Just For Me

I did something odd yesterday. I bought a crochet shoe pattern and I started making them. I honestly can't remember the last time I made something just for me. It has also been a hogs age since I crocheted anything. It's been even longer since I knitted. What's funny is the whole reason I picked up tatting in the first place was because I was burnt out from too much knitting and crochet and I needed something new to try. A few years later I'm still tatting and I find it just as challenging as it is relaxing for me. I hadn't even had the desire to revisit my previous vices until recently. I plan on taking a tatting vacation the week of Christmas and maybe I'll pick up some knitting needles and reconnect with my inner knitter.

The shoes I'm working on are from a pattern by Sylver. I'm just using yarn from my stash and some old hemp thread doubled that I had from my macrame days. Crocheting with the hemp is, well, uncomfortable and I got several fibers stuck in my finger as I doubled the thread. They will no doubt look very little like the great ones in the picture, but that's fine. I count the first draft as a prototype. It also didn't help that I don't have an 'I' hook on hand of course. If they turn out alright I'll show them off and if not this is the last you'll hear about them.

This is actually the first pattern I've bought from etsy as I am a cheapskate and I usually just adapt free patterns to my purposes, but this one looked so comfortable and well fitted that I thought I'd splurge on one. It's fairly well written and looks very professional and I had it emailed to me in a matter of minutes. She's got another pattern I like as well and perhaps I'll make some slippers for the kids too. I guess it depends on how adventurous I'm feeling and how much of a break I need from up stocking the store with tatting.