What does Crochet mean to you?

[squish_52]

Is it a way to relax? Does it remind you of times gone by? Or maybe it's a fascination with the dance of hooks and yarn or thread? Did a loved one teach you and you do it in remembrance of them? Crochet is all of these things to me, what is it to you?

[chichiwawa]

Wow, I think you got them all. My grandmother taught me. She passed in 2004 so when I crochet now, it's like being closer to her. I do it to relax, to pass time. I've never had to buy a hat, scarf, mittens or blanket for my dd who is 6. I even make her sweaters, so it's also economical for me. No one can accuse me of having idle hands!!

[blackpurl]

It is now a way to relax.

 

I also think of my second cousin and her parents (my great Aunt and Uncle) they were very special to me. My cousin was my piano teacher and my knitting and crocheting instructor! She is left handed and it meant alot to me that she took me to her home and spent a whole day making sure I understood how to complete a project from start to finish.

 

That was the first time an adult actually spent time mentoring me on purpose!

[pinkroses]

All, I think of my dear grandmother. who taught me to crochet, quilt , sew,and hand embroidery.

crochet, relaxes me as does knitting. I find it fancsinating what you can do with a ball of strind and crochet or knitting needles.

PINKROSES

[nana5boys]

Yes It's Relaxin' For Me Also, And When I Crochet I Think Of My Aunt & Her Daughter(so Would That Make It My Cousin???). They Were Always Crocheting Something.they Have Passed On For A Few Yrs. Now, So I Feel I'm Passing On There Passion. I Learned To Knit When I Was 13 Yrs. Old.(no Knit Needles, With Pencils Instead, Boy That Lil' Skein Really Got Dirty) But I Practiced & Practiced. Then Began To Crochet In Mid-70's. And Been Doin' It Ever Since.

That's My Story.

 

Jaye

[monael]

I think there is a combination of reasons why I crochet:

 

1. It relaxes me-I like to do it while watching tv--the news, my soaps, even boxing and hockey between the action.

2. I can create something that is unique-no one else has one exactly like it. Even using a pattern it is most likely different in some detail-color, yarn used, different border, etc. even a different gauge will make it different if that makes sense.

3. It has really expanded my mind to think more creatively and it has carried through to different areas of my life

4. the challenge of learning a new technique, stitch or application. Also the challenge to create something from my imagination.

[mseavey2]

Not only does crochet relax me, but for me it is also a moral booster. It lets me know that I am truly good at something and that I have a special talent. My grandmother taught me when I was around 6-8 yrs old. I love the look on someone face when I give them something that I have made. I love to donate what I can to charities. It allows me to give my children something that they will be able to treasure for a lifetime.

[Daisy]

I pretty much taught myself to crochet when I saw a few ladies and my mom tinkering with it. I just had to learn. For me, it is a means to get into charity work and it is a means for me to keep my sanity and it is mental therapy. I love it! My husband says it is good for me....and I agree.

[crochetqueen]

Usually I have to think about questions but not this one. Crochet means everything to me. Everyone who knows me and alot who do not, associate crochet with me. I take it with me everywhere, I am always thinking about it and even though I also knit, I prefer to crochet. One of my Grandmothers was a fantastic crocheter so I think that it really was genetically in me to learn it.

[craftconnie1]

for me its a connection between the past, the present and the future. Its my canvas and my paints.....its my marble and my chisel. It holds my soul and yet it allows me to be free.....I can make anything I want. I'm fortunate because I seem to be able to do all crafts but crochet will always be my favorite.

[lhasaapsolady]

My great aunt taught me, I always loved watching her with that hook. Crochet is my way of showing how much I care, I know my family and friends would much rather have handmade from me than store bought. Its my way of preserving a piece of history, especially since I collect antiques, including antique crochet books. It is something I share with my 22 yr old daughter who I taught to crochet last year. And last but not least it is a way to meet new friends from all over the world who share the passion of this great craft.

