Welcome to our blog tour! Here at Crochetville, we celebrate National Crochet Month with our NatCroMo Blog Tour. This year, we’re interviewing crochet designers, teachers, and hobbyists throughout March and our theme is crochet memories. You can browse all of this year’s blog tour content on our page NatCroMo Blog Tour 2020.
About Tara Symons
Please allow me to introduce our featured crochet hobbyist of the day, Tara Symons. Her favorite things to crochet are baby blankets and clothing. Today Tara will share some of her crochet memories with us and we’ll showcase three of her crochet projects.
Tara’s Crochet Memories
Would you share with us one of your earliest memories of crochet?
When I was nine, my Mum sent me to around the corner to be taught how to crochet. I was taught the basics by a 15-year-old neighbour. I have loved it ever since.
Would you share with us one of your most memorable experiences as a crocheter?
About six years ago my Grandmother passed away. I hadn’t crocheted for awhile but I found a project I hadn’t finished and I picked it up. Crocheting became my grief therapy. I crocheted like a mad thing. Everything I made was soaked in my tears. I was slow but I did it every day and researched techniques to help me become better at my craft. Only while I was crocheting did I find any comfort from my grief.
Would you share with us another crochet memory?
My beautiful 4-year-old granddaughter came to visit. She asked me to teach her how to make a blanket for her doll. We picked out colours from my stash and she began. After ten minutes she said, “Oh Nanny why is crochet so hard? It hurts my head and hand! The she batted her eyelids and said, “Please Nanny my doll still needs a blanket! Can you please finish it for me?” What was I to do but finish it!
Showcase: Crochet Projects by Tara
Ermeline jacket
Pattern source: Ermeline by Sylvie Damey
About the project: This pattern is by my favourite crochet artist, Sylvie Damey. I didn’t know it when I first stumbled across it. I found it on Facebook and traced it to Ravelry. I have made so many of these jackets, along with other patterns designed by her, and I love them all.
Teddy Bears
Pattern source: My Krissie Bear by Kristel Droog
About the project: My first attempt at amiguri. Oh I fell in love with these bears. I have made quite a few. Mine don’t all look exactly like this but I love them all. I have made this bear for my daughter, several of my grand children, and as a gift at a baby shower. I have used many different sizes and types of yarn, the bears have ranged in size from tiny to huge.
Rozeta
Pattern source: Rozeta, The Official Scheepjes CAL 2019 designed by Tatsiana Kupryianchyk of Lilla Björn Crochet. Video tutorials by Esther Dijkstra of It’s All in a Nutshell, all in one playlist on her YouTube channel.
About the project: This was my first CAL (crochet-along). I am yet to finish this beauty. Boy, talk about stretching my skills. I frogged (pulled out rows) this over and over again. My husband found it very painful to watch me pull it out repeatedly. But it was love at first sight and I am just about ready to pick it up and finish it. I think it may well be one of the great loves of my life!
Crochet is my therapy, too. You do lovely work.