Happy International Crochet Day!

Today is International Crochet Day! I know it's late in the day, it's nearly 11 pm here in Central Florida, but I wanted to wish everyone a great day hooking. For me, crochet is a way to not only create beautiful and often useful things, but it's also a way for me to connect with the women in my family. My grama, mom, and aunt all crocheted. It was a craft handed down to me at an early age. I remember learning how to crochet when I was around 9 years old. Now I even design my own patterns and share them on this blog and in my ebooks I write under Dorothy Wilks and Cynthia Welsh.

Darling Daughter Beanie

My grama could crochet the most beautiful borders on her embroidery. She used variegated crochet thread and tiny steel needles. I always admired her work. My mom was more into knitting. She could knit anything. I remember matching sweaters she knitted for her and my dad. They had a totem pole kind of design. I saw an example of them not too long ago and they were called "Bob Hope" sweaters. Amazing design. I do knit, but I'm still in the beginner stage. I have learned to enjoy it and I like to practice at it, but crochet is my real love.

Very similar design from my mom's sweater

Crochet helped me through the grief of losing my husband suddenly in 2011 after 18 years of marriage. Later that same year my mother fell ill and died in December just after her 83rd birthday. It was a hard time for myself and my kids both emotionally and financially. Crochet helped me keep my sanity and opened the door for me to be hired to write ebooks for a client under three different pen names. I am blessed to be able to crochet and write books to help supplement my disability.

So what does crochet mean to you? Share with us in the comments your story about how crochet adds to your life. Remember one stitch and one day at a time.

Happy Hooking my friends!