[Daisy]

Crochet Queen......I can relate to what you said, LOL! When I have to wait in waiting rooms, I always have my crochet with me. One day I didn't take it.....and the receptionist asked where my needlework was? and when I do bring it, they either ask if I will make something for them....or what is it that I'm working on. It seems to just be a part of me that's inseparable. Where ever I go......so does my crochet bag. It's pretty bad when strangers know me by my bag and hooks, LOL.

[ChayaSar]

for me crochet is a connection to a woman who died when I was too little to remember her... a woman i've never heard a negative word spoken about... the woman I was named after.. it makes my mother smile to see me crochet, as it reminds her of her grandmother... it allows me to show those around me that I think of them when they are not with me... it allows me to "hug" complete strangers through charity work... it allows me to take my frustrations of the day and make them into something beutiful... it keeps my sanity ever by my side... it makes my marriage better, by giving me an avenue to silently travel while I work out the problem in my head....

 

it's sooo hard to say what crochet means to me... it's everything

[Miss USA]

To me it is an outlet. I release tension and stress through it. I relax when I crochet. I feel my most at ease with a hook in my hand and yarn running through my fingers.

 

I take pride in the outcome of something I made. I enjoy the admiration and compliments when I wear something handmade.

 

I love knowing an art that is not as common and run of the mill like knitting and such. I love the domesticity of it, the warmth and femininity.

 

I love carrying on something my mother, grandmother and the women before them all did.

 

It is a passion for me, somewhat an obsession.

 

It is an art that we must never let die.

[jessc031778]

It started out as a way to keep my hands busy while staying at home with my kids...cause if my hands aren't busy, I use them to stuff my face...I tell people that crochet is a dietary aid for me LOL!!

 

It has since come to mean alot more to me....there is still a part of me that feels like since I'm not bringing in a paycheck and I'm doing a job with no tangable output (I'm a stay at home mom) that I'm just a big drain...like I'm not actually accomplishing anything...that's one of the hardest things about being a parent...you don't know til your kids are grown if you've done a good job or not..and I still, after 6 years of it, feel like I have to get something accomplished everyday or I get pretty blue & down on myself....crochet is my way of having something to show for my efforts at the end of the day, something tangable that I can show to my DH and say this is what I did today...helps my sense of self-worth.

 

Also, this is something I can do to help the family finances....sounds odd but it's true...my girls are both VERY girlie...and they're both small enough still physically that I can grab pretty much any skein out of my stash and make something really cute for them to wear, and make it SO much cheaper than if we'd gone out and purchased something mass-produced...and my older DD gets a kick out of picking out the yarn for her outfits, or for her sister's outfits...

 

And last but certainly not least, it is something that I love to do, that relaxes me (even when I'm cussing cause I'm frogging the same section for the umteenth time LOL), that I am passing on to my girls. My older DD (almost 6 yrs old) loves to sit next to me and chain her little hands off...my younger DD (nearing 2 yrs old) loves to sit on my lap while I'm crochetting cause I give her my Q hook and a tape measure and she will just sit there trying every way she can to get her hook and "thread" to do what mine does LOL!! I like knowing that I taught myself to do this, that the both enjoy the fruits of my labor, that they are both (at least for now) showing an avid interest in something that they can use for the rest of their lives.....plus, I'm an addict and this is my drug of choice

 

Jessie

[yarncat]

1.A means to pass the time on the road.

2.A way to make one-of-a-kind gifts for family & friends.

3.A way to make some extra spending money.

4.A way to brighten someones day.

[Rena Tyrantina]

It's a stress reliever and creative outlet. It's something interesting to do while my husband is watching some banal TV show.

 

And, like Jessie, it's something to distract me from snacking!

