Do your relatives do fiber crafts?

[HomekeepingGran]

Do your relatives do fiber crafts, especially crochet? Mother sewed all my life — the first store-bought dress from my parents was when I was 15! (Actually, there were probably a few when I was a baby and small child, but I remember none of them.) In my teens, Mother picked back up with her knitting, something I didn't even know she knew how to do, but she never crocheted, save for a little bit some years back when she tried to learn. Neither of my grandmothers crocheted or knitted though my maternal grandmother sewed some. There were some fairly distant crocheting and tatting aunts (that sounds odd), but that's all I know about. And oh, yes, one dear aunt who is still living used to knit beautifully but doesn't anymore.

 

I myself sew, knit, and have messed around with embroidery and a tiny bit of smocking, but actually know little about either.

[YarnAdict]

My mother's mother could embroider. My father's mother was a beautiful crochet artist. My mother sews, knits, crochets, and she also does cross-stitch once in a while. Her sister also crochets and sews. My cousin's wife and I used to sit in the yard and watch the kids play while we crocheted together.

 

Shaunna

[leesespieces]

my aunt (dad's sister) and my mom both crochet and i recently found out that my grandmother on my father's side was an absolutely incredible knitter. i think some of it may have come out of necessity, seeing as they lived in germany in the 1920s-1940s. my aunt showed me this gorgeous hat that my grandmother knitted her when she was a little girl. it had an extremely tedious looking fair isle design and this funny shape where the back of it formed sort of a square. and it was done with what looked like baby fine yarn no less. i hope i can match that in crochet someday lol.

 

i think a lot of my mom's family crocheted, or did needlepoint, or counted cross stitch. my mom crochets and she used to LOVE counted cross stitch, she's got so many kits in baskets in our living room.

 

i also had a close friend of the family babysitter that knit all the time. in fact, she's the first one that tried to teach me probably when i was around 7 or 8. she knit slippers all the time and i always liked to watch her. when she taught me, she just got one started for me and just showed me the knit stitch, so i kept doing it, and i got aggravated because all it did was make a square LOL.

 

but now that i think about it, i've been surrounded by fiber arts. it's no wonder i turned back to it after ignoring it for so long.

[lilpug]

My sister Niqita crochets too. She taught me everthing I know!

[CrochetKitten]

My aunt and I are the only two in the family that crochet. But one of these days I intend to get my sister "hooked."

[Tinha]

my Grandma used to do beautiful embroidery...unfortunately, she lived in Brazil, and I grew up in the U.S. so i never had a chance to spend time with her. I have a table runner she made for me. She used to sew as well, and i still remember pajamas she gave me as a kid. My mom sews a bit...only when absolutely necessary. My MIL knits AND crochets, but isn't around enough to really talk to her about it....that's about it in my fam.

[crochetluvknot]

my grandma used to knit and crochet all the time she taught me knit when i was little but cant remember half of it now i remember making wash cloths or something and was so proud of them now i cant even remember how to cast on lol.

[losingmymind2]

Mama knits. In fact, when I found out our church was starting up a prayer shawl ministry, I got her to get her needles out again after 30 or more years. She's 82, and we have our craft time watching the CSI's and stuff most night.

[monkeybabies]

My grandmother knits! She knitted a beautiful afghan for me when I got married. My mom actually crocheted some blankets when I was little and she also did cross-stitching, embroidery, andsome needlework. When I started crocheting earlier this year, I actually was able to get my mom to get her crochet hook out again!

[Elle]

My late Mom used to sew, crochet and knit. Her mother and all of her aunts (they were all from Scotlane) all crocheted, tatted, embroidered, and knit. They taught me how to do all of the above, and I taught myself how to do counted cross stitch as well. These days though, I mainly crochet as that is my passion even though I know how to embroider quite well and enjoy counted cross stitch as well. I have all but forgotten how to knit but intend to pick it up again soon because I bought the book Stitch and Bitch Nation and there are some knitting patterns in there I would like to try.

 

On my father's side of the family, my grandmother was a crocheting maniac! She never went anywhere without a bag of yarn and a hook, she was always working on something for one of us. My aunt learned how to crochet from her, and she learned how to do counted cross stitch from me. She (my aunt) lives in another state now, and we have lost physical touch with each other, but we still keep in touch via email and she is still very active with crocheting and occasionally does counted cross stitch.

 

My cousin learned how to crochet but never kept it up. Personally, I think that she would be doing herself a favor if she suffers from depression and anxiety disorders, and IMO crocheting would be good for her, but I haven't yet been able to talk her into it. In the fall she will be moving to Texas to stay with us for a year, so maybe while she is here I can get her into it. I will try my best.

 

Elle

[lindamry]

My mom crochets, loom knits, embroiders, and sews along with several other non-fiber crafts. She knows how to knit but doesn't usually do that. Her mother crocheted, knitted, sewed, embroidered and did other non-fiber crafts. Her dad crocheted, loom knitted, and embroidered. I have afghans made by both my grandparents and my son has baby afghans (though he's not a baby anymore) crocheted by my grandpa and my mom.

 

On my father's side, his mother has crocheted some but is no longer able to.

 

I crochet and knit as well as many other non-fiber crafts. It still seems a little strange to me when I run into folks (especially women) who don't craft at all even though my best friend of the last 15 years doesn't craft. (What do they do with their hands when they are watching TV? Nothing?)

 

Linda Y

[shortylam]

Legend has it, my paternal grandfather's first wife knew how to make lace. She then passed the kit to her oldest daughter (my oldest aunt) before she died. The same aunt is an expert in quilting. Everybody in the family received at least one quilt from her. Now she's 70 something yo but still quilts everyday without wearing glasses.

