Before there was Tatting...

...there was crochet.

I come from a family of crocheters, which extends back to my great grandmother, and probably beyond. When I was little, I remember mom making baby sweaters and blankets to sell at local craft shows and consignment shops. To keep me from bothering her, she showed me how to make a chain. I got the hang of it pretty quickly, and being about 7 years old, I soon discovered that it was much more entertaining to wrap the yarn around my toes to fashion a makeshift shoe. Or to tie pieces together and turn it into a wig. This only kept me busy for so long before I found myself back outside chasing squirrels and rabbits, or to see if there was anything of interest in the woods behind our home.

Ten years later, after developing some patience, I acquired a newfound interest in the art. I again went to mom and asked if she would show me basic crochet stitches. Granny squares were first, then scarves. I even tried to make a sweater, but without a pattern, my attempts were futile. School would become a priority, and crochet would again be put on the back burner.

About 6 years ago, I had the desire to pick up my crochet hook again. By this time, I had forgotten everything I had learned. Being familiar with YouTube, I decided to search for tutorials on how to crochet and found a treasure trove of information. I could watch videos as many times as I wanted, and if I didn't understand one, I'd simply choose another. Learning became so much easier and I explored techniques that I had never come across before.

My project of choice became blankets: 

Ripple Blanket

Granny Ripple Afghan

Midnight Brites

Wool Eater Blanket

Clicking the names below each photo will take you to blogs and websites with instructions. Next time, I will talk about how I discovered tatting.