Crochet

The week before I went back to work, I started getting a wee bit restless. I wouldn’t say that I was champing at the bit to get back. If anything, I was feeling somewhat tremulous, wondering what might have happened during the seven weeks that I’d been away. It was coming out in a distinct fidgety feeling. A sort of mind-itchiness.

The weather had turned colder again, and I’d run out of money to waste on gardening. I still have big plans; Claudia and I want to make a nature area in the old vegetable plot, where there will be a pond, a bug-hotel and a rockery. But at the moment, that’s all on hold while other things eat into our budget.

So I decided, pretty much in one split second, that I would learn how to crotchet.

The ‘how-to’ book arrived (The Happy Hooker from the Stitch-n-bitch series, fact fans), and after a little more waiting, I got hold of a hook, and I gave it a good old go. The book is very easy to follow, and great for beginners. My hands, however, took a bit of convincing.

I don’t recall learning to knit. I know I must have done at some point, because I can knit now and it’s not exactly instinctive behaviour, but I don’t remember lessons. I know my mum taught me. I vaguely remember knitting half a jumper, where I did all the knit rows and she did all the purls. I must have been taught purl at some point, but it’s all vague memories. I certainly don’t remember the tangles and tears and tantrums that there clearly must have been when I failed to learn a new skill immediately and without any practice at all.

So it was interesting to see how this all would work this time.

Here is my first ever crotcheted thing.

Check it out! I learned how to turn a corner and everything! Obviously I wasn’t meant to, and I’m still not entirely sure how I did it or how to replicate it when I want to, but still. OK.

The next thing was this…

This was a practise piece showing single, half-double and double stitch. There are supposed to be the same amount of stitches at the end as there were in the beginning. There are not.

As I vaguely predicted, I gave it all up as a bad job, and put it down for 48 hours.

It niggled away though, and I thought I’d have another go. I did another small square that would serve as a coaster. It’s OK.

Then I did this…

It’s mostly double stitch, though every fourth is single just to keep the texture a little interesting. I’m quite proud of it. I’ve suddenly got designs to crochet all my Christmas presents this year.

I’ve also made these little colourful coasters.

So it’s entirely possible that I’ve created yet another obsession.

But it’s given me something to relieve the tension with the return to work, which has been fine. It hasn’t been amazing and glorious, but it was never going to be. The medication is great, but it’s leaving me very drowsy. My usual bedtime of between 9 and 10 has moved to between 8 and 9, and I’m a touch moopish that my life is somewhat restricted at the moment. On the other hand, it’s probably going to get better as I’m more used to the drugs in my system. I’m going to keep on holding on for the next few weeks, and hopefully after that, it will all feel a bit easier and more natural.

In the meantime, I’ve got my hook and my wool, and that’ll do.