in a crochet funk

[kel]

I don't know what to do, in a funky mood that I just can't kick. I have been working on a simple baby afghan for a friends baby for well over a month and I can't seem to get in the mood to finish it. The baby was born last week!! For the last couple of weeks my great grandmother was here visiting and every time I picked it up to work on it she would make comments like "I never could just sit down and do something like that, I always had too much to do, no time to waste."

What the?? She didn't say it in a mean spirited way, and she is 90, so I didn't say anything back to her, but for some reason its bothering me! She's back home in CA now, so I don't have anymore comments from the peanut gallery, so what is wrong with me?

[Amy]

Kelly, maybe it would help to look at what you're doing from that same perspective, but with a different focus on what is truly important. You are NOT wasting time. You are CHOOSING to give the GIFT of your time to express your love for this family by a creating a gift from the work of your own two hands to welcome this new baby into the world. What better thing can you do with your time than demonstrate your love for others?

[Kiirs]

Would it help to make some other small, short project? Maybe a few days away from the longer one would make you more eager to finish it. I know where you're coming from--I've been there a lot! Good luck!

[Tampa Doll]

God Bless her to still be here at 90.

You have to keep in mind, that we have more time with all our time saving equipment, like washing machines and dryers and microwaves.

I am sorry kel, but I got the best laugh out of this. I am sure she did not ment to hurt your feelings.

You are making a gift that will be used and enjoyed.

Try not to let it bother you, I am sure she would be upset, if she knew she hurt your feelings.

Enjoy your craft, relax and yeah, maybe find something small to work on to get you out of your funk.

[pryor208]

Make her something. That way she can appreciate the time you put into your gifts much better. I don't think she meant to put you down, in fact it could be seen as a compliment very easily, because she wishes she could have the time and patience to do crochet.

[HappyOldCro]

God Bless her to still be here at 90.

 

You have to keep in mind, that we have more time with all our time saving equipment, like washing machines and dryers and microwaves.

 

You are right!!!

and us old ones tend to say things without thinking about it. I have sometimes done that too. It has to do with a little bit of jealousy also. I had no disposable diapers, and no washing machine. So alot of my day went into hand washing lots of diapers. I once made a remark to my neice about how easy she had it...she had this hurt look on her face like I was implying she did nothing all day.

Although you don't have the physical challenges a lot of older people had,

the current times and those modern appliances call for more knowledge and can create alot more stress because we rush to fill the extra time with more stuff.

Take a deep breath, say a small prayer for her, and then get on with your projects. You have attached her comment to your project and everytime you pick it up, you are questioning yourself. You are thinking of her words that you are wasting your time. As Amy said, you are doing something out of love. Love is never a waste of time. Don't punish yourself.

Take a break if you need to, but remember, like falling off a horse, get right back on, or you will never do it.

[2020kitten]

A couple of thoughts:

 

1 - my Mom is 77, and she sometimes slips into what we refer to as "depression-baby mode". She & I have talked about it, and there's a completely different mindset with people who lived through the Depression, more so than just differences in generation. (Her dad was a farmer in rural Mississippi.)

 

2 - I was working on a beautiful afghan for my (step-) grandson - an original design - when I got into a crunch at work & had to lay it aside. Did my husband offer to cook dinner or something so I could finish? No. His comment was, "well, I guess the blanket won't ever get finished; too bad I already told them all about it, and they were looking forward to having it." (My knee-jerk reaction was to consider the relative temperature in the underworld, and determine it was going to freeze over before I picked the afghan up again. The baby will be a year old next week.) I'll probably frog the whole darn thing & turn it into a round ripple or something & maybe have it ready by Christmas. IF he doesn't mention it again, and IF he doesn't "act a fool" when it's not the original design.

 

So I completely understand how a project can get sidetracked.

 

Can you rework the remainder of it, so you get some fresh perspective? Like finishing it out with some rows of squares, instead of stripes? Or whatever would work with the design?

 

[BriarRose]

HI Everyone--and, I know I'm new here, and don't know all of you as yet--but, the comments made by Kel's great-grandmom just reminded me of how my husband's very elderly, Italian grandmom had just the opposite view of things--and, that's actually why I was able to learn to crochet in the first place--her attitude was that, if I had time to sit down, I had time to pick up some 'work', and get busy making something--she viewed all crochet as genuine, useful work--so, she insisted on teaching me how to crochet--and, now, I am very grateful to her, for that!

 

 

But, on the 'down-side' of things--just before one of my granddaugher's was born, I had wanted to crochet a pretty baby blanket to give her mother at her baby shower--so, I got busy on it--then, my son, Tommy, comes in and sees what I'm doing, and he said to me something like, 'Oh, you're not making anything for the baby, are you?! Please don't make anything, mom. Buy us something, instead.'

 

Up until then, everyone had loved nearly everything I'd ever made for them, and friends and family kept asking me to make baby things for baby showers that they were going to attend--one friend even raved on that 'her' gift, that I'd made for her to give to the new mother, had been the 'hit' of the shower--but, there was my son, telling me NOT to make anything--as though he was actually embarrassed:blush about my work, and didn't want to be embarrassed in front of his wife's family and friends--then, it was my turn to say, "What the...?!":think

 

I, too, went into a 'blue funk' for awhile over his attitude, and I quit working on crochet for awhile after that--and, we bought something for the baby, which really helped our son out with his new inlaws, I guess--but, it definitely did nothing for me!

 

But, the truth of it all is, that the vast majority of people these days, truly do appreciate handmade things, especially baby things--and, having what you've made so impress the new mother, really does make having spent all that 'free time' making it, worth far, far more, than if it had only been purchased at some dept. store, believe me--at least, that's what's spurred me on many times--those at the baby showers can make you literally feel 'ten feet tall', when they realize that you made 'that' for the baby, yourself--and, in my opinion, there is really nothing like that, for bolstering one's determination to go on making beautiful crocheted things!

 

(((Hugs))) Kel.

[kel]

I just want to say thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement. This board is like a little chunk o' heaven right here on my computer. Hehe

 

I need to get my groove back and the only way to really do that is to pick up the blanket. Luckily the new Mommy is also a crocheter and she always loves and appreciates handmade gifts.

 

You guys are the best...

[Empress Busy Bee]

I know what you're going through minus the grandma and comments.

I started a baby blanket months ago. The baby has been born and I'm still not done. Part of the problem is I kept having to stop to do other things. Part is it is baby yarn and an F hook. Not a big problem to some. However it's tedious work to me even though it's a really easy pattern. Some days I just look at it and don't want to work on it, so I don't.

What I decided to help take the pressure off it to give it for Christmas. It's almost that time and the baby was really tiny. She would have been lost in the blanket. LOL

 

Good luck with it. I hope you get your 'groove' back.

[darski]

I'm sorry this has happened to you. I am rather surprised by your gramma's attitude because that generation had to make do and make all that they needed. As someone already mentioned, there was no down time; if you were sitting down you had something on your hook or your needles.

 

Everything from dishcloths to hats and mitts had to be made sometime and crochet and knitting was just part of the tool kit for every housewife.

 

Please just sit and enjoy the great gift that you have been given that allows you to make and give love from your own heart and hands.

 

:hug

[leaette]

when i get in a funk, i do smaller projects, like dishcloths because they only take an hour to make. i also do locker hooking, so i'll switch to that and make a few potholders. and then i'll go back to my bigger crochet projects. i'm making 2 afghans right now so i feel your pain.

 

but...i HAVE to make my son's halloween costume today or tomorrow. so that will be a good distraction from my afghans.