Yesterday was a tough day for me. I felt like crap-o-la when I woke up. I was determined not to let my day be wasted just because I didn't feel like my normal somewhat energized self, but I knew I needed to take it easy.
One of the first things I did after Hubby left for the office was to pull out my Radicowl project that I've had listed in my projects queue on Ravelry for over a month. I grabbed my pattern, my freshly wound yarn balls, my crochet hook and began getting down to business. I sat in silence, my Dobie Axel on the couch beside me and I worked to create what I hoped would be a new cowl and learn a new technique in the process. Despite having to navigate through an unfamiliar pattern I felt a level of peaceful determination take over.
The new [to me] technique is called Crochet Brioche. I wasn't able to find a lot of information in video format about it online, so I just dug into the pattern to see how far I could get. Basically, one row is completed in two parts, an A section and a B section. The A section is crocheted in one color and the B section in another color. After about an hour and a half into the project I was beginning row 3. I kept looking back at my work not liking what I was seeing. I kept telling myself that I wasn't going to wear this. Ever.
The color combination of deep red and golden yellow, which I thought would look like a sunset, I realized is not a color combo I would regularly wear. The stitch pattern that I was creating, which could be technically incorrect since I'm unsure if I'm following the pattern correctly, looked more like Granny Square stitching than the Crochet Brioche I was seeing in the picture. I knew I wasn't going to wear a Granny Square-ish cowl. Ever.
So, I frogged the entire thing and rewound my two balls of yarn. Despite my failed attempt at this project I felt better than I had when I gotten up. I didn't feel frustrated and I didn't feel like I had failed. I felt like I had made a new discovery. I had discovered that Crochet Brioche is something I will need to learn from a class online or person-to-person instruction, and that it may not be a form of crochet work that I truly like.
I maneuvered around the house to complete the rest of my goals for the day at a very slow pace. I managed to reach all of my goals and even add one more: to use my Sealing Wax Red Malabrigo worsted yarn (one of the yarns from the Radicowl project) in another project before the day was over.
You see, this deep red Malabrigo worsted weight yarn has been in my stash calling my name since April. When I wound it on my Nostepinne a couple of nights ago I felt how soft and fuzzy the texture was, causing the yarn to stick to itself throughout the process. I kept wondering how it was going to feel as I crocheted with it. To tell you the truth, it felt amazing moving between my fingers and onto my crochet hook. So I was determined to not let the day pass without beginning a new project with it.
I reached my last goal of the day. Before retreating to bed I started a new cowl with a simple series of crochet stitches. Once I had my desired length and joined the two ends of foundation stitches together I felt satisfied enough to put the project away for the night. I felt a small smile emerge on my face as I switched off the lamp.
I'm sharing this story with you today to communicate just what a positive impact crochet has on my life. It helps me turn a murky day into a brighter one. It lowers my blood pressure and it brings me peace. Even when I have to start over and begin something totally new I feel better. Even when I have to acknowledge that a simpler stitch is the right way for me to go I feel better. I hope that crochet, or some other form of hand stitchery, can bring you that same type of feeling.
Keep those hands stitchin', folks. It will bring you peace!
