How long have you been crocheting or knitting?

[mamamiaow]

I was mostly self taught from books. Then I would take my piece in to work and the ladies would make me frog it and try again! I have been crocheting for 45 years!

[sonnetta]

my mom loved to crochet. She crocheted for years until she passed away. She tried to teach me as a teenager but just never caught on the my son's girlfriend's mom gave me a book and a cd to watch on my computer and that is how i learned. I think because i could keep replaying it till I got it. Now i am making things I never thought I would make in a year's time. I love it. There are so many nice things to make.

[selegear]

My aunt taught me to crochet lace around a hankie when I was 7 years old. That was 65 years ago. In those 65 years I have crocheted hundreds of items from clothing to bags, doilies and table cloths, kitchen items, hats and scarves, gloves and ear warmers, afghans, shawls and ponchos, decrotative items for holidays, etc., etc. The item that stands out most in my mind is a red dress I crocheted for myself and often wore to the envy of my friends (both for the handiwork and the hot chick wearing it ;-) I was young and shapely at that time and I have pics of myself in it to prove it. Is it okay for a 72 year old lady to brag a bit? BTW, teaching me to crochet was the best gift my aunt could have ever given me. It has seen me through many difficult hours. Those of us who have this gift need to pass it on!

[Texas transplant]

Hi,Barbara, I am left handed so my Mom said she couldn't teach me. I was 10 when the woman that lived next to us said that if I came over to her house she could teach me. School had just let out for the summer so this was welcome for me. She had me crochet a pink doily which I still have to this day. She taught me to not only crochet but to cook, iron clothes without burning them And gave me friendship as well. She was the grandmother I never had. I will be 78 next month so that means I learned 68 years ago. I have crocheted just about everything. The thing I liked the most, one of the ladies I worked with wanted a bed spread . I kept adding to it till it covered the bed and hung to the floor on the sides. It was in shades of blue and white. Margaret

[bestgammy]

I taught myself how to crochet over 40 years ago. A lovely person who worked with my husband crocheted a snow suit for my newborn daughter. It gave me sooo much pleasure to receive it that I was determined to return the favor to others. To date, I have never met that woman, but I owe her "big time." I always have a crochet project going and then I figure out who it should go to. Crocheting is more relaxing than valium...LOL.

[mamarose22]

It's too many years to count. I was in elementary school and My mother taught me to knit, crochet and sew.

[Sweet Sue]

My favorite aunt tried to teach me to knit when I was about 10, but all I could do was make a series of knitted stitches with "buttonholes" between them where I had dropped stitches. When I married in 1970, my grandmother-in-law finally taught me to knit and I made many afghans and baby blankets. Ten years later my mother and I took adult ed classes to learn to crochet, and I found that it was much faster, and I liked it better. I have crocheted many afghans over the years, but now I mostly do cotton crochet items for sale in my craft booth (dishcloths, jar grippers, and scrubbies). Like many of you, I find it relaxing and somewhat addictive, except when I'm learning something new and I cannot master it right away, then it can get a little tense in my corner of the room until I get it figured out, and then all is right with the world again.

[patrogers]

I taught myself, when I was 8, my mom had learned in High School, and tried to teach me, but she did not know how to teach. I picked up her book and taught myself. I have crocheted for 62 years now.

[MaryL]

I started when I was in 5th grade (I'm now in my 60's). During story time in class while teacher was reading, one of the girls crocheted. Instead of listening to the story, I watched this girl and that's how I learned and started making things.

[little drummer]

I learned to knit in 7th grade home economics and could make simple things like scarves, slippers. I remember how pleased my dad was when he received my first project-a pair of navy blue and black knit slippers. When I was pregnant with my first child I wanted to learn to crochet and make a ripple afghan for my baby. The neighborhood women had a crochet club and they invited me to come. I learned how to make the ripple afghan and my daughter is now 33 and she still has the baby afghan I crocheted for her. She used it for her son as a baby. I prefer to crochet vs knit. So I guess I have been crocheting off and on for over 33 years. There was quite a dry spell for some years, but now I am back and loving it. My daughters seem to keep me quite busy with their requests for themselves and for my grandchildren. I just love giving homemade gifts to the people that I care about and donating items when I can.