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A little rant about people's view of crochet


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Not sure if this is the right forum, so mod's please move if necessary.

 

On my facebook page, I recently posted a picture of the granny square afghan I started to bust some of my stash. My friend IM's me through yahoo and says "how old are you 30-something or 70?" I was all "What?" and she said I was turning into that old lady whose house is covered in crocheted blankets, and really it was an old lady sport. I was so sad :( Makes me not even want to share my crochet with anyone anymore.

 

Does stuff like this get said to you? If so, how do you let it go. I've been pretty ticked at my friend since she said this!

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Hey, you at least are doing something worthwhile with your time. People who make these kinds of comments are (like I said in another post) the same people who sit around playing video games for hours on end or watch hours of mindless reality TV.

 

There are all sorts of people who crochet nowadays. When I was at my SnB group at our local Starbucks, we ran into some young teenagers, and one of the guys told us that he crocheted--definitely NOT a little old lady!

 

So tell your friends to put a sock in it...and to get a life, and stop worrying about what you're doing with yours. :D

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Wait till she wants something crocheted from you.:lol (be it hat, scarf, 'ghan) Then the shoe is on the other foot. Sorry you had to get that from a friend though. Cutting comments always hurt, no matter who they're from, or what they're about.

 

It can be hard to get over stings like that, and too often, people don't realize the power of their words; how hurtful something they meant as a joke (maybe) can be. We at the 'ville know crocheters come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders...maybe give your friend some examples. :P

Depending on the level of your friendship with this person, you could confront them kindly ("Maybe you don't realize it, but what you said really hurt me" kind of thing") Or maybe just a snappy come-back with examples of hip design and other young crocheters would do the trick.

Sorry I'm not much help. But I do offer sympathy.

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:hugI'm so sorry your friends act that way. With me its the opposite and everyone is constantly asking me to make them things, especially my purse collecting step-daughters! LOL They also ask me to make gifts for their friends for special occasions. So I guess I feel really loved! :hook

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Do they not realize that the "old ladies" who crochet were PROBABLY crocheting when they were your age? Silly people. I just usually refer to myself as an old lady (I'm only 20)... just to be silly. I've gotten good at accepting teasing and things like that so it doesn't bother me. Your friend was probably just jealous anyway. Example: Even though I crochet, I'm jealous of people who can knit really well.

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We all get that at one point or another. If you love crochet as much as I do (and I think you do or you wouldn't have cared about her comment) then nothing she says will stop you from doing what you love.

 

A lot of us share our work here because we all appreciate the effort that goes into handmade things.

 

I'll tell a lot of people that this is what I do when I'm watching tv. What do you do besides sit there like a lump?

 

Truth is - I have very poor health. It keeps my hands and mind busy. I make beautiful things. I create. So do you.

 

PS and most of those little old ladies started around 5 yrs old.

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Ha. My DH has the same problem. He's 35 and loves to play shuffleboard. The tabletop kind, not the big one on the ground such as on the cruise ships. He gets teased about playing an old man's game; then he says he plays table shuffleboard.

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I'm sorry..I'm also in my 30's and get teased by my "friends".. I just take it in stride..It's hard but heck I'm getting to the point where I don't CARE what other's think..Crochet relaxes me and makes me happy..I spent my teens and 20's always caring what other's thought of me..Now it's MY turn...Take care and WE understand you...

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There was one time I got a comment like that from a relative. I made an absolutely adorable, navy blue, nautical, overall shorts set for my son. I was so proud of this outfit and so was my 2yr old son. I was showing it off last year at easter and my step-sister said "Why would you want you son to look so old-fashioned?" Anyway, I just laughed at the comment. I was planning on making her kids gifts for christmas but after her comment I decided they wouldn't be appreciated. The kids got stuffed animals instead.

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I'm sooo sorry that your friend said that to you. That's really terrible.:angry I've never had anybody say anything like that to me, as a matter of fact, some of my daughter's friends say they crochet or they would like to learn. And some of them have said, when they have kids, they would like for me to make them something for there baby.

 

Carol:hook

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Your "friend" does not understand the enjoyment :jumpyay you get while you are crocheting or the satisfaction :tup you get after completing something that may have taken you forever but looks exactly the way you want.

