On Again. Off Again. My Relationship with Crochet

I have a love-hate relationship with crochet. I've been crocheting on & off since I was a small child. My grandmother taught me to crochet at a very early age, and I was surrounded by many brightly colored crocheted blankets and blankets. They were on the sofa, bedspread, and other places where you could cozy up. All my aunts (my grandmother's daughters) crocheted, and it was a way to pass the time while watching t.v. on the couch.

For myself, I didn't really crochet until I was in college, and I made friends with an artist & a crafter. We crocheted small bags, and I even crocheted a cloak for myself. However, it wasn't something I did all the time, but merely something in the arsenal of crafting skills.

It wasn't until 2007 that I discovered amigurumi -- the Japanese art of crocheting stuffed animals. And I fell in love. I started crocheting small stuffed animals for myself and for my neices and nephews. I was buying acrylic yarn (from Big Box Craft Stores) to make them (I didn't know any better yarns...)

The smaller animals took a mere few hours to complete. It made my heart sing to finish these up quickly. I made pigs, frogs, foxes,...even dead rabbits.

I couldn't get enough of my amigurumi animals.

As I delved into amigurumi, I found wonderous Japanese crochet patterns that made crochet less 70s-kitsch and a bit more fashionably. I even made a granny hexagon afghan (from some very nice yarn...)

As time wore on, I started to realize the crocheting made my hands hurt, especially if I was crochet'ing for long periods of time. I already have nerve damage in my hooky hand, and I don't want to damage it even further. So I would back off crochet'ing (and started to learn how to knit, which didn't hurt my hands). And occassionly do another amigurumi animal or maybe a granny square as they were small projects that could be quickly finished.

And admittedly, I love projects that are quick to make.

However, I find myself longing for those large ripple blankets and colorful pillow cases that my aunts and grandmother used to crochet. You just can't get that look from knitting. It also doesn't help that I've been reading the blog, Attic24, for quite some time (which everyone should read if you love crochet). I very much want Lucy's house with all of it's crochet-loveliness and goodies. It makes me want to pick up my hook and crochet all of those wonderful things....except that it hurts my hands.

Why love-hate relationship?
Well, I love crochet. I hate that it hurts to do it for long periods of time. So, for now, it's on & off again relationship, and I'll just pine for all that crocheted lovely goodness.