Who inspired you most to start crocheting?

[01buckler15]

My mom taught me how to chain stitch when I was like 6yrs old. I used to try to make the longest chain possible. I would always get tired of doing it before I ran out of yarn. I'm still wondering why my mom would let me do that. I don't think I would let my son waste all of my yarn like that.

My great grandmother use to crochet. She did everything from memory since she didn't know how to read the patterns. I only remember her afghans and baby blankets though. I don't know if she did anything else.

My mother has many artistic abilities. She tried her hand in almost all of them, but never stuck with one. I think maybe she inspired me most. I wanted something that I could be good at too. But I wasn't good at all the things she was. I taught myself to crochet by picking up a book and reading the directions. As it turns out, I was good at it.

[stargazingirly]

I guess i'm not sure who inspired me to crochet, i think i was just tired of knitting, especially things like blankets, and i inherited all my grandmothers yarn stuff. In the big tote there were mostly knitting needles, but i also found some crochet hooks, which confused me because i can remember asking my grandmother about crochet and she told me i didn't need to know! So when i got all of her stuff i had the hooks and decided to give it a try. So i did a google search and found the lionbrand tutorial and taught myself how to do it..... and guess what! i liked it!

[hookingforfun]

My dad taught me to crochet and at first I did it to have something in common with my paternal grandmother-whom I never met and whose hooks I learned with.

[inmy7thhvn]

My mom! She started relatively late in life. After my grandma passed away mom inherited her stuff, and decided to teach herself to crochet like grandma did. I eventually decided that I wanted to learn while my mom was still alive to help teach me and see what I make, so I asked her to teach me!

[Reneva]

My mom taught me, too. She used to make really beautiful doilies and filet crochet items out of thread, but I never really got into that. I bugged and bugged her to show me how to crochet afghans, so on my seventh birthday she gave me a kit for kids and by that evening I was making chains.

 

My mom taught me how to chain stitch when I was like 6yrs old. I used to try to make the longest chain possible. I would always get tired of doing it before I ran out of yarn. I'm still wondering why my mom would let me do that. I don't think I would let my son waste all of my yarn like that.

 

Before I crocheted, I used to spool knit and I got all the leftoved bits of yarn from family member, garage sales anywhere I could find it, because I never made anything with the cord I made, I just wanted to see how ong I could get it, lol. Mom would never buy me new yarn for that. The funniest part is that when I started to crochet, I gave the spool knitting to my brother, who then passed it on to my sister and they both did the same thing, so we have a huge ball of this cord all wound up! The ball is probably a foot in diameter, so I'm almost scared to unwind it and see how long it actually is!

[mikki]

My ex mother in law taught me how to crochet. (only good thing that came out of that marriage ). She taught me to chain sc and dc then i was on my own lol. I guess thats not really inspiration. I'd say my neice and then my own kids inspired me to make things.

[amberslipstitch]

My Grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was 9. My mom was in the hospital having my baby brother...and us kids had to stay at Grandma's house. The first thing I ever crocheted was a scarf for my dad for christmas that year.

[tlisley]

My grandmother. She tried to teach me a s a child but I wasn't co-ordinated enough to handle it then. About 5 years ago my aunt (who learned from my grandmother...lol) taught me some basic stuff and I tried it for a while but something wasn't right and I quit doing it again. Then about a year ago it clicked... I learned from the freebie flyer in JoAnns!! ROFL!! But of course g'ma was the inspiration!

[ShropshirePagan]

Well, my friend, known as Cymraes. In a roundabout sort of way! We were at a camp and discussed the possibilities of crocheting with that little hook on a Swiss Army Penknife, then it was Barbie Druid Toilet Roll Covers! I still don't know the answer to each of these questions!

 

She was going to show me how to crochet, but then she and her partner went off travelling up to Orkney ... so I got a couple of books out of the library and began to teach myself. She did show me how to turn a granny square though. And then I ended up making my giant granny triangle, which became a sort of shawl!

 

Over the years I've been inspired by a family friend who was like a substitute grandmother to me, and by my husband's nan who was a prolific creator of blankets (I'm sure we've still got some of her creations somewhere). My own nan also used to crochet, so it's a skill I've been brought up around, but sadly never got round to trying until the past couple of years.

 

Elaine x

[Charm]

years ago a friend of mine from school showed me how to crochet ...

((Thanks Isis! ))

 

i hav enot seen her in years.. it would be cool to know if she is still crocheting.

[AngrySnail]

my mum was a crocheter, but refused to teach me, so I felt this kinda anamousity towards crochet for a long time. My Mother in law is a big time crocheter, and one time I was watching her and I thought, I can do this, I'm gonna learn! But I didn't ask, didn't wanna sound like a tool. (she had taught me to knit a couple of weeks before, but I felt silly asking for crochet lessons)

 

Couple of weeks later I went to a thrift shop and found this awesome needlework book that had step by step instructions for a pile of things, including crochet, so I bought it and had a go. Got upto chaining before I got stuck, so asked MIL to show me one stitch, and I was OFF! By my second week I was crocheting from patterns and having a ball!

 

Now my sisters want to learn!

 

Belinda xoxo

[TammyG]

My grandmother taught me when I was about 8 or 9. I made her a read,white and blue afghan (took several years:blush ) then I did not crochet again until about 6 years ago when I decided to try to make my friend something who was pregnant. Now I am non-stop! Another friend had me make her daughter's christening gown. I was very honored she asked me. TammyG

[Lefthook]

me. alot of my great-aunts crocheted everything (if they were still alive i bet theyd be making computer slipcovers!) and i wanted to make the same neat stuff. i didn't live near them, and noone else would teach me bacause im left handed. After my mom died i got her yarn and hooks, and got a book and taught myself.

