While sitting in a labor and delivery waiting room at a little after midnight, hoping for updates on the arrival of our grandbaby, I noticed a young woman crocheting an afghan. Her fingers were flying nimbly as she poked the crochet hook in and out and twirled the yarn here and there. The growing blanket was already so far along that it covered her legs.
My husband nudged me and said "She moves a little faster than you do, eh?"
I rolled my eyes and said, "That's for sure".
The girl looked up and smiled. "He's referring to the little patch I've been working on, trying to teach myself how to crochet," I said. "The yarn is probably for someone more advanced than me. It's fuzzy and has little ribbons hanging from it. The whole piece comes out too tight or too loose and the edges are unpredictable. They wave in and out. I keep trying to tell myself that it looks arty!"
She commiserated, saying,"Don't worry, I've been doing this since I was 12 and now I'm 30. You'll get better!"
Turns out, she, Keesha, had been waiting since 1 p.m. for her friend's baby to arrive and she had been crocheting and visiting with the family all that time. By 2 a.m., it didn't look like our baby was going to come any time soon, so we thought we should rest for a while. We wished everyone well, and went home
By morning, we decided to do errands, since phone calls and texts had told us that the baby situation had changed. Her water had broke, so labor wouldn't be induced, slowing the process.
I took time to grocery shop and then stopped at the local Joanne's Fabrics. I remembered how our daughter had marveled at what I considered to be my pathetic attempt at crochet. Since it was pink, I think she thought I was making something for the baby.
Inspired by the woman at the hospital, and the imminent grandchild, I ventured down the aisles displaying a vast array of colorful yarns. Some were too scratchy, or thin, or fuzzy. (I didn't want to repeat THAT mistake.) Then I found a thick, baby-soft, yellow, aqua and pink ball of yarn that looked perfect, and a big fat crochet hook. I told myself that I could do better if I studied a little.
Since I didn't know exactly how to do certain stitches or how much yarn to get, I decided to look at a how-to book and st in a chair near the pattern-book table.
This used to be an old haunt of mine, since I was a teenager, at a different fabric store that is long-gone. I remember sitting for hours studying the Butterick, Simplicity and even Vogue patterns from which I actually fashioned many of my own clothes, and later some for my little girl. It was a de-ja vu moment. I felt "back in the club", as I sat studying the stitches. Could I really make a baby blanket? Would I actually finish it?
Back at the hospital waiting room, at about 5 p.m., I was pleasantly surprised to find Keesha, (kind of sorry for her), still waiting for her friend's baby to be born. I dared to ask her for a lesson, since the memory of the book's explanation was fading from my memory.
Keesha had me sit next to her as I showed her my new yarn and big fat hook. I showed her I could do a chain stitch to start out, and she was a little impressed that I at least new that. The Double Crochet Stitch is what I wanted to use, since it seems to make a more loose "fabric".
She showed me how to find the next link in the chain stitch, wrap the yarn around the tool, push it through with the hook, wrap it again, pull through 2 stitches, wrap it yet again, and pull through the next 2, then go to the next link and repeat.
Just as soon as she praised me for catching on quickly, she'd catch me pushing through the loop without wrapping first, and say, "Wait! Don't forget to wrap!" I'd do okay again for a little while, and she'd just coax, saying "wrap", and I smiled, saying,"I'll have to have a mantra, saying 'Keesha says to wrap'".
As I write this, my project is about 36 inches long (from my nose to my out-stretched fingers), and about as wide as an ace bandage. The baby is about to be born, so I'd better get back to work and pick up my speed.
My husband nudged me and said "She moves a little faster than you do, eh?"
I rolled my eyes and said, "That's for sure".
The girl looked up and smiled. "He's referring to the little patch I've been working on, trying to teach myself how to crochet," I said. "The yarn is probably for someone more advanced than me. It's fuzzy and has little ribbons hanging from it. The whole piece comes out too tight or too loose and the edges are unpredictable. They wave in and out. I keep trying to tell myself that it looks arty!"
She commiserated, saying,"Don't worry, I've been doing this since I was 12 and now I'm 30. You'll get better!"
Turns out, she, Keesha, had been waiting since 1 p.m. for her friend's baby to arrive and she had been crocheting and visiting with the family all that time. By 2 a.m., it didn't look like our baby was going to come any time soon, so we thought we should rest for a while. We wished everyone well, and went home
By morning, we decided to do errands, since phone calls and texts had told us that the baby situation had changed. Her water had broke, so labor wouldn't be induced, slowing the process.
I took time to grocery shop and then stopped at the local Joanne's Fabrics. I remembered how our daughter had marveled at what I considered to be my pathetic attempt at crochet. Since it was pink, I think she thought I was making something for the baby.
Inspired by the woman at the hospital, and the imminent grandchild, I ventured down the aisles displaying a vast array of colorful yarns. Some were too scratchy, or thin, or fuzzy. (I didn't want to repeat THAT mistake.) Then I found a thick, baby-soft, yellow, aqua and pink ball of yarn that looked perfect, and a big fat crochet hook. I told myself that I could do better if I studied a little.
Since I didn't know exactly how to do certain stitches or how much yarn to get, I decided to look at a how-to book and st in a chair near the pattern-book table.
This used to be an old haunt of mine, since I was a teenager, at a different fabric store that is long-gone. I remember sitting for hours studying the Butterick, Simplicity and even Vogue patterns from which I actually fashioned many of my own clothes, and later some for my little girl. It was a de-ja vu moment. I felt "back in the club", as I sat studying the stitches. Could I really make a baby blanket? Would I actually finish it?
Back at the hospital waiting room, at about 5 p.m., I was pleasantly surprised to find Keesha, (kind of sorry for her), still waiting for her friend's baby to be born. I dared to ask her for a lesson, since the memory of the book's explanation was fading from my memory.
Keesha had me sit next to her as I showed her my new yarn and big fat hook. I showed her I could do a chain stitch to start out, and she was a little impressed that I at least new that. The Double Crochet Stitch is what I wanted to use, since it seems to make a more loose "fabric".
She showed me how to find the next link in the chain stitch, wrap the yarn around the tool, push it through with the hook, wrap it again, pull through 2 stitches, wrap it yet again, and pull through the next 2, then go to the next link and repeat.
Just as soon as she praised me for catching on quickly, she'd catch me pushing through the loop without wrapping first, and say, "Wait! Don't forget to wrap!" I'd do okay again for a little while, and she'd just coax, saying "wrap", and I smiled, saying,"I'll have to have a mantra, saying 'Keesha says to wrap'".
As I write this, my project is about 36 inches long (from my nose to my out-stretched fingers), and about as wide as an ace bandage. The baby is about to be born, so I'd better get back to work and pick up my speed.
Thank you so much for the blog. Im glad I inspired you to crochet again. You also inspired me to start my own blogs. I been thinking about it for the past few weeks and decided to do it. Congrats on your new addition to your family. God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteKesha says to wrap:-)