#2. Crocheting

Actually, I’ve been knitting longer than I’ve been crocheting, but a recent event prompted me to describe this hobby first.
How long have I been crocheting? I can recall as a kid making a really long crochet chain, but not being able to handle the second row. A couple years ago I bought one of the “I can’t believe I’m _____ing!” books, this one on crocheting of course, and taught myself how to do more than just the single chain (single crochet, double, half double, etc). More recently, members of our knit and crochet group at work inspired me to pick up a crochet hook and give a real project a try. The first thing I made was a washcloth. I gave it away ($1 for the Medtronic Foundation!). Then I was ready for something more ambitious. I had to try the pattern for “Barkus the Dog” from Lion Brand Yarns. I used a different yarn than they recommended because I’ve used Homespun for knitted things and I really hate it after a while. I used Jiffy instead, it was the same weight (5). I worked hard at it while I was at my parent’s house for Memorial Day weekend. It came together pretty good. The hardest part was sewing the head onto the body. Maybe I overstuffed him. Here he is next to my real life doggie.

Next up: another dog for my boss (she said she’d pay me, how much should I charge?) and a then a red and green sparkly Christmas stocking!
Why? I can’t just sit and do one thing! I have to keep my hands busy while I’m watching tv or a baseball game. Also I like to create things (that may be the theme to my hobbies), whether I use them myself or give them away, it doesn’t matter. I usually give my creations to a volunteer group at my work called Project Warm Hearts. They collect clothing, scarves, mittens, hats, afghans, and so on that people have crocheted or knitted and give them to local charities like Bridging (http://bridging.org/, which I’ve also volunteered for) and Alexandria House (http://www.alexandriahouse.org/).

Related links: There is currently an exhibit at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis called “The Quick and the Dead.” I have no idea what it’s about, but included are crocheted representations of hyperbolic space. They look like jellyfish or sea coral to me, but you can take a workshop at the Walker on July 30 and make one yourself! Woo! http://calendar.walkerart.org/event.wac?id=5111

Caption challenge: Fill in the blank: “I can’t believe I’m _____ing!” bonus points if you include a photo of yourself doing it! keep it clean though.