Tuesday 12 August 2014

Get back...to crochet!

'Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged...' 

Do you remember that song? I remember it because it was the first time I really noticed the Beatles; the girl next door asked me if I'd heard it. I said no and she replied, 'Well don't you watch Top of the Pops?' 'Why would I do that-Thunderbirds is on the other side' I replied, shocked really. I mean why would anyone want to listen to a song when they could follow Lady Penelope?? Anyway, I digress but the song links my memory with where I once belonged...  back in the 70s, teaching my Mum to crochet.

My Mum was an accomplished knitter -my elder sister and I grew up symmetrical in matching Fair Isle jumpers.  How she did those intricate designs I'll never know as I have never managed to be much of a knitter. I think she tried to teach me to knit but I did not have a lot of patience with it, it simply did not grow quickly enough and seemed to require a great deal of concentration.
However, Mum had never mastered crochet and criticised herself for this, since her own mother had been adept at it. Mary-Ann Evans, known as 'Polly' was born in 1876- she was a true Victorian.  Mary Ann made beautiful pieces of delicate lacy crochet.
I have some of Mary- Ann's crochet edging-the original tablecloths to which the edging was attached had deteriorated so some years ago my Mum embroidered a new piece and added the lace to it. For this Mary-Ann must have used the smallest of hooks-I can't believe how she worked such an intricate design. Aren't those roses exquisite?


Craft  crazes-they're nothing new!

 One day when I was at school in the '70s a new craft craze began- crochet!  The recent 'loom band' craze amongst the young reminded me of this - one girl teaches another and it escalates into the biggest thing since, well... '70s crochet!  I remember going off home and telling my mother I had learned how to crochet. She asked me to show her and although she had shied away from it before, she took to it like a duck to water. She unearthed Mary- Ann's old two-ended bone hook and we set to work.Scraps from her knitting bag came out, jumpers were unravelled as we made granny squares and made them up into garish blankets!  In those days colours were not planned or combined, a blanket would just be made from what you had lying around. Having been a wartime girl Mum always believed in Make Do and Mend! It was rare that we had brand new pristine balls of wool-I remember most what we used for crochet being crinkly from having already had a life as something else. She did have a weakness though for new Arran wool, which came in hanks and I can still feel my aching arms from holding them out while she wound ball after ball!
 With renewed confidence in crochet Mum went from granny squares to making wonderful lacy shawls which I wore with my maxi dresses-I alternated between a black one and a red one-they were my staple cover ups for many years and I still have them.


Shawl of memories.

Since then over the many years since, I've done various crochet projects from time to time. However,  the last real project I did was a wrap shawl which this time I made for my mother. She had been very cold and wanted something to wrap around her shoulders. When she saw a design in a new crochet book I had she remarked how lovely it looked and reminded her of the Arran wool she used to love.  We chatted about how we started crochet and the shawls she used to make.
I crocheted the shawl up for her and she loved it, keeping it on her chair and using it every day. She showed it to all her carers and visitors and it never moved from her side. When she passed away at the end of 2011 the shawl was returned to me. It lay there in the wardrobe amongst her many treasures and vintage collections.
 The months following making the shawl my Mum's health had deteriorated and I had not picked up the hook since 2011. However,  seeing so many lovely projects on crochet blogs recently got me excited about crochet again-it was time to get back!

I browsed for a new book and after ordering it looked on my craft shelf....oops I already have quite a few!
Loved the look of this one 'Hip Crochet' though -have you seen it? 


Lots of fun projects with so much colour injected. I settled on the lively 'Carnival bunting' which looked simple enough to get me back into the swing and I was entranced by the colours featured. I ordered the desired materials from Love Knitting -what a fabulous website this is-if you enjoy yarn and don't know it do take a look, I am so impressed by their fast shipping and gorgeous packaging:

Look at those yummy colours! It is Stylecraft Special DK-just acrylic but such a lovely soft yarn which works up beautifully. The colour names are wonderful- like 'Meadow green', 'Lipstick red' , 'Sunshine yellow' and 'Shrimp'! I love the way Natalie combines the colours for each pennant:



All made up...!
My Mum would probably have said 'Well I had a few left over bits you could have done that from' ! 
Now all I need to do is put it together....but I'm already on my next crochet project!

I think Mum would be so pleased I've got back to crochet. Last Winter I took out the shawl I made for her, that last project that she loved. I put it around my shoulders and was enveloped by her unique scent, that which a mother always has. I wore it down to the beach in the biting wind and whenever I felt chilly snuggled up in it. I shall not be washing it -because whenever I want to feel that Mum is still there, all I have to do is breathe in that scent and there I am-back in the 70s, teaching my Mum to crochet. 

