she came over for christmas eve, and brought me a crocheted stocking with candy in it. i asked her if she made it, she said yes. i ran back to my room grabbed the hook and yarn i'd had for ever, trying to teach myself with out book or lesson, and i shoved it at her and said "teach me". she showed me dc, and how to turn the work. the rest is history, as they say. everything else i taught myself.

[kittylou]

My great-grandmother taught me to crochet when I was around 9. I crocheted off and on through high school but then had a 15-year break before I picked it up again. Both of my grandmothers are now gone, and I'm the only one left in the family who crochets. I'm inspired by the memories of the wonderful things my grandmothers and great-grandmother made. Of course, my family still has tons of their work around. I hope to leave my work for my family and I hope they enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed my grandmothers' work.

[Sonny321]

When I was 19 I worked as a nurses aid in a nursing home. There was a sweet little lady there named Eloise. Eloise has gorgeous long silver hair that she loved to have brushed, and few people could spend as long brushing it as she would have liked. I had a soft spot for her, she was simply the sweetest woman I've ever met So I would come in 30 minutes early before my shift started and sit and brush her hair and she would sit and crochet. We chatted about a million things, and I was in awe of the lovely things she'd crochet and tat. I asked her to teach me to crochet, and she was delighted to because she had no daughters to pass the skill on to. So I began coming in a hour before my shift and we'd spend 30 minutes on her hair and 30 minutes on crochet lessons. This was right around the time I got pregnant with my first child, and naturally I started a baby blanket. She walked me through the blanket, stitch by stitch, row by row and helped me see and fix mistakes. It would have been a complete disaster with out her help(my first afghan made with out her help ended up disentegrating in the washer).

 

Anyway, she died about a month after I gave birth to my son. I was heart broken. Over the years I've gleaned my knowledge of crochet from many sources, My Sis in law, friends, books and the internet, but I learned to love the craft from a sweet little old lady, matter of fact I learned a whole lot more than love of crochet from her. Ordinary people touch you in the most profound ways sometimes, and she affected mine deeply. Sonny

[Chatty]

My mom taught me to crochet when I was about 9. I've crocheted off and on since then. She's made so many afghans, doilies and stuff that she just gave away. I guess that's why I give my stuff away when I craft, it feels really good to make someone happy with a handmade item.

 

I think my most favorite thing she ever made me was a big purple poncho, I think I wore it completely out. That was back when ponchos first became the rage too

 

[YarnFeather]

I got the urge to crochet when I really started learning more about my Grandma. I was young when she died. The whole family calls me Mae Jr! LOL I crochet while fishing, at the beach, anywhere just like my grandma did! I have even made some of the same things she did and it makes warm fuzzy feelings for me.

 

None of her children crochet. I really enjoy it. They say I hold my face and hands like Grandma did too! LOL

[kittencrochet]

my great grandmother who I never met. But we had stuff she had crocheted...doll outfits, christianing gowns, baby sweaters, etc. My grandmother only knew how to knit, but my gr-grandmother did both, so I was determined to keep the family tradition going and learn. Especially as my mom can't do either...she's all thumbs.

[Captain Hook]

My Aunt Brucie. She's not actually a blood relative. She's my mom's first husband's sister, and I'm the product of failed marriage number two. But she's more family to me than my real family has ever been and I love her very much. Her younger sister, Deedee, is also my aunt in spirit. Deedee had a battle with cancer a couple of years ago and a now Brucie is having an even harder one. I worry for her all the time.

 

She's always crocheted and made things for me. One year she was on her usual summer visit and crochet sort of grabbed me. I watched her while she worked until my mother bought me a beginner's kit and Aunt Brucie taught me (with some help from Aunt Deedee.) The rest is history!

[crochet mama]

I actually knew nothing about crochet. Well, I remember my mom having yarn lying around and hooks and granny squares. That's about all she knew how to do. I do not remember her crocheting, though.

 

When I was pregnant with my now 7 year old, a friend gave me a book, "Learn to crochet in a day". I've been crocheting ever since.

[Susan920]

Miss Collins in grade 8

[morganne]

My mother-in-law! She's such a sweet, caring and creative person who just breaths enthousiasm ... she already taught me tons of stuff like sewing, crocheting, ...

[chickpea67]

Last year for my wedding, a friend of mine (who I met in 7th grade at church summer camp) gave me a crocheted blanket. It was beautiful, and I wanted to learn how to do it! *L* So while at a boring job- i printed off site after site of how to crochet-and taught myself! Now I make blankets for myself! But i don't know how you ladies can bring yourselves to give it away to charity! I suppose eventually I'll get to the stage where I simply can't have any more blankets...nah, I doubt it

[Rachel]

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.

 

You know, I have a similar feeling about my grandmother, who crocheted. When I was 11 or so, she tried teaching me and my brother. We could both crochet miles of chain stitch by the time we went home, which I think we used to tie each other up with! :lol

When I started back trying to learn 18 years later, it felt totally hopeless for the first few days, and I remember saying,

''Man, Granny is probably up there laughing sooooo hard at her uncoordinated grandchild!"

Very shortly after, it clicked for me though, and I do feel like she's with me in spirit...and maybe not laughing except with a little pride now.