[eurolyons]

What does Crochet mean to me? Something that lets me be creative and make things that vary from the practical to just something pretty to look at. Something that I became good at quickly. That made me feel good about myself over the coarse of 35 years, but more so in the past two years. It's a self-esteem builder. Crochet is many things to me...it can let me be a designer, let me time travel through using vintage patterns, and let me be young again through the newer, funkier patterns. Crochet has helped me make a home in more ways than just making an afghan for the sofa...if I can't find something like a hat or a purse in the stores to buy, I can make one up. I needed some way to hang my broom and mop and the hooks available were too big for the holes at the end of the broom and mop...have crochet hook and a bit of yarn and I made loops and voila...hanging problem solved...I recently made several pull chains out of kitchen cotton for over head lamps that their pull chains were way too short. Crochet can be almost anything you want it to be...it's not just one thing, but several things...it's limitless. I'm a very creative person and I don't just crochet, but crochet has probably helped me expand my creativity over the years and helped me gain self-esteem to be creative in other areas of my life. I am fearless when I Crochet...

 

That's what Crochet means to me.

 

I have to add, my grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was 10...so yeah I think of her many times when I crochet...but by the time she taught me, if she had ever had a habit of crocheting, akin to what I do, it was petering out to just the occasional afghan. In fact, within my real life circle, I'm the Possible Extreme Crocheter...I've taken it to a whole 'nother level within my friends and family. But I have a soft spot for 40's and 50's patterns, because ironically they remind me of her...I imagine what she would have been like in those decades...that's the time travel aspect of crocheting for me...

[Sylviaf]

It makes me feel productive, even if I'm just sitting around. I've always worked with fabric, but don't enjoy hand sewing. I love the feel of nice fabrics and moved into loving the feel of yarn (which is why I don't like working with Super saver, it isn't satisfying to touch). Also, sewing, crochet, quilting and cross-stitch are my creative outlets. I have never felt that I was creative or artistic, but my 17 year old artist daughter says that this is my art and is just as valid as any other kind. I like to think of myself as an artist and so this is a self-esteem booster.

[Katchkan]

Crochet is a major part of my life.

It has allowed me to save money when my kids were growing up. From making clothes to toys.

It has allowed me to surround myself with the beautiful things I love with out the big out lay of money. From curtains to tablecloths. I have made a lot of things that make my house a home and not just a house.

It has allowed me the express my creative side in a very doable manner. Which satisfies my soul and keeps me from turning into a shrew.

There has never been a time in my life since I first picked up a hook that I haven't had some project going.

And that was many, many years ago.

To me Crochet is an Art form that I will participate in for the rest of my life. I can not imagine my life with out my hooks and threads.

I don't want to imagine it.

[crochetqueen]

Daisy, Just out of curiosity do you also have several (ok what I really mean is about 5 or more) tote bags ? hahahahaha, and I also do not want to admit that at times I have something in every tote bag I own so what do I do.......grab a plastic grocery or Walmart bag, it's almost like one way or another a project is coming with me!!!!

[nana5boys]

Ummmm, I also use the good ol' Wal-mart bags to store my yarn projects.

Even after I finish the project everything stays in there until I'm ready to give it away.

 

jaye

[The Crochet Fanatic]

For me, it is my relaxation.

I learned the basic stitches myself and my great-grandmother (who died 3 years ago) taught me granny squares. Maybe that's why I enjoy making granny squares and donating them.

[Sahmlock]

CROCHET:

©rafty

®elaxation

(O)nly

©ertain

(H)ookers

(E)xperience

(T)he thrill

 

©an't

®est

(O)nce

©rochet

(H)ook

(E)nters

(T)he scene

[cgd]

This is an interesting thread, and I've enjoyed reading all your posts. Unlike some of you, I don't have any talent for this, plus I'm just starting out, so I haven't made any complicated things like sweaters. My family has liked the caps, dishcloths, (very simple) afghans, and scarves I've made them, or maybe they're just being nice! No one would buy my work at this point, if ever, so unfortunately, it doesn't bring any money in. Maybe I'll get better at it in time.

 

Anyhow, this is a way for to relax, pass time, and like many of you, connect with the past. I can feel more productive and at least a bit creative (I'm not very naturally so). I feel like I'm always learning with it, so I won't ever be stagnant. It's cheap (for me since I don't buy high-dollar yarn yet), it's safe, legal, and mostly portable. You buy hooks and some yarn, and boom, there's your initial investment!