by Karen Carl

Created on: November 08, 2008   Last Updated: November 22, 2008

I have been a crafter for more years than I can count. My latest infatuation is jewelry making, and I have been activly "designing" all summer! I now have almost as many beads in my house as I have skeins of yarn, and that is saying something! While I do love taking a piece of wire and some fabulous beads or a button or two, giving them a twist here and a bend there, and coming up with a cool ring, it is now Fall. Ah, Fall. That magical time of year when the days get shorter, the nights get cooler, and the crafter's fancy turns to Crochet!

Yes, I have once again forsaken the summer's new craft for the old stand by, Crochet. I must confess, Crochet is my first craft love. I have been crocheting since I was 8 or 9, and it has never failed me! While I do fall for other "fancier" crafts from time to time, I always return to crochet. A friend has a new baby, crochet a blanket or a tiny sweater. A friend gets married, crochet a bridal purse for her to use for the money dance. Need I even go into the endless list of Christmas gifts a crocheter can make each year? I didn't think so!

Sometimes it can be a little difficult to get back into the groove of crocheting. It seems the longer you are away from it, the more you enjoy it when you start crocheting again. This year my return to crochet was the result of a pattern I found in a magazine. Several months ago, my best friend's little girl had picked out some yarn she liked, so that I could make her some mittens. I can't stand making mittens! The pattern in the magazine was for mittens. So I decided to make some mittens for Arianna!

I had not crocheted in several months when I started on the mittens. The pattern was a easy one, and the mittens worked up quickly. As I got to about the 10th or 12th row I was aware of a feeling of immense joy coming over me. I had not felt this way about crocheting before, and realized I must have been away from it longer than I thought! The more rows I completed, the better I felt. This was great! I finished the first mitten and got started on the second. Start at the top, move down to the thumb shaping, then on to the cuff. That is where I realized I had screwed up! I was supposed to do several rows here and I only did 1 on the first mitten. I had to remake the first mitten. I can't stand making mittens! I finished the second mitten and remade the other mitten. By now, I had gotten another magazine and this one had a scarf pattern in it. Every pair of mittens needs a matching scarf, right?

Well, 2 pair of mittens and 6 scarves later I am firmly back in the crocheting groove. It is very easy to do, just find a pattern, grab a skein of yarn and a hook, and get stiching. That's all it takes! Write your article here

Learn more about this author, Karen Carl.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.