[missamorphosis]

I was inspired by a friend of mine that I met at the local library. She's very crafty, and every now and then we get together with some other crafty people and do...well...crafts together. It was at one of these meetups that she taught me first the chain then the single stitch. I took it upon myself to learn everything else with the aid of some wonderful books and a few online sources.

[Debbi-a1]

My mom. She could do just about any craft (even sew which I can not do and knit which I can do but not really). She crocheted mostly afghand but did some simple doilies. Didn't follow patterns. Just did double crochet and they turned out nice. I still remember her telling me how she made me a baby afghan when I was born (or before) and 2 weeks later gave it to her sister for her new baby. I don't know what ever happened to it. I was a little crushed, but it's fine. I'd probably do the same thing too! Or choose a quick 2 strand pattern... I taught myself to follow patterns and do different stitches.

Debbi

[habetlerm]

My grandmother. She died when I was 16 but had always tried to teach me. Couldn't get it then. I started with knitting, which she also did, when I was about 17. As I got older I tried more things.

 

One thing I always wanted to do was thread crochet because I thought it was a dieing art. I kept a steel hook and thread in my knitting and crochet and would pick it up once in a while to see if I finally got the hang of it.

 

One day, it was just there - I have know idea why it was hard before because know it's as though I could always do it.

 

Grandma Wright was the sweetest most lovely, loving woman I knew.

[vonnie]

My MIL taught me almost 38 years ago. My mom had tried to teach me when I was young but I wasn't interested. When I got married, very young, we lived next door to my MIL and didn't have ANY money so for enertainment she taught me to crochet. I remember I would use a skein of yarn make something, then tear it out and reuse the yarn on another pattern. I did this over and over until the yarn was wore out.......

[CrochettingMama]

I learned in 1977. I took a home ec class and I learned to crochet and needlepoint. Mrs Travis was the teachers name and she was a little old blue haired lady. I have been crochetting and needlepointing since that time.

But I have only learned to crochet square things!! Blankets, scarves, dishcloths.

I would LOVE to learn how to crochet a baby hat and a sweater.

[Sail1OcnBr3zs]

At a young age my grandmother tried to teach me how to crochet. I just didn't have the patience , to stick with it. I enjoyed watching her make intricate lace doilies, dolls, barbie clothes, and afghans, plus a ton more. She usually donated everything to nursing homes, bazaars, shut-ins, or gave to friends.

 

However, my best friend is who got me hooked. She taught herself how to crochet to keep her hands busy because she quit smoking after 16 or so years. Last year for my Christmas present she bought me a hook and some yarn and we spent an entire weekend practicing crochet. When all was said and done my son had a blue granny square afghan to cuddle with on cold nights.

 

Recently, my grandmother moved into assisted living with my grandpa. She gave me a ton of yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, pattern books ( talk about vintage) and several unfinished projects. What a treasure!

[Starshine]

Every night, my mother sits under a blue afghan that she crocheted 40 years ago when she was my age. I have a fondness for blankets and have always been impressed by how well that afghan has held up. That got the wheels turning in my head.

 

My best friend is the ultimate crafter - but namely a knitter. I got sick of constantly asking her to make me things, so I had her teach me to knit and crochet. The first lesson was dreadful! I couldn't grasp the concept of crochet, but knitting went a little better. So I put away the hooks and learned to knit.

 

Then I came across amigurumi and simply fell in love. I just had to have all the cute little animals! So back to crochet it was. And this time it's worked much better!

[Thistlehill]

My Grandmother taught me the basics when I was young though I didn't really stick with it then. I remember being facinated that she could sit in front of the TV with her hook flying and never once look down - I still can't do that! My mother taught me to knit, but I really didn't care for it. Grandma died when I was 19. I got back into crocheting in her honor and now (36 years later) I always have something on my hook! THANK YOU GRANDMA.

[~Kel~]

my grandma taught me and got me started, my MIL keeps me going, she buys me patterns and hooks on ebay, last year she got me two gorgeous old ivory hooks

[Buttercup]

The ladies that I worked with inspired me. I was 18 when I started working

at an Insurance Company. It was located in Hartford where so many other businesses were located and parking was scarce. If you wanted a space closer to the building you had to be at work by 6 AM even though we started at 8. Many women would bring their crocheting and sit together in our Department. I used to sit with them and watch. I was fascinated. I finally

asked if they would teach me and I had six women teaching me their way.

It was so exciting and fun. I learned so much from them.

[ArielManx]

There were lots of crafty women in my family, and I've taken up a lot of their crafts. As a young girl I asked my dad's cousin (who was like an aunt to me) to teach me to crochet. She always made gorgeous doilies and I wanted to make them too. She said, "Oh, that's too hard, I'll teach you how to knit instead". Well, needless to say the knitting lessons didn't stick.

 

About 15 years later, I just got the itch to make things. I wanted doilies and afghans for my home. So I bought myself a 'learn to crochet' kit and haven't looked back. Oddly enough, I have yet to make any of those doilies I wanted so badly!

 

So I guess Cousin Eunice first lit the spark of inspiration, but ultimately my house, in need of handmade things, really inspired me to learn.

[candy4271]

My grandma taught me when I was 9 or 10. I have always been a "part-time" crocheter since then. When she died 2 years ago, it was my decision to carry on her legacy and love of crochet. She taught my mom to crochet also, and now I am teaching my daughter. It's such a wonderful thing, and I have so many memories connected with crochet, I would like that for my daughter.

 

I went through my mom's craftroom awhile back, and found my grandma' crochet patterns. Which I promptly took home and scanned all of them, and returned to my mom later.