 

If I were you I would make her one of the cute and quick little hats with a brim, give it to her and tell her this is why I crochet. :hug

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In this day and age, people just don't "get" doing anything crafty with your hands. A few years ago I was crocheting a dress for an American Girl doll I won off of eBay for a gift for my mom during a family gathering. My sister-in-law's daughter asked her "What is Aunt Jenny doing that old lady thing for?" Of course I didn't know about this until my mother-in-law told me. But now my niece appreciates handmade things. All most people think of is their grandmothers crocheting doilies or baby items. Our craft has taken great leaps and bounds since the 60's and 70's, but I still love granny squares!:manyheart Keep on crocheting whatever you like, your friend is missing out on something great! :crocheting

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Judging from the throngs of people in AC Moore, Michaels, and Joann's, I'd say crafting isn't an "old lady" thing, or dying out any time soon. If anything, since the recession hit, I've seen MORE people in the craft stores.

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I'm proud of my "old lady hobby" it took me many many years to get the hang of it & my family have all appreciated the blankets I've made for them this winter :) I always show off my projects on my Facebook page & I've never had derogatory comments made there. My FiL always comments but I've learned to take that with a pinch of salt, he was thrilled with the hat I made for him. My 70 yr old Aunt thought it odd that I'd crocheted a blanket for my 16 yr old niece, Auntie Maggie called us both old ladies :D

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I always thought crochet evolved from fishermen making their nets, so I went in search of proof of that to post here for you....

Instead, I found this.

It's very interesting, but there's only a brief reference to the fishermen, and evidently they weren't the first ones to crochet. Oh well! I tried, right? :)

 

I'm sorry your friend hurt your feelings. I have a friend who loves anything I make for her, and another one who told me we were too old to be making each other gifts. (I'm 40!!) That made absolutely NO sense to me, so I made her Doris Chan's pineapple shawl. Then for her birthday I stitched her some washcloths and put them with some Burt's Bees bath products. I doubt I'll make her anything else, but I just kind of got that "I'll show her!" attitude about it! :lol My friend who loves my crochet receives things for her children now and then, and I recently sent her an Oasis Wrap just because I love her. She raved about it. :blush I'm very lucky to have at least one friend who "gets it".

 

You can always come here to find people who will appreciate your work! :yes

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I think your friend was trying to be funny but her humor fell flat. If she is narrow minded about crocheting she should of kept her opinion to herself. You now know what kind of friend she is and dont let it bother you. Maybe she is just jealous of your creativity. Dont let this stop you from producing your beautiful work or feeling bad about it.

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I have been playing around with the idea of making a granny square jacket, and I keep going back and forth on whether it of would look weird to wear out shopping or whatever.

 

After reading this, I've decided. I like granny squares and I like crocheting and I'm going to make one and be proud to wear it!

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I know a few people who would say something like that (they haven't to me yet), but you know what, to the best of my knowledge neither of the two that I'm thinking of have any kind of hobby, craft-like, or otherwise. The one thinks you should live your life cleaning and the other one is always minding someone else's business and as another poster put it, it's usually this type of person who is ignorant enough to make comments like that. You just have to feel sorry for them, cause they don't know what they're missing.

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Yesterday went into my local Guitar Center and the sales associate when I said I would crochet a drum case he said my grandmother crochets I'm sure he didn't mean it as an insult but like I told my fiance I am taking the stereotype out of crocheting for example this old lady thing and the gender thing now here's an article it's not crocheting but it's about knitting but to me it's all the same yeah crocheting takes more yarn and knitting takes less but they are both great handiwork crafts http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7896441.stm here's the article to read

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Two of my ex bf's said they couldnt stand to see me crochet b/c I reminded them of their grandma. Notice they are ex bf's. I didnt crochet for a long while b/c I was dating and ashamed to let people know that I crocheted. I even gave away my stash.

 

Now my fiance says he thinks it is sexy to see me crochet. Just knowing how creative I am turns him on. He loves it b/c he thinks I am so smart anyway. So, not everyone views it that way. She is just narrow minded and needs to watch what she says. So, crochet on, sister!

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Are these real friends or electronic 'friends?' I've come to the conclusion that many people assume that because you don't have to see the face of the person you're rude to online or in a text message, than it's okay to be as rude as you want.

 

This is partly why I don't have a blog or Facebook or any of that.

 

The other reason is I'm just a cranky old woman who doesn't care what other people think of me and what I do. It's a remarkably liberating feeling that comes with middle age and perimenopause and I highly recommend everyone adopt it, regardless of age or sex. (And that's only partly a joke.)

 

 

Patty

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