mom & me crochetalong ~ part i ~ a post by Melissa

December 1968 ~ mom at 21 & me at 2

The past two days were spent hanging out with my mom, visiting and starting our first crochetalong...hopefully the first of many.  Mom's not a big knitter (I taught her but she always comes back to crochet) and she can't hang with the knitwits on our many adventures (miserable wool allergy ~ she sadly can't even be around most animal fiber), so this past Christmas I tried to find something that she and I could do together.  I chose a crochet pattern from Churchmouse Yarn and Teas , this Vintage Crocheted Blanket (I'm a sucker for vintage!), and bought all the yarn for both projects hoping that my color choices for her would be okay. 

We have finally begun!

I brought all my yarn (we're doing the larger 7-color afghan version) over to my folks the past 2 days in this cool crochet project bag my mom made for me a few years ago.  I also brought my best listening ears because...I really don't know how to crochet!  Did I choose a project that is too adventurous for a newbie, you might be wondering?  Ha...

It took me a few hours to get organized while my mom immediately got started on her blanket. I have a process when I start a project and there are things that must be done! I assigned letters to my yarn and made a little key so I wouldn't get confused with all the different color sequences. I took a few pictures. I read the pattern through and through...twice. I started my note sheet. I sharpened my pencil.

Meanwhile, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh (that's the sound of my mom sitting across the table crocheting a mile a minute).  By the time I was ready to put the first stitch on my hook, my mom had completed her chain and foundation row ~ I have to keep reminding myself this is not a contest!!

At the end of day one, here's mom's afghan.  She got her foundation row and the first two colors added.  She loved the colors I chose for her, too!  Pinks and browns and white.  She's using Berroco Comfort Worsted, an acrylic/nylon blend that is machine washable and comes in many really nice colors.  I had a hard time picking a color scheme for her!  Doesn't it look lovely!?

Here's slowpoke at the end of day one (that would be me in case you aren't following along closely enough!).  I got my foundation row and part of the 2nd row done.  I learned to do a  v-stitch and a double v-stitch.  Only one more stitch to learn the next day and I'm on my way!  I'm using Cascade 220 (love this Northwest based company!) and you can find my project notes on Ravelry if you're interested .

Day two started with a double batch of Rice Krispie Treats and coffee and looking through photo albums for pictures of my mom and I to go with this project, and ended with a dinner date with my parents at their favorite Mexican restaurant and talking about family.

We did get some crocheting done...and look who caught up to mom!  I found out that whoosh, whoosh, whoosh speed of light crocheting is followed by lots of rip, rip, rip unravelling (this is my mom's process!).  Love you, mom ;) !

I'm looking forward to more crafting with mom, as well as more talking our way down memory lane.  You learn lots of things you never knew when you just sit and chat with nowhere to be, like how your paternal grandfather played in a country music band in the 1950's, and how they had their own weekly radio show in upstate New York, and that they were so popular that they were asked to 'play the circuit', an offer my grandfather declined and chose instead to stay home with his wife and 9 children.  I loved my grandpa.

~Melissa