Welcome

To you all, thank you for your company and your time

Friday 28 May 2010

My Forgotten Treasure

Hi there lovely Blogettes, how is your week going?  Here in the Kimbles household it has been a busy week - with hubby on a "tidying up the garage and loft" mission.  There has been a lot of "we don't need this" and "why are we keeping this?" and to tell you the truth I find it all a bit difficult - you know, to let go of things and I know in my heart stuff that has been sitting there for 20 years probably won't be used again!  We compromised in the end with me squirreling away certain items that NO WAY were going anywhere!  The reason for this big sort out is that our heating system has really struggled all winter (how typical is that, when we have had the coldest winter for 30 years!!!!!) and just before Easter stopped completely and because we live in a small village there is no mains gas - so other avenues have to be explored.  Anyway the upshot of this is that the whole system needs to be replaced and that means access to the loft and garage - hence the BIG clear out!!! Hope you are keeping up!

I am telling you this because as all of this busying was going on - in amongst all the forgotten "treasures" or "mess" I found this - and a tear did come to my eye


This is "Ann" my favourite doll and LOOK what she is wearing - one of my very FIRST crochet projects!!!

In real life she looks a little dusty and tired but the photos have brought the colours to life!





I have been trying to work out how old this crochet is and I am sure I made this when I was about 9 or 10 so in and around 40 years ago!




There is no  sewing up - I have threaded drawstrings through the waist and neck - so very simple, and I love the green and lemon - still working in green today!

I clearly remember the first time I learned to crochet - a very trendy friend of mine at primary school was trying to make a poncho (they were very fashionable at the time) and I got a hook and a ball of yarn and tried to copy her, without any success, and my mum was more of a knitter - then one evening I was with my mum and our sick doggie at the vets of all places, it was busy and the waiting room had spilled over into the front garden and they had put out chairs for us. I was messing around with the hook and yarn and a lady sitting next to us taught me a chain and treble - from then on I was hooked and made my first poncho  - sadly I don't have a picture of it, but I remember it was all higgledy piggledy with colours.  I then progressed on to dolls clothes!

Its funny, but that kind lady introduced me to a life long love of crochet, a chance meeting, I haven't the faintest idea what she looked like - but I am very grateful to her.

Can you remember where you first learned to crochet?

Here is an update on my current crochet top - I am really enjoying this - the bamboo yarn although a bit splitty isn't too bad to get used to and feels very "drapey".  I just hope I won't be disappointed when I try it on!





Gosh, I have been very "wordy" today - hope I haven't bored you with my childhood memories.  Have a great weekend (over here in the UK its a Bank Holiday - so Monday off yipee!) .

Speak soon xx

14 comments:

  1. That's such a lovely thing to do - teach a complete stranger how to crochet!! I'm still learning - wish I had someone to show me! I'm relying on books, magazines and the internet at the moment.

    Have a lovely weekend.

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your crocheted doll dress is just lovely. And to think you made that as a child. I have vague memories of my maternal grandmother showing me how to crochet. But I started by teaching myself and taking some classes as an adult in my 40s. I enjoyed "hearing" about your crochet memories.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You need to hold Ann very close and never let her go. She will remind you it's OK, to be a child at times. I still have my first, Raggedy Anne. She has a special place in my heart.

    Love your latest project. It's moving along nicely.

    Toodles,
    Kate

    ReplyDelete
  4. Do you remember the trolls which were popular int he 60's? I still have mine and he wears a knitted outfit made by my Mum!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a precious memory you have in "Ann!" I can remember being 4 or 5 and sitting on my grandmother's sofa (a hideous orange flowered thing) and crocheting with her. I've been doing it ever since, albeit on better looking furniture :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think you will have to keep your doll downstairs now Kim and show her off! Her crocheted dress is wonderful. Funny how you start crocheting isn't it! I'm so pleased you did because you make some lovely things. Can't wait to see your new work.
    Have a good weekend,
    Love Suex

    ReplyDelete
  7. Not bored at all. It is a lovely post. What a sweet little dress. I find it difficult to let things go so I am with you on the hoarder bench! I only learnt to crochet in February after years of longing I finally found lessons on youtube and I haven't looked back since :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi, Kimbles! I posted that silly picture on Flickr last night. It's in my photostream. What are the Flickrettes and where can I find them?

    ReplyDelete
  9. what a lovely story, i love the little doll dress, i learned to crochet only a couple of years ago and i do enjoy it, don't know why it took me so long to learn.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ohh Kim this is a beautiful post...
    I know how I HATE to de-clutter but know how great I feel after but like you there are some items that are wayyy to precious to even too precious to EVER thing of disposing of... NO matter What...
    I also loved your story of the lady teaching you to crochet... how precious it that too...

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is such a beautiful story! How special that you found this doll and dress. I loved reading about how you learned to crochet. I just goes to show we never know how much we can change things when we meet others, even for just a moment.

    I only learned to crochet last year. My crochet blog is called "Never Knew" - because I never knew that I was about to discover something that I'd enjoy so much!

    I wrote about it on my blog, here:
    http://neverknewcrochet.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-never-knew.html

    Thanks so much for sharing your stories with us all. :-)
    Caz from Never Knew

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kim, this is a great story!
    Thanks for sharing.

    I don't know where and when I learned to crochet. I know that I was young. My grandmother gave me a (fake)Barbie and I crocheted a skirt for her. A yellow one. That's all I know. It's possible my grandmother taught me how to crochet, although I can't remember she was ever knitting or crocheting anything.
    The other possibility is: my teacher at primaryschool.
    I'm very grateful that somebody taught me how to crochet!

    ~X~ Karin

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love the post - precious is not always dollars but more importantly memories, just like you have.
    I think I self-taught myself when a child, no memories of anyone teaching me

    ReplyDelete
  14. I crochet Barbie clothes and I know how much love and work goes into them, yours is very nice.. :) I learned to crochet from my mom when I wa about 9yr old...and I have been designing ever since... :)

    ReplyDelete