Carolyn’s story is one of the heart, and I’m quite sure many of you will relate to her story.  Enjoy my friends.

Who Taught You to Crochet?
I am self taught.

How Long Have You Been Crocheting?
50 years

Title:  Southern Diamonds Baby Blanket 

Why is Crochet More than Just a Hobby to You?
Crochet is more than a hobby to me because it helped me keep it together during the most stressful time of my life. I taught myself to crochet when I was about 12, I think. My mom had a friend that would crochet butterflies on the corner of ladies’ handkerchiefs. I thought they were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, so I bought a book, yarn and a hook to learn.

My first project were mittens. I wore them forever! I don’t remember making anything else after the mittens. Fast forward a few years, and I made a few baby gifts for friends, hats and sweaters which were all pretty basic things. One day out of the blue, my mother-in-law brings me a big bag of yarn, a complete set of hooks (that I still have) and instructions. She asks if I still crocheted, and I told her I did but never made anything big. She was wanting a queen size ripple pattern afghan. I was up for the challenge! I don’t remember how long it took to make it. I would leave everything at her house and work on it when we were there to visit. Bonus, she would watch the babies while I crocheted. I have the afghan to this day! This was the late ’70’s and it is green’s and gold in color. I made a few more afghans in the following years for presents.

My babies grew older and we were at sporting events, oh and I bought a restaurant too, so I didn’t have time for crocheting any more. After the kids graduated high school we sold the restaurant and moved to Florida (from Ohio). It’s pretty warm here, and I never even thought about crocheting.

In 2011 my husband of 40 years passed away. I was shaken! He was gone and the kids are grown, what am I going to do now? One day a co-worker asked if I knew anyone who crocheted? I told her I used to, and she asked if I would finish a afghan that she had started and was not doing a very good job of it. I said I would love to work on it for her. When I finished it my youngest son asked me to make the same one for him only bigger and in Ohio State colors. After I finished his afghan I thought, I’ll make dish cloths for all my volunteers at work for Christmas.

I am a chef for a Hospice and have over 50 volunteers. When these (projects) were all finished I realized that it was my love for crochet that was helping me deal with the loss of my husband. It’s been 6 years since he passed and not a day goes by that I don’t have yarn and a hook in my hand. That is why crochet is more than a hobby to me. It saved my sanity when I needed it most! I don’t usually sell my projects, I enjoy giving them away as gifts.

~Carolyn

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