That's it. I'm hooked.

Mom and I took a crochet class at Craft-O-Rama last night (FUN place, and so much yummy fabric and fun stuff and great people) and it was a blast. I really enjoyed working with yarn and the hooks (I have this strange love for the actual *motion* of moving the hook in and out of the loops of yarn) and I had fun practicing a bit once I got home.

I'm still working on how to hold the yarn/hook/piece - it gets confusing to me. And, of course - like most beginners - I have the tendency to go waaaaay too tight. I'm also still a bit confused on identifying each stitch and spot where I need to push my hook through. My things got a bit wonky because I kept missing stitches or adding stitches. I admit it, I was chatting too much and not paying close enough attention. That's my only fear with crochet - can I chat or daydream while I do it? So far, I feel like I need to count a lot and pay attention. Two things I tend to avoid when crafting.

Mom had loads of fun and did really well. She was a little nervous and cracked lots of jokes about how "badly" she was doing. Give it up mom, you were rocking like nobody's business. Own it!

And what makes learning a new craft even more fun? How about having the sweetest little dog you could ever hope to meet curled up in your lap while you crochet? The teacher's dog (named Olive) sat in my lap for the first half of the class. I'd scratch her belly and snuzzle* her head and then get back to stitching. Every once in a while, she'd bop me with her head or paw, looking for some more lovin'. She even got tangled in my yarn. Nothing says fun and cozy like crocheting with a cute pup in your lap.

*Snuzzle is a technical term meaning to smoosh your nose into the dog's head and kisskisskisskisskiss while making idiotic lovey noises. In case you didn't know.

Stitchin' with mom

Despite the fact that my mom used to be an embroidery whiz (stitching nearly every piece of clothing she owned in the 70s and since amassing a collection of embroidered clothing that has lead us to wonder if we need to have some type of intervention) she hasn't picked up a needle and floss in nearly three decades.

I guess floss addiction is genetic, because it didn't take much for me to get completely addicted to the craft after I took a class with Jenny Hart at the Work*Shop back in April. Since then, I've been stitching almost every single day, and mom's taken notice.

At first, she just admired the work - laughing about seeing her daughter doing something she used to do, doting on my work (uneven stitches and all) the way only a mother could. Then she started dropping hints that perhaps she'd like to try her hand at embroidery once more. Of course, in the same breath of her hints to try the craft again, she'd mention all the reasons she shouldn't. She didn't want to buy the supplies if she ended up not liking it (um ... embroidery is one of the more budget-friendly crafts you can pick up) and was worried that her aging eyes wouldn't be good for stitching (even though she has some crazy-cool bifocals) and she thought, "why would I need to stitch anything when I have everything I need?" (she's beyond practical)

But the floss is hard to resist. Finally, I just said, "Mom, I have an extra blank tea towel and a transfer I know you'd love. Let me stamp it for you and we can stitch together." She was thrilled.

We were out at the ranch last night, and once the kids were tucked in bed, she and I piled on to the couch and started to stitch together. I showed her the back, split and stem stitch. She practiced on a piece of fabric I started stitching on, but had decided to ditch. When she got stuck, she turned to the Sublime Stitching book for back up. It was so much fun.

And I have to say, I felt awfully colonial sitting in the ranch house living room (that's very log-cabin-ish) and stitching up a storm. Having my mom there with me, sharing in the experience - it all made me feel very connected to the long history of women crafting together.

All that from a little floss, some needles and fabric? Not bad for a holiday weekend.

A W.I.P
And what was I working on last night? It was a fun little find from a thrift store visit earlier this summer. It came in a pack with some yarn and a giant needle. There were two panels - one of a boy and a mushroom, one of a girl and a mushroom - but the boy panel was partially completed with the yarn. I tried stitching with the yarn on the boy panel, but didn't like it. I decided to cut the panels apart, and just do the girl side in floss. I wasn't particularly attached to it, but now that it's about 80% done, I am in love with it. I can't wait to frame it and put it up.

I'm so not crafty .... so why am I starting a craft blog?

Most of my crafty friends are clear on where they get their crafty-ness. Typically, their mother and/or grandmother crafted with them as children, and they've been crafting ever since. Until recently, I denied my crafty nature. I've sworn - most of my life - that I am "so not crafty." Regardless of the fact that I was decoupaging pictures of Mork and Mindy to my side table in college, I saw no craftiness in my past or future.

Somewhere, I had knowledge of the fact that both my grandmas were master seamstresses, that one grandma could crochet and knit like nobody's business, and that my mother - in typical 70s fashion - embroidered anything that stood still and macramed her little heart out.

But why did I feel no connection to crafting, or have any desire to craft?

I blame my mom for both neglecting my craft potential, and feeding it. We never really crafted together when I was a kid. She wasn't the type to save peanut butter jar lids to make Christmas ornaments, and we never once made paper mache. I think by the time I came around, she was burned out on crafting. In her words, "How many needlepoint pictures can you hang on the wall?" By the time I was a kid, she was in to other things - like breadmaking. And so, my crafty influences and training would have to come later.

Occasionally, I'd find my way in to a craft or hardware store, and that tingly sensation of standing in awe of possibility would overwhelm me. I'd sometimes pick up supplies, but lacking anyone to craft with or any guidance, I'd get frustrated with the process and results. Instead, I just swore I was "so not crafty."

So when did I embrace my crafty side? I can't remember exactly, but I think it was partly during a sewing class I took (a year after my mom gave me my first sewing machine) a few years ago, and I know that Craftster had a lot to do with it. A friend clued me in to Craftster, and with my first visit, I was absolutely hooked. Finally, cool crafting, and even cooler crafters. A community full of ideas, lessons and support - I was smitten.

Over the last several years, I've taken sewing classes, embroidery classes, expanded my collage skills, learned about ATCs, and indulged in the inspirational goodness of Flickr. This year, I've become completely addicted to craft blogs/podcasts, magazines, and have had the opportunity to connect with fun crafters across the country. I'm hooked. No more denying it. I am so crafty. So very crafty.

And the best part? Aside from having a creative outlet, something to soothe my mind, a fun connection to other people, my mom is finally getting crafty again! She's been watching me embroider non-stop for months, and now she's finally taking embroidery up again for herself! In two weeks, we'll be taking a crochet class together. The crafty blood line is running strong now. My daughter is picking it up, too, and with a Girl Scout troop we'll be starting later this fall, we're sure to have some fun whipping up crafts.

So I'm a newbie-ish crafter with an old crafter's soul. And no matter how many times my husband rolls his eyes at the fabric stash, or friends say, "Why would you spend hours making something for your kid you can buy at the store." the crafty denial is done with. This girl has craft in her blood, and it's time to let it flow.