This week at work I am sitting at another secretary's desk, wathcing her phone. I am able to do small amounts of my work, but because her computer system is not the same as mine and her mouse is the mouse from hell, not much work gets done. Anyhow, as I was sitting here thinking what do I do now, I realized something, even though my name is Crochetlady, I have not blogged about crocheting-but about my work, my husband and my family. My first post explained that I love crochet but I haven't really talked about it. I guess I should.

I have been crocheting steadily since 30 years ago this month-the month I got engaged. I had been taught some basics about a year before then, but had not kept it steady. My family knows that if I am to be happy, I must have at least 1 crochet hook and one ball of yarn visible at all times. At work, there is a hook and 2 balls of yarn. AT home, well, my stash is eating us out of house. My SO does get a little exasperated, but he likes my mental health better when I crochet than when I don't. Although he would appreciate fewer books, magazines, printed patterns. I have more than what I could ever make, but I derive a great deal of inspiration from these things. As I read on a journal post at iamthiswoman.com, inspiration is where we find it.

Back to 30 years ago. I went home on leave (my future SO and I were in the ARMY) and brought my SO with me. While he was putting his luggage away or going to the bathroom or something, I stooped by my mother and said "We were coming here for him to ask DAD for my hand, but we are here to tell you we are getting married when he gets back from Okinawa and here is the ring he bought me and would you be my Matron of Honor?" Needless to say, my mom cried and I cried. I really don't remember where my husband was. My father came home for supper and we told him. AT that time, the wedding was going to be about 2 years away.

Later that night, we were sitting in the living room and my mom was crocheting an afghan. I got on the floor and watched her and asked her for the pattern. She said she didn't have one, someone had shown her how to do the stitch and that is was she was working from. I asked her about how much yarn I would need to make an afghan for my SO and me. She was working on something for the couch, so we got out paper and pen and calculated how much of 2 shades of blue and 1 shade of blue ombre I would need for a double bed.
The next day, my SO and I went to Zayre's (think lower quality walmart). We bought a whopping $30 dollars of yarn. When my mother and I sat down she told me the stitches to use and I started writing it down. "Chain 360" became c360, and on I went. I used a shorthand that was a good guess as to what was to become the industry's normal. My mom looked at me and said "You can read patterns?!" I just shrugged and said,"It's only abbrivieations." Ah, the mindlessness of youth.
Longer story shorter, we got married that September. (Forget waiting 2 years, I was not STUPID!) Big arguement, then acceptance, then 1 week later, nice small Justice of Peace marriage ceremony. That was 79, son was born January of 81, one week before he was born, I finally finished the afghan. I had ripped it out and started over or redid parts many times. My husband learned that he could tell how upset I was about something by how fast my hook flew, or if he looked at the afghan how tight my stitches were. I learned tension control and gauge. 29 years later, that afghan is still on my bed. There is a small spot where some stitches undid and reknotted, but otherwise, it works still. I had light blue yarn left over for 5 years. Math was a little off, and this was before calculators. Funny thing, I lost the pattern I wrote-I think I threw it away thinking I would never want to make it again. If anyone out there remembers a half-shell pattern that had 6 rows of a dark or main color, 3 rows lighter color, 2 rows multi or ombre,3 rows lighter-repeat from the 6 row main color-please look for it, I seem to remember half crochets, double crochet and chain stitches as the combination to make the half shell. I have looked at stitch dictionarys all over for the patter and cannot find it. Please let me know if you do. Yes, I did try crochet partner, but I had to leave since, if I am on the site or reading all the posts, I didn't have time for crochet. I check in every so often, but not really my style any more.
I am now trying to lead a church group making hats and scarf sets for those who need them.
Hopefully, this blog says why I am Crochet Lady to my work, church and family.