 

My dad's mother is not much of a needle crafter. She was more of Martha Stewards I guess (baking, cooking, home decorating). My mom's mother made a small shirt for me when I was a kid. Dad's younger sister was a tailor at one point in her life (that was her 2nd job, she was a high school math teacher)

 

My mom did some cross stitching before she got married. I saw some thread doilies at home when I was a kid. She and her sisters knew how to crochet and they actually taught me a bit when I was younger. One of my cousins knew how to knit. And yeah, I got some dresses from mom (home-made) when I was a kid.

[Mandys76]

My Mum knits...she can't sew her peices together when she's finished, for that she hands over to my Dad. Dad can also knit, but only does it to show Mum how to do something in a pattern she doesn't understand. Mum's just now trying to learn crochet, and is left handed, which is proving a challenge. I've had to teach myself to crochet left handed so I can show her.

 

My sister is a beautiful knitter...but rarely does it. She used to crochet squares when she was a teenager...but hasn't done it since.

 

My Dad's sister is the one who sat and taught me to crochet...she makes the most wonderful afghans ever. She's a beautiful knitter as well.

 

My Nanna used to knit...and my husbands Nan knits, but she's dying of bowel cancer at the moment, and doesn't have the strength to pick up her needles.

 

I've started to teach my step daughter to crochet. She's 11 and picking it up really quickly.

[HomekeepingGran]

These are great stories — Brazillian grandmas, nanas, people picking up hooks or needles after years, fathers, aunts, cousins... One thing I neglected to mention is our oldest daughter who sews, crochets a little and adores quilts. She designs quilt tops and has a blast piecing her designs. Lovely work.

 

Keep 'em comin'. It's interesting. Oh... do any of you have pictures to share of family work?

[needlesandpinza]

my mom crochets, my sister cross stitches, and dh gma knits, of course I knot spin and crochet.

the rest of my family does alot of crats but those are the only fiber ones

[kkms]

my grandmother used to crochet. she can;t now because it hurts her hands to much. but she did not teach me i am self taught and already know more that she does.

i know my mom used to do macrame (sp). she used to sew a little and i don't know what else.

my aunt (grandmas sister) she knits and crochets very little. she also sews and makes some great quilts. but she loves painting.

[crochetsal]

My mother used to crochet, she tried to teach me when I was about 8, but as far as I got was a very long chain. She did try to pick up crochet again almost 12 years ago, after I'd taught myself, but after a couple of scarves gave it up.

My maternal grandmother used to knit, but hasn't in years. I've tried (and so have some of my aunts) to get her to knit now since she is in a home, but she just doesn't want to.

My paternal grandmother (who passed away more than 20 years ago) used to do embroidery and cross-stitch, and this I know because my aunt called me one day and offered to send me two pictures my grandmother had done. They are tucked away in my closet till I have a bigger place and can hang them. They were but done in the 50's, and I am very honoured to have these!

 

Sally

[Aphadon]

Let's see... My paternal grandmother is an amazing seamstress and quilter, plus she crochets a little bit as well I believe. My maternal grandmother crochets like crazy - all her grandkids pretty much have crocheted afghans and Christmas stockings by her. My mom knits and does cross-stitch. My dad can sew, but generally sticks to hemming/repairs/badge application. I crochet, sew, and cross stitch, among many other non-fiber crafts. I can also knit, but I don't do that anymore (I prefer crochet). I'm self-taught in everything but cross stitch, which my mother oversaw but generally allowed me to figure out on my own - but my crafting relatives definitely inspired me.

 

I don't know about any of my extended family though. I do plan to teach my daughter to crochet in a year or two, since she's expressed an interest in it but is a bit young yet (she's 5 and has a very short attention span *lol*). I'd love for her to learn the value of the actual work that goes into making the things we have. I hope to teach her to sew one day as well.

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

My mom crocheted After she passed away I taught myself how to crochet I wanted that connection to her. I even made a pattern in her honor

[Leticia]

all of my aunts and my mom know how to crochet but they don't do it often. Only one aunt does it often and makes all the new babies a blanket. My grandma is the one who taught them all, she use to make dolls with huge pretty dresses. although none of them know how to read a pattern. my mom and the one aunt are the ones that taught me the basics and my old neighbor in hawaii picked it up and taught herself how to crochet so she taught me how to read a pattern.

[Lady_of_Roses]

I have one aunt who is very much into fiber arts, as well as a fantastic cake decorator. Unfortunately, out of necessity for my sanity, I have nothing to do with her.

 

My mom hand-knits and can machine knit beautiful stuff as well. I think she can do the single crochet stitch.

 

I think I may have one other aunt that knits, and other than that I'm really not sure.

[uplate6674]

My mother can crochet, sew, and do counted cross-stitch, although she hasn't done any of them for years.

[Iowa yarns]

My mother can't do any fiber craft without it looking wrong and she will admit it openingly. Her side of the family wasn't into the fiber craft. My dad's side of the family is where all the fiber crafters are. My grandmother quilted and sewed all her life (made really beautiful things) but hasn't been able to sew for several years now since she can't see very well. My grandma's mother knitted, crocheted and tatted all the time and she all made beautiful things. So my mother keeps saying that I got my abilities from my dad's side of the family and I think I'll have to agree.

[Sylviaf]

My grandmothers sewed, knitted and crocheted, my mother in law sewed and still knits, my sister in law cross-stitches and knits and my daughter knits. My mother can knit scarves and sewed some when I was a kid but never really enjoyed it much.