Sunday, September 17, 2017

Artistic Expression

My writing prompt from Marie this week was to write about my first artistic expression.  Now, even though I am a naturally artistic person, I honestly do not remember my first artistic expression.  I am sure that it must have been very similar to everyone elses; a crayon scribble across a piece of paper, but I don't remember it.  Instead, I am going to tell you about how I learned how to crochet.

My mom has major domestic skills.  Sewing, knitting, crocheting, you name it, she can probably do it.  Part of it comes from the era that she grew up in but it also comes from her environment.  She was a farmer's daughter and a lot of these skills were very handy.  After years of doing these things, she is a pro.  I still will contact her whenever I am having trouble with a pattern or two.

My mom tried to teach me when I was younger how to crochet.  Being a rather stubborn child, I tried and immediately gave up because it was too hard.  Fast forward a few years and I'm about 18 years old.  I get it into my head that I want to finally learn and I tell my mom.  She gives me an H hook, a ball of yarn, and proceeded to show me how to do a slip knot & how to do a chain.  Once I figured that out, she had me chain and chain and chain.  The chain strand was about as long as the couch before she checked on my progress.  Mom then showed me the differences in the tension of the chain stitches I had made.  Some were rather loose, some were really tight, and some were in between.  Once I had a gotten a length of just right chain stitches, she knew that I had a feel for how to hold the yarn as I work, so she took me to the next step: making a granny square.

I was able to progress rather quickly with the granny square and eventually made a blanket for my brother out of them (which I hope he still has).  Before we moved apart from each other, her from California to Montana and I from California to Illinois, she taught me one of the hardest crochet skills: how to read a pattern.  Ever since that time, I have loved crochet.  It is really cool to take just a simple string and create a fabulous piece.

So, while it may not be a memory of my first artisitc expression, it is definately the most memorable.


Think I have enough hooks?

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