Can We Chat For a Second

So, I had all of these different things I was going to talk about today. However, after the experience I had in Costco with my hubby, I've decided those can wait.

Let me set it up for you: Hubby and I are wandering through Costco, playfully bickering like always. He can't find the butter, that I've already put in the shopping cart. We're just giggling and laughing at each other. Hubby is wearing his awesome mutli colored jacket that we made him.

One of the employees walks up to us and compliments his jacket. Awe, yay us. I love when people compliment my work. I don't know how to take the compliment, but I do appreciate it. So, hubby starts chatting with this gentleman, cuz that's what hubby does. I am trying to not so subtly walk away. Hubby is bragging about all of my talents. Awe, thanks hubby. Then the man says, "Wow, you're so young. I thought only little old grannies crochet."

WELL, LET ME TELL YOU!!!! This is why I am writing today's blog.

HOW DO YOU THINK THOSE LITTLE OLD GRANNIES LEARNED THEIR AWESOME SKILLS?!?!?!?!?!

Honestly, do people seriously think that at some point, the universe is like, "You have reached little old granny stage. Here are your awesome crochet skills."

No, it takes years upon years upon years to get to that level of awesome. The amount of time and energy you have to put into the craft to get to where you can even crochet straight projects is mind boggling. Almost all of us started out crocheting wonky crooked edged wash clothes and scarves. Out there in the world are a bunch of blankets that don't have any straight edges and have weird gaps and tight spots in them, all so little old grannies can be awesome.

And don't get me started on the gender bias in that statement. There are so many guys that are in the fiber art industry, crochet, knit, or weave. Men and women look at things so completely different that the men in the industry really do come up with some of the coolest stuff, simply because they are like, "I don't like it this way so I'm going to do it my way."

Trust me, I make some great stuff. I know I do. What you all don't see is the sheer number of times that I rip a project out because it isn't right, or I don't like the pattern, or I have to go up a hook size, or I realize that the yarn isn't going to work after all.

These are all things that are going to lead me to be an awesome little old granny that crochets.

I started crocheting in my 20's. I was a teacher way back then, a lifetime ago. I was taught how to crochet by one of my students, a 13 year old boy, that was captain of the junior high football team. He was crazy popular at the junior high, and he brought his crocheting along with him everywhere!!!

So, next time you see someone crocheting, which is one HOOK, or knitting, which is two NEEDLES, or weaving, done on a loom of some type, compliment their work, say how much you respect their ability to do any of that work. But please, don't make it uncomfortable by mentioning that they aren't a little old granny.