[Harvestar]

Well... my aunt and my grandmother both used to make me things (my grandmother made me a poncho and my aunt made me clothes for my Cabbage Patch Kids). When I wanted to do the My Heritage Patch for Girl Scouts, my mom suggested that we ask my grandmother to teach me to crochet for one of the badge requirements. She said, "No, ask your aunt." I'm not sure her patience was up for it. So my aunt taught me, but I soon laid the baby blanket aside after about 10 rows. My mom later found a pattern for a Teddy Bear granny square afghan and asked my grandmother to make it for me. She agreed as long as we bought the yarn. It's a lovely afghan, all in my favorite colors - pastel rainbow!

 

My sister-in-law is really the one who inspired me to take it back up again, after 8 years. She knitted me a full size wool afghan for my high school graduation. I was thrilled and it made me think of going back to crocheting. That summer I found those 10 rows of baby blanket when I cleaned out my room and relearned how to crochet to finish it.

 

My grandmother crocheted up until the end, mostly making hats for all the grandkids and great-grandkids, as well as blankets for the young kids. My mom has an extra one that she made held in reserve in case I ever have kids.

[Colyak Crocheter]

My first real introduction to crocheting was when I was in grade school. My best girlfriend's grandma crocheted. She would sit down with us in the evenings and show us a little bit and let us work on her projects. That was all I did until I was about 18 when my mom took up crocheting. She had always been a knitter. She helped me make my first afghan, which I still have. Now I help her with new patterns.

 

I was very lucky to have not 2 grandmothers in my family, but 3. All of them crocheted. My mom's mother was in a nursing home and would make the most beautiful thread crocheted items I've ever seen. She was able to sell items to buy more thread and mail-order patterns. I have a small suitcase with doll clothes that she made for my dolls. Unfortunately she passed when I was only 13. However, my mom gave me all of grandma's hooks, thread and patterns, since I'm the only one in the family that crochets non-stop.

 

My grandmother that lived to be 106 (she passed in 2000) sent me a pattern for a yarn Christmas Tree and one that she had done. She was in her 90's then. It was due to this that I started selling some of my crocheted work and the rest is history. Her and her sister did more crafts than you could imagine. They were both very active women until they passed.

 

My other grandma actually quilted more than anything else. I have 3 of here masterpieces. She could crochet too though.

[Knittykim]

Don't laugh...but when I was a little girl I just HAD to have one of those curly snakes that you could wrap around your pencil. My grandmother, who only knitted, took my to her friend's house for cookies and she taught me to crochet. Ahh...Ruthanna....cookies, a cool old victorian house, and crochet. How we miss you!!

[Mary]

My Grandmother inspired me to crochet. But I didn't really start to get serious till I was in my 30"s (thats 20 years ago). I recently picked up the hooks this past couple of years. I'm recently disabled and find so much comfort and calm from crocheting. But I'm sure like many others the internet has made it so much more fun. All the patterns and great friends you meet, that share the same passion for a craft.

Mary

[Cordelia]

My Nanny (grandmother) taught me....she was a recent crochet convert when she began passing on her knowledge. I was 9ish I think and I would sit and watch her crochet. She would sit for hours and crochet or sew, talking and telling stories about when she was a kid. So she handed me yarn and I sat and followed what she was doing. She never really left the basics but she encouraged me to buy some books and we could figure it out together. Which we did!I heart my Nanny!!!!

 

Shes still kicking too just turned 71 can no longer crochet due to hand probs but shes fasinated by the new lashy yarns!

 

She raised me so shes really my mommy hmmmm I heart her all the same, mom, nanny whoever! Okay rambling......

[Harvestar]

I thought this was very strange... so yesterday, after I'd posted the above post, I had an email from my aunt. Now, I've never gotten an email from her before and my mom had given it to her recently on Mother's Day.

 

So I wrote her back about the projects I'd been working on.

 

Just funny how the timing happens sometimes.

[Suzee]

My grandmother...after she stopped laughing at my first tangled attempt.

[nataleeza]

The cold. I learned to crochet the year I moved out of Mum and Dad's house. It gets very cold where I'm from and my flatmates and I couldn't really afford much heating.

 

I'd heard crocheting was quicker than knitting, and I needed a scarf fast!

[Katchkan]

My love of Crochet came from an old book of my great grandmothers. The complete book of Crochet. I loved pouring over the pictures of the beautiful doilies, tablecloths not to mention all the other wonderful items in that book. I could spend hours looking through that book and imagining being able to make such wonderful things. I never got to see my great grandmother crochet and no one else in my family was into it. But that book called to me. I feel I shared something with grandma Laurie through that book. I learned to crochet the first chance I got and my love of the art form remains unchanged.

I still own that book and treasure it.

[DesertCrocheter]

My mom. She used to crochet afghans and stuff, sew all our clothes while we growing up (everything from a winter coat for me to upholstery, too!). She can sew without a pattern. She has arthritis in her hands and gave all these up for the most part, although she'll occasionally make something (like an afghan for my sis and bil when they bought their vacation house). I just bought her some Clover Soft Touch hooks to see if that'll help, and have read about the soft pen handles people use to make crocheting easier on their hands. She's excited that I've fallen in love with crocheting, so maybe she'll try to take up some easy, large patterns to make.

Patty

[Linda]

My Dad's oldest sister (Aunt Susie). I remember her always crocheting and tatting. She tried to teach me to crochet when I was about 15. I really tried, but seemed to have 3 left hands. This went on until I was 17; then one night (believe it or not) I dreamed crocheting all night long. After that everything seemed to fall in place and I've been crocheting ever since (some 40 years). I've done afgans, baby blankets, etc., but always seem to come back to the doilies that Aunt Susie taught me to do.

 

My only regret is that I didn't spend time with her learning to tat.