Obsessive-Compulsive Yarn-related tendencies

I think every crocheter or knitter has a case of the above. We each have our stash of yarn awaiting use, long lists of projects we'd love to get around to making or completing (oh, that WIP!), and yet we are still always on the look out for more yarn, new patterns and ideas. Not to mention hooks, hook holders, project bags, pattern books....

I first learned to crochet in the round while on a two-week holiday on the Isle of Lewis aged 12. It rained, a lot, so my friends' grandmother taught the three of us how to crochet. I'd never tried it before and at first assumed that, like knitting, I would be completely unable to get the hang of it. I was delighted to discover that it actually was really easy and a lot less complicated!

For some reason, though, it didn't stick with me and I never persevered with it. It wasn't until my sister-in-law fell pregnant with my lovely nephew that I finally picked up my hook once again and had another go at crochet.

Sadly, I don't think I have any photos of that very first baby blanket. It was probably big enough to cover a single bed, let alone a cot or Moses blanket! I don't know if it ever got used, or indeed has seen the light of day since I proudly presented it to my brother and his wife. It doesn't really matter; I got so much enjoyment out of making it, and there is love in every stitch. It was just a very simple Granny square blanket in lots of different colours: white; yellow; green; pale blue; multi-coloured pastel cotton variegated yarn. I loved making it.

Since then, I've completed four more baby blankets, one woolly and very snuggly sofa blanket for my husband, several hats, one pair of baby bootees and had a go at making a baby cardigan, which is still lurking in my basement. I'm not really that happy with it so it's never been the subject of photos.

Everything I make, I give away. Er, with the exception of that sofa blanket! I have a couple of big WIPs for myself, including a huge blanket made out of lots of tiny mandala Granny squares that I think is going to morph into a mix of small squares, medium and some big squares. I've seen various patterns here and there, so I shall keep an eye out.

I intend to post my completed projects along with photos of them as they went along - we'll see how that goes!