Hope you're having a lovely week, still enjoying holidays and sunshine! We are heading off to beautiful  Wales for a family holiday, with two of the dogs.No internet so I will have to give the blogging a little rest awhile. Plenty of crochet, crafting and books to take along though!
Best wishes
Alison xx


20 comments:

  1. Dear Alison
    It is really good to go back to something you haven't done in a while - I am the same with felting - and it does feel great! Hope you manage to keep it going.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Thank you Ellie-it does. I am off to have a look at your felting, it sounds great xx

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  2. I'm really glad you have got back to your crochet and your pennants are lovely.
    Have a lovely holiday
    Jackie x

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    1. Thank you Jackie-have also been doing some paper crafting, making tags with great gusto-will write about them soon xx

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  3. How lovely to share this story of you teaching your mum to crochet and then you making the shawl and what that now means to you, what a wonderful tale it is! I love your crocheted bunting... I have that lovely book by Natalie Clegg I think I'm going to have to find it and have a look through it for a project!! Thanks for the inspiration Alison! :)

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  4. Thank you so much Christine-I am really delighted you liked my memories. Mum did live to a very good age-she was born in 1918! We were very lucky but I still miss her. So glad you have the book-there are lots of lovely projects in there I hope you find one you will enjoy! xx

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  5. What a special story about you and your mom, and the shawl you made her. I remember also being brought up to use the bits of yarn up, and not just buy new. But your new yarn is so pretty. I just started knitting again, but it seems to be a winter activity, so I haven't done any this summer. Enjoy your trip to Wales!

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    1. Thank you Deborah, it is so lovely to share my memories. So glad you have started knitting again-it is great to get back to a craft you once loved; you realise how much you have missed it. xx

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  6. What a lovely post, Alison. Thanks for sharing your memoreis of your Mum. Glad you've rediscovered your urge to crochet. You've made a colourful start, with your bunting. Can't wait to see what comes next.
    Jacqui xx

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    1. Thank you Jacqui-I am going to block it taking your advice-I have some small cork boards I use for beading to do this on, then the finishing! xx

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  7. Hi Alison!

    How lovely to read about your mother and love of crochet! And how wonderful that you are being drawn back to it!

    The bunting flags look so cheerful, well done!

    As for books, there are so many out there, my wishlist on amazon is way too long, haha! However, we do have some nice libraries around Antwerp and I regularly borrow craft books, it's free! I also used to do the same when I still lived in the UK. (I subscribe to 'simply crochet' and sometimes i buy 'inside crochet' when we visit England).

    Have a lovely time on holiday, relax and enjoy summer, whilst it still lasts! (Here we had more torrential rain again today!)
    Pack some crochet yarn, hooks and a book or two and have fun!!!

    Is there any chance to post a photo of your mother's shawl?

    Ingrid xx

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    1. Thank you Ingrid! . I absolutely love craft books like you! We had a wonderful week in Wales and I did lots of crochet-will post about it soon and I will catch up with your blog! xx

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  8. So good to hear you are enjoying crochet again, and such a lovely post about your mum too. Your pennants are lovely!
    Happy weekend.
    Helen xox

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  9. Such lovely memories Alison, I hope that you have a great holiday. xx

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    1. Thank you Amy we had a great time and I did lots more crochet! xx

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  10. Hi, good luck with the crochet, a bit addictive, but I'm sure you will find that, have fun
    Hugs x

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    1. Thank you Sue! Lovely to hear from you and yes-I am addicted again!! xx

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  11. Hi Alison such a lovely post and I love your crochet bunting. We have had a recent bereavement and I have had a crochet blanket I made returned to me, the blanket will continue to hold very fond memories for ever. Hope you had a lovely tIme in Wales x

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  12. Thank you so much Sue. We did have a lovely time in Wales.I have just seen your post about your loss and am thinking of you. xx

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  13. Hi Alison,
    I have just discovered your blog through the Liebster Award links on Crochet Between Worlds (http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/liebster-blog-award.html). Any post which combines the Beatles, Thunderbirds and crochet is bound to 'get me in' (or get me 'hooked' as it were). I am sorry to learn that you have lost your mother but your story was so beautiful. How precious that you have heirloom crochet to remember both your mother and grandmother.
    It is interesting that your grandmother was adept at crochet and therefore your mother didn't have an interest but chose knitting instead. My mother is an exquisite knitter but can't crochet, and although she taught me basic knitting, I chose to focus on crochet because it was something I could do that my mother couldn't!
    How lovely to have complementary skills between us all.
    I am glad you have revisited crochet and I will revisit your blog to see your crocheted creations. :-)
    I might even have some questions about vintage lace sometime too.
    Have fun!

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