I've been reading this (sweetly illustrated) classic on writing and I find it simultaneously riveting, delightful, and a bonafide cure for insomnia.
That is a bit how I feel about crochet. (And my career, for that matter, but we'll get to that later.)
Admittedly, I'm coming a bit late to the Crochet Party, having been caught up in a hot-and-heavy romance with two-needled yarn activities for the past decade. But while at a friend's house, I spied a stack of her granny squares crocheted out of this Noro Kochoran and dropped my two needles faster than you can say knit 1, purl 1.
I promptly forced her to teach me (I also used this fantastic tutorial), ordered the yarn, and embarked upon a 48-squares-sewn-into-a-blanket journey.
For about the first 15 squares I would finish one and just stare at it, mystified, thinking: I just made that! And that is a rad feeling. Everyone should have that feeling.
Then I got to square 23, aka Snoozeville. And realized I wasn't even halfway finished. So 22 squares sat in a basket for about six months.
After all that time something made me pick them back up again and for the last 26 squares, there was this satisfying, easy comfort in it. Not the riveting, high excitement of beginning, but truly the joy of the ordinary. And of staying the course. And lately that is a feeling that I am celebrating in my life.
I wish you joy in the ordinary today...
xoxo
jolie
Jolie!!! Pretty pretty squares, lady. And I want to snorgle your dog! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks Jolie! I love this AND your blanket! I had a similar experience with making scarves except my issue was I didn't buy enough yarn. So everyone got really short scarves that year for Christmas. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat is such a brilliant way to do granny squares -- no need to literally change colors and weave in all of those ends -- awesome. And that last picture -- what a love she is.
ReplyDeleteAnd staying the course -- roger that. Thank you.
Just now reading this (1/4/13) but gotta say, I love the Granny Square! I inherited a bunch of sweet squares from my Granny (really). When I finally got the afghan finished and together... well, it's GRANNY SQUARES, what's not to love?
ReplyDeleteCrocheting has been my closet hobby since I was a kid and you really nailed the way I feel when I start a project, when I get back to it and when it finally gets finished. : )
xxoo- hb