Crochet and me | Tracy Jamieson
River Yarn Fibre Festival my sister Kelly said. Within minutes a house in Carcoar was booked and I was thinking I was just going along for the ride…not being one to knit or crochet.
This would be a lovely chance to spend time with three amazing females, visit a place I’d not been to and since getting a Stage 4 Breast Cancer diagnosis in December 2022 after treatment since July 2021, a chance to get away.
We were booked into a workshop to crochet a hanging basket! Thankfully there was time for a quick lesson the night before from my cousin – I had never picked up a crochet hook before. Let’s just say…I was lost within minutes and my hanging basket wasn’t a success but the workshop was ‘fun’, and we laughed. We also did the drop spindle workshop sitting outside on a beautiful veranda in the main street on a beautiful day. Perfection.
I was in awe with all the amazing fibres, colours and projects on display from all the stall holders but didn’t buy anything because I just couldn’t ‘do’ crochet…and knitting… well I failed that years ago.
The weekend finished and we had such a great time surrounded by so many talented, lovely people. I took my ball of wool and crochet hook purchased for the workshop and planned to study You Tube in an attempt to teach myself. Starting with some basic was the plan.
A few weeks later and I was hooked (pardon the pun)! Starting with small shape tutorials, granny squares tutorials - the repetitiveness helped get me more comfortable. I then picked up a kit to make a little fox…for a 12 yo the box said! Well I looked at the pattern and put it away. It was like trying to read a foreign language to me. Back to You Tube and granny squares I went. I’ve since made two baby blankets, a 90 square blanket for myself, 40 squares to send off to a charity and I have a few other little projects on the go at any given time. I can report that little fox has all its ‘bits’ and is just waiting to be put together and I’m currently having fun crocheting balloon dogs.
The benefits crocheting has had on my life are many. My ongoing treatment side effects of a trigger finger and really achy hands (thanks chemical menopause) are all but gone or now more manageable. I am learning something new which is always good. I am meeting and chatting to new people as I crochet on my train commutes to work which proves interesting and I’m feeling creative again - something I had definitely lost over 2.5 years of treatment.
So thank you River Yarn Fibre Festival and Kelly for the introduction to crochet. Can’t wait to join youall in beautiful Carcoar next year!! We are all booked already.
This time I’m bringing cash and carry bags and the belief I can do it!
