How long have you been crocheting or knitting?

[Morningstar46]

One of my Aunt tried to teach me crochet when I was about 6 she gave up on me lol keep getting the stiches too tight. We moved and an older neighbor lady was crocheting Barbie clothes and granny squares. So I finally learned. I learned to knit I think 4 years ago. Enjoy both. Knit for awhile then crochet or doing both.

[dragondrummer]

Hi Barbara, I learned to crochet on my lunch hours at work in 1972 when a co-worker taught me the basics. So 42 years for crocheting and I've learned a lot in all those years! Knitting came much later in life. One of the ladies in a stitching group I belong to taught me to knit about 2 and 1/2 years ago. It's really fun having both skills.

[candycanelover]

I have been crocheting 49 years. My grandma taught me when I was 10. My mother taught me to knit as a young girl also.

[Polishgirl]

Hi
All together for about 3 years. I started crocheting about 7 years ago. But after about one year I took 4 years long vacation from that from. In that 4 years "off" I managed to buy a lot of yarn, way too much!. I guess, I was thinking that I will start crocheting someday...LOL. And I did about four years later.
It was very frustrating for me to learn that. I did not had anyone to help me or explain anything. I bought me a book I think it was: "I will teach my self how to crochet" .Right now we have a lot of info. on Internet: video's, youtube's. When I started that was not there. IF it was, I did not knew about that. I remember I have read somewhere the word "fogging". I had no idea what that meant??. I wanted to know, because I thought that was something VERY impotent! LOL.
I could not read any pattern for a long time. I was just making up things...
Krys..

[imalefty]

I also taught myself to crochet over 40 years ago. Being left handed made it especially difficult. But I did it! I learned the term "frogging" on this site-it is so perfect to describe ripping out stitches. Still learning........

[Polishgirl]

Hi Winnie,
I love that story, specially about fixing her hair
Krys

[Polishgirl]

I also taught myself to crochet over 40 years ago. Being left handed made it especially difficult. But I did it! I learned the term "frogging" on this site-it is so perfect to describe ripping out stitches. Still learning........

I know that "frogging" it was bugging me & bugging me... I thought that probably was some kind of important stitch or something...?? LOL. And I did not had anyone to ask.
Krys

[sonnetta]

Total of almost 7 months. I'm officially addicted and am doing very well in my humble opinion. I taught myself by watching youtube videos starting last Oct. I can read & follow most written patterns now & am understanding charts, too. I love all the online free information & great people who spend a lot of time teaching people to crochet! I love to share my work to encourage others & get feedback on it, and to get ideas from others who have more experience than me. I've got a FB page, Pinterest Boards, and a Google+ page w/my crochet work posted on them (& other handcrafts on a couple of those). I took some months off of life in general though this spring, so no crochet during those months, to pack, move, (3X unplanned with one requiring belongings to be put in storage for 2 weeks), such a long/sad/awful story that I'm trying to forget (2014 has been cruel to us here, but we as Christians prevail no matter what thx to our Lord), so I had big plans to be much further ahead by now but a lot of time was taken from me. Then I had to recuperate from over-doing it so badly since I'm disabled (a lot of family helped us a lot, my husband also overdid it since it went on for so long & I sadly had to do as little as possible), but what I did messed me up terribly and I had to get extra physical therapy & the new symptoms overdoing it caused me are horrific.

Now I have a new heart condition where the right side valve can't keep up w/the left side valve to properly pump out fluid from feet & lower legs so I retain dangerous amounts of fluids that can cause congestive heart failure on top of all of my existing health issues that try to control my life. I've had fluid retention problems since it almost killed me at 19 during my 1st pregnancy. My son & I almost both died and I had an emergency c-section, so I know how to control it with meds and drinking plenty of liquids.

Then my right leg locked up in the back of my knee last week out of the blue & I can barely walk with my walker w/wheels & seat. I've never not been able to walk and there's a lot of pain in that area for some reason, but I sure hope to find something we can fix going on there. I'm seeing 2 more specialists to find the causes, a cardiologist & an orthopedic dr. I spend way too much time seeing dr's, and I swear they let you suffer alone a lot. But I have one good one out of the bunch that helps the most, and cares, too, surprise! I desperately need crochet to focus my mind and forget my miseries, and it works very well. My fingers cramp a lot when i knit so crochet works best for me. I'm sooo glad I found crochet because I'm like the lady who wrote that book, with crochet saving her life. It's a way of life for me forever, and I've done crafts all of my life so I mean that literally.

I'm happy to be a part of this community & hope to get to know many of you! I thought I'd take a few minutes here to explain my crochet experience. I hope that's all right. If not, you can move or delete my comment.

My prayers are with you Susan. I am also disabled and see a lot of doctors. I am looking for another personal physician as mine is not doing what she should be. I only have one or two doctors I see that I can really trust. But I am trusting in the Lord to take care of me. I have been crocheting a year and I love it. Just finished a doll outfit that has a cap shirt, and skirt.

[grandmalinda]

Since 1978 A nine year old taught me the chain stitch and when go books to learn the other thing I needed that about 30 + years,WOW

[Casa de Luna]

It can be hard to describe without hearing it but "frogging" just means ripping out your stitches. The gal that tried to teach me to knit said it's because we "rip-it, rip-it, rip-it" (said like the noise a frog makes when they ribbit).

I have loved reading all of these stories! It's wonderful hearing how folks started the craft.