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Knitting and crocheting…beyond my reach?

Christine (Who am I?)

I don’t know why it is, but the crafts of knitting and crocheting have always seemed to be beyond my reach. It’s almost like chemistry class back in high school, where I could not wrap my brain around the periodic table, even if someone held a gun to my head. Just another one of those things that I will NEVER understand…and thank goodness I don’t need to in order to live my daily life.

But I have always wanted to learn to knit and crochet. My mother knew how to crochet, and she tried to teach me. But she was left-handed, and I’m a righty, and I couldn’t get the hang of it because of that.

Since then, I’ve tried to learn both knitting and crocheting, with no good results. A couple of years ago, there was an article in Martha Stewart Living magazine that had what looked like easy, step-by-step beginning knitting instructions, complete with pictures. Excited, I went to Michaels and bought knitting needles and some inexpensive yarn to practice on.

No dice. I Just Didn’t Get It. And damn, I tried, I really did.

I tried crochet again, too. I had this crochet hook that I bought because I’d read someplace that it was a good way to get the dough kneading blade out of bread made in a bread machine. Yes, it does work for that. But I decided to try to learn to actually crochet with the thing, and I bought an inexpensive instruction book, once again, at Michaels.

No dice. I Still Did Not Get It. So I gave up for a bit.

Once, when I was at the sadly defunct discount bookstore at the Kittery Outlets, I bought copies of Knitting For Dummies and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Knitting and Crocheting Illustrated. As in, complete with pictures. And then I brought them home and they sat, collecting dust.

Until I got digital TV, and started watching a lot of the PBS Create channel. They have this knitting and crocheting show that is hosted by Kassie DePaiva. She’s a soap opera actress, she plays Blair on One Life To Live. I haven’t watched that show in years, but I still know who she is. I hadn’t known that she’s an experienced knitter and crocheter. Perhaps she does it to pass the time on the set, between times when she’s needed. That’s one of the nice things about these crafts, they are very portable.

Anyway, I have been watching this, and it’s made me dig out the idiot and dummy books, and I’m going to attempt this yet again. Maybe this time, it will take. Or maybe it won’t. But still, how nice would it be to be able to just lounge on a recliner, watch TV (preferably Kassie’s show on Create!), and knit or crochet something.

I just don’t see why I CAN’T do this. Knitting is VERY big these days, millions of people, some of who are bigger dummies than I am, can do it. Why, Oh, Why, Can’t I?