So I'm back....

And I've been crocheting a storm! I made the first piece of actual clothing(something other than an accessory). It's a... skirt. No, you read right. A skirt. You might be asking yourself "What was she thinking?" But I love it. I absolutely love it. No pattern, no sizes. Just me, yarn, hook, and some music. And I was amazed. I used Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, Turqua, and White, an H hook, and of course, my trusty friends Scissors and Needle. It took three evenings. Just three! I worked on it whenever I could(a photo soon!) and I tried it on, not once, twice, heck, I can't even count how many times I tried it on. But not only did I make a skirt, but also a... petticoat. Yes, a petticoat. A skirt that goes under a skirt to make it poof out. I made one. And I'm pretty dang proud about it too. No, the petticoat was not crocheted. It was not knitted. It was not machine sewed, it was not store bought. I took ribbon long enough to tie snugly around my waist, then tied long strips of tulle on like I was making a tulle skirt. Then, I took a piece of tulle slightly longer than the ribbon and wide enough to fit over the skirt and cover both sides to keep the strip in check, then I took a very tiny crochet hook and thread, and hand crochet this long piece of tulle onto the ribbon/tulle skirt. It took a while. Especially since I gathered the long strip as I went. The I added a row of single crochet and small hook, wove in ends, and tried on with the skirt. I was in love, and frankly, I still am. After I finished the skirt, I decided to go through the stash. I have a lot of yarn, mostly acrylic, with three skeins of Norwegian wool. Little Girl asked for a little granny square blanket made with shades of pink, blue, white, and brown. Little Brother get's kimono shirt and pants, and that's all for right now. Did I mention I am knitting a lace shawl? It's called Hooks and Needle for a reason, people. I made tablet cases(cause I got a Nexus 7!), scarves, and hats. I've made gloves, mitts, and, and, I knit my very first pair of socks! I'm so happy! However, on the second sock, I kinda ran out of yarn on the toe(I worked from ankle to toe) and so, instead of choosing and obvious color that actually matched(I used a dark gray yarn that looked like tweed. I absolutely love it!) I chose... mint green. Mint green, when the other sock was all grey, and I could've chose white, or black, or something, but instead, I came up with mint green. And yet at some point I like it. I like the fact that the first sock is boring and plain. It's a representation of the orderliness in which my life runs. Neat, cleanly, smoothly, never changing. And then the second sock, it represents the speed bumps, the obstacles, the mountains that must be climbed, the challenges that I face, the little and the big, the easy and the hard, the fun and the miserable, these socks are a representation. So while some people may scorn my color choice, turn up there noses at the thought of hand knitted socks, acrylic yarn, or the boxy shape of the socks, I love them, they are mine, and like I said just a minute ago, they are a representation of me, my orderly, neat, stiff, formal side, and the left sock(the one with the mint green toe) expresses my creativity, the wild imagination, the music lover, the casual I'm-going-to-stay-in-my-pajamas-and-sleep-because-I-want-to side. So for all the crocheters, knitters, seamstresses, yarn snobs, free formers, and pattern followers, just because other people don't like it(I'm talking to you, yarn snobs and non-crafters) doesn't mean you have to throw it out, give up, or frog it. It's yours. My socks(when they were not finished and I was still working them) were there for me whenever I was mad, sad, happy, hurt, or a bundle of jumble. I love them to bits, even though the left sock bind off is screwed up, even though I had wanted them to match, even though that left sock yarn got waxy(which irritated me to no end) I love my socks. I love all my projects. So keep it. Even if you don't finish it. Even if it's super fancy expensive yarn that you love but suddenly had a terrific idea using that same yarn for a different project. Even if you suddenly decided yarn crafting or sewing isn't your thing anymore. Keep it. Because someday, you can look back on it. You can say "Yeah, I didn't finish. Yeah, it's expensive yarn. Yeah, I dropped the craft years ago. But you  know what? Each stitch contains a memory. And each of those memories are precious to me. Even though my gauge was too tight(or loose), even though the yarn split, even though the needles(or hook!) felt awkward in my hands, I still kept that. So that maybe one day, I'll finish." Or you could save the project for another time. Maybe that project, you decide, should be made in winter. Maybe you should knit that clover lace cardigan right before spring, and finish seeming and weaving on the first day of spring, so you can wear it. Maybe you should save all those red, white, and pink hearts for February. And maybe that long coat could be made in the fall, right before you'll need it most. It's okay not to finish. It's okay if you decide to frog  or throw away or give up. It's a part of life. It's another experience under your belt. And that, ladies, is what's important.